Jack had been on ransom watch in his parents’ kitchen since before dawn, waiting for the wall phone to ring. He’d been coached on what to say. Mac Spitzer said a technician monitoring the department’s StingRay would be able to identify the number and location of any incoming cell phone call, provided it was made from somewhere in Albuquerque.
The call the day before had come in from a burner cell phone outside a car repair business owned by a man named Marco Larza, located near Lomas and Louisiana Boulevards in NE Albuquerque. Julius was not at the garage or Larza’s home. Jack guessed that the kidnappers had made their call in front of the repair business in order to confuse police, who they suspected were tracing calls.
Now the old-fashioned shrill of the landline propelled him across the room. He braced himself and answered. “Yes?”
“You got an address for us?”
“An older guy, right? Worked at a warehouse in south Albuquerque? That who you want?” Jack tried to slow his pulse, keep them on the line.
“Where is he? No bullshit.”
“Let’s see, from what I hear, he’s staying at the Western Skies Motel on Central Avenue. It’s just east of University. I’m sure you can find the place. I wasn’t able to get a room number for him.”
“We need one. Or your brother gets carved up like a turkey.”
“I’m on leave from my job until I get medical clearance. This was the best I could do, since I’m not officially working. I ask too many questions, my boss gets suspicious.” Jack crossed his fingers, hoping he sounded believable.
The silence on the other end unnerved him. He tried to stay calm. “Where’s Julius?” For all he knew, they’d killed him.
“We get Como first. Then maybe you get your brother. Maybe he’ll even be alive when you see him. Maybe not.” The caller disconnected.
Jack hung up and slid to the floor, back against the wall. Julius was a goner.
He sat in a daze until his cell phone chirped
It was Spitzer. This latest call had been intercepted and traced to a house in North Valley, in an exclusive area near the Rio Grande bosque. Units had surrounded the place and the SWAT team was forcing its way into the residence. “Soon as we know more, I’ll get in touch.” His boss hung up.
They won’t find him. It’s another ruse. Getting up, he forced himself to make a fresh pot of coffee for his parents. He had to focus on normal, everyday tasks.
Eloy and Lorena were holed up in their bedroom, watching TV with the sound turned low. They turned anxious eyes toward Jack as he entered with a tray of mugs.
“That call about Julius?” His dad cleared his throat. His mom surveyed him with haunted eyes.
“Yes.” Jack relayed the kidnappers’ message. “My boss says they’ve traced the call to a house in North Valley. We’ll know soon if Julius is there.” Or not.
“Madre a dios. You can’t make a deal with the devil.” His mother wrapped her arms around her knees. “Poor Como. He did something brave and he’s going to pay for it.”
Jack’s cell burred again and he hurried out of the bedroom. Captain Spitzer confirmed what Jack had expected. SWAT had just busted through the front door of a vacant North Valley house. No Julius. Sonny Para’s people knew their calls would be tracked, so they were sending Albuquerque police on wild goose chases. Whoever had called must have destroyed the phone, because it couldn’t be traced any more.
“Sorry, Jack.”
“Anything going on at the Western Skies Motel?”
“Nada. We’re watching the place. By the way, a house burned down this morning in southwest Albuquerque. It was owned by Como and Zina Rico. I’m guessing that might be your warehouse source. Para had it torched, obviously.”
Jack hung up and sat at the kitchen table. He washed down a handful of vitamin capsules with coffee, trying to jump-start his frazzled brain so he could try to find his brother.
***
Cait was on a mission. She cruised the main roads in south Tucson’s industrial area, looking for food trucks on Irvington Road, Palo Verde Road, Kino Parkway, and Ajo Way. She stopped at a few trucks selling the ubiquitous Sonoran hotdogs. No one admitted to knowing a taco seller named Lita.
Doubling back on Ajo Way past the U of A Hospital, she spotted an eye-catching roach coach parked in a weedy lot near Country Club Road. She u turned and pulled onto the lot.
The vehicle was covered with the blue, red, orange and gold of the Arizona state sunburst logo, along with images of winged tacos and peppers, flying lizards and javelinas. A group of men carried bags of take-out to their work trucks.
Cait approached and looked at the menu. A face appeared at the order window. It was Lita, bedecked with copious eye liner and purple lipstick. “Yeah?”
“Two pollo asado tacos with guacamole. And an iced tea.” Cait paid and Lita disappeared inside. After a few minutes of thumping and banging around, the cook set a savory-smelling and grease-spotted paper bag on the window counter.
Cait took the bag. “Do you remember me?”
The woman narrowed her eyes. “Not really. Well, maybe you look familiar. Who are you?”
“A relative of Julius Gallegos. Can I ask you something?”
“Julius is no friend of mine. What do you want?” Lita’s attractive face twisted into a hostile mask.
“What exactly is the problem? You two seemed very friendly before his match at Casino Del Sol.” Cait burned with anger. Julius was likely dead, and this callous woman could care less.
“You don’t know how things were. What do you want?”
