CMM01 - Without Any Evidence Read online

  “I know. It must be very frustrating to have a case like this one.”

  “It is. Especially when I so desperately want to nail him. There have been detectives in the past who weren’t above planting evidence when they were sure someone did something. But now days, everyone is being so careful. We have to be in order not to have cases thrown out of court. It’s like we’re the ones on trial instead of the criminals and it’s wrong on a whole lotta levels.”

  “But it is tempting to make sure justice is done,” Miguel said reaching across to touch her hand again.

  He had been touching her a lot as they drove and it was about to drive Carly to distraction, or attraction.

  “You know Carly, Mexico is an interesting place. Sometimes things happen. People disappear. Drug dealers and mercenaries are all over the place here. Everyone is for sale. If Jerry makes the wrong enemies, he could disappear, too.”

  “On one hand that would be nice, but on the other, I want him to know he’s paying for something he did wrong. I want him to know that the world knows what he did to Claire. Or what we think he did to Claire. No, I’m sure he killed her. Even though all the evidence is circumstantial, it’s overwhelming. I know we could get a conviction,” she said shaking her fist.

  Miguel smiled and said, “Well, you know, sometimes things take care of themselves.”

  They came to an intersection of the rutted concrete road and a dirt road. Miguel turned right onto the dirt road.

  “We’ll be in Santa Antonio in about 30 more minutes. There’s a small hotel there and I’ll drop you off and get you settled before I go check on things at the ranch.”

  “That would be great. Is there a restaurant there that you’d recommend?”

  “That depends. Do you dance?”

  “Well, yeah, but not usually when I’m by myself.”

  “I was thinking, if you’d like to, I can come back and pick you up around 7 and I’ll take you to a place I know. They serve great food, have a wonderful band and it’s got a great view of the lake.”

  “Twist my arm and make me,” Carly said smiling and then more serious, “It sounds wonderful, but do you think it’s a good idea? I mean, do you think Jerry or his dad will see us?”

  “Wade is homebody. He’ll be feeding the horses and in bed by 9. And Jerry is supposed to be in Tampico. It’s over on the Gulf. He’s not supposed to be home until late tomorrow night.”

  “Great. Then I’d love to go.”

  The little hotel in Santa Antonio was just that…little. It looked like one of those hotels in the old western movies, two stories tall and the wooden front porch with benches in front of the windows. It only had four rooms and they were really small. But at least it seemed clean and each room had it’s own bathroom, which was a definite plus. The hotel was the middle building in a row of five stores that were attached to one another. Next door on one side was a grocery store. More like a small market. Then there was a feed store next to that on the end. On the other side of the hotel was a gas station/garage where Ramon worked. There were old clunker cars parked out beside it and a couple of old chairs out in front. Actually, they were the front seats of cars that had been leaned up against the building and were used as chairs.

  This was where Jerry, Wade and Miguel technically lived. In reality there was a larger town, a city really, just about 10 miles further down the road. That was where everyone went to eat, see the sights, go shopping, do their banking and everything else. Santa Antonio was more like a pit stop, but it suited Carly just fine. She figured that Ted and Julie weren’t staying in Santa Antonio. And she was right.

  Ted and Julie had gone the extra few miles and were staying at a very nice resort. They had flown into a small private air strip near town and they had their driver take them to the resort where they checked in and then headed straight to the local authorities to plead their case, show them their official documents giving them visitation and ask for help in getting Teddy and Bella. Besides having the right documentation, they also had many, many pesos. And as Carly had learned earlier in the day, pesos made the world go round in Mexico.

  Carly unpacked her duffle bag and pulled out her nice outfit that she had brought just in case, and hung it up to take out the wrinkles. It was a soft flowing long skirt with a pretty floral pattern and blouse that she had found in a vintage clothing store. It had four ties in the front instead of buttons and it fit her like a glove. The sleeves were long but puffy and tied at the wrists. She decided that was what she would wear for her big night out.

