Rafael (The Santiago Brothers Book One) (21 page)

Genie licked her lips and met his eyes,
hoping she hid any trace of her pleasure from his touch. He had to
stop doing that, or she’d never want it to end. “What did Diego
want?”

His eyes assessed hers. She wondered how well
he could read them. “What’s wrong?”

He read well.

“How are Diego and Flores?”

He blew out a loud breath and took his seat
across from her. “They’re not happy.”

“Well, what’s the timetable for the
operation? This should be all over in a few days.”

“What operation?”

Genie’s lower lip dropped. “Wait, what do you
mean what operation? I thought we were—”

“It’s not happening.”

The operation wasn’t happening. Diego and
Flores were going into protective custody and the men after Diego
were wandering around free. How were they going to catch them? She
felt her ire against Compton rise. “Explain.”

Rafa described the almost knockdown, drag-out
fight Winters had with Compton over the operation Genie and Rafa
had suggested. Diego would be bait to catch Huera and Montenegro.
But now… now…

“How did Diego take the news?” Genie
asked.

“Well, that’s why he called. He needed
someone to convince Compton who we were dealing with. But Compton
didn’t want to hear it. He kept saying how this wasn’t California
and the FBI did things their way. After that, I really can’t
remember because I think I zoned out.” He gave her a quick
grin.

Genie shook her head and swallowed a
laugh.

Rafa released a sigh of exhaustion. “I don’t
think I got through to him at all, but he claims everything is
under control.”

“Meaning?”

Rafa shrugged. “Meaning who knows. Winters
was furious, but we’re not the lead investigative agency anymore.
It’s out of our hands.” Rafa groaned loudly and dragged both hands
through his coiled hair. “As soon as we got back, Winters took a
car to meet with the mayor to give him an update. Seems the news
coverage has caused some concern among the public.”

“No kidding.” She had fielded a bunch of
calls herself from concerned family and contacts, all wanting
assurance the suspects would be in custody soon. Well, she was
working on it… Well, technically not anymore. Poor Rafael. It meant
a lot to him to put away these thugs. She watched him rub at
day-old stubble on his jaw and lines of exhaustion and frustration
on his forehead.

Rafa glanced at the mound of paperwork on her
desk. “How’s the documentation coming?”

Genie sighed. “I think you’ll need to re-read
my work. I have absolutely no idea what I’ve been typing these last
few hours.”

Rafa chuckled.

GENIE
glanced in
her rearview mirror, the fifth time in the last fifteen seconds.
She decided to take another turn. She looked in the mirror again.
The car followed. Genie let out a breath in frustration. She lived
only five minutes from church but she had been on the road for ten.
She squinted, the fading light of the sun making it more difficult
for her to see. A blue sedan tailed her from a few cars behind.
Genie wished she remembered where she picked up the shadow. How
could she know for sure whether she was being followed?

“You’re getting lazy, Genie,” she muttered to
herself. Ever since Diego followed her home, she found it a
challenge to keep track of all the cars behind her, no matter where
she went. She kept her eyes peeled for the black sedan Rafa spotted
at Flores’ house the other evening. Now, it seemed half the
population drove black sedans.

Even after Compton assumed command of the
investigation, Huera and Montenegro were no closer to being caught.
The FBI did as they always do in Genie’s opinion: drag their rear
ends. Genie itched to have a more involved role and her boss hinted
she could possibly participate as a member of the task force, if
Compton approved.

No chance of that happening.

The task force invited Rafa to brief them on
the tactics and methods of the Snakes, and he offered valuable
insight into their operations, suggesting the IRS focus its efforts
on money transfers possibly connected to known human traffickers as
Springfield didn’t have an established drug trade. Rafa’s future
FBI boss introduced himself and displayed an eagerness to work with
Rafa as soon as he completed his agent training at Quantico.

It
pleased Genie that Rafa had secured an assignment with the Bureau
in Virginia and planned to move back home. He claimed he never
intended to stay permanently in San Diego. The thought of having
him near made her nervous. Even though she’d kissed Rafa at the
hospital, they weren’t in a relationship. She wasn’t in danger of
being hurt, but there was a good chance they’d see each other in
the future.
God, I need your help. I don’t want to be hurt. You can’t
do this to me again. Please don’t do this to me again.

