Necessary Decisions, A Gino Cataldi Mystery (24 page)

She lifted her head and sighed. “There is no Uncle Eddy.”

If I could have hit the girl I would have. “Alexa—”

“No. I mean there
really
isn’t an Uncle Eddy, but I know what she means by it.”

My blood pumped. “What? Come on. Jada needs this.”

“If my dad finds out…”

“He won’t unless you tell him.” I wanted to say more but felt that silence would work better. It took almost a full minute.

“If the Hacketts are going to find out anyway, I might as well tell you all at once. I don’t want to do this twice.” She got up and walked inside.

When we got to the kitchen, Lonny pulled me aside. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll let Alexa tell us.”

She stared at the floor and spoke quietly. “Uncle Eddy is not a man. It’s our code for a motel.”

I listened. Lonny started to say something, but Lucia’s hand on his arm stopped him.

“What do you mean, it’s for a motel?” I asked.

Her head lowered even more. She wouldn’t look at Lonny or Lucia. “It started when one of our friends said the guy at one of the motels looked like her uncle Eddy. After that, whenever we wanted to go fool around with our boyfriends or something, we’d say, let’s go to Uncle Eddy’s. Or if we wanted to leave a message on a phone, or send an email or text, we’d say I’m going to Uncle Eddy’s. Wanna go?”

“Are you telling me Jada is—”

Lucia turned Lonny around to face her. “Does it matter what she did or didn’t do right now? We got a lot more to worry about than that girl having sex.”

He shook his head.

Lucia went to Alexa and wrapped her arms around her. “Thank you, Alexa. You did right.”

I kissed Alexa on the head. “That took courage. I like to see guts in a young person. Thanks. And Alexa, I’m going to need you to give Detective Delgado details on the motels.”

She lifted her head. “Don’t worry about not telling Dad. I’ll tell him myself.”

I went back and kissed her head again. “That’s even more guts. If you ever want help, let me know.”

Chapter 35

Now’s the Time

M
ars found Alexa sitting outside. She looked as if she needed a friend. He crossed the patio and offered her a smoke. She looked up at him, shocked. “I didn’t know you smoked.”

“I hardly ever do. Once in a while on weekends or if I’m out with the guys.”

She took the cigarette and the light he offered. “Is this all you smoke?”

“I take a hit now and then.”

“So what’s up? You didn’t come out here to give me a smoke.”

“You looked like you needed something. This was all I had.”

She laughed. “I’m screwed. Dad’s gonna find out about everything, including the motels.”

Mars sat on the ground next to her. “You’re not half as screwed as Jada.”

Alexa looked at Mars. “You blame me, don’t you?”

“Maybe.”

She gave a sarcastic laugh. “
That
didn’t take much thought. Your parents probably hate me. And the detectives…”

“Alexa, this isn’t about you. Stop trying to be a goddamn martyr and think about Jada.” Mars got up and started for the house. “I came out here to make you feel better, but all you did was piss me off.”

“Mars, wait.”

***

Delgado watched the scene on the patio from the kitchen window. From the look on Alexa’s face, he figured the time might be right to get her talking. He grabbed two bottled waters and headed out.

“Hey, Alexa. Brought you some water. Hot today.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

He handed it to her and pulled a chair alongside hers. “Gino said you could fill me in on the motels you kids frequented.”

“‘Frequented?” She looked at Delgado and shook her head. “We’re not whores. We’re kids having fun.”

Delgado resisted the urge to laugh, recalling some of those same
fun
times. “I didn’t intend for it to come out that way. I used to do the same thing when I was your age. We couldn’t afford motels, but somebody always had a car, or somebody’s parents were away for the weekend. A night would do.”

Her first smile appeared. “Even a few hours.”

Delgado sipped his water. “I won’t tell you about the time I was at my girlfriend’s house and we
thought
her father was asleep.”

Alexa laughed. “Uh-oh.”

“It was worse than ‘uh-oh,’ señorita. I had to leave through the window.”

“You didn’t.”

“I swear. It’s bad enough getting caught by any girl’s father, but when she’s Mexican…”

Alexa smiled again. Delgado let the comfort level build then lowered his voice. “Alexa, where did you go most of the time? Any particular motel?”

“We went to a lot of them. It depended on how busy they were. We didn’t like to go around here, in case our parents spotted our cars. You know, like what is Alexa’s car doing at the motel?”

“So where did you go?”

“Everywhere, depending on who was with us. Up to Conroe, down to 1960. Even further down 45.”

Delgado took notes. “How far down?”

She thought for a moment. “One time all the way by Beltway 8. I don’t think ever farther than that.”

“So there wasn’t any specific place you referred to as Uncle Eddy’s?”

“No, it just meant any motel.”

“And were they just motels, or did you stay at hotels too?”

“Never hotels. They cost more, and we were afraid we’d see some of our parents. Who knows, some of them could have been doing the same thing, only with other parents.”

Delgado continued taking notes, but inside he smiled. This was no dumb kid. “Now
that
would have been embarrassing.”

Alexa was silent for a moment then, “That other cop hates me, doesn’t he?”

“Gino? He doesn’t hate you.”

“He acts like it.”

“You just have to understand Gino, that’s all.”

“I understand him, all right. He hates kids.”

Delgado looked at her. He lost his smile. “Let me tell you about Gino Cataldi. He loves kids more than anything. Too much, maybe. That’s why he’s so tough on them. His boy almost died from drugs. He’s out of a rehab now, but every day, Cataldi wonders if today will be the day he gets the call. Every night he puts his phone by the bed and turns up the ringer so he won’t miss the call he hopes will never come.” Delgado sipped his water and looked at her but didn’t wait for her to respond. “Listen, Alexa, I’d like to talk, but we need to find Jada before time runs out.”

