something sweet and caring in those blue eyes. “I’m not upset.”
But she was. Upset and confused and wishing for her mother to talk to. Rico had never towered over her this way, had never worried about upsetting her, had never been to the grocery store for her.
As if sensing her discomfort, Eli stepped back and sighed. “I bought Danilo a T-ball set. It’s out in the car.”
“What do you mean, you offed the wrong kid?” Pablo snarled into the phone.
He’d stepped outside the back door of Universidad Autónoma’s new administration building auditorium, where the governor was officiating at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Pablo’s phone had buzzed against his hip as he stood guard backstage, and the caller ID told him he’d better take the call.
Now he wished he could use the muscles he worked so hard to maintain, in order to smash the already broken nose of José Camino. Instead he was stuck here in Ciudad Juarez, listening to his boss drone on about education, while Camino fouled up his business back in Acuña.
He gripped the cell phone so hard he heard it crack. “How do you know this?”
“Last night I had a beer with my friend in the Acuña police. The American Border Patrol came asking questions, and he thought it strange they were interested in a worthless little girl named Dulce Garcia.” Camino sounded offended. “If you’d given me better information—”
“I told you she’s deaf, I told you exactly what she looks like!” Pablo cursed Camino to relieve his feelings. “I cannot believe you were so stupid.”
“I can’t snatch a kid during the day, when they’re all guarded like that. And how can I tell which skinny little girl with long black hair is deaf, when they’re all sound asleep?” Camino’s voice had risen to a defensive shout.
Pablo glanced at his watch. He had to get back to the ceremony before the governor looked around and found his head of security missing. “Did you at least search the room for the knife?”
“Yeah. It’s not there. At least I don’t think so. I had to leave because one of the other kids started to wake up.”
Pablo crunched his knuckles. “All right. Keep your ears open and see if somebody will tell you what happened to the other girl. The one we’re actually looking for.”
Sarcasm apparently rolled right off Camino’s back. “Will do.”
The connection ended, and Pablo reentered the auditorium’s dark backstage area, not a moment too soon. Applause rippled as the governor smiled and waved before exiting the stage.
As Pablo followed his boss into the limo, he mulled over his problem. If the Americans were interested in the child’s death, maybe they had something to do with Mercedes’s disappearance. Pablo settled back in his seat. He could suck up to his boss in his sleep, so he had no trouble glibly praising the governor’s enlightening speech while formulating his own plan of action.
Mentally he began to review his contacts across the border.
Consulting her list, Isabel turned her shopping cart down the pet supplies aisle. The discount store on Saturday afternoon was a zoo, but Fonzie was in desperate need of flea shampoo. Maybe Eli wouldn’t mind—
She halted the thought right there. She had gotten way too dependent on Eli lately. It was time Danilo learned to bathe the dog.
And it won’t kill you to get wet and soapy, either, she told herself.
She found the shampoo and wandered down a couple more aisles until she located the cosmetics. What a luxury to stand here and look to her heart’s content, without having to worry about her little sidekick knocking over endcaps, hang gliding on the buggy or initiating conversations with strangers.
She’d left Eli out in the backyard with the children, demonstrating proper batting stance. The miniature bat looked like a matchstick in Eli’s big hands, and powerful muscles bulged all over the place as he swung it. Feeling oddly out of breath, Isabel had scurried for the
But she was. Upset and confused and wishing for her mother to talk to. Rico had never towered over her this way, had never worried about upsetting her, had never been to the grocery store for her.
As if sensing her discomfort, Eli stepped back and sighed. “I bought Danilo a T-ball set. It’s out in the car.”
“What do you mean, you offed the wrong kid?” Pablo snarled into the phone.
He’d stepped outside the back door of Universidad Autónoma’s new administration building auditorium, where the governor was officiating at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Pablo’s phone had buzzed against his hip as he stood guard backstage, and the caller ID told him he’d better take the call.
Now he wished he could use the muscles he worked so hard to maintain, in order to smash the already broken nose of José Camino. Instead he was stuck here in Ciudad Juarez, listening to his boss drone on about education, while Camino fouled up his business back in Acuña.
He gripped the cell phone so hard he heard it crack. “How do you know this?”
“Last night I had a beer with my friend in the Acuña police. The American Border Patrol came asking questions, and he thought it strange they were interested in a worthless little girl named Dulce Garcia.” Camino sounded offended. “If you’d given me better information—”
“I told you she’s deaf, I told you exactly what she looks like!” Pablo cursed Camino to relieve his feelings. “I cannot believe you were so stupid.”
“I can’t snatch a kid during the day, when they’re all guarded like that. And how can I tell which skinny little girl with long black hair is deaf, when they’re all sound asleep?” Camino’s voice had risen to a defensive shout.
Pablo glanced at his watch. He had to get back to the ceremony before the governor looked around and found his head of security missing. “Did you at least search the room for the knife?”
“Yeah. It’s not there. At least I don’t think so. I had to leave because one of the other kids started to wake up.”
Pablo crunched his knuckles. “All right. Keep your ears open and see if somebody will tell you what happened to the other girl. The one we’re actually looking for.”
Sarcasm apparently rolled right off Camino’s back. “Will do.”
The connection ended, and Pablo reentered the auditorium’s dark backstage area, not a moment too soon. Applause rippled as the governor smiled and waved before exiting the stage.
As Pablo followed his boss into the limo, he mulled over his problem. If the Americans were interested in the child’s death, maybe they had something to do with Mercedes’s disappearance. Pablo settled back in his seat. He could suck up to his boss in his sleep, so he had no trouble glibly praising the governor’s enlightening speech while formulating his own plan of action.
Mentally he began to review his contacts across the border.
Consulting her list, Isabel turned her shopping cart down the pet supplies aisle. The discount store on Saturday afternoon was a zoo, but Fonzie was in desperate need of flea shampoo. Maybe Eli wouldn’t mind—
She halted the thought right there. She had gotten way too dependent on Eli lately. It was time Danilo learned to bathe the dog.
And it won’t kill you to get wet and soapy, either, she told herself.
She found the shampoo and wandered down a couple more aisles until she located the cosmetics. What a luxury to stand here and look to her heart’s content, without having to worry about her little sidekick knocking over endcaps, hang gliding on the buggy or initiating conversations with strangers.
She’d left Eli out in the backyard with the children, demonstrating proper batting stance. The miniature bat looked like a matchstick in Eli’s big hands, and powerful muscles bulged all over the place as he swung it. Feeling oddly out of breath, Isabel had scurried for the
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