The Kiss after Midnight (The Midnight Trilogy) (27 page)

“I’m okay,” Tom shouted.

“You sure?” Wheeler said.

Tom looked into his boss’s eyes and nodded. Wheeler relinquished his grip and took a step back.

“You’re getting desperate, aren’t you?” Antonio said. “Annabel is making you guys look like fools and now you want to put the blame on me.”

Tom edged toward Antonio, but Wheeler restrained him. He shook his head at his boss and raised his right hand. Tom then faced Antonio again after Wheeler released his hand. “She’s working for you, isn’t she?”

Antonio laughed. “She’s helping the bastard who killed my girl and you think she’s working for me?”

Tom put his mouth beside Antonio’s left ear. “I’ll be watching every move any of you guys make,” he whispered.

“You do that. Let’s see what you can dig up.”

“You’ll pay for your crimes, Antonio. That I can promise you.”

Antonio glared at him. “Are you arresting me, Agent?”

Tom glanced at Wheeler and back to Antonio.

“That’s what I thought,” the
comisionado
said. “Now, if you’ll get out of my face, I’ve got someone to see.” He nodded at Fernando and continued toward the reception desk, grinning at the deputy director.

Tom leaned against the wall and buried his face in his hands.

“What the hell was that?” Wheeler shouted.

“I can’t stand that asshole.”

“None of us can, but you’ve got to get your shit together. Do you understand me?”

Tom nodded.

“Then go home and get some rest. I’ll see you in the office.”

***

Rico’s face ached every time Marie made him laugh. She had been telling him stories about some of her friends and their relationship issues. He admired that she hadn’t left his side since his admission to the hospital but wished she would go home and get a decent night’s sleep

As she spoke to him, he could sense the pain and anguish beneath her attempts to keep her spirits high. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tenderly. “I love you so much.”

She burst out crying and hugged him, her tears falling onto his face. “I can’t ever lose you. I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“You won’t lose me. Everything will work out eventually, you’ll see.”

She scowled. “Eventually? So lying here like this hasn’t opened your eyes? This life will just end up getting you killed.” More tears fell from her eyes. “If it’s not Juan’s people, it will be the police.”

The door clicked open and Antonio walked in. “How’s my boy doing?”

Rico forced a smile at his
comisionado
.

“Antonio!” Marie said.

He embraced her. When he pulled away, he said, “Do you mind if I speak to your man for a sec?”

Marie glanced at Rico. “He needs his rest. This is no time for business.”

“It’s not business. I just need five minutes and he’ll be all yours again.”

“It’s okay, honey,” Rico said. “Wait for me outside.”

Marie smiled at her boyfriend and left the room.

“Fernando, stay with her, would you?” Antonio said.

Fernando looked at the
comisionado
for a few seconds and then left the room, too. Antonio took a seat beside Rico and leaned close to his ear. “Can you believe that Juan hasn’t even tried to call me?” he whispered. “He’s coming after me next, isn’t he?”

“They know.” Rico coughed. He strained to speak into Antonio’s ear. “Joachim’s car. Some kids took a shot of it half an hour before that thing happened.”

“Fuck,” Antonio said, raising his voice slightly. “Does my uncle know I was involved?”

Rico shook his head. “If I told him that, I wouldn’t be here.”

“So we’re still good?”

“I don’t know. After what you did to Reynaldo, things might have changed.”

Antonio laughed softly. “My uncle will never hurt me, even if that bastard Jorge wants him to. No, this just means we have to speed things up. We’ve got to make our move, and we’ve got to make it now.” He leaned closer. “Right now, Rico, you’re the only one I trust to do what needs to be done.”

“I’m no good to you now, boss. Look at me.”

“But you can still use your arms and legs, can’t you?”

Rico smiled. “What do you need me to do?”

The
comisionado
paused for a few seconds before whispering into Rico’s ear again.

***

Antonio held the door open for Marie and she returned to her boyfriend’s side.

“Take care of him for me, would you?” Antonio said.

Marie nodded and squeezed both of Rico’s hands. Antonio nodded at his
ejecutor,
and Fernando followed him out of the room.

