Necessary Decisions, A Gino Cataldi Mystery Read online

  “Captain Cooper’s office.” Cindy’s long drawl came across with a pleasant tone.

  “Hi, Cindy. Where’s Gladys?”

  “She’ll be all over your backside if you keep calling her Gladys.”

  “So where is she?”

  “In the office.”

  “You know what Delgado’s working on?”

  “Why don’t you come right out and say what’s on your mind?”

  “I need to know who’s available before I ask Coop for help. I don’t want to get stuck with just anybody.”

  “I think Delgado can be spared.”

  “Okay, put me through to the sweetheart.”

  Cindy was still laughing when she switched me over.

  Coop picked up a few seconds later. “What do you need?”

  “I need help. Delgado available?”

  “Since there was a long delay between the time Cindy’s phone rang and the time I got the call, I presume you know he’s available.”

  “Coop, you’re too damn smart for me.”

  “I know that,” she said. “What’s new on the case?”

  “The father was pretty torn up, as you might guess. The wife was at the hospital. From the sounds of it, she’s even worse off.”

  “Was he any help?”

  “Maybe. But I need Delgado. We need to find the people doing this before somebody dies.”

  “I’ll have Cindy tell him…unless you already did that.”

  “I didn’t, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to be the one to tell him.”

  “What kind of sick game are you playing now?”

  I dialed Hector “Ribs” Delgado’s number. He earned the name Ribs when he was young and so skinny his ribs showed, and because he loved eating ribs more than anything. Give Hector a choice of what to eat on any day, and the choice would be ribs.

  “What’s up, Gino?”

  “I just got a call from Coop. She wants to see us right away. You know anything about this?”

  “See us? What for?”

  “That’s what I asked. You don’t know anything about it?”

  “Fuck no, man. What the hell did you do now? Did you get me in some kind of trouble? Does this have anything to do with that poker-game robbery?”

  “Nothing I can think of. Meet me at the station, and we’ll go to her office together.”

  I knew he’d be sweating. For some reason, Ribs was terrified of Captain Cooper. I didn’t blame him; she was one of the toughest cops I knew, male or female.

  Ribs was waiting in my office when I got to the station.

  “Hector, how’s it going?” I asked.

  “Depends on why we’re being summoned. And quit calling me Hector, asshole.”

  I slapped him on the back. “Let’s find out. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”

  “You dirty fuck,” he said. “What’s she really want us for?”

  “I really don’t know.” I headed toward Coop’s office, but he didn’t follow. When I turned around, he was laughing.

  “Hear we’re going to be working together again, cuz.”

  “That lousy shit Coop. She told you, didn’t she?”

  He laughed more.

  “And quit reminding me that we’re related,” I said.

  “You didn’t say that when you first met Mary.”

  I laughed, recalling that day. Mary’s whole family had come to her house to meet me, all of them armed with questions and hard-eyed glares. “Yeah, I know. That was a fun day.”

  “So what do you need my brains for?”

  “We got the same sons of bitches that hit the game.” I pointed to the stitches in my head. “Same ones who did this.”

  “And took Mary’s watch,” he said.

  “Yeah. But this time they did a home invasion and hurt the son. Bad.”

  “You sure it’s them? You’re not—”

  “When the guy was beating the son with a tire iron, one of the others yelled ‘Number Three!’” I stared at Delgado. “That proof enough?”

  “I’m ready,” he said. “Fill me in while we drive.”

  We stopped for coffee on the way. “I’m sure these are the same guys who did the house in Memorial, the one where the lady was home by herself.”

  “What makes you think they’re connected?”

  “Same approach. One guy went to the front door, the rest of them went in the back. Everybody wore masks and gloves.”

  “How many people are we talking about?”

  “Four at the Memorial job. Five on this one. I talked to the husband and their butler. Both said there were four whites and one black. When I was about to leave, the husband said that maybe the black was Latino.”

