The Chase (23 page)

F
riday afternoon Tigo studied the squad board. Everything was slipping into place. A sense of satisfaction swept in for a moment, along with an adrenaline rush.

“We have proof that Hershey’s still building vehicle units,” Ryan said.

Tigo turned from the squad board. “A true craftsman.”

“What do you think we should do? He’s arranged for us to meet Cheeky.”

“He did, and we’re grateful. Still, he hasn’t given up his side job.” Tigo nodded. “Shall we take a ride? Talk about our next move?”

“And we need to pick up our disguises.”

“Right. I’ll phone Kyowski. Make sure he’s there.”

Ryan shoved his hands into his pockets. “Love this part of what we do. Taking on a disguise is like being a kid at Halloween.”

“As long as we don’t get ourselves killed.”

“Spoilsport. I’m thinking more like trick
and
treat.”

“What do your kids say about you?”

“The same as my wife — hard to get me to grow up.”

“That’s what keeps us alive and creative. Hey, I need to cash a check at the credit union for Hershey.”

They changed into jeans and T-shirts before leaving the office. Tigo drove his new bomb, a twenty-five-year-old Ford. He exited the FBI office onto the feeder road, then sped onto the highway.

“I have a few ideas about Hershey,” Ryan sad. “But I want to hear yours first.”

“I’m still in problem-solving mode,” Tigo said. “Bring it on.”

“Idea number one: we could turn around and head back to the office. Ride out what he’s doing until this is over.”

“I agree. We need to keep him happy until we arrest Cheeky.”

“Your turn.”

Tigo chuckled. “We’ve used his daughter as leverage, and he’s been good to us. Let’s thank him and play dumb about his side business. I’d like to find out if this is his season to wear a wire. I even visited the tech squad and brought one.”

“And if he refuses?”

“Show the pics of him building and installing a unit.”

“Tigo, he could pull the plug from our meeting with Cheeky.”

“Not if we assure him his daughter has been fully exonerated from the drug theft and an arrest has been made.” He glanced at Ryan. “The arrest was in Sunday’s paper and in the news.”

“Ever get the feeling that God is guiding us through this case?”

“Not really.” Tigo understood his partner was a strong believer, like Linc. But Tigo’s beliefs about God were based on a deity that created the world, then sat back in his easy chair to see how it all played out. Praying or depending on anything but himself made no sense.

“I think He is.”

“Why? God gave us a mind to figure out things. That’s what we’re doing.”

“You solve this case your way, and I’ll continue to pray for direction.”

“Oh, I caught the sarcasm.”

Ryan threw a glance at him. “Didn’t mean to come off that way.”

“I know. I’m a little touchy about the God thing … and dealing with my mother’s declining health.”

“Is she a believer?”

“The most devoted Christian on the planet. But look at her now.”

“Tigo, we all have a purpose. You and I have ours. Your mother has hers. You told me she kept you from turning into a bad guy.”

When Ryan didn’t add anything more to his statement, Tigo repeated the words in his mind. “What else?”

“Nothing. Just think about it.”

Ryan and his faith were confusing at best, and right now wasn’t the best time for Tigo to get irritated about a subject that meant nothing to him.

At Hershey’s shop, Tigo and Ryan went through the routine of keeping an eye on those standing outside and waiting for Hershey to unlock the door. He had a customer, a black woman with short, tight shorts who was having a problem choosing what kind of firearm to fit her purse. The situation reminded him of Kariss.

Once the woman paid for her weapon, Tigo made his way to Hershey with a box of fifty bullets for his 7mm Remington Magnum.

“What’s up? Why are you here?” He blew out a sigh. “You know I’m watched.”

“Just wanted to thank you for a good job and pick up a box of ammo.” He set the box on the counter.

“I’ll know tonight or tomorrow. Looks like things are almost in place for the buy. That’s fifty-seven dollars.”

Tigo pointed to the box. “It says seventy-five.”

Hershey frowned. “Yeah. Seventy-five. I’ll text after the meeting.”

“Good,” Tigo said. “Did you see an arrest was made in the drug theft?”

“I did. Appreciate it. Though we already knew my daughter had nothin’ to do with it.”

“We have another request.”

Hershey eyed him. “What?”

“Wear a wire.”

“The answer’s no.”

Tigo gave him a half smile. “More money in it.”

“How much?”

“Another five grand.”

