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“Sure.” Montoya rolled his chair away from his desk. “Why not?” His voice dripped with sarcasm.
“We solved a couple of cases,” Bentz reminded him.
“And found a new one.”
He was talking about his brother and the death of Lucia Costa. Cruz was definitely in trouble on that one.
“Not our jurisdiction.”
“I know.” Montoya didn’t seem convinced.
Thankfully, he’d been integral in helping save Kristi’s life. Montoya had learned from Ned Zavala that Aldo had bought a cottonmouth just the week before, but when he’d tried to locate Aldo, the man was nowhere to be found. Not in his home. Not in the apartment at the back of the property where Montoya had discovered the damning note paper, ink, and religious artifacts. From Lucerno’s place, Montoya had driven to Kristi’s house to warn her and had seen a figure lurking in the nearby alley. That figure hadn’t turned out to be Aldo Lucerno. Instead Montoya had followed his own brother to the bizarre and bloody scene at the Cookes’ home.
Though Cruz had fired the shot that killed Aldo, Reuben had been there to make certain the bastard was dead and that justice, such as it was, could be served.
And now Cruz was on his way to Oregon to face whatever was waiting for him.
“I gotta run.” Bentz stretched out of his chair. “It’s Halloween and Ginny’s first birthday.”
Montoya sucked in his breath. “You can’t miss that, man. Not for anything.”
“Not if I want to stay married.” Grabbing his jacket, he added, “And I do.” Eyeing his partner, he added, “Maybe you should call it a day, too.”
“I will. Soon.”
Bentz hesitated and Montoya sent him a get-outta-here look. “I’m fine.”
Not certain he believed his partner, Bentz left anyway.
Montoya was a big boy. He’d figure out whatever he had to with his brother.
Bentz found his Jeep in the lot and drove directly to a toy store. He double-parked on the street and headed inside. He couldn’t go home empty-handed—not on his kid’s first birthday, so he eyed the racks of stuffed animals quickly. Since it was Halloween, he settled on a huge black cat that he was certain Olivia would deem inappropriate, paid for it, and after melding into the traffic that had piled up, drivers sending him hateful glances, he drove home.
His wife and baby daughter were waiting by the front door.
He raced up the steps. “Happy birthday, Ginny,” he said, holding out the huge stuffed animal, its green eyes wide.
Gleefully, his daughter said something unintelligible and opened her arms wide.
Bentz ignored Olivia’s what-were-you-thinking expression as Ginny smiled widely, showing off her two bottom teeth and hints of matching uppers.
“That’s right, honey, it’s a kitty,” Bentz said.
“You think that’s what she said?” Olivia asked.
“Absolutely.” He gave his wife a quick kiss, then carried both the oversized stuffed animal and his daughter to the living room. “And she loves it.”
“That she does.” Olivia followed him into the living room. “We just have to find a place for it.”
The front doorbell rang.
“Trick-or-treaters already?” he asked, noting that the sun had yet to set.
“Nope.” Olivia opened the door and Kristi walked inside. She was carrying a pink box with a white bow and offered it up, along with a kiss for her sister.
“Happy birthday, Gin-Gin,” she said, and the baby’s eyes lit up at the sight of her.
“I didn’t know you were coming,” Bentz said. “I mean, you had a rough night.”