“What did he want?” Marie asked.

Rico arched his lower back and grunted.

“What’re you doing? You might hurt yourself.”

“I’ve got to get out of here. Antonio needs me.”

“No, Rico. Do you—”

“I don’t want to hear it. All you do is complain and complain. I’m the one who nearly died. No matter what happens, I’m not running.”

“You won’t be. You’ll be starting a whole new life for us and our child.”

Rico’s eyes widened. Marie laughed, tears falling from her eyes. “That’s what I was going to tell you the other night. I’m pregnant.”

Tears poured from Rico’s eyes, too. He held his arms out and Marie embraced him.

“I can’t believe it,” he said. “I’m going to be a dad.”

“A great dad. Let’s just go—me, you and our child. It will be like it was when we first met. We’ll be a real family. I won’t have to wait by the phone every night you come back late. You can even work for my uncle in his art gallery if you want.”

Rico wiped his eyes and looked toward the door, his face filled with anguish. “Please, Marie, I told you to drop it.”

She leaned toward him and squeezed his arm. “Okay, I won’t say another word.” She wiped a tear and stood up. “I’ll be right outside.” As she pushed the door open, she turned around. “I love you.”

***

Sweat continued to pour from Tom’s face on the way home. Anger stirred within him, and he was breathing heavily. He recalled Emma lying on the floor, gasping for air and desperately trying to tell him something.
She can’t die. I can’t lose them both.

When he arrived, the clock in his car said 4 a.m. He sat in the driver’s seat for a few minutes, trying to think of anything he might have missed, even the smallest bit of information. His case was falling apart and people were dropping dead around him. He needed something to ease his mind and wished he could fight the urge. Just then he received a message on his phone and promptly sent one back.

Five minutes later, a tap at his window startled him. He looked up to see a square-jawed Hispanic man in a baseball cap. He rolled the window down. “Not here,” he whispered. “Anyone will be able to see.”

The man walked across the road and turned into a dark alley. Tom closed his eyes for a few seconds and took deep breaths. After getting out of the car, he locked it and walked to the alley.

The scrambled egg and muffins did nothing to satisfy Tobias’ hunger. He was just as hungry as he had been when his breakfast arrived. He glanced out the window to see scores of pedestrians walking up and down—as he had done all morning—many hailing cabs. He frowned after seeing that it was 11:30 a.m.
His flight landed at 9. He should be here by now. What if—

He heard a knock at the door.
Could it be him?
He wanted to shout out to whomever it was but instead reached for the Glock. He took deep breaths as he moved toward the door. The knock came again, this time louder. He extended the gun. “Who is it?”

“It’s Erwin,” the man said in English, his accent unmistakably German. “Erwin Diederich. ... Siegfried?”

“Slide your passport under the door. Do it now.”

“Okay. I’m doing it now.” A red passport appeared under the door. Tobias dropped to his knees, still holding the gun at the ready. He studied the passport. The photo looked like Erwin. He took a deep breath, lowered the gun and opened the door.

Erwin sighed upon seeing him. “Thank God you’re safe. I feared the worse.” He embraced Tobias.

When he leaned down to pick up his bag, Tobias saw that the burly, blond-haired man had gotten bigger since their last meeting, his shoulders even broader. Tobias pulled him into the room and shut the door.

“Great place you chose,” Erwin said.

“It’s perfect. I don’t exactly want the Ritz, do I? Besides, we can’t be too careful. Anyone could be watching. Have you been anywhere else since you landed?”

Erwin set his brown suitcase by the bed. “No. I came straight here. I was worried. You didn’t say much on the phone.” He glanced at the MPA lying on the floor beside the bedside table.

“That’s because I’m dealing with some sort of conspiracy and everyone seems to be involved. Did you bring what I asked for?”

Erwin unzipped his bag and pulled out a black laptop and a number of folders. “I have it all here. Why do you want to look at all this anyway?”

“Because I think there’s a connection between all these deaths. If I’m going to clear my name and find my grandfather and Penélope’s killers, I have to figure it out myself. The police won’t help me. Hell, they’re probably in on the conspiracy. Them and the FBI.”

“So these gangsters—what’s their story?”

