The Chase (18 page)

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fter Arnold Bates left the FBI building, Tigo and Ryan walked to the break room to discuss the interview.

“What do you think?” Tigo said. “How’d you read him?”

Ryan opened the door. “I want to know why he contacted us. A man of his caliber knows what’s going on in the city, and that includes Masterson’s activities. His arrests and indictments should make Bates suspicious of anyone in the building. No logic there.”

“Or he doesn’t want to name Masterson, and that’s why he came to us. The fear factor. Could be the prospect of a firefight between the FBI and the Arroyos in his place of business makes him anxious.”

“Why not move his company to another location?” Ryan shrugged.

“Bates might be tied to a lease.” Tigo slid a dollar into the vending machine for a bottle of water. “Sounded like his lines were rehearsed. And he didn’t come across as the concerned-citizen type either.” He glanced at a bag of peanuts in the vending machine. “Want something?”

“No. I’m good.”

Tigo twisted off the water bottle cap. “Bates’s money buys him whatever he wants. No reason why he couldn’t buy his way out of a lease.”

“So the question is why did Bates seek us out? If Masterson suspected that he contacted us specifically about gun smuggling, he wouldn’t think twice about getting rid of him. But …”

“What? Spill it, Ryan. Are you thinking Masterson sent him? Because that’s what my gut’s telling me.” He waited for Ryan to voice his thoughts.

“One of the things that Candy told us was the Arroyos were in a standoff with their supplier about money,” Ryan said. “Masterson could be using Bates to leak information to set them up. He’s been paid, and there are plenty of other smugglers who will buy his guns and ammo.”

“Do you think there’s a link between who’s tipping us off about transports and Bates’s visit today?” Tigo said.

“I need more information before making that stretch, like a connection between Bates and Masterson.”

“Let’s put a surveillance team on Bates and see who he’s keeping company with. I’d like to check the latest reports on the team assigned to Masterson.”

“I’ll run both requests through the FIG.”

“I’ll get a background check done on Bates and a list of his clients along with phone records.” Tigo took a long drink.

“Remember Jo-Jack gave you the name of Bat,” Ryan said. “Could be Bates.”

“He’s low-class in a high-class suit. His body language danced with manipulation. I wonder if he buys his clothes from Masterson’s line.”

“One way to find out. That would link them.”

“We’re going to get these guys,” Tigo said. “I can feel it.”

“How about putting a little pressure on Hershey to set up our boy. I’m anxious to pull this together.”

Nailing Masterson had been on Tigo’s priority list for a long time. Bates could be the man to make it happen. Add Masterson and Cheeky to the group and the FBI could significantly cripple gun smuggling in Houston.

Tigo walked outside so he could check on his mother. Sweat beaded on his brow in the ninety-eight-degree heat, and the humidity was every bit as overwhelming.

“Hi, Natalie. Just checking in. When I left this morning, Mom’s blood pressure was extremely low.”

“It’s risen some. We’re getting her ready for dialysis, and she’ll see the doctor afterward.”

“Good. Thanks.” He disconnected the phone and stared out at the parking lot. Between the helplessness of Mom slipping away and the intricacies of gang warfare, his mind spun like a Category 5 hurricane.

Alone in his work area, Tigo did a background check on Arnold Bates. He wanted to digest every word for possible answers linking him to Masterson’s operation.

Bates did well. House in River Oaks. Married to old money. A daughter in college. Belonged to an Episcopalian church. He owned other investments under a corporation called Cardinal Ventures, and those drew Tigo’s scrutiny — a coffee-bean company with plantations in Brazil and Tanzania, petroleum products from South Korea, and East Indian furniture … all perfect fronts for smuggling arms and ammo. Another area of investigation. He picked up his phone and called the FIG.

“I need a full report on Cardinal Ventures’ companies. Owned by Arnold Bates. Feed it back to my Blackberry.”

While he waited, he picked up his iPhone and checked to see Kariss’s latest word in their ongoing game. He was ahead by twenty points. Ah,
dexter
on a triple-word score was forty-two points, giving him a huge lead. If he kept this up, they’d be tied two and two.

