Trouble at the Red Pueblo (26 page)

“It is not my car. It is yours.”

Laurie’s eyes grew wide. “You can’t think we’d hold you to that bargain.”

Karam laughed. “Spider can tell you there is more to the bargain than transportation. If you will take me to the airport in St. George, tomorrow, I will be in your debt.”

“Sure,” Spider said, offering the bag of fries to Karam. “No matter what Deputy Flint says, he can’t keep you from leaving. We’ll take you.”

Karam ate a couple of fries and then accepted the napkin Spider proffered. He wiped his hands and stood. “I think I will go back to my room and finish packing.”

Laurie stood, too. “What time do you need to be in St. George tomorrow?

“I have reservations to fly out at noon.”

“How about we leave at nine? I think I can make sure Spider’s up and dressed by then.” Laurie walked Karam to the door, accepted his thanks for a pleasant day, and closed the door after him.

Spider crumpled up the takeout bag and tossed it into the wastebasket. “I may have to take another nap.”

“Me too.” She yawned. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Spider chuckled as he got up and made his way to the bed. “Old Toby Flint say’s you’re quite a lady.”

She pulled the covers back for him. “What does he mean by that?”

“Well, I think you had him buffaloed. He’s probably never had someone occupy his office in protest.” He sat on the bed and lay back on the pillows, uttering a sigh. “That plumb wore me out.”

“You may have to stay here tomorrow and let me take Karam over by myself.”

He pulled up the covers and turned on his side. “The doctor said I should be better tomorrow. I wonder when we’re going to hear anything from the FBI.”

Laurie lifted the spread and lay down, spooning next to him even though he was between the sheets, and she wasn’t. “I hope not for a couple of hours.”

Spider clasped the hand that she put around him. He heard her sigh and moments later heard the regular breathing of sleep. He matched his breathing to hers and soon drifted off himself.

Laurie got her wish. Deputy Toby Flint rapped on the door at six o’clock in the evening. Spider reflexively threw back the covers and sat up, but Laurie was out of bed and heading for the door before he had even figured out where he was.

At the sound of Laurie’s sleepy voice and Deputy Flint’s official one, Spider stood and walked to the armchair. He got there just as she stepped back to admit their visitor.

“We were grabbing a nap,” Spider said. “Forgive the bed hair.”

“No problem, Deputy Latham.”

“I’m not in Kanab as a deputy. Call me Spider.”

Laurie pushed the side chair closer to Spider’s. “Have you got news for us?” She sat on the nearby bed.

“Some.” Deputy Flint dropped a plastic garbage bag on the floor and took the proffered chair. Spider noticed he had dark circles under his eyes, and his shoes no longer had a mirror polish.

The deputy apparently was doing his own assessing of Spider as he pulled a notebook and pen from his pocket. “Your black eye is purple this afternoon,” he said. “It was more of a liver color this morning. How does your head feel?”

“Pain pills are a wonderful thing. It doesn’t hurt a bit, and I’ve slept the day away.”

“Okay.” Deputy Flint took out a pair of reading glasses and put them on to consult his notes. “The FBI got here this morning, just after I left you. They brought a whole herd of people and a mobile lab. I guess anything that smells of terrorism is pretty high priority.”

“Were they disappointed?” Laurie asked. “I mean, when it turned out not to be?”

The deputy glanced at her over his glasses. “I’ll get to that in a minute. First, let’s talk about your Mr. Mansour.” He shifted in his chair. “It turns out that he’s the son of a very well respected, very wealthy, businessman and—” He paused as if practicing the word mentally before trying it aloud. “—philanthropist.” Again he looked over his glasses at Laurie. “Why didn’t you tell me that last night?”

“Would it have made any difference?” She spoke in a light, matter-of-fact tone. “It looked to me like a lot of people had made up their minds that because he was a Muslim, he set off the bomb.”

Spider broke in. “As a matter of fact, she couldn’t tell you because we didn’t know anything about his father. I’m as surprised as you are. But I’ll tell you something. That’s one fine young man.”

“Right.” Deputy Flint drew a line through the first item on his list. “He’s free to leave town anytime he wishes.”

