Sworn to Protect (21 page)

Chapter 39

Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.

Ecclesiastes 11:4

Danika carried her sleeping daughter through the kitchen and into the attached garage, where Karen’s car sat ready to leave McAllen. She toyed with waking Tiana, but her motives were purely selfish. They’d said their good-byes last night, and Danika’s strength waned this morning. She’d cry buckets of tears, making the departure more difficult for all of them.

“You and Sandra are going to have a vacation with Mrs. Price,” Danika had signed. “You will have a wonderful time at her house.”

“Without you?”

“Yes. This is a special big girl and Sandra time. Just think of the fun you will have swimming in Mrs. Price’s pool, going to the park, and playing with the cat and dog.”

“I wish you were going.” The look on Tiana’s face nearly broke Danika’s resolve.

Danika realized the strength to tell Tiana about the trip to San Antonio came from God. On her own, she’d be a flood of emotion. Packing her clothes and toys had been a mixture of relief and sadness. But Danika had found Toby’s Bible in the process. At the time when she’d placed it at the top of her daughter’s closet, she intended to give it to Tiana one day. Now it sat on her own dresser. Perhaps reading his notes and what he’d underlined would help Danika gain closure to that part of her life.

“I’ll come to get you as soon as I can. Mommy has to start nights soon, and we wouldn’t see each other anyway.”

Tiana nodded. The night shift was hard on both of them.

With only the dome light of the car on, Karen opened the door for Danika to buckle her little girl safely inside. Two pillows had been propped so Tiana could sleep. Sandra sat in the front.

“Good-bye, my sweet girl,” Danika whispered, thankful that the darkness concealed her tears.

Sandra reached to the backseat and grasped Danika’s hand. “I will watch out for her.”

Karen wrapped her arm around Danika’s shoulder. “I promise to take good care of both of them. Now you can work to find who has caused all this trouble.”

“Thank you. I pray it’s today.”

“Me too, Danika. Alex said he’d show you how to set up a video call on his computer so you and Tiana can communicate. He said it might not be safe to use your PC.”

She brushed the salty tears from her face. “He’s right, and I appreciate that.”

“He’s not a bad character.”

“Character says it all.” She laughed despite the sad situation. She couldn’t trust him, but he’d saved her life and possibly Tiana’s too.

“Oh, honey. That’s true of all men. Now give me a hug, and we’re out of here.”

How good of God to give her a true friend in a time of crisis. As the car backed out of the garage in the predawn shadows, Danika realized nothing stood in her way to find who wanted her dead and who had ended Toby’s life.

* * *

Sandra stared at the gray highway ahead—empty, endless. She despised herself for all the lies, and deep down she realized that all of this could have been prevented if she’d been honest. When Dr. Price asked her if she knew who’d killed Toby, the reality about Lucy’s depraved mind wrapped its recognition around her heart.
Lucy could have ordered Toby’s death.
The woman hated him for helping Cira and the others escape.

Before Sandra’s parents were murdered, she wanted to believe Lucy would not resort to murder. But now . . . Where would it end? She should have been nicer to Dr. Price. Maybe he would have postponed or even chosen not to tell Danika about her. Now all she could do was pray.

* * *

Thursday morning Danika couldn’t bear the empty house one more minute and drove to work early in hopes of catching a few moments with Chief Jimenez before morning muster. She found him in his office reading the previous shift’s report. He glanced up.

“My daughter and nanny left for San Antonio before five yesterday morning.”

Steam swirled off the top of his coffee cup. “Good. No one knows but Alex, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“When you call to check on her, use a public phone.”

“I’ve already taken precautions.” She understood the danger of the wrong people getting their hands on her cell phone, whether it was a call to trace or a text message. It also occurred to her that she couldn’t send e-mail to Karen from her own PC.

The chief must have heard the determination in her voice because he set his coffee cup down and studied her. “I want to do everything I can to find the evidence necessary to make an arrest.”

Jacob must be at the top of their list of suspects.
“Me too. I’m determined.”

“Let the professionals track down this guy,” he said. “You can’t afford to take chances.”

“Which is another reason why I can’t confide in anyone.”

“Off the record, have you patched up things with Alex?”

She started to make a none-of-your-business comment but instead thought she’d probe deeper. “What is it with you and Alex?”

“Longtime friends, that’s all.”

