Chicken Caccia-Killer (A Jordan McAllister Mystery) (26 page)

Emilio turned toward her, a look of total surprise on his face. “How would you know this?”

Jordan glanced first at Natalie, then back at Emilio. “Remember when I told you about the vendor from the festival seeing her go up the stairs right after Marco and Kate that night?”

“Yes. I still wonder what she was doing up there.”

“There was another man with her. I think they were going upstairs for a little alone time.”

“Did this vendor say who the other man was?” He leaned forward to give her his total concentration.

“Ginny Bruno’s still missing,” Jordan said, sadly. “But I believe I know who Tina took upstairs that night.”

“Who?” Natalie asked, also leaning closer to Jordan to hear.

She wasn’t sure it was the best idea to continue, but she’d already said too much. “Marco’s brother, Bernardo Petrone.”

“Nardo? He barely makes eye contact with anyone. Marco said he’s shy and hasn’t ever been involved in the day to day operations of their business. I find it hard to believe he’d be brazen enough to have a fling with Marco’s fiancée.”

“Marco probably said a lot of things to pump himself up in your eyes,” Jordan said. “And if what I suspect is true, Marco was involved with your stepson importing some kind of contraband along with the actual merchandise they sold.”

Now she really had Emilio’s attention. “What makes you think that?”

Jordan related the conversation she’d overheard between Frankie and Romero Ortiz. When the phone rang in the middle of her explanation, she paused, but Emilio impatiently gestured with his hand for her to continue before picking up the phone and slamming it back down.

When she was finished, the room became quiet, and she watched his face. She got the impression that hearing about Marco’s other life didn’t come as a total surprise to him. Had he been so desperate for the man to take over his company that he’d been willing to overlook even criminal activity?

“I’ve suspected something like that for a long time, but I never had proof until—”

“You still don’t have proof,” Jordan interrupted. “It’s only my suspicions after I overheard the conversation.”

Emilio leaned back into the couch, deep in thought, before he nailed Jordan with a look. “And you’re sure Tina is in love with Marco’s brother?”

She sighed. “Again, it’s only my suspicion, but if I were you, I’d sit down with my daughter and have a serious talk. This time ask her what she wants. Sounds like you’ve only been telling her what you want.” She couldn’t believe she was saying these things to a man Alex had said was connected, but it was too late to turn back. “And Emilio, I’ve met Bernardo, and in my opinion, he’s a wonderful man and father.”

“A father?”

She smiled, thinking of Gio Petrone. “He’s got an absolutely fantastic twelve-year-old son who’s a delight to be around. The kid alone could bring a lot of joy to what’s left of your life.” She leaned closer. “Talk to Tina today before it’s too late.”

He stared at her before turning his attention back to Natalie. “Thank you, my friend, for coming to me when I needed you and for bringing your cheeky friend who’s not afraid to say how she feels.” When Jordan started to protest, he held up his hand. “That was a compliment, Jordan. I appreciate your honesty. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

Just then his cell phone rang, and he glanced at caller ID. “It’s Jeff. If you ladies will excuse me for a few minutes, I’d appreciate it. This may be something important.”

The two women sat in silence, listening as he spoke to his lawyer. When he gasped, they knew something was up. It took every ounce of patience Jordan had to sit quietly and wait for him to hang up and tell them what was going on. She hoped it wasn’t bad news about Kate who was supposed to be with Hamilton right now.

When Emilio finally hung up, he turned to Natalie. “Jeff says the police have dropped all charges against your daughter.”

Natalie reached over and hugged him. “Oh my God! You’re sure?”

He stared at her, his eyes filled with anguish. “They’ve arrested someone else in both Marco’s and Georgette’s death.”

“Who?” Both women asked at once.

“My stepson.”

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY

“The police think Frankie O’Brien killed Marco and Georgette?” Jordan paused to rub her forehead. “Wait a minute. I thought your wife died of a heat stroke. How can they blame Frankie for that?”

