Page 68 of Don’t Say a Word (Angelhart Investigations #2)

Chapter Fifty-One

Margo Angelhart

On Tuesday I told Uncle Rafe everything, and he agreed to come with me to tell Alina. Of course he did. Because my uncle was one of the best people I knew, and he would want to be there for Alina when she learned the truth.

“Elijah was recruited by Mrs. Webb to work at the Cactus Stop,” I said.

“They primarily target young men without fathers. I don’t think he knew what was going on at first, but he figured it out.

Because you worked for Ramos’s corporate office, he didn’t say anything, but he was collecting evidence, copying security recordings, maybe taking notes.

When his friend Megan died of a drug overdose, he started surveilling the Cactus Stop at night.

He wanted to do the right thing, Alina.”

Alina was crying. Had I said too much? Should I have lied? I looked to Uncle Rafe for help.

Uncle Rafe said, “Alina, Elijah made a wrong decision for the right reasons. But his conscience was strong, and he ended up doing the right thing.”

“Why? Why didn’t he tell me? Tell you? Go to the police?”

“He planned to,” I said. “He was building a case. But I think he was scared. I want you to know that the evidence he found is crucial to the federal case against Ramos and his nephew. Because of Elijah, they will go away to prison for a long time.”

Uncle Rafe let her cry on his shoulder. “You have a job at the rectory.”

“No, I can’t take charity from the church.”

“It’s not charity. The church secretary is having surgery in two weeks.

She’ll be out for two months after, then part-time for a while.

Father Diaz and I were going to try and make do, but we have the approval of the diocese to bring in someone temporarily.

I want you. It’s not charity, you will work.

And it’s not permanent, but will get you through the New Year until you find something else. ”

Alina nodded and cried at the same time.

I caught Uncle Rafe’s eye. He didn’t need to say anything else. Thank you , I mouthed, and then I left.

Angie was in her apartment. The place reeked of pot and stale beer. Her bedroom was clean and the window was open. I sat in her desk chair.

“So, you didn’t want to take Cal up on his offer of a place to live?”

“This is fine,” Angie said.

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

Angie nodded. “My mom is an addict—I know it. But I can’t force her to quit, and she hasn’t gone so far off the rails that she can’t pay the rent.

Bruce is a jerk, but they’re okay together.

He’s better than a lot of the men my mom brought home.

And honestly, when I go to college, I’m not coming back. I don’t think she’ll notice.”

My upbringing was so different from Angie’s.

“You can always call me if you need a break. I don’t live far from here. We can go get pizza or something.”

“Maybe. I have friends. I can hang out at Gina’s anytime I want. Mrs. Martinelli said that as long as our grades don’t drop, I can even stay over on school nights.”

“She sounds great.”

“They all are.” Angie shifted on her bed. “I’m going back to school tomorrow. Gina is going to pick me up until I get this cast off and can walk again.”

“You two going to college together?”

Angie shrugged. “I doubt it. Gina has a volleyball scholarship to U of A. I don’t know if I’ll get enough financial aid and grants and scholarships to pay for it, and I don’t have any money. Mrs. Clark said she would help put it together, but...”

“You’d be surprised. My parents and my sister all graduated from U of A.”

“Not you?”

“Nope. I didn’t go to college. It wasn’t for me. But if it’s right for you, then I want to help.”

“I’m not taking any money from you.”

“I’m not offering,” I said, then laughed. “What I’m offering is my little sister, Luisa. She’s a computer whiz, and the smartest in the family. She’ll help you find every scholarship, grant, and financial aid package out there so that you won’t have to pay a dime.”

“Really? Why would she do that?”

“Because I’ll ask her to. She’s my sister, and she’d like you.”

Angie seemed surprised that someone would help without strings. She shrugged.

“Well, maybe. But I don’t know what I want to do with my life.”

“That’s okay. At seventeen I didn’t either.”

“How’d you know being a private investigator was right for you?”