“I haven’t forgotten the comment he made in the hospital.” She heard Alex’s voice again:
“I bet you wondered which one of us was the target.”

“Chalk it up to drugs.”

“If I asked him about it, what would he say?”

“Under the influence of pain medication.”

She didn’t believe him and added Alex’s comment to her long list of things to investigate.

Morning muster revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Twenty-five illegals had been caught during the night, but no drugs seized. The checkpoint had stopped a van carrying eight Chinese nationals on their way to Houston for work. Flying into Mexico and stealing across the border was a cheaper option than the legal route.

Agents greeted Jon Barnett, back from his medical leave. He looked good, minus about twenty pounds. Fire-Eater had recovered well and had stepped back into duty with his handler.

On the road, she tried to clear her mind of personal matters and watch for signs while listening for the radio. For once she wished she rode with someone else to keep her mind off the separation from Tiana. Her cell rang, and she responded to Felipe.

“Are you doing okay?”

“Sure. Why?” She had to do a better job concealing her separation anxiety.

“You looked sad this morning. Becca said you and Alex were no longer seeing each other, and I wondered if you wanted me to fix you up with someone.”

The last thing she needed was another man. “No thanks.”

“I don’t know what the guy did to make you mad, but taking two bullets has to say something.”

Felipe meant well, but she’d heard all of this before. “Let’s talk about something else.”

He laughed. “I get the message. I heard checkpoint found another body yesterday.”

Another reminder of Toby. “Whenever I’m there, the vultures are always circling.” Much like her life. “What’s the count now, seven since January?”

“Nine. Desperation breeds bigger risks.”

If she were in an illegal’s shoes, with no other options to provide for her family, what risks would she take?

“One more thing, then I’ll let you go.”

“Fire away.” As long as it wasn’t about Alex.

“We’re all watching your back.”

This was her real family, and the warmth his words generated would keep her spirits up all day. “Thanks. One minute I can shake off the fact someone tried to kill me, and the next minute my knees are like rubber. I keep trying to connect the dots. You know, look for links to Toby’s murder. But nothing turns up.”

“We’re right here until it’s ended.”

The radio blared, indicating four hits on a sensor in Danika’s watch area. Her foot pressed on the gas pedal.

* * *

Alex couldn’t believe it. Fifteen hours after Cira’s son had experienced a seizure, she fled the hospital with him. Who or what had she seen to put her son’s life in jeopardy? She had no medicine, and the boy was weak.

Alex kept looking around the ER hoping she’d come to her senses. But Cira’s fright came honestly. When Toby had brought her to him a few years ago, Alex witnessed true terror. The horror of what she’d experienced had given her living nightmares. If and when he did see her again, he’d urge her to get out of McAllen. She’d be safer in Mexico.

When he wasn’t concerned about Cira and Mickey, his thoughts swerved into another train wreck. This time about Danika parting with Tiana and Sandra. Sure glad he had God to carry this burden. Alone, he’d be buying stock in Tums.

His desk phone buzzed. “A woman is asking for you at the ER desk.”

Elated with the prospect of Cira returning with Mickey, he snatched up his crutches and hurried toward the ER. Instead of Cira Ramos, he found Danika leaning against the counter.

“Hey.” Her eyes testified to her nervousness. “Since your mom has left, I wondered if you needed a ride home.”

“I took a taxi this morning. I do a lousy job driving with my left foot. Hadn’t thought much about it since.”

“How late do you plan to be here?”

He glanced at the clock on the ER wall and the patients waiting to be seen. Sure, another doctor had taken his place, but he hated to leave him with such a load. “Can you give me another hour?”

“You got it.”

He took a deep breath. “Have you eaten?”

Their gazes met, and he no longer saw the animosity. But he didn’t see trust either. “Not yet.” Sandra must have told her the truth, and she needed to talk.

“I’ll buy.”

She hesitated, and he could almost hear the wheels grinding in her head—or rather her heart. “Okay.”

Chapter 40

There is no witness so dreadful, no accuser so terrible as the conscience that dwells in the heart of every man.

Polybius

Alex chose a little Italian café with good lighting and sensational food. Not too busy and not too noisy. The perfect site for a confessional.
Cordial
best described Danika’s attitude. But she’d agreed to let Alex buy her dinner, and to him, that meant progress.

