Page 72 of Girl in the Water

Chapter Thirteen

Ian

“So you and Senhor Finch were close friends?” Marcos Morais, the head of security at Lavras Sugar and Ethanol asked. He was almost as tall as Ian, freshly cut dark hair, expensive suit, shifty eyes.

“Finch and I were in the US Army together,” Ian said. “Last I talked to him, he liked it here in Rio. When I lost my job back home, I figured I might as well head down here. He kind of disappeared. Maybe I’ll track him down.”

“You used to talk with him often?”

“Called each other once a month or so. You know, checking in.”

“Have you been in Brazil before?”

“Not recently.”

They’d already discussed Ian’s qualifications and were just shooting the breeze as the interview was winding down.

“Seems like Lavras is a great place,” Ian said. “I bet you’ve been here forever. What’s not to like about sugar, right?”

“Easy job.” Marcos stayed laid-back, twirling his pen on the desk. He played the whole interview that way.Hey, we’re all friends here.“I had a small company protecting diamond mines before this. Believe me, you wouldn’t like that.”

Ian had some understanding of the private armies that protected diamond mines. “I believe you. Guarding an air-conditioned office beats being out at the mines, in malaria-infested backwoods, doing cavity searches on laborers to make sure they aren’t stealing anything.”

Marcos’s hand stilled on the pen. “Been in the business?”

“Had friends who were.”

“Here?”

“Africa.”

Marcos nodded as he pushed to his feet and held out his hand to signal that the interview was over. “Thank you for coming in. You’ll be hearing from us shortly. Make sure your contact information is correct.”

“Definitely. If you think of any other questions, just call,” Ian said as he left the man.

He walked out to the elevators, didn’t accidentally-on-purpose get lost this time. He had what he’d come for. Whatever had happened to Finch, Marcos had been part of it. He’d brought up Ian’s friendship with Finch way more times than was necessary. And every time they talked about Finch, the pulse in Marcos’s neck beat a little faster, his gaze turned a little sharper.

Once baby Lila was safely back with her parents and Ian returned to Rio, he’d start his investigation with Marcos Morais.

He walked out of the building, thinking about various ways he could dig into Morais. Then he reached the sidewalk and scanned the street. He didn’t have to wait long for a cab.

“Airport,” he told the cabbie, then relaxed back in his seat.

“Big accident on the highway, senhor. You American?” When Ian nodded, the guy cranked up the air-conditioning. He grinned in the rearview mirror. “I want to be New York City cabbie someday.” He looked as eager to please as if Ian had the power to make the guy’s ambitions come true. “I’ll take the backroads. Sim?”

“Sim.” Ian’s mind was on other things.

What did Finch find at Lavras? What did he take?

Was Lavras doing something illegal? Did Finch find proof? But then why not take it to the authorities? Was Finch blackmailing Lavras with whatever he found?Finch was a good kid, but he’d always been impulsive. And he hadn’t had the best track record at resisting temptation.

He’d almost gotten court-martialed in the army when he’d crushed a beer bottle with his bare hand on a bet and cut his palm to shreds.Destruction of government property.

Finch had gotten in trouble more than once for drinking and doing stupid shit. Once, in the middle of the night, he’d colored their superior officer’s uniform pink with Kool-Aid.

As Finch’s past fiascos circled in Ian’s head, he failed to notice that the cab wasn’t going towards the airport at all, until they were on a single-lane road somewhere in the outer suburbs and the cabbie drove into a weed-infested tunnel.

A white van blocked the cracked concrete of the road ahead of them.