She looked up at Delgado, real concern on her face. “You think she’ll be okay?”

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

***

Lonny paced across the living room floor. “I can’t believe our girl would do that. She—”

Lucia sat in the chair shaking her head. “Listen to yourself. She’s seventeen. That’s the same age I was on our prom night.” She got up and walked to him, made him stop and look at her. “Do you remember
that
night? And where
we
stayed?”

“That was different.”

“Different? Why? Did you call me the things you’re thinking about her?”

“Lucia, don’t go doing that. Don’t be putting thoughts in my head that aren’t there.”

She huffed herself up. “I’m not putting thoughts in that thick head of yours. I’m just trying to show you how wrong your thinking is.” Lucia took her seat again. “I don’t like it any more than you do, but she’s seventeen, for God’s sake.”

Lonny came and sat next to her. “I guess you’re right, baby.”

“Again.”

He laughed. “Yes, again. As long as we get her home safe. That’s all that matters.”

Lucia reached over and patted his hand. “When she’s here, I’m gonna remember you said that.” She sat back in her chair. “Just in case you try to bring up other things, that is.”

Lonny laughed some more. “Woman, I love you.”

“Of course you do. I knew that the first time you begged me to dance.”

“
Me
beggin’
you
? If I remember correctly, it was you admiring my moves that got this whole thing started.”

“Huh. This whole
thing
got started because you were tripping over your feet watching me as you danced—or
tried
dancing.”

Lonny laughed even harder at that, and then he leaned forward and kissed Lucia. “I truly do love you. Just like the night we met.”

“She’ll be all right. I know it,” Lucia said, and then she held his face and kissed him.

He started crying. He got up, tried hiding it, but she caught him and set him down.

“What’s going on?” Lucia said. “Talk to me.”

“Nothing. Just…”

“I’m listening.”

He took her hands and held them, stared into her deep brown eyes. “Suppose I could trade places. Suppose we could get Jada back in exchange for me.”

She laughed. “What would they want with an old out-of-work bricklayer? I sure don’t have money for ransom.”

“I know, just…well, suppose it could work. Would you do it?”

“Stop talking nonsense. We don’t have time for things like that. If you want to do something good, go into that kitchen and listen to what they got planned. Maybe you can contribute something—an idea, or suggestion. Ain’t like we got a bunch of expert kidnap rescue men out there. They’re just cops. Most of them are used to lots of things, but I don’t imagine kidnapping is one of them.”

Lonny nodded and got up. “You’re right. I know what I’m going to do now.” He walked into the kitchen, determined to make a difference. One way or the other, this is how the situation would play out. What was the worst the cops could do to him—put him away for a few years? His family would survive. Somehow.

Now’s the time
.

He walked up to Gino. “Detective, we need to talk.”

***

“Okay, Lonny. One minute.”

I called Coop’s cell, getting her on the second ring.

“What have you got, Gino?”

“A damn good lead, Captain. They put the girl on today, and she gave us a clue her friend picked up on. We’re confident she’s being held in a motel, probably on the north side of town.”

“A motel. That’s all you have? Do you know how many motels there are?”

“Not nearly as many as there are garages, houses, abandoned buildings, small businesses, or any other of the thousands of places she could be if she were
not
in a motel.”

Coop took a big sigh. “Gino, I’m going to pretend you thought you were talking to Tip, or Delgado, or some other asshole. Anybody but your
captain
, who is too pissed right now to talk to you.”

“But you will, so here’s what I need.”

“Cataldi, I’m holding my temper for that young girl’s sake. When this case is over, we’re gonna talk. Now go on.”

“SWAT teams. Several of them. I’m putting Delgado in charge of that operation. And we need to get moving on it right away.”

“Where do you want them? And when?”

“I’ll have Delgado call you. It will depend on what Julie finds out in her research. I’m calling her now.”

“Keep me informed.”

I hung up and looked over at the group. Some weren’t paying attention. “Hey!” I said. “Listen up. Our best shot at bringing this girl home safe is to find her before they know we don’t have the money. We’ve got full support from Renkin, but we don’t have much time. What that means is I want every son of a bitch in this room focused on what we’re doing. No calling your wives or husbands or anyone else.” I’d gotten their silence and their focus, so I continued. “I don’t have time to say all this twice, so listen while I talk on the phone.”

I called Julie. She already knew about the motels, so Coop must have filled her in.

“Go, Gino. I’m ready.”

“I need a list of every motel on the north side first.”

“Conroe, too,” Delgado yelled to me.

“Including Conroe,” I repeated. “Take it down I-45 as far south as Greenspoint and both ways on 1960, say from Hardy Toll Road to 249.”

“Gino, that’s going to—”

“I know. Just get started. If we strike out, we’ll expand the search.” I stopped to think. “Julie, coordinate all this with Delgado. He’ll be running the show.”

She hung up, but I called back right away. “Julie, one more thing. Get a team calling all of the motels. I want ones that have rooms rented in the past three days to people who still haven’t checked out. You can scratch the ones who checked in yesterday. These guys would have been better prepared.”

“That will still be a lot, Gino.”

“I know; do it anyway.”

I set the phone on the counter and took a breather. Then I remembered Lonny. I turned to him. “Yeah, Lonny, you wanted to talk to me?”

Chapter 36