She ordered eggplant parmesan, and he opted for lasagna. When the waiter disappeared, Alex braved forward. One look into Danika’s sad eyes, and he nearly faltered.

“Have you heard from my mother?”

A faint smile graced her lips. “Yes. I called her from a pay phone. And the trip to San Antonio went well. Sandra and Tiana are unpacked, and everyone is getting to know each other.”

Sandra must not have told her the truth. “Mom’s a great gal. She’ll do her best to make things pleasant for Tiana. Ed called to reinforce that no one is to learn where Sandra and Tiana are.”

She nodded. “I keep thinking he has more information that he’s not passing on. Specifically about Jacob.”

He probably did. “I have no idea.” Would this conversation ever get past the stiff formalities?

She studied him, and from the way she tilted her head and gave continuous eye contact, he realized she didn’t believe him. “Danika, I do not have any more information about this case that I can give you.”
Lord, help me to tell her about Sandra.

“I’d like to believe you.”

Guilt assaulted him. He could be protecting valuable evidence. “I’m hoping the things I have to tell you tonight will build a little trust.”

Her gaze pierced him, and he now understood what it felt like to be on the other side of a Border Patrol agent. She lifted her water glass to her lips. “Karen said you could hook up a video call so I can communicate with Tiana. She also said it shouldn’t be done from my computer.”

“Right. You can use mine.”

“I wish there were another way, but thanks. I appreciate all you’ve done for us.”

“No problem.” He squirmed in his chair like an eight-year-old, and his leg had started to bother him. “Danika, I want to start all over by telling you a few things about me.”

Her brows narrowed. “This conversation is a little postmortem, don’t you think?”

Ouch.
“I’d like to think you might want to give me a second chance.”

Before she had an opportunity to respond, the salads came, but his appetite had slid south. Danika toyed with her fork but stayed focused on him. Why ask for permission when he could simply tell it all?

“First of all, I was married for four years. Divorced. My fault. Renee claimed I loved my job better than I did her and left me for a banker. Truth is, if I’d given her a little more attention, she might not have had to look for it from another man.”

“Is that supposed to garner sympathy?”

He tucked his frustration into his pocket and continued. “If it does, good for me. But my purpose is to lay out the truth. Renee and I had no children—her choice.”

“I’m sorry about your failed marriage, and I can see you love children.” She paused and glanced down at her hands in her lap, then back to him. “Your friendship has already been established with Toby. What I don’t understand is Ed Jimenez. Your friends are pro-immigration and Border Patrol supervisors? Looks like different sides of the coin to me.”

She picked up her fork, and he picked up his. Both salads were smothered in balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The vinegar tasted as sour as their conversation.

“Ed and I go to the same church and occasionally play golf. He has great kids, and his wife’s a fabulous cook. I think I told you before that we’re accountability partners.”

She laid her fork across her plate. “When you’d been shot and he came to the hospital, why did you ask him if he wondered which one of us had been the target?”

Did this need to come so early in the conversation? “This is one of the things I wanted to tell you. Please let me finish with all of it before you comment.” Forget the food. He needed to come clean. “Ed asked me to help out the Border Patrol and Homeland Security by keeping my eyes open for anything said at the hospital that might lead them to the rogue agent. He had information that led him to believe a rash of abused undocumented women may have something to do with the case. The request had nothing to do with patient confidentiality, but direct comments pertaining to the safety of our country and its people.”

“Did he ask you to spy on me?”

Another hurdle to cross. “He mentioned that you were one of the agents being investigated. However, I told him you were dedicated to your job.”

Her gaze softened—a fraction. “Thanks. Have you learned anything to help him find this agent?”

“Possibly. I’ve also encouraged the women who’ve been beaten to talk to the Border Patrol or the police—like Rita. But that’s done little good.”

She rubbed her palms together as though each word was carefully calculated. “I still don’t understand why you questioned who the target was.”

This time he hesitated to give himself time to form his words. “I saw a car drop off a young woman by the emergency call button. I tried to get the license plate number, but I only got the first three digits. I’m sure the driver saw me. Anyway, the authorities haven’t been able to track it down, and they suspect the driver changed plates.”

“Sounds like gang involvement.”

“Possibly. Probably. I’m a doctor, not a detective. I do know I’ve treated too many women in the past couple of years who’ve been beaten, and they all refuse to name their abductor. None of them had drugs in their system, but they could have been forced to smuggle them.”

