Firebreak: A Mystery (25 page)

Josie noticed Julia’s face tighten, her mouth draw down into a frown, but she nodded and entered the house. Josie knew she shouldn’t be allowing the woman into the house at this point in the investigation, but she had several tough questions to ask, and it seemed cruel to make her stand on the front porch.

The three women sat down on the leather couches. Julia scanned the living room. “He had good taste, didn’t he? He never used a decorator. And he certainly didn’t get taste from our parents.”

“Why do you say that?”

“My dad owned a manufacturing plant that made metal parts for car companies. My mom was his secretary. They were obsessed with the business and didn’t care much for Ferris and me. We spent every summer and holiday with our grandparents, my mom’s family. When my grandparents died in France a few years ago they left everything to Ferris and me. They were loaded. My parents were furious. Mom contested it, fought us for the money, but the court said the will was legal. She spent a few months trying to make nice and convince us to share the loot, but it was an act.”

“Do you talk with your parents anymore?” Josie asked.

“When Dad called a few days ago to tell me about Ferris? That was the first time I’d talked to him in five years.”

“Did your dad mention anything about health issues that Ferris had?”

Julia frowned. “I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

Josie glanced at Susan, who was sitting quietly, occasionally jotting down a note in her notebook.

“Ferris tested positive for HIV.”

Julia squinted her eyes at Josie and leaned forward, as if not hearing her correctly. “What? HIV?”

“The coroner confirmed with the blood test.”

“Oh, Ferris.” She whispered his name and gazed out the long window facing the street. The bright afternoon light made her face appear even paler. “I talked to him every week on the phone, sometimes a couple times a week. He never mentioned it. Not even a hint that he was sick.” She looked back at Josie. “Why are you telling me this? You think it had something to do with his death?”

“You know his body was found at Billy and Brenda Nix’s house? We found him after the fire?”

“Dad said he was burned in the wildfire. He told me about the Nixes.”

“Do you think Ferris was having a relationship with Billy?”

She picked up her hands and dropped them back onto her lap, her expression helpless. “I’m sure he was. Billy seemed to be his latest obsession. Ferris only obsessed over someone until he gained their love, or their approval. Once he found love, he lost interest. I’m sure a shrink could write volumes about our family.”

“I guess what I’m wondering is, could someone else have found out about the relationship with Billy and killed Ferris out of revenge? Or, maybe they found out about his HIV status and killed him because—” Josie hesitated. It was a cruel conversation to have with this woman, but Julia knew Ferris better than anyone, and Josie hoped she might have an idea of who might hold a grudge.

“You think Ferris might have passed HIV on to someone else who killed him when they found out?”

Josie said nothing.

“I can’t answer that,” Julia said.

“I’m sorry to bring something like this up. We’re just really struggling to find out what happened.”

Julia just nodded once. Her expression had turned angry and Josie knew she had offended her. Josie stood and put her hand out, stepping forward to Julia so she would stand as well.

“I want to thank you again for talking with us today. I want you to know we’ll do everything we can to find out what happened to Ferris and to find justice for him. If you think of anything at all, please call me. Day or night. And I’ll be in touch about the investigation.”

*   *   *

After Julia left, Josie and Susan spent another two hours collecting letters and financial papers, and searching each of the rooms inside the house. Other than prescription medicine that Cowan confirmed by phone was used to treat HIV, they found little more in terms of new evidence. In the end, their original summation of Ferris stood firm. He was a playboy with enough funds to live comfortably on his own and enjoy the games of life as he wanted to play them. Any number of people could have had the motivation to kill Ferris Sinclair.

NINETEEN

Josie followed Otto out the police department door at six o’clock, arguing with him over her plans for the evening. He was convinced her social life needed a boost, and he couldn’t accept that she didn’t want to participate in the same activities as he did.

“People hear the word
polka
and they prejudge,” Otto said. “If you’d give it a chance once I think you’d enjoy it. You’d like our friends too. And there aren’t just old people there. There’s young people, your age even.”

“Seriously. I just want to go home and relax,” she said. “I’m happy with a night on the couch.”