  It was early in the day, so she went out on the front porch, sat in one of the chairs and watched the world go by for a while. Before she realized it, she had dozed off, dreaming of lying on a beach in the sun with the ocean sounds in the background. She jumped when the sound of a motorcycle brought her back to reality. Looking at her watch, she realized she’d been sitting out there for three hours and she was starting to get a little hungry. She walked next door to the market and asked the woman at the counter what she would recommend. The woman didn’t say a word, but handed her something that looked like a burrito. She also grabbed a bottle of water. Carly paid, thanked her and walked back to her chair on the porch where she sat down and took a bite.

  “This is absolute heaven,” Carly thought to herself as she finished off her food and then headed upstairs to her room where she ended up dozing off again. The months of stress in the case had worn her out and this was a much needed rest. She woke up around 5:30 and took a leisurely bath.

  Before she dressed, she brushed her teeth, washed her face and put on what little makeup she wore. That was eyeliner, a little blush and some lip gloss. She slipped on her clothes and sandals and was ready and waiting when Miguel arrived promptly at 7.

  It had all the makings of a beautiful evening.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  The road kicked up dust behind the wheels of Miguel’s pick up. It had been dry for the past few days. If it hadn’t been for the dusty road, though, you wouldn’t have been able to tell. The surrounding land was still lush and green. The sky was dark blue and full of stars that sparkled like diamonds reflecting the sun.

  “I never thought it would be so beautiful here,” Carly said trying to figure out how to keep the conversation flowing without sounding trite.

  “Most people don’t think of Mexico as being as beautiful as it is. They only see the dessert of the old western movies. It is a beautiful place to live, with certain exceptions. I guess you’ve noticed that money has a way of making things easier or harder down here.”

  “Yeah, I noticed. What else can money do for you here? You talked about making people disappear before. Can you really do that?”

  “Oh, yes. There are mental institutions here that have people in them who have been there for years. Many of them are people who have enemies who have paid to have them locked up. In these institutions, they are kept without any of the legal hassles. Doctors say they can’t have visitors because they would become agitated or violent, so no lawyers, no other doctors, no family. They are held indefinitely. As long as the money keeps being paid to the right people.”

  “Wow. Quite different than back home. Our mental facilities won’t hold anyone longer than insurance will pay. And even then it’s hard to get someone into one of them. Even if they need to be there. Our homeless people on the streets are mostly people who used to be in s Mental Hospital. Now they just turn them out onto the streets.”

  Just then Miguel turned right into the parking lot of La Hacienda. The building was a stucco painted in bright colors. Most of it was a clay red color, but the trim had yellow and turquoise and green. There were little twinkle lights in the trees and as they pulled into a parking spot, Carly could see a large courtyard and deck out back that stuck out over the lake. It also had twinkle lights around it which gave it a magical reflection in the clear crystal blue water.

  “This is absolutely breathtaking.”

  “I thought you might like it here. We c
an forget the rest of the world for a while and just enjoy ourselves. The food is great, the band will have everyone dancing and it has a great view of the lake.”

  Miguel got out of the truck and went around to open Carly’s door. He took her hand to help her down out of the truck, but she stumbled a little and fell right into his arms. She hadn’t been that close to Miguel except in her dreams and she realized just how much she really wanted him to make a move. She had also decided that if he did, she wouldn’t resist. After all, she was on vacation and he was a man. And for the next few days she wasn’t working on the Booth case. She was just a woman and he was just a man. And what a man he was.

  “Are you alright?”

  “Yes. I’m fine. My shoe just got caught. I’m glad you were there to catch me cause I‘m sure I‘d have busted my ass. Sometimes I‘m a complete klutz.”

  Trying to keep from laughing, he smiled and said, “I‘m glad I could be of service,” and he put his arm around her to guide her to the front door of the restaurant.