Her shoulders relaxed slightly, which told him her anger had subsided. “Do Chief Jimenez or the McAllen police suspect a prostitution ring?”

“Most of the women were not sexually active. Rita was a different case and may not be connected at all.” He leaned across the table. “The latest victim left the hospital on foot after I talked to her about going to the Border Patrol. I didn’t think she had the strength to walk, but fear can do strange things to a person.”

She nodded. “You and the chief talk quite a bit. Of course, if you’re helping him and Homeland Security, it would warrant open discussion. Looks to me like I’m back at zero. The same end-of-the-road syndrome that has plagued me for two years. I still believe Toby’s death is connected. Looks like the shooter could have been after either of us.”

The server brought their entrées. He cautioned about the hot plates and shredded parmesan cheese on both dishes. Although the food smelled delicious, both of them seemed to have lost their appetites.

“I used to spend my time trying to find clues to solve Toby’s murder, but now I’m spending time trying to stay alive. I keep wondering about Jacob.” She took a deep breath. “All my doubts and fears and suspicions point to him. He’s changed, and none for the good.”

Alex realized he did have more to tell her than Sandra’s deceit. “It can’t be Jacob.”

* * *

Danika unlocked her dark house after ten o’clock. She reset the alarm and checked the system to make sure no one had tampered with it. Silence greeted her like an evil omen. Emptiness, so much like her heart.

Alex’s news about Jacob’s receiving a finger sickened her. Pity ran through her veins for the man who obviously had emotional problems—and the roller coaster of events attacking him. Barbara must not know, or Danika would have been told.
A finger, a ghastly finger wearing the ring Jacob had given Nadine for her sixteenth birthday.

Danika remembered the preparations that went into Nadine’s celebration. It was a special birthday. Although the situation between father and daughter had started to deteriorate, he’d planned a grand family celebration and crowned it with the presentation of the ring. For a while Nadine and Jacob had gotten along as they bathed in the afterglow of the birthday gift. Then it all began to fall apart again, and both father and daughter slipped deeper into depression and farther apart.

But Jacob could have been blackmailed. . . .

Danika walked into the kitchen and turned on the lights for company. The finger sent to Jacob would not leave her alone, especially since Alex said he had treated a young woman with a missing ring finger.

Danika put aside the gruesome event for now and glanced about. The house looked as though Sandra were there, merely sleeping. But as she made her way into the living room, there were no toys or books. If ever she had motivation to find who was causing the agony in her life, it was now.

Perhaps a cup of chamomile tea would soothe her ragged nerves. As Alex suggested, she wanted to make a list of all those people close to her. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, one of them was leaking information to the enemy. Back in the kitchen, she opened the cabinet door for a tea bag and saw a flashing light on the phone indicating a message. She pushed the Play button, anticipating a sales call.

“Hi, Danika. This is Lucy. I’ve been trying to reach Sandra all day. She isn’t answering her cell phone, and I’m a little concerned. Would you have her call me? I don’t care what time it is when she calls. I’ll be up. Thanks.”

Could it be that Sandra’s cell phone was out of range? That didn’t sound right. Maybe Karen lived in an area with poor coverage or Sandra’s phone needed to be charged. Or maybe Sandra didn’t want to be bothered with Lucy. That seemed the most believable. That way she didn’t have to lie about where she was.

Danika picked up the phone and pressed in Lucy’s number while grabbing a mug and filling it with water.

“Hi, Danika,” Lucy sounded perky. “Is Sandra available?”

Danika sensed a catch in her stomach. “No, she’s not.”

“Is she okay?”

“I believe so. What’s up?”

“I’m worried about her. The last time I talked to her, she seemed down.”

Since when did Lucy care if Sandra was down? “I’m sorry. I have no idea when you can get in contact with her. She and Tiana took a much-deserved vacation.”

“Where are they?”

Danika took a breath. “I promised not to reveal where they were going.”

“I’m her employer, and I have a right to know where she is.”

This insistent side of Lucy irritated her. “And since she works for me as my maid and nanny, I have the right to protect her privacy. Did you receive my check for what she owes you to complete her contract?”

“I gave it to my attorney. Sandra did not have permission to take a vacation.”

“Since I ultimately pay her salary, I can send her wherever I want. Good night, Lucy. I’ll tell her you called.”