  “So that’s the way this is gonna play out. Blame the Latino.”

  “You know how it works, Ribs. I only asked for you in case we need an interpreter.”

  “What else you got?”

  “Well-organized. Methodical. Barely talked at either job.” I looked straight at him. “Except for the ‘Number Three’ remarks. In and out in less than thirty minutes.” I sipped coffee, and continued. “Both were huge houses in neighborhoods with limited views of the front doors, and both backed up to a golf course.”

  “Sounds like these guys did their homework.”

  “At Marshall’s they came in while he and the son were in the shower. And they knew he had a safe. The back door wasn’t locked. They wore latex gloves, just like at Memorial. And before they left, they tied everyone with duct tape.”

  “Dios mío. The poker game!”

  “Like I said, the poker game.” My blood pumped harder at the thought of catching these guys. I wanted the fucker who hit me. Wanted to get him alone, with no witnesses. Even more, I wanted to get even for Mary’s watch.

  Delgado finished his coffee and stared at me. “You know I love you, but don’t go gettin’ wild on me.”

  “I’m fine. I—”

  “You’re not fine. I see what’s working in that sick mind of yours.”

  I wanted to be pissed, but he was only doing this for me. “Ribs…”

  “I know you’ve been fucked up since Mary died, but you still got Ron.” Ribs poked at me with his finger. “Don’t go fuckin’ things up where he’s got to visit you in jail, man. If I see you headin’ in that direction, I’m out.”

  “Let’s just solve the case.”

  Ribs stared at me, looking for the truth. “Maybe we should interview some neighbors. See what they didn’t see.”

  I tossed my cup in the trash and headed out. “Let’s do it.”

  Chapter 13

  New Plans

  Boss spread the chart on the table. Across the top were six spaces. The first read “Driver,” followed by spaces for numbers One through Five. He pointed to the slots beneath each one.

  “These are your duties. Memorize them. Memorize the others too. Everyone needs to understand the whole operation. Clear?”

  “Clear,” they all said.

  “Number Two has surveillance. We need to know when the girl goes to school. When she gets home. We need to know what time he leaves for work and gets home.”

  “Clear,” Number Two said.

  “Number Three has muscle, if it comes to that. He does the grab.”

  “Clear,” Number Three said.

  “Number Four will be our intermediary with the target. Number Five will be the primary watcher.”

  “Clear,” they both said.

  “The rest is on the chart. I’ll take care of the equipment: electronic sweepers, chemical tests for the money, disposable cell phones. Everyone has extra gloves and masks. Clear?”

  “Clear,” they all said.

  “Okay, we need to be quick and clean. Understand? Quick and clean. We grab the girl then make the call. Number Four, do not stay on the phone too long. The more contact we have with them, the more chance we have of getting caught. Follow the script.” Boss looked around. “Any questions?”

  “Won’t they want to
talk to her?” Number Four asked.

  “We let them talk to her after they get the money. We want them worrying at first.”

  “You know they’ll call the cops. Or the FBI.”

  “We have plans for that,” Boss said.

  “When are we grabbing her?”

  “When it’s right. We still have to rent the other hotel rooms, get more equipment, do other preparations, not to mention more surveillance.”

  Boss waited through the silence. “Everyone ready for this? This is the big league, people. If you’re not in, now is the time to say so.”

  “We’re in,” Number Three said. He was joined by Numbers Two and Four and Five.

  “Okay, any fuck-ups and somebody dies. Clear?”

  “Clear,” they all said.

  Chapter 14

  Where’s the Connection

  Delgado and I walked the street in front of Marshall’s house. All the houses were huge, with lots of trees.

  “Damn trees block the views,” Delgado said.

  “Not much activity on the street, either.”

  “Not like my neighborhood,” Ribs said.

  “That’s what happens when you have thirty relatives on one block.”

  “Nice, isn’t it?”