  As they walked through the restaurant Carly couldn’t help but think about how great she felt when she was with Miguel. This was the type of man she had always wanted. Someone strong and yet sensitive in a macho sort of way.

  Carly slide into the booth next to the gray weathered railing on the deck overlooking the lake. As she did, the slit in her skirt opened to reveal most of her well toned leg. She could feel Miguel looking at her. She knew she should have gathered her skirt and closed up the slit, but instead she left it open and continued to slide into the seat. Miguel slid into the seat opposite her and their legs touched underneath the table. It seemed like this happened every time they sat across from each other and Carly was beginning to think it was no accident.

  “Tell me more about yourself,” Miguel said as he leaned toward her across the table. “I know your parents died when you were young and you have a younger sister, but I don’t know much about who you are and how you got to be so wonderful.”

  Blushing, Carly leaned in a little, too. “I’m really not so wonderful. I just want to make a difference. There’s so much going on in the world, so much that bad people get away with and I want to do my part to stop it.”

  “Doesn’t it ever scare you? You must be involved in many bad situations. How did you get to be so brave?”

  “I’m not really that brave. I have a great bunch of guys I work with on the job. We look out for one another. And being a detective is different. When I was an officer, I had some close calls. I worked in a bad section of town and we had a lot of drug dealers and street thugs, but we had each others’ backs. It’s probably the only time in my life when I felt safe. As strange as that sounds, it’s the way I feel when I’m on the job. We really take care of each other. And my partner’s the best. He’s there for me 24/7.”

  “Should I be jealous?”

  “Jealous? No one should be jealous of me and Bill. We’re buds. I’d say he’s like my brother, but it’s different, cause we don’t fight like relatives do. We’re really, really good friends. I can tell him anything and he has told me everything. Sometimes more than I care to know.”

  “I’m glad you have someone like Bill there for you. I wish I could be someone you could count on, too.”

  “Miguel, let’s just live for right now. I’m having a wonderful time and I don’t want to think about the future or the past. I want to enjoy a nice dinner and have a few drinks and then you can teach me how to dance to this music,” Carly whispered as a couple danced up next to their table. They were doing a salsa dance and Carly was sure she would make a complete fool of herself if she tried to do what they were doing, so she ordered a cool and very large sangria and proceeded to settle into the booth and watch.

  “You’re not going to get away with this. Come with me,” Miguel commanded as he stood and reached out his hand to take hers.

  Nervously, but without hesitation, Carly reached out her hand and put it in his as she slid out of the booth and into his arms. He held her tight and began to sway with the music. She had no idea she could move this way, but Miguel used his body to push her, pull her, twirl her and dip her into another world. Their bodies began to move as smooth as if they had been dancing together for years instead of minutes. As Miguel pulled her close and their hips lunged together, he reached one hand down, grabbed her leg and pulled it up around him, and Carly almost moaned out load as the music stopped. She held on tight for fear she would slide right down onto the floor from sheer ecstasy.

  Miguel guided her back to the table and slid into the seat next to her this time, wanting to be closer than across the table. He wanted to feel their bodies touching.

  Ted and Julie had made arrangements with the authorities to meet them at 10 o’clock the next morning to go out to the farm and pick up Teddy and Bella. Since they had the evening to themselves, they decided to go out for the evening and have a nice dinner.

  They were seated at a table farthest away from the band. Looking up, Ted looked across the room to see Carly sitting in a booth with Miguel.

  “Julie, isn’t that the detective from home?”

  “Yes, it is. I wonder what she’s doing down here. Maybe there’s something new on the case.”

  “She’s with that young man who works for Wade. I’m going to find out exactly what’s going on here,” he said sounding a little concerned. He strode across the floor quickly.

  Focusing her eyes on the man walking across the floor toward her, Carly finally realized who it was. Flustered at being seen, Carly blurted out, “Mr. Simon!”