“By doing it. When I solved my first case, I just knew. And I’ve never looked back.”

“So going to the Army was a waste of time?”

“Absolutely not. It helped me figure out who I was here.” I tapped my chest. “I know who I am, I’m happy with who I am.

I love what I do. I didn’t like when I thought you were shot, and I hated that I couldn’t stop Manny Ramos before people died.

” I’d thought I’d failed her. I didn’t want to feel that way again.

“I was scared,” Angie admitted. “I did some stupid things.”

“You sure did. And thank God you lived through it so hopefully you learned something.”

Angie looked at her phone. She blushed.

“Have to go?”

“Chris and Benny are here. They shouldn’t be.”

“Because?”

“Chris has classes. At ASU.”

“Maybe his brother needs him. Maybe you do too.”

“Benny said you got him a job.”

“Not really. I just asked my Uncle Tom if he had an opening in one of his restaurants for a good kid who’s a hard worker. If Benny slacks off, Uncle Tom will fire him.”

“Well, anyway, it was nice of you. And I’ll talk to your sister, thanks.”

“Great.” I texted her Luisa’s phone number. “She’s expecting your call.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Angie said.

She got up, grabbed her crutches, and we left.

Lori and Bruce were sitting on the couch watching television and barely noticed when we walked out.

Angie had a spine of steel. She had been dealt a shitty hand, and she was going to make something of herself. If I could help in even a small way, I’d do it.

Even just by offering up my brilliant sister’s time and talent.

I walked Angie to Benny’s truck. A kid I presumed was Chris got out and hugged her tightly. Angie introduced us, then got into the truck, sitting between the two brothers. They left.

Yes, she was going to be okay.

I got home late Tuesday night. I read an email from my mother about the Madison O’Neill case, though I didn’t have to start right away. Mom had a bunch of legal issues to discuss with the defense attorney first.

Take a couple days and relax , Mom wrote in her message. I wanted to laugh. Me, relax?

Well... maybe I would go to the gun range and let off some steam. That always made me feel better. There was a movie Josie and I were talking about seeing. We could see a matinee and get drunk. I hadn’t been drunk in a long, long time.

I felt out of sorts. I’d figured out what happened to Elijah and why, and justice would be served, but too many people were dead.

Too many young people. Kids with a future that had been cut short. Murder or drugs, they both left holes in the heart of someone who loved them. Two teachers who had done a good job helping teens navigate their lives as they entered adulthood—gone. Because of the selfish plans of violent criminals.

Sure, I’d take a couple days off— not . What would I do but think about all the bullshit that had happened? Better to start the next case and put this last week firmly in the past.

I was about to email my mom and tell her I’d be in the office tomorrow when my doorbell rang.

I got up, looked through the peephole.

Cal.

I opened the door.

He stood there wearing tactical pants, a black polo shirt, a sidearm, and carrying a pizza from Bianco’s along with a six-pack of my favorite Church Mouse IPA.

“How did you know that’s my favorite beer?” And my favorite wood-fired pizza—maybe my favorite pizza ever.

“I asked your brother.” He smiled. “Can I come in?”

I waved him inside, then closed the door.

He looked around, turned left into the kitchen, put the beer in the refrigerator, and opened the pizza. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“I didn’t say yes to a date.”

“You didn’t say no.”

He found my plates, pulled out two, and put two slices on each one.

He was making himself at home. Searched two drawers before finding my bottle openers, cracked two beers, then brought everything to my small dining table. I couldn’t help but follow him.

He sat down and took a bite. “What a couple of days,” he said. “You okay?”

I shrugged, took a bite myself. It was still hot. “Angie is good. Talking to Alina Martinez was tough.”

“The FBI is extraditing John Brighton from Mexico. He’s already in custody.”

“They knew we were getting close,” I said. “Ramos was trying to save his enterprise and ended up destroying it.”

“Pretty much.” Cal took a sip of beer.