Tobias sat across from Erwin and relayed everything he had learned about The Dominguez Family, from their origins to the current members. He also divulged everything that had happened after April 16, the night he met Penélope Salazar.

***

Tom walked into 26 Federal Plaza with a scowl on his face. He had never thought about exacting retribution outside the law, but his feelings steadily ate at him. People like Antonio generally got away with murder and much else by wielding their influence with corrupt officials.

It felt strange heading to his office knowing that Emma wouldn’t be there to inform him of the latest developments with the Salazar murder. Colleagues waiting by the elevators and passing him in the hall looked at him with sympathetic eyes. Some rushed out of his way, clearly desperate to avoid making eye contact. He stopped just outside his office door and arched his neck backward.

He tried to put his right hand in his pocket, but it shook too much. He squeezed it with his left until the shaking stopped
. I won’t take anymore. I can beat this.
He took a deep breath and opened the door. Emma’s desk was piled with files, possibly containing information on Albert Eichelberger. He slumped into his chair and swiveled in it, anger clouding his thoughts. He recalled Emma lying on the ground, spluttering blood as she tried to string words together.
I’ve got to do something. This can’t be it. There must be something I’ve missed. What were you trying to tell me, Emma?
He pushed his chair forward and rummaged through the files.
I’ve just got to keep working the case.

It took him no more than five minutes to realize that the file he sought was not on the table. He ruffled his hair and picked up the landline.

A demure-sounding woman answered it. “Vázquez!”

“Agent Vázquez. Hi. Tom Saddle here, with the Organized Crime Division.”

“Hi, Tom.”

“I understand you’re sorting some of Agent Briggs’ files.”

“That’s correct. I’ve already passed some of the information on to your colleague. ... An Agent Green. She asked that we give her everything Agent Briggs had on Annabel Lopez.”

“She did?”

“She sure did.”

Tom frowned and stared at the ceiling.
Why would she want to look at Annabel’s file again? She knew I was handling that.
“Okay, thanks.” Tom rose and walked over to Emma’s desk. After sitting on her chair, he stared at the files on the table for a moment before opening the one on top. It contained pictures of Albert Eichelberger shaking the hand of another elderly man he didn’t recognize. The next file also contained a picture of Eichelberger, this time cutting a ribbon, presumably at some sort of charity function.

As he made his way through the files, he found that they contained mostly details about Eichelberger, but then he noticed an open file about halfway down the pile. He pulled it out and found what he was looking for. It was an A4 picture of one of the slides Nathan had shown him. In it, Annabel stood with her Mexican foster parents. Though he couldn’t see anything he hadn’t noticed before, Emma must have requested to see it for a reason. She must have been looking for something. What?

He put his hands on his head and swiveled around in Emma’s chair. He looked at the picture again. In the middle was Annabel, with Chico and Isabela Lopez on either side of her. Behind them were a number of people. It looked like a family gathering, but none of those other faces meant anything to him. He put the picture down and walked toward the window, and it was then that something he had seen struck a chord.

He rushed back and picked the photo up again. On the far left, directly behind Chico, was a gaunt man who looked as if he hadn’t eaten for weeks. Beside him was a large man holding two young boys, no more than 5. But it was the person on the far right who had struck a chord. The middle-aged woman with dark hair and large brown eyes had a face that seemed familiar. He was certain he had seen her recently, but where?

***

Tobias pounded the bed in frustration and stood up. The last hour had revealed only that his grandfather had enjoyed going to a host of charity events. He couldn’t find the kind of connection he needed to tie his murder to Penélope’s or even prove that the mob had been involved. He opened the window and lit a cigarette.

Erwin frowned at him and spoke in German. “That’s what killed your grandfather.”

“Well, at this rate I’ll probably die much sooner anyway, so what does it matter?” Tobias replied, also in German.

Erwin rose and picked up one of the many folders spread across his bed. He approached Tobias and tapped on the windowsill. “From what you’ve told me, there are a handful of people who might have wanted your grandfather dead. Connor Murray was going to name names. He had to be silenced. Your grandfather was close to Connor and probably to many of these gangsters after you.”