Hershey hesitated, then cursed. “Okay. But not my phone. That’s the first thing Cheeky takes when we meet.”

Tigo pulled out a pin light typical of what was used to look down the barrel of a gun to make sure it was clean.

Hershey slipped it into his pocket. “I don’t understand why this is necessary when I’ve held up my end of the bargain.”

“Call it insurance. Like the guys outside waiting on your nod to waste us.”

Hershey smirked. “Anything else?”

Ryan had been quiet until this, which was his usual manner. “We’re watching you. One slip and your rear’s in prison for a long time.”

Shortly after Vicki had fallen asleep, Kariss received a call from security that a flower shop van wanted to make a delivery. Working with Tigo and Ryan had made her somewhat smarter, and she wasn’t going to let any strangers near her home.

“Just ask the driver to leave them with you, and I’ll be right there. Go ahead and sign the delivery slip and tell the driver thanks.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She had no clue who’d send flowers since she wasn’t seeing anyone, and she hadn’t sold a book. Grabbing her keys, she drove to the security gate. There, placed outside the small building were two dozen red roses with baby’s breath. Whoa. That brightened her day.

With the aid of the guard, she carefully positioned the crystal vase into the floorboard of the backseat and inched back to her condo. Once inside, she positioned them on the dining room table, their sweet fragrance filling the air.

She lifted the card from the bouquet and opened it.

Kariss’s first instinct was to toss the embossed card in the trash. Vicki would never know Wyatt had sent the flowers. He was up to no good, and this was just a ploy to win her sister over to something that benefited him. His attorney probably suggested it before she filed for child support.

“What beautiful roses. Who are they from?”

Kariss wanted to crumple the card. But Vicki was capable of making her own decisions.

“Sis? What’s wrong?”

“They’re not for me. They’re for you. From Wyatt.”

Vicki’s eyes widened. “Why on earth would he send me flowers?” She walked to the table and touched a petal. “Can I send them back?”

Kariss saw the torn look on her sister’s face, the mix of love, hate, and probably self-loathing for how she’d allowed Wyatt to affect her emotions.

“What would that prove? They’re beautiful, and roses are your favorite flower. Accept his gesture and enjoy them.”

Vicki inhaled an open blossom. “I’d like to know why. The last time he sent flowers was when he’d been unfaithful.”

“I didn’t know that.”

She shrugged. “I gave them to a neighbor. I wanted him out of my life, but now that will never be because of the baby.”

“Sis, you need rhino skin. You still love him despite the many times he’s hurt you. The pain isn’t going to vanish overnight.”

“I keep telling myself that turning all of my affections to this baby will make Wyatt disappear.”

“We’ll work on it.”

Vicki blinked back the tears in her pretty brown eyes. “I’m going to put away a few boxes.”

Kariss lifted the vase of roses. “Put this on the lonely table in the nursery. Big and little girls love flowers.”

Vicki took them and nodded. “I’m glad I’m here. You’re good for me.”

Kariss laughed and planted a kiss on her cheek. “That works both ways.”

“Anything you want to talk or rant about or whatever, you can depend on me.”

Not about the Arroyos or the mess she was in. Kariss didn’t dare tell Vicki about helping Xavier either.

F
riday afternoon, Tigo and Ryan picked up their disguises, then said their good-byes for the weekend. Tigo’s thoughts were preoccupied with what needed to happen to close this case.

When Hershey gave them the okay, they’d make their sale and nail Cheeky and a list of other Arroyos. In the meantime, Bates and Masterson were under heavy surveillance. Theoretically, they had a sound plan. But between the lines was the potential for too many things to go wrong.

His next stop was the dentist’s office — his friend the dentist who never hurt him or made him feel badly for needing laughing gas. After Tigo made a few complaints about the dentist who’d done the root canal, he got numbed up. He leaned back and closed his eyes while the dentist inserted a post where Dr. Nightmare had completed the root canal. Next, impressions were taken for a crown. An hour and a half later, he made an appointment for the permanent crown and headed home. The numbness started to wear off, which made him feel more human. He needed to make a bank deposit, but no way until his mouth moved the way he wanted it.

Once at home, he sorted through mail while sitting beside his mother. His stomach growled, and he reached for a glass of iced tea, pleased that he no longer dribbled down his chin. Normally he liked to cook, but the situation with the Arroyos and the detail to making sure it all happened had him too wound up. He didn’t want to eat alone one more night. Of course Natalie would join him, but he couldn’t talk work.