  I smiled, remembering the times Mary and I joined Ribs on weekends, partying and eating and laughing. “Sure is nice. It’s the way every neighborhood should be.”

  “Where do you want to start?” Ribs asked.

  I nodded across the street to a sprawling ranch that looked like a hacienda, all stucco with at least a dozen arches. “How about this one?”

  “Sure, maybe one of our relatives lives there.”

  The guy who answered the door looked old, with remnants of dark brown hair hiding within the gray. He was thin and walked with a cane. “May I help you?”

  I had my badge ready. “I’m Detective Cataldi. This is Detective Delgado. We’re investigating a break-in across the street.”

  “Break-in? I didn’t know there was one.” He turned toward the kitchen. “Margaret, did you know there was a break-in across the street?”

  Margaret looked about the same age as her husband, but with a lot more zest. She set a quick pace into the foyer. “Break-in? Where?”

  I leaned in a little, hoping to get invited. “The Marshalls’ house, ma’am.”

  Her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my,” she said, then, “Robert, invite the gentlemen in, for heaven’s sake.”

  We followed Robert and Margaret to the kitchen then took seats at the table.

  “How about some tea, Detectives?”

  Before we could refuse, she started brewing it. There apparently wasn’t an option for coffee, or anything else, for that matter.

  “When did this happen?” Margaret asked as she pulled teacups and saucers from the cabinet.

  “A couple of nights ago,” Delgado said. “Right after dinner. Maybe seven o’clock.”

  Robert said he was watching TV at that time. Margaret was on the phone with a friend. “I’m afraid we won’t be much help, Detectives.”

  “Do you know the Marshalls well?” I asked.

  “Only to say hello,” she said. “I don’t even know what church they belong to.” She turned to her husband. “Do you, dear?”

  “The church of football.”

  “Be nice, Robert.” Margaret served the tea and took a seat opposite me.

  Delgado smiled and took a sip of his tea. Delgado hated tea. “Have you noticed anything unusual on the street in the past few weeks?”

  “In what way?” she asked.

  “Strangers walking or jogging.”

  “Maybe couples,” I said, recalling that Marshall’s butler had insisted that one of them was a woman. A couple wouldn’t attract attention.

  Robert shook his head, lip curled up. “Nothing I’ve seen.”

  Margaret, though, seemed busy with thought.

  “You remember something, ma’am?”

  “It’s probably nothing, but there was a man walking a dog several nights last week.”

  “Did you recognize him?”

  “I don’t think I’ve seen him before. What made me remember him is the dog. I know most of the dogs in the neighborhood, but I’d never seen it before. I wanted to make sure this one didn’t mess on my lawn.”

  “Can you describe the man?” I asked.

  “I don’t recall, but the dog was a beagle. A big, fat beagle.”

  “You’re sure it was a beagle?” Delgado asked.

  She huffed up. “I know my dogs, Detective. It was a beagle.”

  We asked more questions, but got nothing of value. At the next house, we got a vague memory of a van that might or might not have been seen in the neighborhood. We did get coffee, though. The rest of the block gave us even less information. When it was all said and done, we had an invisible stranger walking a big, fat beagle, and a vehicle, which possibly was a van and either blue, tan, or white.

  “Got some observant people around here,” Ribs said. “If I take up burglary in my next life, I know where I’m going.”

  “Yeah, just don’t shit on Margaret’s lawn. She’d ID you for sure.”

  We drove to a small restaurant in a strip mall down the street and rehashed what we had. I’d written it out on a pad.

  ‘Came in while Marshall was in shower. Coincidence?

  Knew they had a safe. Coincidence or educated guess?

  Door wasn’t locked. How did they know? Did they know?

  Wore latex gloves. Same as Memorial and the poker game.

  Marshall and son were naked. Why? To embarrass them or keep them under control?

  Took jewelry and bonds. At Memorial they took artwork too.

  Butler swears one of them was a woman. Was it a sister? Girlfriend?