Laurie smiled. “I was confident you’d see it that way.”

“Were you? Good.” He picked up the black garbage bag and handed it to Spider. “The FBI gave me this to give to you.”

“What is it?” Spider reached inside and pulled out Karam’s quilt. The back side was charred in places, but as he opened it up, the side with the appliquéd picture was undamaged.

Laurie whistled under her breath. “Isn’t that something? Where was it?”

Spider turned it over and looked at the burned patches. “It was right by the driver’s seat. I remember pushing it out of the way with my elbow.” He touched a place where heat had burned away the backing and melted through the inside fill. “That would have been me if it hadn’t been there. Karam would call that
qadar
.”

Deputy Flint leaned toward Spider. “You got something wrong with your throat?”

Laurie laughed. “No, he doesn’t. He was giving the word an Arabic pronunciation.” She patted Spider’s hand. “We’re suitably impressed. Now, what does the word mean?”

Spider smiled at her and translated. “Fate.”

Deputy Flint’s mouth turned down as he drew a line through the second item. “Now, for the bomb.” He cleared his throat. “Even if we hadn’t ruled out Mr. Mansour for other reasons, the FBI says that this was the work of—” The deputy’s eyes fell to his notes. “—an inept, domestic terrorist wannabe.”

“How do they know?”

“Several ways.” The deputy counted them on his fingers. “The type of black powder used, the type of detonator, the container that the bomb was in.” He chuckled. “They say they never seen one like this. It was in a stainless steel thermos.”

Spider sat up. “A thermos? I’ve never heard of that.”

“Neither had they. They thought maybe this guy wasn’t the brightest tool in the drawer and had heard about bombs being made from pressure cookers. Maybe he thought a thermos would work as well. Who knows?”

“Well, it seems to have worked,” Laurie said.

“Yes and no.” The deputy glanced at his notes. “It did go off and do some damage, but the stopper was made of plastic and gave way sooner than the casing. It made it a kind of a rocket. It tore through the engine compartment and firewall. Tore up both the front and then the backseat as it went through.” He grimaced. “If the seat had deflected it to where, ah, Spider was sitting, he probably wouldn’t be here.”

Laurie shivered.

Spider winked at her. “Lucky for me that Yugo seats aren’t rocket-proof.”

“They slowed it down enough that it couldn’t break through the back end, and it rattled around in the trunk for a bit. It was pretty beat up, but the FBI managed to find some useable prints on it.”

“Really?” Laurie sat up straighter. “Do they know whose fingerprints they were?”

Spider leaned over to where he could see Deputy Flint’ notebook. “Not so fast, Darlin’. He’s got one more item before fingerprints.”

The deputy cleared his throat, and Spider wondered why a blush was spreading up his neck. “Don’t you, Deputy Flint?”

The officer grimaced. “I, ah, wasn’t going to mention that item. It was more a comment made by one of the agents, not part of the official paperwork.”

Spider leaned back and crossed his legs. “If it’s information, let’s have it.” He looked expectantly at the policeman.

The deputy sighed. “It was their opinion that this copycat terrorist did you a favor. They said that was the ugliest car they had ever seen.”

Spider threw back his head and laughed. “Thank you, Deputy. You just made my day. Cross that one off and let’s get on to fingerprints.”

“All right. Fingerprints. I wonder—” Deputy Flint looked from Laurie to Spider. “—would it be possible to have Mr. Mansour join us? I’ve got some pictures I’d like to have him look at.”

“Sure.” Laurie scooted up the bed to the phone on the bedside stand and dialed Karam’s room. She explained the situation, listened, and hung up the phone. “He’s on his way.”

“While he’s coming, I can tell you about the fingerprints.” Deputy Flint glanced at his notes. “They belong to a known felon, fellow by the name of Aldo De Pra.”

Spider blinked. “De Pra?”

The deputy turned the page toward Spider so he could see it. “I think I pronounced it right.”

“I’m sure you did. I’ve heard that name before. But where?” Spider rubbed his jaw.

A knock on the door signaled Karam’s arrival, and Laurie went to open it. “Come on in. You’ll have to sit by me on the bed,” she told him.