“What about the shooters?”

“We know who they are. The dead guy is a known thug, runs with a gang of known thugs. They were smart, but not as smart as they thought, and we caught their vehicle on camera on Dunlap. Now they’re wanted and we’ll find them.

Plus, evidence at the scene—they destroyed the cameras, but didn’t police their brass. Fingerprints on all of it.”

“Did you get Bradford to talk?”

“I’m going to work on him tomorrow. Fifty-fifty he will.

The FBI is going to have a sit-down with Kayla Bradford.

She’s in college in Tennessee, but may be able to fill in some gaps.

Even if she doesn’t help, we have a solid case against Brighton and Ramos.

But if Ramos gets out, watch yourself. He blames you. ”

“Great,” I said sarcastically and drank some beer.

“I’m serious.”

And he was.

“I’m okay,” I said, and meant it.

He looked at me for a beat too long. Cal wasn’t like most of the guys I’d dated.

He was cute, sure, with his short-cropped hair a little too long on top and bright blue eyes.

He looked like the boy next door. He was talkative—I usually dated the strong silent types—and he was supremely confident.

I liked confident men, but Cal had this arrogance that could be off-putting, but wasn’t because he was so damn cute.

He listened. He wasn’t so cocky that he didn’t listen to everyone’s opinion, then make an informed decision.

And he said I was brilliant. That was a big plus in his favor.

We ate, chatted about the case. They’d shut down the house where the dealers picked up their drugs—down the street from Mrs. Mackey.

Cal’s team was processing it, but he was focusing on Ramos himself.

“We’re pushing for no bail,” he said, “and your mom is pretty amazing. Did you know there are cameras in your office? When she pushed the panic button, they turned on. The entire thing is on video—with sound.”

“I didn’t know that.” Good to know , I thought.

“So we might get him in lock-up until trial. But still, be careful if he manages to get out on bail.”

“Peter?”

“Don’t know. He’s not my concern, but that kid has no emotions. I think he’s a budding sociopath.”

“Terrific, we need more sociopaths,” I said with thick sarcasm.

“Hitch is working him, so maybe we’ll get something more. He’ll be in juvie for a while at a minimum. Oh, I think we found Scott Jimenez’s body.”

“That was fast.”

“Not really. He’s a John Doe found in the middle of nowhere out past Buckeye. Near skeleton. But the timing works for when he disappeared, so they’ll run some comparisons and see if they can confirm ID. Age, gender, and height all match.” He looked at his watch. “Damn, I gotta go.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t want to, but I have to be up before dawn for another case I’m working.”

He cleared the plates and stacked them neatly in the sink. He was definitely trying to get on my good side.

I walked him to the door.

“I don’t count this as a date,” he said.

“Oh?”

“I have to re-qualify with my gun on Friday—quarterly range time. Want to go to the gun range on Thursday to practice?”

Now my stomach really did flip. “I’d love to.”

“Then dinner afterward.”

“Now you’re pushing it,” I said with a grin.

“Then maybe dessert,” he said and took a step toward me.

I stood my ground.

Cal leaned over and kissed me. I tried to act casual, like every day I had a man bring me pizza and beer and kiss me good-night.

But I didn’t.

I kissed him back. And then our bodies were against each other, my back was against the wall, and I moaned as a thrill shot through me.

A lust I hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

“Damn,” Cal whispered, his forehead against mine.

“Don’t like the way I kiss?” I said lightly, but ended on a little squeak.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. But if I don’t leave now, I’m not going to want to leave. And Margo? I don’t want to rush. I really like you.”

He kissed me again, quick and hard, his hand on the back of my neck.

Then he walked out with a wave, leaving me with half a pizza and a crooked grin.

I closed the door and leaned against it.

Had I seen that coming? Maybe. Yeah, I did. There was a hint of it when we worked together this weekend, a little spark.

I just didn’t expect it to feel so good.

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