Deadly Intersections (22 page)

Diaz glanced at the house and shuffled his feet. “How did you find us?”

“We got an anonymous tip,” Andre said. “And that means somebody knows where you are.”

Diaz shook his head. “I didn’t tell nobody. We just left and came out here. Friend of mine has this empty rental.”

“Look,” Molly offered, “You let Selena help us, and we’ll tell the Gila Bend PD to keep an eye on you, okay?”

Diaz nodded in relief. “She’s inside. We’ve been trying to make it look like no one’s here.”

He led them through the back door into the kitchen. A woman sat at the table breast feeding an infant and studying a large textbook that lay open in front of her. She looked up, surprised.

“This is my wife, Bonita.” Molly and Andre nodded at the scared woman. “It’s okay, honey,” Diaz said. “They’re police officers and they need to talk to Selena.”

“This is about Maria, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Molly said. “She may have some information that will help us catch Maria’s killer.”

Bonita Diaz’s expression remained serious as she weighed the ramifications of involving her daughter in police business. “She’s in the back bedroom watching TV,” she told her husband.

Diaz disappeared down the hallway, calling for Selena. There was awkward silence as Bonita Diaz covered herself and burped the baby.

Molly’s eyes drifted to the open book and the small print and charts that covered the pages. “Studying?”

Bonita’s expression softened, and she nodded. “I’m about to take my nursing tests next week.”

“Wow, I’ll bet that’s hard,” Molly offered.

Bonita sighed and rocked her baby. “It is. I already told Jose that he’s got to get past this nonsense with Big Paddy. I’m going back for my exams with or without him.”

Molly smiled at the woman’s determination. Bonita didn’t have any problems standing up to the thugs her husband knew, and no one was going to keep her from her dream. Feet shuffled and Selena Diaz stood in the kitchen doorway, her father’s protective arm wrapped around her shoulder. She wore a pink nightgown that fell to the floor and billowed around her slight frame.

Sensing her daughter’s hesitancy, Bonita Diaz smiled with confidence, hiding her own concerns about the family’s troubles. “It’s okay, baby. These detectives are trying to find out who killed Maria, and they need your help. They think you know something.”

Selena’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. Molly crouched down and looked sympathetically into her eyes. “Selena, I know how much you cared about Maria. It’s really hard to lose your best friend. I know because I lost mine.” Molly paused and Selena stared at her. “It’s true. My best friend was a policeman and a bad man killed him.”

“Did he die?”

“Yes. He was shot during an arrest.”

“Maria was shot,” Selena whispered. “I told her I thought she was in danger, but she said I was stupid.”

“Why did you think she was in danger?”

“Because of what she told me.”

“What did she say?”

Selena glanced at her parents, who looked surprised. “Something happened when we went to the science center, but I promised not to tell.”

Selena looked at Molly with hopeful eyes. Molly gently smiled. “Selena, I understand secrets between friends, but Maria’s dead now and you may be the only person who can help us catch her killer.”

“She told me about a bad man.”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

Selena swallowed hard and bolted toward her mother. She fell into Bonita’s arms and buried her face in her chest. Still cradling the baby, she gently smoothed her hair and whispered softly in her ear. Selena nodded and turned to face Molly.

“What did Maria say about the bad man?”

“We were at the science fair and she went back to the bus. When she came back to the group she was really scared. She said a man had chased her.”

“Why?”

“Because she saw him hurt somebody.”

“Did she tell you about that?”

“Uh-huh. She’d gone back to the bus in the parking garage. She heard yelling and looked out the window. There was a guy pushing another guy against a wall and he told him if he didn’t listen, he would be sorry.”

“Maria saw this?”

Selena nodded. “She said the one guy was really scared and he was begging the mean guy not to hurt him. Then the bad man stepped away like he was trying to be his friend.”

“And then what happened,” Molly coaxed.

Selena paused and cocked her head to the side. “Maria said it was weird. They got into the car for a little while and then the car horn went off and the bad man got out and looked around. That’s when he saw Maria watching him.”

“So what did he do?” Molly asked, already knowing the answer.

“He got really angry and started to run at her. So Maria ran out of the bus and back to the front of the science center where we were eating lunch. She was out of breath and talking really fast. That was when she told me.”

“Why was she on the bus?”

She fidgeted in her seat. “I’m not supposed to tell.”

Molly leaned close, and put her hand on the kitchen table. “Selena, you can tell me. I won’t say anything. I can keep a secret.”

She looked at her mother, who nodded at her daughter. “Raul asked her to go back to the bus with him. They sneaked away from the group.”

“Why did Raul want Maria to go back to the bus with him?”

Her cheeks reddened and she smiled slightly. “He wanted to kiss her.”

Molly took a deep breath. “I see. So they liked each other.”

“Well, I think Raul liked her more than she liked him. He was her boyfriend, but nobody knew that except me. She let him kiss her once but then when he wanted to keep doing it, she told him no and he got mad and ran off the bus.”

“So after Maria told you about the man did she tell an adult?”

Selena shook her head. “Uh-uh. She just pointed at the guy.”

Molly’s heart lurched. “You actually saw the bad man?”

“Yeah. He ran out of the garage and he looked around like he was trying to find Maria.”

“And did he see Maria?”

“Yeah. When he looked over at her, he stared at her and she just folded her arms. She wasn’t afraid of him.”

“What did he do next?”

“He just walked away. The teacher was lining us up.”

“Would you recognize him if you saw him again?”

Selena nodded. “I know who he is.”

Molly and Andre exchanged glances. “Who, Selena?” Andre asked.

“That man on TV. The Hometown Grocery guy.”