Emilio walked over and sat down next to Natalie on the couch. “Apparently, the tox screen confirmed Georgette actually died of a heroin overdose before the heat of the car could take its toll.”

“Heroin?” Natalie had been sitting quietly but now turned to face Emilio and asked the question that was also on Jordan’s mind.” Did you know she had a drug problem?”

He shook his head adamantly. “That’s just it—she didn’t. Georgette may have enjoyed an occasional cocktail or two, but that’s as far as it went. She wouldn’t even take ibuprofen for a headache. Said she didn’t need chemicals to make her feel better.”

“I’m still confused about why the police think her son killed her. Granted, if what I’m thinking about his import business with Marco is true, he may have had access to some serious drugs, but it makes no sense for him to kill his own mother. You said yourself that she’d coddled him.” Jordan thought back to when she’d first met Frankie. Although he came across as a loser, he’d never given her any reason to suspect he might also be a killer.

“Jeff said Frankie had a knock-down, drag-out fight with Georgette the night before she went missing. He was overheard saying he was tired of her constant nagging—that no matter what he did, it wasn’t ever good enough for her.” Emilio’s voice cracked, and he lowered his head into his hands. “Oh God. She loved that boy so much, and no matter how badly he screwed up, she stuck by him. She was always on my case about giving him more responsibilities in the company.”

“I heard her arguing with someone that night,” Jordan said, remembering how she’d tried to get closer to hear better when she was at Dezi’s food booth. “Although I couldn’t see who was on the receiving end of all her anger, I was able to make out the words ‘outsider’ and ‘suck up.’ Why would she say that to Frankie if she was trying so hard to move him up the ladder in the family business?”

Emilio shrugged. “The police picked up Frankie about an hour ago, and they’re questioning him now. He admitted being in an alcoholic black-out that night and can’t remember killing her, but he swears he never left his hotel room.” His forehead wrinkled as if he was in deep thought. “I may be able to prove he’s telling the truth.”

‘How?” both women asked.

“Georgette was worried about him—thought he might be in trouble. I decided to check it out myself and had the hotel install a security camera in his room. That should prove his innocence.”

Natalie touched his shoulder gently. “What if it doesn’t?”

He scrubbed his hand across his face. “Then I’ll deal with that, but for now I have to believe he wouldn’t hurt his mother.”

“Is Jeff at the station with him now?” Natalie asked.

Emilio met her gaze and held it before shaking his head. “Jeff can’t represent Frankie because he’s already on Kate’s legal team. Even though she’s been cleared of all charges, we were afraid it might be a conflict of interest, especially because he’s the one who overheard the argument between Georgette and Frankie. He pulled some strings, however, and lined up one of the best criminal lawyers in Dallas. The man’s on his way to the Plainville Police Station as we speak.” He rose and walked over to look at the clock on the nightstand. “I’ll need to get down there myself to...” He got choked up and couldn’t finish. Swallowing hard, he said, “Georgette would want me to be with him.”

“Definitely,” Natalie said. “I remember how relieved I was when I heard that you’d sent your own lawyer to make sure Kate didn’t say anything that might incriminate her. I also remember how frightened my daughter was, even though she’s a lawyer herself and how I wished I could have been with her. No matter what, Frankie needs you right now, so go get dressed. We’ll find our own way out.” Natalie motioned for Jordan to follow as she started toward the door.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you,” Emilio said, stopping halfway to the bathroom. “Jeff and Kate had a long morning at the police station, and he brought her back to the hotel for a quick lunch before taking her home. She’s down the hall with him in his room.”

Natalie’s eyes lit up at the thought of seeing her daughter. “I’ll keep all of you in my prayers, Emilio. Let us know if there’s anything we can do.”

“Other than keeping the news of my ALS a secret for now, I can’t think of a thing anyone can do. And Natalie, I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time about Kate killing Marco.”

She waved him off with a flick of her wrist. “Don’t give it another thought. We were both trying to protect our daughters.” She whirled around to face Jordan. “Ready?”

