in the house by myself.
I opened the car window a crack. Too noisy. Closed it again and said, “No. I mean, no thank you.”
His face slackened. “No?”
“Living together is a big commitment. It’s too soon.”
“Move in until you find a place. Stay as long as you like. I want to make your life easy and I’d love to have you there. Take some time, and think about it.”
“I will.” I couldn’t argue with sweet and irresistible, but Nick had to know that if I moved in with him temporarily, leaving would be difficult. “I have six weeks to worry. Between Paco’s murder, Lucia’s state of mind, Carmen’s surgery, and the fund-raiser, I don’t want to think about moving anywhere right now. I’m concerned for Lucia. She’s all alone.”
“She’s not alone. Cruz is there. Teresa is down the hall. Victor will make certain Lucia is safe in her building,” he said. “And she has us.”
“Yes. She does have us. Nick, didn’t Paco tell us they would never sell the building?”
“Right. Victor confirmed at the wake that Paco and Lucia were committed to staying in the neighborhood.” Nick cracked a curious smile. “Why do you ask? Are you thinking about buying it?”
“No, I wouldn’t displace Lucia. I asked because there were two real estate agents at the wake. I overheard one tell his wife he was warming up Paco to sell before he died.”
“I wouldn’t believe him. Paco mentioned a few brokers tried, and he turned them down cold. The building has been in Paco’s family since the nineteen thirties.”
Nick’s car phone rang as he eased into the right lane toward the Alvarado Street exit. He pressed a button on his steering wheel to answer. My brother’s voice boomed through the speaker.
“Hey, it’s me. Busy?” Dave said.
“On our way downtown,” Nick said. “Any word on José Saldivar’s background yet?”
“Some. Saldivar was a twenty-year-old Boyle Heights gang member who spent some time in juvie for B&E. The coroner’s report listed a knife and five hundred in cash in his pocket—a lot of money for a kid to carry on the streets. He might have been dealing.”
Nick frowned. “What the hell would a Boyle Heights drug dealer be doing in Westlake with the wife of a rival gang member?”
“Find the answer to that, and we’d have motive.”
“Any other witnesses on the car or the shooter?”
“No one on the street will talk. Typical. Forensics confirmed the bullets came from a shotgun, probably at the bottom of MacArthur Park Lake by now. That’s all I know,” Dave said.
“It’s more information than we got from Bailey. I wish you were involved in the investigation.”
“Sorry. I know Rojas was a friend, but unless the shooting blows up into a high-profile murder investigation and RHD gets involved, I can’t interfere. It’s Bailey’s case. If he asks for my help, I’ll do whatever I can.”
“Thanks, pal,” Nick said. “I hoped I could give the widow some kind of news. She’s in pretty bad shape.”
“Yeah, I heard she snapped and did a hex at the wake. Scared the hell out of everyone. But that’s not why I called. Did you hear the news? Lizzie was kicked out of her town house. Lock your doors. She needs a place to live.”
Oh great. Mom was already working the phone. I rolled my eyes. “I’m right here, Dave. Didn’t they teach you about speakerphones in detective school?”
“Geez, Nick. Nice going,” Dave said. “You could have warned me.”
“I told you we were on
our
way downtown. I don’t have any secrets from Liz.” Nick winked at me.
“I do,” Dave said.
“Like what?” I said. “Please, share. I can’t be the only news on the Gordon family hotline today. Do you have a date for the fund-raiser yet?”
“None of your business.”
I grinned. “So that’s a no.”
“Whatever,” Dave said. “Where are you exactly? Out buying monogrammed towels?”
“Yeah—F.U.,” Nick said. “We’re heading south on Alvarado toward
I opened the car window a crack. Too noisy. Closed it again and said, “No. I mean, no thank you.”
His face slackened. “No?”
“Living together is a big commitment. It’s too soon.”
“Move in until you find a place. Stay as long as you like. I want to make your life easy and I’d love to have you there. Take some time, and think about it.”
“I will.” I couldn’t argue with sweet and irresistible, but Nick had to know that if I moved in with him temporarily, leaving would be difficult. “I have six weeks to worry. Between Paco’s murder, Lucia’s state of mind, Carmen’s surgery, and the fund-raiser, I don’t want to think about moving anywhere right now. I’m concerned for Lucia. She’s all alone.”
“She’s not alone. Cruz is there. Teresa is down the hall. Victor will make certain Lucia is safe in her building,” he said. “And she has us.”
“Yes. She does have us. Nick, didn’t Paco tell us they would never sell the building?”
“Right. Victor confirmed at the wake that Paco and Lucia were committed to staying in the neighborhood.” Nick cracked a curious smile. “Why do you ask? Are you thinking about buying it?”
“No, I wouldn’t displace Lucia. I asked because there were two real estate agents at the wake. I overheard one tell his wife he was warming up Paco to sell before he died.”
“I wouldn’t believe him. Paco mentioned a few brokers tried, and he turned them down cold. The building has been in Paco’s family since the nineteen thirties.”
Nick’s car phone rang as he eased into the right lane toward the Alvarado Street exit. He pressed a button on his steering wheel to answer. My brother’s voice boomed through the speaker.
“Hey, it’s me. Busy?” Dave said.
“On our way downtown,” Nick said. “Any word on José Saldivar’s background yet?”
“Some. Saldivar was a twenty-year-old Boyle Heights gang member who spent some time in juvie for B&E. The coroner’s report listed a knife and five hundred in cash in his pocket—a lot of money for a kid to carry on the streets. He might have been dealing.”
Nick frowned. “What the hell would a Boyle Heights drug dealer be doing in Westlake with the wife of a rival gang member?”
“Find the answer to that, and we’d have motive.”
“Any other witnesses on the car or the shooter?”
“No one on the street will talk. Typical. Forensics confirmed the bullets came from a shotgun, probably at the bottom of MacArthur Park Lake by now. That’s all I know,” Dave said.
“It’s more information than we got from Bailey. I wish you were involved in the investigation.”
“Sorry. I know Rojas was a friend, but unless the shooting blows up into a high-profile murder investigation and RHD gets involved, I can’t interfere. It’s Bailey’s case. If he asks for my help, I’ll do whatever I can.”
“Thanks, pal,” Nick said. “I hoped I could give the widow some kind of news. She’s in pretty bad shape.”
“Yeah, I heard she snapped and did a hex at the wake. Scared the hell out of everyone. But that’s not why I called. Did you hear the news? Lizzie was kicked out of her town house. Lock your doors. She needs a place to live.”
Oh great. Mom was already working the phone. I rolled my eyes. “I’m right here, Dave. Didn’t they teach you about speakerphones in detective school?”
“Geez, Nick. Nice going,” Dave said. “You could have warned me.”
“I told you we were on
our
way downtown. I don’t have any secrets from Liz.” Nick winked at me.
“I do,” Dave said.
“Like what?” I said. “Please, share. I can’t be the only news on the Gordon family hotline today. Do you have a date for the fund-raiser yet?”
“None of your business.”
I grinned. “So that’s a no.”
“Whatever,” Dave said. “Where are you exactly? Out buying monogrammed towels?”
“Yeah—F.U.,” Nick said. “We’re heading south on Alvarado toward
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