In short he was lonely.

He picked up his personal cell phone and stared at it, wondering if his thoughts were foolish … desperate. Maybe this had more to do with the novocaine wearing off than reaching out to a friend. He could claim wanting to know about her afternoon or making sure she was safe. Friends stuff.

For that matter, he could call Ryan or Linc to see if their families had plans tonight. Although those situations usually made him feel uncomfortable simply because he had nothing in common with them.

Still staring at his phone, he clicked on the Word Family game. His turn again. He’d beaten her the last game, but she was still one up on him. Studying the letters, he slipped the word
lead
under a previous word, giving him twenty-eight points and Kariss seventeen. He touched Play and Submit.

He thought about her at the office. She had a way of staring into her computer screen as though she were taking a glimpse into someone’s soul. Her brown curly hair framed her face, wild-looking yet always in place.

Five minutes later, she texted him.

He laughed and keyed in his response.

He waited for a response.

He grinned and glanced at his mother’s sleeping form. He should stay, but nothing remained of her but a shell. He wouldn’t be gone long, and Natalie had his number. “Do you mind?” he said to his mother.

How many times had she urged him to get out more?

After changing from his grungy work jeans to a more upscale brand, Tigo kissed his mother good-bye and told her he’d be back in a few hours.

Over eighteen months ago, he’d met a woman for dinner. It had gone badly. She’d wanted to come home with him, and he declined. Two reasons: one was his mother, and the second was the woman’s aggressiveness. He wasn’t sure why the incident crossed his mind now, except the idea of meeting two women for dinner had him shaking. He’d almost rather meet a couple of bad guys on the other side of town.

Kariss would have to see Tigo standing at her door before she believed he’d accepted the dinner invitation. She hadn’t been serious, and the idea of him meeting Vicki made her a little uneasy. More like nauseous. What if he slipped and talked about the danger she’d gotten herself into?

She picked up her cell and pressed in another text.

Then he added,

Kariss laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Vicki said as she measured pecans for the food processor.

“Tigo says we need to learn how to text properly.”

“He’s not as bad as you first thought, is he?”

Kariss knew exactly where this conversation was headed, and she didn’t plan to dive into those waters. “I respect who he is and what he’s done for me. And he’s an outstanding agent.”

“How did you get hooked up with him to begin with?”

Kariss reached for a bag of mixed greens in the fridge. “Linc put us together.”

“I see.”

“What does that mean?”

“Maybe Linc had a little matchmaking in mind.”

Kariss snipped the top of the bag and dumped its contents into a colander. Just like she’d snip this conversation. “Special Agent Santiago Harris is not my type. And never could be.”

“Why?”

“Did anyone ever tell you that you ask a lot of questions?”

“Yep. So why wouldn’t you ever be interested in him?”

“He’s the problem-solver type. Wants to fix things, and those things have to be done right.”

“A perfectionist?”

“More than that. Different. Linc told me Tigo held back from taking a leadership role with his current case. But when he did, he weeded through facts and details and approached it like a bulldog. To him, all the solutions for a problem have to be practical and proven.” She sprayed water over the field greens and tossed them lightly. “Which is different from a perfectionist. Worse, I think.”

“I see. So your method of creating characters and stories is totally foreign to him?”

“Yeah. I doubt he’s ever read a novel. No imagination. If a book doesn’t serve a purpose, then he’d not waste his time.”

“Sounds like you understand him pretty well.”

“Only enough to know he’d drive me nuts. I run on feelings and intuition. He runs on theoretically proven facts.”

Vicki laughed. “You’ve gone to great lengths to understand a guy you aren’t interested in.”

“Trust me, you’ll know what I mean when you meet him.” He’d saved her life and acted like a counselor on more than one occasion. But Vicki didn’t need to know any of that. “He’s not a total pain. Just not my type.”

“What is your type?”

“I’ll let you know when I figure it out. For sure, the perfect man of my dreams is not Tigo.”

Within the hour, the man in question arrived wearing designer jeans and a light blue, button-down shirt. When Kariss invited him in, he carried a box of gourmet chocolates.

“Here I am,” he said. “Thanks for the invitation.”

“Sounds like your Friday nights are as interesting as mine.”

He nodded. “Hey, does my mouth look strange?”