“It’s Saturday night! A young woman your age ought to be out socializing. Meeting people.”

Josie unlocked her car door. “Tell Delores you did your best, but you just couldn’t make me budge. You guys have fun tonight.” She waved and got into her car. She loved Otto, but his persistence annoyed the hell out of her at times.

Before she pulled out of the parking space she checked her cell phone: a missed call and voicemail from Nick Santos. The hostage negotiator’s name caused an instant spike in her heart rate and a dread of what was to come. She’d not heard from him in over three months, when he’d filed a final report on the kidnapping and provided an update on the Medrano cartel. The word on the street in Mexico was that the Medranos had recovered the millions in stolen drug money that had been tied to Dillon’s kidnapping. Nick had explained this story was the Medranos’ way of saving face, and ultimately, the approach had most likely saved her life. They’d had no reason to retaliate if they had recovered their money. But in reality, the money had actually been remanded to the feds the night they had recovered Dillon.

Nick had stressed that Josie should not travel to Mexico. He felt the Medranos had bigger issues at home to deal with than traveling to the United States to kill a police officer. But she also realized the cartel’s leader, the Bishop, could have killed her years ago when he’d had the opportunity. On her darker days she acknowledged to herself that she was alive because he wanted her alive. She was a pawn to him in a game that she didn’t fully understand.

Josie dialed Nick’s number hoping for something other than disaster.

“Josie!”

She smiled at his voice. He lived in Mexico as a kidnapping negotiator but he had been born in South Texas and had spent most of his life in the U.S., including a stint in the military and eight years as a city police officer in New Jersey. He still had traces of the Jersey accent and the tough mannerisms of a street cop.

“Hey, Nick. How are you?”

“I’m okay. Listen. I’m coming through Artemis this evening. I’m staying in Marfa tonight. On my way to a job in Alpine tomorrow. Thought I’d stop in and buy you supper.”

“Oh!” Her mind went blank. It wasn’t at all what she had anticipated.

“Don’t sound so happy about it. Bring Dillon. I’ll buy you both dinner at that Tamale place. I’ve been craving a fat burrito.”

“Well, Dillon won’t be coming. He’s left.”

“What do you mean he left?”

“He left me. He’s moved back to St. Louis to start a new life.”

“Shit. I’m sorry.”

“I bet you have statistics that would have predicted this,” she said.

“Okay. So let me buy
you
dinner
without
Dillon.”

She laughed at his inability to accept anything but yes. “Okay. Dinner would be nice.”

“See you in an hour?”

“That’ll work.”

Josie glanced at her watch. It would give her just enough time to get home, shower, and dress.

At precisely 7:00 p.m., Nick Santos pulled into her driveway in the same black Lexus SUV that had been parked in her driveway while he lived at her house during the negotiation. Nick had moved in, commandeering her spare bedroom as his own and using her dining room table as a workstation. But he had been neat, polite, and stayed out of her way as much as the situation permitted. Josie had grown fond of Nick and valued him as a professional and as a friend.

Josie dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a white camisole top, and dried her hair and put it up in a messy bun. She never wore makeup, but she did take the time to apply lip balm. As she looked in the mirror at her shiny lips, she thought it felt a little like playing dress-up.

She realized she had butterflies in her stomach and tried to blame it on the idea of spending an evening with a man she didn’t know very well. But that wasn’t exactly true. She had lived with him. He had seen her at her absolute worst and probably at her best. They knew each other in the extremes, but hardly at all in everyday life: she had no idea what kind of music he liked, what he did in his spare time, whether he liked sports or art or driving fast. What she did know was that he was a hell of a negotiator, and he was committed to his work above all else.

Josie smiled as she opened her front door to greet him.

“Hi! It’s good to see you!” She smiled and watched him walk up. He wore jeans, black work boots, and a white T-shirt that fit snugly around his biceps. Nick was a stocky, well-built man by nature, and he also worked out daily to stay in shape for the job. He had short black hair, reminiscent of his days in the service, and black piercing eyes: a man born for law enforcement.

He smiled back at her and she blushed as he took her in. “You look beautiful.”