Genie pulled into the church parking lot and
glanced in her rear mirror again. The sedan didn’t slow its pace.
It traveled by the church. Genie strained her eyes to see the
driver but the windows were darkly tinted. “Figures,” she grumbled.
When she parked, she shut off the car’s engine and rested her head
against the headrest. She allowed her anxiety to sour her mood, and
to top things off, paranoia took root.

Her phone buzzed. The ME’s number flashed on
the screen of her cell.

“Detective Green,” Genie said into her
cell.

“Genie? It’s Doc Morrison. Look, I have a
situation and I need you here immediately.”

Genie tensed. It was unusual for the ME to
call her directly about a crime. “Sure. Where are you? Your
office?”

“No, I’m downtown at the Sheraton hotel.”

“
The
Sheraton? What are you doing there?” Her breath suddenly
seized.
Wasn’t that one of the locations the FBI considered
keeping…
“Wait, don’t
tell me—”

“I think it’s best if you see in person
anyway. I had no idea the FBI took over the stabbing case you
had.”

“Oh, that. I’m sorry. I should have updated
you, but I’m sure the lead agent would’ve wanted to do that
himself,” she said sarcastically.

“Would that be Agent Compton?”

Genie was surprised to hear the name from Doc
Morrison. “Yes, how did you know?” The car revved to life and Genie
pulled out of the church lot. She could reach the hotel in
approximately ten minutes… if she didn’t have a tail.

“I overheard the other agents mentioning his
name and how he would have to be notified.”

“What? What other agents?” Then Genie’s blood
ran cold. “There hasn’t been another murder, Doc, has there? Please
tell me there hasn’t.”

“You better get down here. Agent Compton will
arrive within the half-hour. I’ll phone Detective Santiago.”

“Yes, thank you.” Genie hung up the phone.
Why would the FBI be at the Sheraton hotel? Doc Morrison didn’t
mention a murder, but she called her and would be calling Rafa. The
FBI had Doc Morrison’s full autopsy reports on all four murder
victims. Genie checked her rearview mirror. No sign of the blue
sedan. She breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever the reason for the
ME’s call, it sounded serious enough to bring both her and Rafa to
the Sheraton in advance of Compton.

****

Genie flashed her badge to the uniform in the
stairwell of the Sheraton hotel. Doctor Morrison waved her over.
Genie lifted the crime-scene tape, her eyes focused on the body on
the ground behind the doctor. Genie’s mouth turned dry. It couldn’t
be…

“Detective.”

“Doctor Morrison.” Genie shook her hand.
“Thank you for calling.”

“No worries. I wanted you to see this, and
verify the pattern.”

The pattern. She took the latex gloves the ME
held out for her and quickly snapped them on. “Are there stab
wounds on the chest?” Genie almost didn’t want to know the answer.
She took a few steps closer to the doctor, who squatted near the
body.

“Yes, and I’m afraid, in the same pattern as
the others.” She pointed down to the chest and lifted her eyes to
Genie’s face.

Oh no!
The face
of the man came into view. Diego Cera. Genie closed her eyes and
opened them again. She didn’t imagine him. There he laid, the front
of his shirt covered in blood. The flash of a crime-scene
photographer’s camera went off close to Genie, and she blinked to
refocus her gaze. She noticed one of the agents sitting on the
stairs being attended to by a paramedic. Genie stepped around the
body and stood in front of the agent. “What happened
here?”

The agent's eyes filled with confusion. Genie
produced her shield. The agent nodded. “We were attacked from
behind. I got hit in the back of the head and when I woke up, Cera
was dead.” The agent frowned as he viewed the body.

Genie glanced over her shoulder. The ME was
speaking to the photographer, who angled the camera close to the
chest before snapping another shot. Genie focused her attention
back on the injured agent. “What were you two doing in the
stairwell? Were you going somewhere? I thought Cera was supposed to
be in protective custody?” Her hands went to her hips.

