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Tino had been brought into the locked room off Garza’s office as the sun rose over the east wall of the compound. He tried to see everything without Cezar or Garza noticing his surveillance. Hector’s death had the drug lord shaken up but not enough he wouldn’t still be vigilant when introducing someone new to the hub of his drug organization. The fact an intruder had infiltrated Garza’s compound during a party for his wife, murdered his wife’s nephew, and left without being observed had the drug lord fuming.
Tino had overheard señora Garza on the phone earlier telling their daughters they would stay in Columbia and not come to Mexico City as had been planned. From the conversation on the señora’s end, the daughters were not happy to be left behind. But with the security having been breached so easily having their daughters here would make them easy targets for whoever was toying with Garza.
“Rodriguez, tell me again everything that happened last night.” Garza stood in front of a large white board with grids. Dates, names, and weights filled in much of the grid.
Tino went over the evening again, as he had every hour since the doctor arrived and verified what type of bullet had killed Hector. When the doctor pronounced him dead, Cruz was left to sit with Hector until he was prepared for burial. No officials were called. Only Hector’s family.
“How many times did Hector go for a smoke?” Garza asked.
“Three or four times. It was about every half hour.”
“And you did not ask him why he was smoking so much?” Cezar turned an accusing gaze his direction.
“Ever since I came here, Hector has worked harder at getting out of work than doing a job. I figured he was just using the smoke as an excuse to do nothing.” Tino shrugged. Neither man could find fault with that assumption. It was true. Hector had been lazy.
Garza nodded. “And why would anyone be interested in Hector? He knew nothing, I made sure of that.”
“He must have known something that got him killed,” Cezar said, still eyeballing Tino with ill-will.
Tino wasn’t going to mention Hector’s closeness with Hadda. With luck Diego would keep quiet about his knowledge of Hector and Hadda’s relationship long enough for Tino to question the girl. He wanted the information for the DEA and not Garza.
“Maybe Hector went for a smoke and walked into something he was not supposed to see?” Tino ignored Cezar and spoke directly to Garza. “Prehaps someone had come over the wall and was sneaking to the house when Hector came upon him. To keep Hector from alerting the rest of us, he was knocked out and dragged over the wall, then shot where they could make a faster get-a-way if they were found.” It was highly implausible, but he had to throw suspicion outside the compound in order to talk to the people inside the compound before Garza.
The drug lord stared at him. Tino could see Garza’s mind working. Would he fall for the false lead or did he already realize it was false? Frustration paralyzed Tino’s thinking. He’d never been in a situation where the person he was bringing down could possibly know he was an agent.
A knock drew all their gazes to the thick door.
“Answer it!” Garza directed Cezar.
Señora Garza marched into the room. Sorrow for her nephew pulled on her face adding extra years, making her look her true age.
“Family has started to arrive and the man at the gate will not allow them in.” She stopped in front of Garza. “You cannot keep my family out. Either let them in or let them take Hector so we can be with him until he is buried.”
Garza motioned to Cezar. “Go man the gate, you know Karyme’s family. Only let in family. No friends.”
Cezar left the room. Tino shuffled his feet waiting to be excused. But Garza seemed to have forgotten him so he took this opportunity to scrutinize the room one more time. The grid was a visual of Garza’s drug routes and what product and amount was being moved over each route. This was the room that needed to be breached and the information confiscated. That was his mission for the DEA. His private mission was to take the man down completely.
Garza captured his wife’s hands. “I only want to keep everyone safe. Whoever killed Hector came into our home and did so. We have to be extra careful. I do not want you leaving without me or Cezar with you.” His attention flew to Tino.
“Rodriguez.”
“¿Sí?”
“Go see if they need help laying out Hector.” Garza pulled his wife into his arms as Tino walked out of the room.
Tino strode out the door with mixed emotions. He’d found what he was looking for but seeing Garza and his wife together, played chaos with his sense of justice. He knew the cold, hard side of Garza. He’d witnessed the goodness in the señora and didn’t like to think about how he would upend her life when he brought down Garza.
Walking down the hall, he caught a glimpse of Hadda in the dining room. He stood in the doorway watching her dust around the keepsakes and religious items on the massive altar display built into the corner of the dining room wall. A painting of the Virgin de Guadalupe sat on an easel in the back of the display. Hadda placed a photo of Hector in the front and lit the candles on the sides.
Tino stepped into the room, blocking her from leaving when she turned from the altar.
Quietly for her ears only he said, “I heard from Diego that you and Hector were friendly.”
