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He raised his hand. “I promise.”
Manuel held the door open for him, but as he turned to get in, Libby saw a girl jogging their way. It struck her as odd she’d be running along the street rather than on the beach. The runner was dressed in white shorts and tank top with a cap pulled low to shade her face and hide her hair, but Libby recognized her. “Wait!” She grabbed Santos’s elbow as Victoria left the street and sprinted toward them. She carried a plastic water bottle and tossed the cap aside as she drew near.
Libby watched Santos swing the padded end of a crutch hard to flip the bottle out of Victoria’s grasp. Knocked off her feet, she shrieked as the bottle’s fuming liquid splashed her legs. Her cap flew off and her long hair veiled her face but couldn’t muffle her anguished screams. Swaying from fright, Libby grabbed hold of Santos. His lightning reflexes had saved them, but what if she hadn’t been there to warn him?
Manuel ran for the front garden hose, turned the spout on full blast and sprayed Victoria’s legs with a cold stream, but she kept writhing in agony on the grass.
Santos kept Libby close as he pulled his phone from his pocket. “Nuñez should be expecting my daily call.” In addition to the police, he asked for an ambulance.
Hearing the screams, Mrs. Lopez came to the front door, followed by the maids. Tomas pushed in behind her with Julian and Adolfo. Santos called, “Julian, run down to the house with the big aqua windows and bring Mr. Ramirez here fast.” Julian immediately sprinted away.
Libby couldn’t tell if Santos were shaking as badly as she was, but she could feel his heart thudding rapidly in his chest, and he leaned against the car for support. “She meant to spray us with acid,” she murmured, her voice trembling.
“I was her target,” he said. “You were just in the wrong place, but if you hadn’t seen her…”
“I know.” In her view, she’d been right where she was meant to be, but she was chilled to the bone by how close they’d come to the absolute horror of acid burns.
Fermin Ramirez came running toward them, his tie waving from his hand and a man in a chauffeur’s uniform following close behind. “My God, what happened?”
Santos quickly explained. “An ambulance is on the way and the police. There are witnesses this time, and I don’t care how eloquent a defense you give Victoria, she’s not going to get away with this.”
Fermin watched as Manuel continued to spray Victoria’s legs. “I should never have told her you intended to sue for custody of her son. This is all my fault.”
Libby’s eyes filled with disbelief as she looked up at Santos. “Is he serious? She’s the one who carried the acid.”
Luis Rubio circled his daughter, calling her name, but she was crying too hard to hear him. “Where’s the ambulance!” he yelled.
Nausea filled Libby’s throat and she had to swallow hard. She could hear the sirens approaching, but ke
pt her eye on the plastic bottle on the glass. “Don’t let her father take the bottle.”
“I won’t,” Santos assured her. “It’s evidence as well as her burns.”
The ambulance had just taken Victoria away with her father when Detective Nuñez arrived. He ran a weary hand thought his wiry hair. “I must consider moving my office here to your home. It would save me time in commuting each day. The dispatcher mentioned acid. What’s happened here now?”
Santos hadn’t budged from the car and still held Libby in his arms. Fermin Ramirez was seated on the porch steps, knotting his tie in his hands. He’d told his wife to keep the baby at home, but he was beside himself and muttering under his breath.
“Have you met Fermin Ramirez?” Santos asked. “He’s a well-regarded defense attorney, or at least he was until quite recently.” He described Victoria’s attack and answered the detective’s questions. “I’d offer coffee, but I’m not certain I’m steady enough to drink any myself.”
“There’s no need for refreshments, Mr. Aragon. We’ll take the bottle to the lab to identify what was used, and Miss Rubio will remain in jail when she’s discharged from the hospital. As for her son…”
Fermin gave a faint wave. “We’ll keep him. His grandfather is my chauffeur, and he lives with us. There’s no need to disrupt a small boy’s life.”
Nuñez nodded. “If the grandfather wasn’t involved, that will work. If he was, other arrangements will have to be made.”
“I’m sure he wasn’t,” Fermin insisted. “He’s been as confused as my wife and I by all this. I collect classic cars, and Luis sometimes uses hydrochloric acid to clean parts. He wouldn’t have given any to Victoria, but she would have known it was in the garage.” He struggled to his feet. “If you don’t need anything more from me, I’d like to go home.”
“Fine. I’ll be there soon to inspect your garage,” Nuñez said.
Fermin nodded. “I’m staying home from my office today. Come whenever you like.” He walked slowly toward his house, dragging the end of his expensive-looking silk tie along the ground.
Santos and Libby waited while Nuñez spoke with his men. They bagged the bottle and found the cap. They measured the distance from the SUV to where Victoria had fallen to the ground. When Nuñez was satisfied he had all the facts, he left without saying good-bye and went on to the Ramirez house.
Santos’s arms were still locked around Libby’s waist, and she patted him lightly. “I’m surprised he didn’t threaten to arrest you for assault.”
“I’m sure he would have if Victoria had been carrying only a bottle of water. She had such a terrifying expression, like a snarling dog, and I knew it had to be something far worse. I’m not going to make it to therapy today after all. Let’s go on out on the patio and eat pastries until we explode.”
“Good plan.”
