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Eli inhaled sharply. “Of the Vega cartel?”
“One and the same.” Vikki caught Sienna’s confused expression and explained. “The Vega cartel is a powerful crime family in Nicaragua. They’re connected to many crimes abroad and in the US. Dallas wasn’t high in the network, but he had enough of a connection to build an empire in Sandalwood and the surrounding counties. The Vega family supplied the drugs through Dallas. They were smuggled into the US on Dallas’s yacht. Eventually, business got big enough, they bought the Trident IV.”
“Gideon’s job was to recruit dealers who would distribute the drugs,” Sienna said. “And to launder the money once it came in.”
Vikki nodded. “Precisely. The relationship between the two men started off fine, but disintegrated over time. Dallas’s obsession with Ruby was the final straw. Gideon figured out she discovered the money laundering and wanted to kill her. Dallas refused. He kidnapped her instead, and sent someone who worked for him to different areas of Texas to take money out of ATMs using her debit card. That way authorities would believe she’d simply skipped town. The plan was to smuggle her out of the country during their next drug tradeoff, but the shipment was delayed.”
Eli squeezed Sienna’s hand. “That’s the shipment Tony and Luis were talking about.”
“Thank goodness for that delay. Otherwise we might never have found Ruby.” Sienna turned to Vikki. “How did Ruby get a hold of a cell phone?”
“She found a burner phone the men used to avoid detection during drug trades in the warehouse and called her grandmother. She was short on time and tried to tell her about the file on her computer, but got cut off.”
“That’s why it took us so long to figure out she’d uncovered the money laundering.”
“Yes. In the meantime, Albert began blackmailing Gideon and Dallas. He knew what the men were up to because of his cousins. He threatened to tell you, Sienna, about Ruby if they didn’t pay him. Again, Gideon wanted to kill Ruby, and then use Tony and Luis to silence their cousin. But Dallas refused. He was incensed Albert had the audacity to blackmail him. He came up with the plan to kill Albert, but framed you for the crime.”
“Two birds.” Eli’s jaw clenched. “One stone.”
Chief Ramirez shook his head. “Again, I’m so sorry for not believing y’all. I should’ve investigated Ruby’s disappearance and Sienna’s claims of innocence more carefully.”
Eli agreed with that assessment, and judging from the look on his boss’s face, so did she. Vikki wasn’t the kind to let sloppy police work slide. She’d joined forces with the chief to get the job done, but now that the case was coming to a close, he was sure there would be some conversations about changes that needed to happen in the Sandalwood Police Department.
Sienna grimaced. “If Dallas was involved in the attacks against me, why did he come to our rescue at the marina?”
“He wasn’t responsible for that attack,” Vikki explained. “That was Gideon. The house fire, the speedboat, kidnapping y’all… Gideon was trying to stop the investigation. When the attack at the marina happened, you had just interviewed Dallas. He was worried you’d figure out he was involved somehow.”
“So he played the hero to convince us he was innocent,” Eli concluded. “It nearly worked.”
“Thanks to you both, it didn’t.” Vikki gave them a beaming smile. “You busted an entire drug operation and saved Ruby’s life. Pretty impressive for a week’s work.”
“Don’t expect the same next week.” Eli winked at her. “I’m still on medical leave.”
Everyone laughed. Then Vikki’s expression grew serious. “Ruby is asking for you guys. I know it’s been a long night, but—”
“We’d love to talk to her.” Sienna glanced at the doors leading to the interior section of the hospital. “What room is she in?”
“Eleven.”
Eli shook his boss’s hand, as did Sienna. Then they made their way to Ruby’s room.
The young woman was sitting up in bed, covered by a hospital blanket and a homemade quilt. Amelia, her grandmother, held her hand. She released it to rush Sienna, embracing her in a hug.
“Thank you.” Tears streamed down Amelia's face. “You brought my Ruby back to me.”
Eli’s own throat clogged as Amelia hugged him too.
Ruby gestured for them to come closer. She looked exhausted, but it didn’t diminish the beauty of her smile. “Lieutenant Rodriguez explained everything you both did for me.” She reached for Sienna’s hand. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“You don’t need to thank us.” Sienna gave her a hug. “Seeing you here with your grandmother is thanks enough.”
They chatted a bit more with Ruby, but once her exhaustion became more obvious, they slipped out of the room.
Eli wrapped an arm around Sienna’s waist and tucked her close. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
“We’re amazing.” She hip-bumped him. “It was a team effort.”
“Yes it was, but if you ever put yourself in that kind of dangerous situation again, I’m going to hog-tie you to a chair on the farm.”