Hadda’s dark brown eyes widened. She glanced about before whispering, “No one is to know.”
“Why? Señora Garza does not seem like the type to worry about classes mingling.”
She stared at her feet.
Tino moved closer and dropped his voice even more. “I would like to help you. If someone killed Hector and you know why, you could be next.” Tino hoped the woman would come to her senses without making him give up his cover.
Her face scrunched up as if she were going to cry.
Tino pulled her into his arms, holding her. She was too young to be mixed up in whatever Hector lured her into. “I can help you, but you have to tell me what you know.”
She shook her head.
He put his mouth next to her ear for only her to hear. It was a huge risk, but he had to find out who she was helping. “You and I are after the same things, no? To find out about the shipments.”
Her body froze. She peered at his face with tear-filled eyes. Raising on her tiptoes, she whispered in his ear. “You are working with Luis Bohu, too?”
This was who had discovered the information to help the Bohu gang. But what about the shipment the Alvarez brothers intercepted? Did Hadda help them as well?
“No. I am after information for another.” He pulled back in time to see a flash in her eyes and a faint smile slip from her lips. Would she turn him over to Garza?
He eased her away from him. “Did Luis kill Hector?”
She shook her head. “No. Luis was not here. I do not know who killed him. That is why I am so scared, but I cannot tell señor Garza what Hector and I have been doing.”
“Sí, you may be Anarosa’s daughter, but he would not care knowing you are a traitor.” Tino squeezed her hand. “Keep this to yourself. I will see if I can determine who killed Hector, so you will feel safe.”
“Gracias.” She sniffed and wiped at her runny nose with the hem of her shirt.
“Rodriguez, why are you not helping with Hector?” Garza’s voice boomed through the room.
Tino winked at Hadda and spun. “Hadda asked me to hold the Virgin de Guadelupe so she could dust and prepare the altar.”
“Get to where I told you to go.” Garza’s dark stare watched him leave the room.
Tino hustled to the living quarters over the garage and discovered Diego and Cruz dressing Hector. Someone had cleaned him up and filled in the hole in his head with flesh tone putty.
He couldn’t wait for this day to be over with and Garza to lighten up the security. He needed to speak with Rico, and he was worried about Isabella now that they both felt she was lured to Mexico City.
The three carried Hector’s body down to the casket sitting on a stand in the grand salon. Relatives had already taken up seats and filled plates with food. The chatter was gay and one young man sat to the side strumming a guitar.
The last wake Tino had attended was for his family. He’d not been allowed to return to Venezuela for his abuela’s funeral. His only consolation had been the knowledge he’d spoken to her three days before a stroke took her away.
Once Hector was placed in his coffin, Tino made his way slowly back to the doorway. On the way, he caught a glimpse of everyone present. It wouldn’t hurt to know who the family members were in case he came across someone snooping.
The museum director rushed into the room and straight for señora Garza. Was he family? If so, he could be the connection that brought Isabella down here.
Tino moved in the direction of the director and the señora, offering condolences to people he’d not met before. Diego and Cruz had left as soon as they deposited Hector in the coffin. Would the others think it strange he stayed behind?
“Karyme, I’m so sorry for your family’s loss,” Bastante said, clasping her hand.
Ahh, so that was the man’s game. It appeared the director had aspirations to perhaps fill Garza’s shoes one day. Any fool could see the director had more than friendly feelings for the woman.
Tino backed away. Why did Cezar allow the man in when Garza had firmly stated only family?
His idea would either get him in thicker or shot sooner.
Once outside the grand salon, Tino hurried down the hall to the office. He knocked.
“Entrar,” Garza called out.
His eyes narrowed when Tino slipped into the room.
“What do you want?”
“Is Director Bastante related to your wife?” Tino watched the storm cloud of anger build in the man’s eyes.
“No. Why?”
“You told Cezar to only allow family; yet, Bastante is consoling your wife.”
Garza sprang out of his chair, stormed around the desk, and swept him aside to leave the room.
Tino trotted on Garza’s heels. He wanted to see the outcome of his little scheme.
Bastante stiffened the minute Garza entered the grand salon. The director couldn’t move fast enough away from señora Garza.
Garza jammed a finger in the director’s chest. “My office! Now!” He spun and his gaze landed on Tino. “Send Cezar to me, now!”
Tino nodded and headed out the front door. Was he to keep guard on the gate? He hoped not because he could use this latest development to contact Rico. It appeared more than DEA wanted to take down the Garza empire. He needed to know if the director was working with the Bohu gang and how young Hadda fit into the arrangement.