Ari meandered through traffic thinking about what she would say to Stan Wertz. He’d called at eight to confirm their ten o’clock appointment, gloating about his victory over Jacob Glick. As he’d predicted, Glick was willing to sell Serendipity for an outrageous price. She’d spent the entire conversation fuming over his tactics but realized there was nothing she could do. She rationalized that she’d earned her commission simply by tolerating his advances and enduring his sliminess. She’d write the contract, take it to Glick for his signature and file it. Then she would be done with Stan Wertz.

She’d almost cancelled on him, but there was no hard evidence to suggest he’d done anything sinister. She’d share her suspicions with Molly that night, although the thought of ruining Valentine’s Day didn’t appeal to her. He was probably guilty of nothing more than ruthless behavior, and while that was certainly unethical, it wasn’t illegal.

Her cell phone rang.
Biz.
She took a deep breath and answered with a casual, “Hello?”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, gorgeous.”

She felt her cheeks flush. “Is there something I can do for you, Biz?”

Biz sighed. “All business. I get it. Now that I’ve signed on the dotted line you won’t have anything to do with me.”

She sounded pathetic, and Ari pushed away the guilt that instantly surfaced. “Biz, we don’t have a personal relationship, remember?”

“What about that kiss?”

“That was business, too!” she said, much louder than she intended. Biz was clearly under her skin, and what she needed was distance—particularly on Valentine’s Day. “Look, I’ll call you next week. Right now I’m on my way over to Stan Wertz’s for the last time. He’s found a house, and we’re writing a contract. I’m almost done with him.”

There was a pause—she was sure Biz was thinking.

“Are you sure this isn’t dangerous, Ari? Given our suspicions about him and Edgington?”

She shook her head. “There’s nothing to be suspicious about. He knows nothing, and as you said yourself, it’s probably all coincidental. Gotta go.”

She hung up before Biz could respond and reached for the air conditioner. It was February and she was hot.
You’re more afraid of Biz than Wertz
.

When she pulled up to the house, that same wonderful feeling came over her again. She loved this house. She couldn’t believe it had only been five days since she’d walked up the path with Lorraine. She was shocked when she rang the bell and Stan himself opened the door to let her in.

“Ari,” he said warmly. “Please come in.”

He gestured toward the living room and shut the door behind her. She noticed the stillness that surrounded them. “Where’s Dora?”

“Today’s her day off, and I must make do myself,” he said dramatically, leading her into the living room.

His joke sounded forced. She immediately sensed that something was off. Once they were seated he fidgeted in his chair. He didn’t ask his questions in rapid-fire delivery as he usually did, as if time was a valuable commodity that he couldn’t waste. Instead he seemed relaxed, almost chatty. He made small talk about the weather, asked her about business and engaged in pleasantries she thought he found tiresome. Suddenly his face turned stony.

“Ari, Candy tells me that you came back to the office after our little meeting the other day. You and your friend?”

The shift was unexpected, and she was momentarily caught off guard. “I did. I’d left a folder in your office.” She gazed straight into his eyes and didn’t let her voice waver.

He offered a sad smile. “I didn’t find a folder, Ari. I always check my office thoroughly before I leave.” His voice was disappointed, like a parent who just learned his kid was smoking pot.

“I assure you, it was there.”

 He gave her a dark look. “I don’t believe you. I’d like you to be honest with me. I would expect nothing less of my real estate agent, the person I’m trusting with an incredibly important decision. You would agree, wouldn’t you? I should trust you implicitly?”

“Absolutely. And I would never lie to you about your transaction.”

“What about anything else?” he asked acidly. “Ari, my dear, I fear you’ve found yourself in the middle of something you can’t understand, and you’ve uncovered something that must remain secret. In essence, you’re a liability.”

She bolted from the chair and ran for the door. When she twisted the knob, she realized he had engaged a two-way deadbolt. She heard him jingling the keys as he approached, cornering her in the small entryway. She assessed her options while he stood there grinning with a small caliber revolver in his hand. There was no way out.

“Now why don’t we step back into the living room?” His voice was civil, almost kind. “It’s so rude to have conversations in the entryway.” He casually looped his arm through hers and led her to a wooden chair near the window. You’ll have to excuse me for tying you up. I’m rather certain our bond of trust is irrevocably broken.”

He reached behind the chair and withdrew a length of cord and duct tape from a nearby basket. He was clearly prepared and had plans for her. Her purse was over on the sofa and contained her pocketknife, but she didn’t know how she could get to it. She needed more time to make a plan.

“So what do you think I know, Stan?”

“I think you suspect that I killed Warren Edgington and Maria Perez.” Her surprise wasn’t lost on him. “Oh, so perhaps you didn’t know that I hired someone to kill that little girl. Even I have my limits, but I know you’ve been searching for evidence to implicate me in Warren’s death. Candy may be a little tramp,” he added, “but she knows when she’s being played. While your hussy friend seduced her, you searched my office. You left a few things out of place and I imagine you came across something important.”

He watched her closely and saw the truth before she could hide it.

He shook a finger at her. “That’s what I thought. You’ve been a bad girl, Ari. You see, I pay Candy quite well and satisfy her every kinky need. She’s more faithful than a dog.”

 As he secured the final knots she found her hands and feet bound to the wooden spokes of the chair. The knots were complicated sailor’s knots—as a wealthy businessman he’d probably spent time yachting.

“There we go. That should hold you.” He moved to the couch and rummaged through her purse. “Now, let’s see what we have in here.” He quickly found her pocketknife, cell phone, nail file, and most importantly, the copy she’d made at his office. “Ah, this is what I need.”