She laughed, unsure how to take the compliment. “Come on in.”

They walked inside and Chester trotted over to him, lifting his big brown eyes as if expecting Nick to offer something more than a pat on the head.

“What, I have to bring you treats to visit?”

Chester walked away and slumped back down on his rug, his eyes closed within seconds. Josie imagined the dog had been hoping for Dillon.

“What brings you this way?” she asked. They walked into the living room and sat down next to each other on the couch.

“A kidnapping in Alpine. A retired oil executive from Exxon.”

Josie felt her skin grow cold and she saw the realization in Nick’s expression.

He looked away from her and pointed back to the door, trying for a quick change in conversation. “You gonna take me for a burrito? I’ve been craving one for months now. I have to come to Texas to find a Mexican burrito. My father would disown me if he heard that.”

*   *   *

When Josie and Nick arrived at the Hot Tamale, Lucy was standing at the door smiling. She opened the door and ushered them into the diner.

“You back to visit us? I missed you! So many burritos you ate! Remind me, what’s your name?”

He grinned. “Nick. I’m Burrito Nick.”

“Yes, yes!” She looked at Josie. “And my favorite cop too. Come in and sit down anywhere. I’ll get you menus and two Dos Equis. Yes?”

Josie nodded. “Perfect. Thanks, Lucy.”

They sat at Josie’s spot by the front window.

“You’re still her favorite, huh?”

“Until another cop walks in and takes my place.”

Lucy set two opened Dos Equises on the table, sweat already dripping down the labels. “You want me to order for you? I know what you want already.”

Nick grinned again. “You are the ultimate waitress. You take all the work out of being a customer. Whatever you bring me will be outstanding.”

Josie gave Lucy a thumbs-up and she disappeared. Twenty minutes later she returned with plates with massive chicken burritos piled high with lime rice, salsa, and pico de gallo so hot it made Josie’s tongue ache.

Josie caught Nick up on the local politics and Mayor Moss’s latest antics. She discussed the murder of Ferris Sinclair and Billy’s suicide. Nick avoided talk of the Medranos, saying he didn’t want to ruin a nice evening. Instead he talked about the vacation he took to Belize after he finished with Dillon’s case. He’d spent two weeks there with his younger brother hanging out on the beach, reading and sleeping.

Josie was surprised at how comfortable the evening was. Even the ride back to her house was filled with easy conversation. She realized she wasn’t nervous at all—until they pulled into her driveway, and things suddenly became more complicated.

Nick turned off the car and got out when Josie did. He didn’t ask if he should come in, and she wasn’t sure how to respond. While she wanted Nick to follow her into the house, she had no idea what to do once they entered.

Standing in front of the door, Nick grabbed her wrist as she started to press her code into the security pad. Surprised, she turned slightly and found Nick behind her, his chest pressing into her back.

“Let’s see how good of a cop you are,” he said.

He reached around her and pressed the first number of a six-digit code. She had given him the number when he was staying at her home during the negotiation. She smiled. The day he moved out he had told her to change her security codes. He pressed the remaining five numbers and the tumblers clicked and whisked and the door opened just an inch, allowing him access into her home.

His head was just behind hers. He whispered into her neck. “Josie. You don’t follow directions very well.”

She pushed the door open, grinning.

The light from the table lamp in the living room cast a soft white glow across the room. She laid her purse on the coffee table and offered him a drink.

“You don’t want to deaden your senses.”

She turned from the coffee table to face him, smiling still. “What does that mean?”

“It means you need a clear head tonight.”

“I always heard, a cop should never hook up with another cop.”

“I'm not asking you to marry me.”

“What are you asking for then?”

“I'm asking you to kiss me.”

She hesitated. “Dillon hasn’t been gone that long. It’s too soon. It's—”

“Too soon for what? To feel happy? To enjoy life for an evening?”

Josie felt her face turn hot. “I’m no good at this.”

He put his hand out and she took it. He turned and led her down the hallway and into her bedroom, where he unlocked and opened the window. She stood at the end of her bed feeling like a high school girl.