The agent gave her an annoyed look, picking
up on her irritation. “This was a temporary location. We were on
our way to deliver him to a more permanent residence. Taking the
back stairwell to a car waiting out back is more discreet than
walking through the front lobby. I don’t know how they found us so
don’t ask.”

“Agent Compton wasn’t overseeing the
transfer?”

The agent’s eyes sparked. Evidently, he
didn’t take kindly to his boss being insulted. “No. We’re all
trained in these procedures. Compton was attending to other
investigative matters.”

“Green!” Genie turned at the sound of her
name being called. Rafa ducked underneath the crime-scene tape. She
walked towards him. “Sorry I was late. Had to take a longer route
to get here. I think I was being followed.”

“It’s Cera,” she whispered.

Rafa’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the
body. He sliced his fingers through his hair before placing his
hands on his hips and expelling a frustrated breath. “How did this
happen?”

“I spoke to the agent on the steps over
there.” She pointed to the man who nodded to the paramedic and was
given an ice pack for his head. “He said they were attacked from
behind. The agent never saw his attacker.”

“Detectives.” The doctor called them over. “I
think you two might have gotten a break.”

“What do you mean?” Rafa bent down beside her
as Genie stood opposite of them.

Dr. Morrison held up Cera’s arm and flashed a
light on his hand. “Look at the fingernails.”

“Looks like skin.” Rafa peered at the
hand.

The doctor nodded. “Can’t be sure until I
test it for DNA, but Cera might have fought back.”

“If he did, and you can recover any DNA, then
this case is as good as closed. It won’t be long until we pick up
our suspects,” Genie said.

“I’ll take my samples and get the lab to rush
this request. I’ll let you know as soon as I have something.”

“Thank you, Dr. Morrison,” Genie replied. She
studied Rafa, whose gaze remained fixed on Diego. “Rafael? We
better get out of here before Compton arrives.” He didn’t respond,
but followed her down the remaining two flights of stairs.

“I can’t believe they got to him.” Rafa
slammed the bottom of his fist against the wall. “I should have
done more for him.”

Genie grasped his fist and stilled it against
his side. “This isn’t your fault,” she whispered. The dark pools of
his eyes swirled with fury. She gripped his arms. “Do you hear
me?”

His eyes cooled and he nodded.

“There was nothing you could do.”

He turned away from her, leaning his head
against the wall. “You don’t understand.” He let out a defeated
sigh. “Having been a part of that organization makes me feel
somewhat responsible for whatever they do.” He leaned his back
against the wall. Genie saw the pain of his past in his eyes.
Whether or not they were on the case, she’d solve it, if only to
not see that look of torment again.

“He was almost out,” Genie murmured. She took
a deep breath. “This hotel should have surveillance cameras. Let’s
ask the front desk if there’s one in the stairwell. Perhaps we’ll
have a clear picture of the attackers.”

“Actually, I just came from there.” Both
turned to see Agent Compton standing a few steps beneath them. “I
appreciate the two of you coming all this way, but we have this
under control.”

Genie’s fists clenched. “How could you have
let this happen?” She felt Rafa’s hand on her arm giving her a
gentle squeeze. Arguing about the case in the stairwell of a busy
hotel would be unprofessional.

Agent Compton’s eyes grew stormy as his gaze
moved from Genie to Rafa. “Well, Detective Santiago did say the
Snakes would be persistent. I’m sorry they got to Cera, but we all
know things happen.”

Happen?
Things happen?
Genie swallowed a rush of heated words. Rafa tugged her
down the steps and past Compton. He was either more levelheaded, or
just eager to leave before he, too, would say something
regrettable.

They dodged two men carrying a long, dark bag
that would be used to transport Diego’s body to the city morgue.
Nausea hit Genie’s stomach. “I told him he’d be safe,” she muttered
as they finally stopped at her vehicle. Her partner's eyes
reflected the sadness she felt. “He and his sister were supposed to
be getting their lives back. Rafa, Flores is going to be
devastated!”

Genie caught the outline of his hardened jaw
as he kept moving forward. “I know.”

Genie grabbed his elbow, halting his
progress. “Hold on, you said earlier you thought you were being
followed?”