  She knew he was down here, but never in a million years did she expect to run into them this way. She wanted to be the one to see them and watch them from a distance like a stalker does his victim, not be spotted at a restaurant with someone from the enemy camp. She felt just like a kid that had been caught doing something wrong.

  “Detective Malone, I’m surprised to see you here,” Ted said as he slid into the booth across from Carly and Miguel.

  Ted told Carly and Miguel what they had planned. He wasn’t sure at first if he should trust Miguel, but after talking for a few minutes Carly assured him he could be trusted. After giving them the details, Ted got up and walked slowly back across the dance floor to the table where Julie was seated. She had already had two martinis and was ready to order another.

  Miguel and Carly watched as Ted and Julie drank another round and then got up and left the restaurant.

  “I can’t even imagine what they’re going through,” Carly said shaking her head and starting to feel guilty that she had been having so much fun before they showed up.

  “I can’t imagine their pain, but I can imagine their dislike for Jerry.” Miguel mumbled thinking of Rosa and what Jerry had taken away from her.

  With the evening mood ruined, Miguel took Carly back to the hotel. He didn’t even try to kiss her goodnight, not that Carly was in any mood now to let him. As much as she wanted to be with Miguel, she just couldn’t take her mind off of Claire and Jerry and trying to figure out what to do to get justice for everyone involved.

  She ended up falling asleep in the chair looking out the window at the moonlit street. When she awoke the next morning the sunrise was just starting to light the sky. Wisps of blue and pink floated across the sky like a watercolor she had once seen in a gallery. She wondered if Claire had ever been down here and seen this beautiful, picturesque landscape. She was very happy to be alive on this beautiful December day.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  It was Monday, three days before Christmas, and Rosa was dropping the kids off at school. The school had a preschool for Bella as well as an elementary school for Teddy.

  Wade was back at the farm doing his usual chores and Jerry had left early that morning to drive over to a town about an hour away to do some legal work for a friend of Wade’s. He wasn’t expected back until late in the afternoon.

  This was exactly the opportunity Julie and Ted needed. They had been with the judge and ha
d gotten all their papers in order and paid all of the appropriate people. They had a chartered plane at a nearby private landing strip and the plan was all set.

  Their car pulled up in front of the school at a little before 10 a.m. Julie stayed in the car while Ted went into the headmistress’s office to present her with the papers showing he had the right to pick up the kids. Mrs. Rodriguez was surprised to see the entourage following Mr. Simon.

  After explaining who he was and why he was there, she turned, reached for the phone and quietly said, “Mr. Simon, I really need to call Mr. Booth and let him know that you are here. He’ll be very angry with me if I don’t.” Her voice trembled as she spoke, sounding terrified of Jerry’s anger.

  “M’am, you do what you need to do, but we won’t be here. I’m taking the children right now. We’re not waiting for anyone to get here to stop us this time.”

  The children had been brought to the office by officers the judge had sent along with the Simons, and Ted scooped them into his arms and hugged them as they entered the room. It had been a while since they had seen their grandfather and Teddy grabbed him around the neck like there was no tomorrow. Bella was a little more hesitant, but once she saw Teddy grab him, she followed right along. After all, he was her big brother.

  They headed for the door, just as Mrs. Rodriguez got Wade on the phone. “Well, stop them,” Wade screamed. He knew how angry Jerry would be and he didn’t want to face his wrath either. He ran out the door and jumped into his truck, kicking up dust as he flew down the driveway and turned toward town.

  Julie reached for the kids as they climbed into the car. Ted jumped in and closed the door telling the driver where to take them. The police followed close behind as they made one turn after another through the town until they reached the last turnoff before the landing strip and then the police headed back to their station thinking the Simons were home free. Julie and Ted thought so, too. They didn’t see Wade’s truck coming up the cross road spotting their car. And they didn’t know that Rosa had overheard the conversation before Wade jumped into his truck and had called Jerry. It turned out he hadn’t been to see Wade’s friend and he was at his office in town.