An hour later, he took a look at the FIG’s report. Cardinal Ventures looked squeaky clean. He pulled up Masterson’s file and scrolled through his national and international holdings. Time to dive deeper.

Kariss decided to talk to Xavier in person about what she’d learned at Catholic Charities. He chose the McDonald’s near the Fiesta where they’d previously met. He also requested she accompany him to the nursing home that housed Delores’s grandmother, Benita Martinez. Although he’d visited the older woman previously, he thought she might reveal information this time that her mind hadn’t been able to unravel before. Kariss agreed since she needed to give him more disheartening news.

The late afternoon had McDonald’s crowded with high school kids — hungry and noisy. A booth full of boys sat in front of Kariss. When one of them stuck French fries up his nose, then ate them, she was ready to leave.

“Xavier, it’s so loud in here. Can we take my car and drive to the nursing home now?”

“Yes, these kids give me a headache.”

She laughed, remembering her younger days and the trouble she’d gotten into.

The nursing home was a ten-minute drive. Poor Xavier, exploring every corner more than once to find his child … a child who might not even have been born or belonged to him.

The brick building housing the elderly looked in better shape than Kariss expected. The modest grounds had two crepe myrtles blooming in dark pink flowers, and purple and white petunias bloomed in flower beds along both sides of the facility’s entrance. She parked her car and gave Xavier a reassuring smile. If only they could find useful information … But she had her reservations.

The moment Kariss stepped inside the nursing home, she detected the faint odors characteristic of most nursing homes — urine and aging bodies. Difficult to remove the smells, even the cleanest of facilities had trouble dealing with the problem. This one was spotless. Kariss had once done an investigative report about several of Houston’s nursing homes, and she’d seen every caliber of staff and housing. In her opinion, Delores’s grandmother was receiving excellent care, which caused Kariss to wonder who paid for it.

Kariss and Xavier greeted everyone in Spanish, and he asked permission to see Benita Martinez. They waited in the visitor sitting area while an attendant took a wheelchair to the woman’s room.

The tiny woman with smooth, tanned skin and white hair smiled at Kariss and Xavier. “I wondered where you two had been. Did you bring the cookies?”

Xavier took her hand. “I forgot them, Grandmother. I’ll remember cookies the next time. What flavor would you like?”

“Lemon.” She sighed. “I was looking forward to them. Delores brought me chocolate ones yesterday.”

Kariss peered into Xavier’s face. This mention of Mrs. Martinez’s granddaughter had to surprise him since last time she hadn’t remembered Delores.

“That was nice of her.” Xavier patted her hand. “Did she visit very long?”

“Not really. She had errands.”

“Grandmother, I’d like for you to meet my friend Kariss.”

Mrs. Martinez tilted her weathered face toward Kariss. “Why aren’t you dating a good Mexican girl? Aren’t they good enough for you?”

Xavier continued to pat her hand. What a kind man. “She’s not a girlfriend. Just a friend.”

Mrs. Martinez covered her mouth. “Excuse me. I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s a pleasure to meet you, my dear. Will you remind Xavier to bring me cookies the next time you come to see me?”

Good. She was coherent enough to recognize Xavier. “I will,” Kariss said. “Tell me about your granddaughter Delores.”

“You don’t know her?”

“No, ma’am. Just through Xavier. Did you say she brought you cookies yesterday?”

Mrs. Martinez glanced away and then back to Kariss. The light in her eyes dulled. “She brought me a box of candy and stayed all afternoon.”

“Did you eat all of them?” Kariss understood the woman’s disoriented mind, but truth could surface through the cobwebs.

Benita laughed lightly, a sweet sound. “I bet you’d like one. The cherry creams are my favorite.”

“Oh, I like chocolate all the way through. And yes, I’d love a piece.”

Mrs. Martinez turned to Xavier. “Please be a nice boy and get the box of candy from my room. It’s in the drawer beside my bed.”

Xavier excused himself to find an attendant.

