AllFreeNovel
Share Us
If Morin couldn’t come up with Barrera’s product, Benny’s fate could be in the hands of the most hardcore drug dealer in South Texas.
Chapter Sixteen
Daniel paced, his steps a monotonous thud on the thick, brown carpet in his apartment. The kidnapper was supposed to call with the time and place of the meeting. Three o’clock and still nothing. After the long round trip to Gatesville, his legs and back ached so he could barely stand, but he couldn’t sit still. How long would he have to wait to tell this man that Shawna Garza was dead? That they never had a chance to ask her where the drugs were?
“Daniel, do me a favor.” Samuel’s voice held irritation mixed with a gruff affection.
Daniel glanced up. “What?” Ray and the DEA guys all seemed to be studying the floor.
“Sit.”
Daniel sank into a nearby black, leather recliner, trying not to think about how Benny loved to sit in the big chair, crank the lever, and snap it back for a little nap.
Samuel consulted his notebook. “Jorge Morin is Jugo. He done time for possession, intent to distribute, DUI, assault, burglary, theft. Lots of little junk. Nothing big—until now.”
Daniel tried to stave off impatience brought on by stress combined with a lack of sleep and food. “He’s connected to Barrera through the Latin Kings. He visited Shawna at the donut shop and in prison. It’s him. We need to find him.”
“His last known address was a bust.” Samuel’s tone stopped short of a patronizing big brother. “We’re working on tracking him down, but right now we need to discuss what you’ll say to him when he calls.”
“I’ll tell him to return Benny to us or I’m going find him and turn him into ground sausage.” Daniel jerked up from the recliner and stomped from the room. He needed air, or coffee, or something.
At least the kitchen was quiet—and not so crowded.
He pulled a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. A bottle of syrup on the tiled counter caught his gaze, reminding him of a recent Sunday morning when he’d fixed pancakes for Benny, Christopher, and Phoebe before church. Benny had begged to pour the batter in the big, electric skillet, marveling at how it turned into a solid. He thought all pancakes came from toasters. Christopher and Phoebe egged him on. Batter ended up splattered all over the stove, countertops, and all three kids’ grinning faces.
Daniel grabbed the nearly empty coffee pot, the smell of the cold liquid turning his stomach. Might as well make himself useful. The kitchen extension phone rang as he turned on the water faucet. He set the pot into the sink and left the water running.
“If you hurt him—” Daniel said into the receiver as Samuel barreled into the kitchen.
“Is it him?” Samuel mouthed.
“Hurt who? Martinez? This is Bergstrom.” Daniel gritted his teeth until his jaw hurt and shook his head at Samuel.
Bergstrom. Work. He hadn’t called to tell them about the situation. He’d totally forgotten. He turned off the water. “I planned to call you. I won’t be in tomorrow.”
“Reiger wants us to leave for Laredo at five a.m. tomorrow. I’ll pick you up. The Ruiz case.”
“I can’t. My foster child was kidnapped yesterday. Plus I have an appointment with my wife.” An appointment that Nicole might or might not keep. Still, Daniel had to be there in case she did. “I’m taking a day off.”
“Reiger will go ballistic.”
Bergstrom knew his boss well. It didn’t matter. “He’ll just have to get over it.”
“Reiger?”
Bergstrom was right. Their boss had a one-track mind. Daniel had learned it from him. That thought hit Daniel squarely between the eyes. Everything . . . everything that had been happening in his life had led to this very point. His skewed priorities. Daniel sucked in air and lowered his head. “ Tell Reiger I’ll email him my letter of resignation.”
“Whoa, whoa, that’s not necessary” Bergstrom sounded as if he were picturing the conniption fit the boss would throw at being a man down. “I didn’t mean—I mean, I’m sure we can get another investigator to fill in.”
“No, thanks. I’ve got to think about my wife and kids from now on.” It might be too little too late, but Daniel had to try. “I need to keep this line open. The kidnapper is supposed to call.”
“But Dan—”
Daniel laid the receiver in its cradle and looked up at Samuel. His brother’s expression was quizzical. “You’re giving up the job?”
“Yeah.”
Samuel’s eyebrows shot up and down. His rueful half-smile made him look almost envious. “Good for you. Come on, let’s get ready.”