Jordan swiveled around and fell into step behind her as she walked out the door and down the hall to room 828.

As soon as Jeff opened the door and Natalie saw Kate by the couch, she rushed over and encircled her in her arms. “Oh my God! Is it really over?”

Kate hugged her mother back and tried to smile but not before Jordan noticed the dark circles under her eyes. “Captain Darnell said we can leave for Houston anytime we want.”

“That can’t happen soon enough. It’s hard to believe that less than two weeks ago I was looking forward to coming to Ranchero to see Alex, meet his new girlfriend, and enjoy the festivities. Now, all I want to do is go back home and try to forget what you’ve been through—what we’ve all been through.” Natalie was unable to keep her voice from cracking.

“I know, Mom.” Kate pulled her closer and rubbed her back as if she were consoling a small child.

“This calls for a drink,” Jeff said, motioning for them to sit down on the couch. “What can I get for you ladies?” When they all shook their heads, he walked over to the minibar and bent down. “Normally, I don’t like to drink by myself, but it’s been one of those weeks.” He reached in and pulled out two mini bottles of Scotch and poured them into a glass from the counter. After taking a long sip, he looked up and smiled. “Why is it that liquor always seems to make things better?”

“I don’t know, but I agree,” Natalie said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have breakfast this morning, and I’m afraid that alcohol on my empty stomach wouldn’t sit too well.”

“Do you want to have lunch with Kate and me?” he asked, walking over with his now half empty glass and sitting on the chair next to the couch.

“Oh, Jeff, can I take a rain check on that lunch?” Kate asked. “All of a sudden I feel so exhausted and—” When she heard a ring, she leaned over and grabbed her purse. Reaching in, she fished out her phone and put it up to her ear. “Hello.” Turning to her mother, she mouthed the word
Alex
. “You won’t believe the news. The police have charged Emilio’s stepson in both Marco’s and Georgette’s murders and cleared me of all charges. I’m here in Jeff’s hotel room with Mom and Jordan, but we’re just about to leave.”

She handed the phone to Jordan. “He wants to speak to you.”

It would be good to see the sparkle come back in Kate’s eyes,
Jordan thought as she reached for the phone. “Hey, you,” she said, loving the way her entire body tingled when she heard his voice.

“We’re getting ready to move in and make the arrests down here. It should be over in a few hours, and then I thought maybe all of us could go out for celebratory dinner before Mom and Kate go home in the morning.” He chuckled. “That’s when the real fun begins for you and me. Last night wasn’t nearly enough for my Jordan fix.”

She was glad he couldn’t see the way his words had sent a flurry of pink up her cheeks. Glancing around to see if his mother or sister had noticed, she was relieved to see them standing by Jeff’s bed looking at a picture he’d taken from his wallet. “I can’t wait, either,” she whispered into the phone.

“Gotta run. The bad guys are waiting. Love you.”

There it was again. The “L” word. Before she could respond, he hung up, leaving her wondering once again what it all meant. After laying the phone on the table near their purses, she went over to the bed to see what they were looking at.

“When in the world do you find time to train for something like that?” Natalie asked. “I know Emilio must keep you busy all the time.”

Jeff laughed. “He knows how important it is to me.” When he noticed Jordan approaching, he handed her the picture in his hand.

“You ran the Boston Marathon?” she asked incredulously, staring at a picture of Jeff at the finish line in athletic shorts and a tank top. She’d noticed his chiseled body when she’d first met him, but he’d never given any indication that he was a runner.

“The Boston and the New York Marathon,” he corrected. “Next on the list is Chicago. I’ve discovered all that alone time with the wind in my hair is just what I need to bring me down after a long day dealing with the struggles of my job. It’s a cheap form of therapy for me.”

“I could certainly use an outlet like that for my own stress,” Kate said. “Maybe I’ll give running a try when I get back to the firm in Houston.” She frowned. “That’s if I still have a job.”