  There were five at Marshall’s house. One was Latino or black.’

  “They have to sell this stuff,” I said.

  “Which means they’ll need a fence,” Delgado said. He made a note to get Fat Charlie checking on that.

  I looked at Delgado. “Where’s the connection?”

  “That’s what I’ve been wondering. How do they find their marks? They’ve hit poker games all over town, a house on Memorial, and now a place way up here in Champions.”

  “We need to tear their lives apart until we find out what connects them. See who they work with, bank with, socialize with.”

  “Who held the insurance policies,” Delgado said.

  “Exactly. Somebody is feeding these guys information. And we’ve got to find out who it is before they kill someone.”

  Chapter 15

  The Grab

  Jada spent the night at Alexa’s house. They were up half the night talking but still got up early. “Prom’s almost here,” Jada said. “I can’t wait.”

  “Spoken like a girl who has a date.”

  “Finally!”

  “Get ready, Jada, I’ve got to wake Romeo again.”

  Alexa rushed down the hall, listened at the door then knocked, hard. “Time to get up, Dad.”

  She walked back down the hall into her bedroom done in pink and white. Jada sat in the dressing area of the bathroom in front of a mirror, which stretched eight feet across. The left and right sides had optional magnifiers for applying make-up.

  “This is bigger than my whole bedroom,” Jada said as she applied eye liner.

  “It’s too big for just me.”

  “So, did you disturb him?”

  “Not today. I think he was alone, believe it or not. But the other day, he wasn’t.”

  Jada laughed. “Remind me to remind us to be more quiet when we’re parents.”

  “Or to not have kids.”

  “No way. I want kids. I’m going to have five.”

  “Five! You’re out of your mind.”

  Jada pursed her lips and applied the lipstick. “Don’t forget. I’m going shopping with Jason. Do not call me.”

  “As long as you fill me in on all the d
etails. Especially the juicy ones.”

  “Won’t be any juicy ones.”

  Alexa huffed. “All day and half the night with Jason Rules. Come on. There are gonna be juicy details.”

  Jada giggled. A little at first, then full-blown laughter.

  Alexa slid onto a stool beside Jada, brushing her hair. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about,” she said, and they both laughed some more.

  Fifteen more minutes of preparation and they were ready to go. As they walked down the hall toward the steps, Alexa banged on her father’s door again. “Get going, lazy. We’re off.”

  ***

  Boss reviewed things with Number Three before he left. Driver waited in the van. Number Two was already in position.

  “You know where you’ll grab her?” Boss asked.

  “Two said there is a spot just before the girl gets to the bus. Driver can pull up behind her.”

  “Number Two does good work. And remember to—”

  “I know,” Number Three said. “Keep watch for witnesses.”

  “Then you’re set.”

  “All clear, Boss.”

  “Good, get it done.”

  ***

  Number Two drove to her position. The windows were heavily tinted so no one would recognize her face, not even Driver. She pulled to the side of the road. She only had a few minutes to wait before the girl came. Number Two got on the phone. “There are two of them. Repeat. There are two girls. If they don’t split, we have to abort.”

  “I see them,” Three said. “Which one is the target?”

  “The one with long hair.”

  Less than two minutes passed. A car stopped, picking up the short-haired girl.

  “Go,” Number Two said. “We’ve got less than a minute.”

  Driver pulled the van down the street, slowly. As they approached the girl, Driver slowed even more, coming up from behind. Number Three got the pillowcase ready. He checked to be sure his knife was where it should be. At ten feet, a smile came to his face. At five, Number Three slid the side door open. He reached out and covered her head with the pillowcase, dragging her inside. She screamed. He held the knife to her throat.

  “Don’t make me cut you.”

  She shut up. Driver shut the door remotely, then put the car in gear and moved out slowly. Number Three gagged her and tied her hands behind her back. Three blocks away, the call came from Number Two. “Clear.”