“Did you know Julius was kidnapped? He’s being held for ransom. We’re not sure he’s still alive. If you were involved, you’ll have to deal with me.” Cait set the bag of tacos on the counter and felt around in her purse for pepper spray. Just in case things escalated and the proprietor came at her with a kitchen knife.
Lita’s jaw twitched. “You have a lot of nerve. I was almost raped at that party Julius dragged me to after his match. He got stinking drunk and I had to fend for myself to escape those creeps. What do you mean, he was kidnapped?”
“What I said. Someone put his bloody championship belt in his parents’ mailbox. Then they got a call demanding ransom.” Cait watched Lita’s eyes widen.
“Wait a minute.” Lita left the window and came out the back door, hands limp at her side, aggressive attitude shed like a molted skin. “Why would someone kidnap Julius? Is he all right?”
“We don’t know.” Cait observed the woman, looking for a tell. Lita stood still, her eyes searching Cait’s. Either she was an excellent liar or she knew nothing about what had happened to Julius.
“Tell me about this party.” Cait sat on a plastic chair by a folding table.
A subdued Lita came over and took a chair next to Cait. “After his big win, I met Julius back in his dressing room. He was on his cell a lot. His manager came by with a bunch of people I didn’t know. We were drinking champagne and tequila. Julius wanted to go to some bash up in the hills. We got a ride up there. The entrance was gated and the house was down a long driveway, Big fancy place. You can’t see it from the street.
“I didn’t know anyone there. Loud music, a lot of guys and a few women who looked like high-priced hookers. Julius knew these two dudes, and he talked with them for a while. They were all drinking. Julius started acting wasted, like he was gonna fall down. I lost track of him when these guys started hitting on me heavy, wouldn’t say no. I said I had to go to the bathroom. Instead I crawled out a window and got through the gate when it opened to let a car in. I was so mad he stranded me there. I lost my cell and had to walk for miles. My feet still have blisters from that night. At some fast food place, I got someone to let me use their phone so I could call my aunt to pick me up.”
Lita chewed on her lower lip. “I thought he abandoned me there. I was so mad. I called him the next day to yell at him, but he never called back.”
“Would you know how to find that house again?”
“Maybe. It was off Kolb Road above Sunrise. Big place on some back road.”
“I appreciate you talking to me.” Cait smiled.
“I thought you and Julius’ older brother, what’s his name, seemed kind of snobby when you came by to see Julius. Like you looked down on him. And you gave me the stink eye.”
“Sorry. Sometimes I jump to conclusions about people. I have to say I admire you running your own business. I mean it.” Cait gave Lita a direct look.
“Don’t make me laugh. I’m not an accountant or a lawyer. I just make fry bread and tacos.” Lita examined her fingernails.
“So what? There’s nothing wrong with selling good Mexican food. Running a business is hard.” Cait took the bag of tacos, selected one and took a bite. “This is really good.”
“Thank you. By the way, I’m not Mexican, and I do things a little different. I use tepary beans, not pinto. And I sauté garlic, onions, cholla buds and cactus pads.” Lita played with a dangly shell earring.
“What’s your background?” Cait thought of Estrella out by Saguaro National Park, of Tohono O’odham heritage.
“I’m Yaqui, from around here. I live with my folks in South Tucson. I was in Phoenix for a while, but I like it better here. Closer to family and friends. Of course, they all keep telling me I shouldn’t have quit dental assistant school. I guess they’re right, but I really want to be an artist. Not much money in that, but I came up with these graphics.” She nodded at her truck. “My cousin does vinyl vehicle wraps and he made one for me using my ideas.”
“Caught my eye, for sure. I didn’t get your last name.” Cait was glad for the conversation, but wondered how much she could trust Lita.
“Moroyaqui. That’s like Smith or Jones in Yaqui country.” Lita laughed.
“I don’t know Julius very well, but I’m surprised he’d let you be assaulted. He’s had drug problems in the past, and issues with responsibility, but he seems like a good guy.” Cait found herself standing up for Jack’s brother.
“I was surprised too. I met him months ago when he came to Tucson for a match. We hit it off, had a fling, but then he went back to Albuquerque. I thought I’d never see him again. But he called me a few days before his championship here. I told him right out I wasn’t interested in another hook up, but I met him at the casino, and we had a long talk. He said he’s trying to turn his life around. No drugs, just straight living and being a success at boxing. Then he wants to get certified as a personal trainer and start his own gym. That’s why I was upset he acted like that at the party. I thought he was using again.”
“You don’t know the whole story.” Cait summed up what had happened to her fiancé because of his efforts to deep-six Sonny Para. “I think Julius was taken because he’s Jack’s brother. Para tracked Jack and me to Tucson and had his people ambush us. Maybe Julius was lured to that party and drugged.” She looked Lita in the eye. “Can you find that house again?”
Lita fiddled with a ring. “Maybe. But I don’t want to run into any of those guys again. I don’t think you do either.”