She laughed. “In what way?”

He scowled, but she could tell he was faking it. “Had a dentist appointment this afternoon. Want to make sure I look normal.”

“And tell me, Agent Santiago, what is strange and normal for you?”

“Never mind. I shouldn’t have asked a writer.”

“Right.” She bit her lip to keep from laughing again. He could be charming if he put his mind to it.

“I remembered your sister is pregnant, so I brought chocolate instead of wine.”

“Wonderful,” Kariss said. “Dinner will be ready shortly.”

He sniffed. “Smells wonderful.”

“My sister’s the cook in the family. I got a pass on those genes.”

“I thought one of your novels was about a chef?”

How did he know that? “I did my research and flunked a cooking class.”

“Did I hear something about chocolates?” Vicki called from the kitchen. “I want any caramel-cream ones. Bring the notorious FBI agent back to the kitchen. I’m anxious to meet the man who puts up with my sister.”

“You have the situation backward. I put up with his fastidious ways.” Kariss turned to Tigo and lowered her voice. “She has no idea about what’s going on, the mess I’ve gotten into.”

“No problem,” he whispered. “Did you see that I’m nine points ahead of you with my latest word?”

“I just played, and you’re six points behind.”

He grinned. “Not for long.”

“I let you win the other game. Now we’re down to serious business.”

He walked to the kitchen, and she introduced him to Vicki. He lifted the lid off the chocolate box and pointed to one. “That one is caramel filled.”

Vicki wiped her hands on a towel and peered over the box. “How do you know for sure?”

“The lid has a diagram.”

How like Tigo. And her sister thought the two of them could become involved? If anyone was to play matchmaker, Kariss would be the one to hook up Vicki and Tigo.

Kariss observed how easily he talked to Vicki. He complimented her cooking, and the two exchanged recipes. This was not the Tigo Kariss knew. He asked all the appropriate questions about her pregnancy and even wanted to see the empty nursery. After dinner, Vicki showed him the sparse room.

“Kariss and I are going to paint the walls a pale pink.” Vicki’s eyes sparkled, and she looked lovely. “It’s called Blush.”

“And the paint’s the kind that won’t harm you or the baby?” Tigo examined a rose petal. “Of course not. You’re a nurse.”

His phone rang, and he snatched it up like a handyman reaches for his screwdriver. “Yeah. What’s up?” His facial expressions changed to the professional Special Agent Tigo.

Kariss studied him, and she wondered if the caller was Ryan. Tigo captured her attention, and in that moment she knew the call had something to do with the Arroyos.

“I’ll be there within the hour.” He ended the call. “Sorry, ladies, I have a situation to handle. Thanks for a great dinner and company. It’s rare that I have the pleasure of spending an evening with two beautiful women.”

Where had he hidden this gentleman? A second glance at his face showed that he was in think mode, complete with narrowed brows, and she recognized the agent she was accustomed to.

“Thanks for coming,” Vicki said. “Glad to meet you. I appreciate your taking care of my sis.”

He walked down the steps from the second floor and toward the front door.

Kariss followed. “I’m right behind you.”

“Curious?”

“My middle name.”

At the door, he turned to her. “That was Ryan. A fight between the Arroyos and Skulls broke out on the southeast side of town. Four men dead. A fifth man, an Arroyo, is listed in critical condition. I’m meeting Ryan at Ben Taub Hospital to question him.”

If only—

“No, Kariss. I can read your mind. You’re not going. The place will be infiltrated with gang members, drunk and out for blood. Your buddy, Froggie Diego, will be among them.”

She cringed. “I understand.”

He appeared to stare through to her soul. “Do I have to tell Vicki what’s going on to keep you in one piece?”

“No. I don’t want her worried about a thing. She has enough to think about. I know what happens when an Arroyo is after someone.”

“Good to hear some common sense.”

She tilted her head. “Will you call me later or tell me on Monday what happened?”

“I might. Do you want another tutoring session at the shooting range on Sunday?”

“Yes. I need the practice.”

“I can pick you up around two.” He gave her a smile and brushed her nose with his finger. “If you learn to cook like Vicki, you and I could spend more time together.”

The teasing had returned, along with the charm. “I can speed dial Domino’s Pizza in record time.”

“Go figure.” He left her standing in the doorway.

The urgency to follow him sped through her veins. But the caution factor kept her feet planted inside.