“Tell me about your granddaughter.” Kariss felt like she was taking advantage of the woman’s mental health, but solving a horrible crime meant seeking out information. Still, guilt crept through her. “How often does she come to see you?”

Mrs. Martinez brightened. “She comes every day.”

“Does she bring her children?”

“Delores … I don’t think so. Someone keeps them for her.” The woman reached out for Kariss’s hand and gave her a light squeeze. “I told Anna that we couldn’t cook for all those people unless we had help. What were they thinking?”

Kariss listened and commented when necessary as Mrs. Martinez touched on one subject and then another. The woman talked with childlike enthusiasm about a picnic along the river and then changed the discussion to a concern about money to pay the rent. Xavier returned carrying a bag of cookies. Chocolate. Could it be Delores had brought them?

Xavier handed Mrs. Martinez the cookies. “The residents are not supposed to have food in their room, so we had to search. The bag was found in the back of a drawer. But I didn’t find any candy.”

“Are they stale?” Kariss’s hope rose as she uttered her words.

“Of course not.” Mrs. Martinez reached inside the bag.

Xavier swallowed hard, visible emotion rising to the surface. “Soft and fresh. I want to believe Delores brought them.”

“She did,” Mrs. Martinez said. “My granddaughter knows how to please this old woman. Would you like a cookie? I have plenty.”

Xavier swiped a single tear. “No, thank you, Grandmother.”

Kariss echoed his response while her thoughts raced with what they’d learned. Xavier’s frantic search could be near the end … finding out what really happened to little Benita.

“I should watch the parking lot for the next few days to see if Delores stops by,” he said.

Kariss stood and walked behind Mrs. Martinez. She placed her hands on the woman’s shoulders. “The FBI needs to have a couple of agents on site,” she whispered. “I’ll tell Tigo.” The same question bothering her earlier rose in her thoughts again. “Who pays the bill here?”

Xavier sighed. “I have no idea.”

“That’s important. If you’ll sit with Mrs. Martinez, I’ll find out.”

“But you’ll be back?” the woman said.

Sweet lady. “In a few minutes. Xavier is with you.” When this was over, she’d come back to visit her … and bring lemon cookies.

Kariss walked to the director’s office and knocked on the open door. A short, middle-aged woman whirled around in her chair. “Excuse me,” Kariss said. “I’m here visiting Benita Martinez. Can you tell me who pays her bill?”

“Why?”

“We want to make sure she continues to receive excellent care. If the person responsible for her finances isn’t able, we want to help.”

“I see.” The woman opened a file cabinet and leafed through the files. Pulling one out, she lay it on her desk. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a name. The bill is paid each month in cash. Sometimes a woman hands us an envelope with Mrs. Martinez’s name on it, and other times I find the envelope on my desk.”

“How strange. Delores told us that she paid it during her visits.”

The woman’s smile did not quite reach her eyes. “Oh, Delores does see her grandmother often. Such a kind woman.” She hesitated and glanced at the folder. “Delores does pay her grandmother’s bill. She asked me to keep her payments secret, but since you already know, there’s no reason for me to hide it. I’ve often wondered why Delores wouldn’t want others to know of her generosity.” The woman closed the file. “She seems like the type who would want her good deeds to remain a secret. She’s such a dear.”

She’s a potential killer.

“She was by yesterday. Brought us chocolates, and I’m afraid we ate them all.” She smiled and shook her head. “Our residents are not supposed to have food in their rooms, but I close my eyes when Delores brings her grandmother treats.”

“I’ll be sure to keep your secret. What days does she visit?”

“Never the same. Like an angel, she comes unannounced.”

That thought curdled Kariss’s stomach. No murderer was an angel. “Does she bring her children to visit too?”

“She’s always alone. I was unaware she had little ones.”

More bad news for Xavier. Tigo needed to know about this immediately. “Thank you so much. Let me give you Xavier’s information in case Mrs. Martinez needs something.” She reached inside her purse and found Gilberto’s phone number. After jotting down the information for the woman, she stepped outside into the parking lot.