Deputy Flint stood as Karam came in, and he offered his hand. “Mr. Mansour. Thank you for coming. I apologize for the earlier problems.”

Karam smiled, shook the deputy’s hand, and then took a seat beside Laurie. “Tell me how I can be of service.”

The officer took out his phone and went through a series of menus before pulling up a photo. “The FBI identified the person who planted the bomb by his fingerprints. We think the bomb and the attack on you the day before—”

Spider raised a hand to interrupt. “I told him about that, Karam. In light of the bomb, I thought I should.”

“Of course, Spider.” Karam looked at Toby. “Please go on.”

“As I was saying, we think the two incidents are linked. I’m going to show you six photos, and I want you to tell me if one of them is the man that attacked you.” He touched the screen and held it so Karam could see. “Here’s the first.”

Karam shook his head.

“Here’s the second.”

Karam shook his head at the third and fourth photos, but at number five, he jabbed a finger at the screen. “That is the one. I have still got the marks on my throat.” He pulled off Laurie’s scarf and pointed to the purple bruises.

“Take a look at the last picture just to be sure.” Toby held up the screen again.

Karam shook his head. “I am sure. The picture before this one is the man who knocked me out.”

Toby showed the screen to Laurie too. “That is Aldo De Pra. He’s the one that set the bomb. He’s also the person who assaulted Karam.”

Leaning over to catch a glimpse, Spider scratched his head. “I’m sure I’ve heard that name. I just can’t remember where.”

“He gave Karam a message about the Red Pueblo,” Laurie said. “That should tie him to Austin Lee, shouldn’t it?”

Spider raised his arms above his head and shouted, “Bingo!”

All heads turned toward him.

“I remember where I’ve heard that name. Guess the name of the woman who sued the Red Pueblo about the accident in the bathroom.”

Laurie looked mystified. “I don’t think I ever heard her name.”

“Her name was Fabiola De Pra. What are the odds of finding two unrelated people with that same last name? There’s got to be a connection.”

Karam’s brow furrowed. “I do not understand.”

“Me neither.” Deputy Flint stowed his phone in his pocket and took his notebook back out.

“You both know about the lawsuit about ownership of the cache.” Spider nodded toward Karam. “You helped us show that it was a fraudulent suit with Austin Lee behind it. He was trying to put Martin Taylor in a position that he’d have to sell his property for whatever he could get out of it.”

“I understand that,” said Karam.

Spider went on. “The lawsuit about the cache was Austin’s second try. The first try was someone who said she fell in the bathroom and was hurt. Martin settled out of court for a quarter million dollars.”

Toby whistled. “And the woman in the bathroom was Fabiola De Pra?”

Spider nodded. “I was going to go see her tomorrow and talk to her about that suit, but I imagine Deputy Flint will be going there instead.”

“I’m interested in finding out who Aldo is,” Laurie said. “Is he Fabiola’s father?” Her cell phone rang, and she stood and went to the corner of the room to answer it.

Karam picked up the thread. “Or her brother?”

Toby put an emphatic period on the sentence he had been writing. “Or her husband? We’ll know tomorrow.”

“Just a suggestion,” Spider said to the deputy. “Talk to Martin and Neva before you head over to St. George. They can fill you in on that first lawsuit.”

Laurie rejoined them, pocketing her cell. “That was Neva calling just now. They wanted to know if they could come see how Spider’s doing.”

“What did you tell them?” Spider asked.

A knock sounded at the door, and Laurie pointed to it. “They were in the lobby. I told them to come on up.”

She opened the door and ushered in Neva, Martin, Linda and Matt. Toby greeted them and gave up his seat, hunkering cowboy-style next to Spider’s chair. Karam moved from the bed to the floor. As soon as everyone had a place to perch, Laurie sat in the chair Toby had vacated. She patted Spider’s arm.

He took the cue. “I’m glad you all came. There have been some developments in the Red Pueblo affair that you all need to know about.” He looked at Neva and Martin, holding hands as they sat at the end of the bed. He looked at Linda, sitting cross-legged on the floor by Karam and at Matt, hugging his knees as he sat by Toby.