LITMIR.BIZ

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where could she be?”

      “I don’t know. Maybe tied and gagged and in the trunk of some car. Porter may have ripped off some dope dealers. Maybe she was taken as a hostage to get him to return the drugs or something.”

      “But now that they’ve killed him …”

      “I know it doesn’t look good, but don’t give up hope.”

      “So what’s going to happen?

      “VPD Homicide have arranged an interview with one of Porter’s associates tomorrow afternoon to see if they can come up with some leads. The guy is also suspected of being involved with cocaine trafficking. I’m sure he knows something.”

      “Why are they waiting until tomorrow? Talk to him now,” urged Marcie.

      “He lawyered up. That was the soonest the lawyer would agree to.”

      “What if he clams up?” asked Marcie, sounding panicked. “What then?”

      “Then I’ll do my thing.”

      “Oh … I see,” she replied, calming down. They took a couple of steps in silence as Marcie thought about it before adding, “Guess he better hope he talks to the cops tomorrow.”

      Jack frowned. Marcie was a smart kid. She had picked up a lot about certain things over the years. Things he wished she knew nothing about.

      Marcie saw his face and said, “Sorry. That was stupid of me. I mean, you know, I meant you would do your undercover stuff or whatever.”

      “Yes, I know what you meant. Do you think Lily’s mother is home? I would like to meet her and update her, as well.”

      “They only live about fifteen minutes away by car. Want me to take you there?”

      “Yes, but we’ll take my car. Save your gas money for university.”

      Jack pulled up to a small, single-level ranch-style house and parked. The home had a ramp leading up alongside the stairs to the front door. A flower garden bordered the front of the house and there was a small cedar wishing well in the front yard beside an apple tree. The home was being well cared for, with the exception that the lawn was in dire need of cutting and a few weeds had sprung up in the flower beds.

      Marcie rang the doorbell. She saw Jack looking at the flower beds and said, “Lily always looked after that stuff.”

      Jack was introduced to Eva Rae and quickly told her he had nothing new on Lily’s whereabouts, but there was something he thought she should know.

      Eva looked up at him from her wheelchair with a face that expressed relief she wasn’t being informed of her daughter’s death, but at the same time, disappointment there was not good news. She invited them into the living room and Jack watched as she manipulated the toggle stick on her wheelchair with one hand. Her other hand was crippled and she held it close to her body.

      Once seated, Eva offered them a beverage. Both Jack and Marcie declined.

      Jack updated Eva on the investigation and Jack could see the shock on her face when she learned about Porter’s murder.

      “You knew!” exclaimed Eva, looking at Marcie. “You tried to warn her he was no good. She told me you two had a fight … that you were jealous, but … Oh, God,” she cried, raising her hand to her mouth as the tears ran down her cheek.

      “I should have tried harder,” said Marcie. “I’m sorry. I —”

      “No, don’t you be sorry,” sobbed Eva. “I thought he was no good, too. He was so much older … I should have talked to her, but I was afraid.” She looked at Jack. “I was afraid I would drive her away. When she said she was going away with him for a couple of days, I didn’t like it … especially when she wouldn’t tell me where. I was upset, but she’s almost a grown woman … I was afraid to say anything about it.”

      “Any thoughts or guesses where she might have gone?” asked Jack.

      “I had a hunch they were eloping to Vegas to get married. I think she wanted it to be a surprise. I’m only guessing.”

      “Sounds reasonable,” said Jack, watching as Eva manoeuvred her chair beside him and grabbed his hand.

      “She is all I have,” said Eva, emphatically. She bit her lip for a moment before adding, “She is my only reason for living.”

      “Hindsight is twenty-twenty,” said Jack, giving her hand a squeeze. “Sometimes kids need to find things out on their own … but don’t give up hope. We are exploring avenues to come up with a lead. I am confident one of Earl’s associates will know something to help us with our investigation.”

      “Promise me you will do everything you can to find her,” said Eva, staring intently at Jack’s face.

      “I promise,” replied Jack. “You have my word on it.”

      Eva nodded solemnly. “Thank you,” she said, letting her hand slip from his.

      “One more thing,” said Jack. “If Lily has a computer, I would like to take it. It might identify someone else for us to interview.”

      “She has one in her bedroom,” replied Eva, still fighting to regain her composure. “Go ahead and take it. I’ve already gone through the rest of her stuff. I didn’t find anything, but you’re welcome to look and take whatever you need.”

      Eva led Jack to Lily’s bedroom and Marcie followed. As Jack unhooked the computer, he glanced around the room. It was immaculate and consisted of a single bed that was made up and had a stuffed green frog on the pillow. Pictures on a dresser showed happy times with Lily and her mother.

      One picture in particular caught Jack’s attention and he didn’t understand why. It was a portrait of Lily’s face. Her features looked soft and he thought there was a certain wide-eyed innocence about her. Forced at such a young age to look after her only parent … her life can’t be easy, yet she looks serene.

      As Jack carried the computer out of the room, he looked back at the picture again. Something about Lily’s eyes fixated him. It’s like she’s trying to reach out from the grave for me to help her. He felt his stomach knot as an intense feeling of dread overtook his mind. Something very, very bad has happened to her …

      chapter ten

      Early Tuesday afternoon in El Paso, Texas, a green Mercedes pulled into the parking lot of the Red Poker Saloon.

      Adams sat upright from behind the steering wheel of his Celica and focused his binoculars. He caught a glimpse of the small, white scrape over the right rear fender of the Mercedes as it turned into a parking stall.

      He immediately started his car and sped through the parking lot, stopping behind the Mercedes as Chico was walking away from his car.

      Adams leaped from his car and yelled, “Hey, Chico!”

      Chico turned and said, “Do I know you?”

      “You’re about to!” replied Adams, flashing his badge with one hand while pointing a pistol at Chico’s head. “Immigration! Put your hands on the hood of your car!”

      Chico slowly obeyed, but as Adams approached him, three men pulled up in another car and stopped nose-to-nose with Adams’s car. The driver had his window down and yelled Chico’s name. Chico kept his hands on the hood of the car, but yelled back.

      “No talking, asshole!” ordered Adams, while putting his badge away and taking out his handcuffs.

      “I just told them you were with Immigration,” explained Chico. “There is a mistake. I am not an illegal. I have my green card.”

      The three men got out of their car so Adams pointed his pistol in their direction and said, “You guys want to be next? Back off!”

      The three men stopped, but stood where they were and whispered

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