“I’m more than a little surprised, General,” he said.
“I’ll take that as a compliment since I know it’s very difficult to surprise you, Agent Puller. And you can make it Julie. No uniform today.” “And you can make it John. When did you get in?”
“Grabbed a free seat on a cargo plane into Eglin. Little perks we generals get. Got in around midnight last night.”
“And you found me how?”
“How many guys that look like you are in Paradise?”
He watched her, awaiting her real answer. “Okay, I ran your credit card activity. Saw you checked into the Gull Coast.”
“Then you should have had breakfast with me.”
“I overslept. I knew you’d be up early to get chow. That diner seemed to be your sort of place. I was about to walk in when you walked out.” “And you’re here why?”
“Had a week of leave I never took. Found out J2 could get along without me for a few days. Your description of Paradise sounded so inviting it was an easy decision.”
“It might not meet your expectations.”
“Let a girl decide that for herself, John.”
“I take it you want to be updated on my investigation even though you’re here on R and R?”
“I crave information. So why don’t we go back into the diner and I can eat and you can have a gallon of water to keep hydrated and we can have ourselves a nice conversation?”
And they did exactly that.
Puller saw that Carson had an appetite. She put away eggs, pancakes, bacon, and grits, and while she drank three glasses of water, she also had two cups of coffee.
While she worked through her meal Puller brought her up to speed on all events, including the explosion at the Lampert mansion the night before.
Carson took one last sip of water and set her glass down. “You’ve been busy.”
“I’ve been reactive, actually. Not an ideal situation.”
“Eight guys. I’m impressed.”
“I only took out six. If the big man hadn’t been there we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“So if I’ve got this right, you’re investigating your aunt’s suspicious death. And her neighbor’s murder. You also have the disappearance of this kid Diego. There are two guys down here following you who are so well connected the Pentagon gets stonewalled. And some rich prick gets his Bentley blown sky-high. And I almost forgot the murders on the beach.”
“The two guys might not have been following me. They could have picked up my tail from when I visited my aunt.”
“Meaning their focus was her not you, which lends credence to the theory that she was murdered.”
“That’s how I see it,” said Puller.
“Which prompts the question of what the hell she was involved in that would get her that kind of attention. You sure she wasn’t some retired spy with a dark past?”
“If she was, she was damn good at keeping her cover. No, I think she found out something down here and that’s what got her killed. I wish she had been more specific in her letter, but she wasn’t.”
“You mentioned mileage on her car.”
“Right. Five miles out and five back. At least that’s my speculation. Jane Ryon said that five miles east seemed the best bet. But I’m not sure about her now, considering what happened to Cookie.”
“Have the police found her?”
“Don’t know. By now they should have, I guess.”
“She might be able to clear some things up if she is involved.”
“Maybe.”
“So what’s the next move?”
“You really sure about this, Julie? I mean, you don’t have to do this.”
“I’ve been covering enlisted men’s backs most of my career. It’s why I’m beloved by the rank and file. Besides, my last few vacations have followed similar patterns and have been pretty boring. And my J2 assignment, while necessary for my career path, is pretty damn uninteresting at times. I need some excitement.”
Puller looked across the table at her. “Well, I think you came to the right place. But keep in mind that at least four people have died so far.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I thought the same thing about me, and I almost bought it. The punks I dealt with are nothing special. I just messed up but got lucky. I can’t count on being lucky again.”
She looked across at him, her amused features turning more serious. “So we treat this just like combat?”
“Just like combat,” he replied.
“So the next move?”
“The most obvious. We find out if the police have picked up Jane Ryon.”
“And if they haven’t?”
“Then we find her, before someone else does.”
“You really think she killed this Cookie person?”
“I have no idea. But if she did, she also might have killed my aunt.”
“And all the other stuff that’s been happening down here, you think it’s all connected?”
Puller thought about this for several long seconds while the sounds of traffic picked up out on the street as Paradise came to life.
“I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Meaning what exactly?”
“Meaning exactly that I don’t believe in coincidences.”
CHAPTER 56
When they came out of the diner a police car was zipping past. It screeched to a stop and Cheryl Landry leaned her head out.
“You’re not going to believe this,” she began, before her gaze came to rest on Carson.
Puller noted this and said, “General Julie Carson, Officer Cheryl Landry.”
As Puller’s gaze swiveled between the two women he felt a pang of guilt. He had been out twice with Carson, though the first time was not a real date. However, he sensed the general was interested in something deeper than mere friendship. Landry clearly wanted a relationship with him. Thus having the two women together was deeply discomforting.
Carson nodded and said, “Nice to meet you, Officer Landry.”
“I’ve never met a general before.”
“Well, now you have, and we don’t look any different from anyone else,” said Carson.
“I won’t believe what?” said Puller.
“Two more murders. At the Plaza Hotel two blocks down. Two guys in a bedroom stabbed to death, it appears.”
“Two guys,” said Puller quickly.
Landry nodded. “I know what you’re thinking. I don’t know if it’s the same two who you think have been following you.”
“You want us to come?” asked Puller.
Landry glanced at Carson and then at Puller. Puller, sensing her indecision, said, “Make the offer to Bullock. He can make the call if he wants.”
“Thanks.”
“Did you pick up Jane Ryon?”
But Landry had already hit the gas and the car had sped off.
Puller looked at Carson. “Two more dead.” “Who knew Paradise could be so damn bloody,” said Carson. “And of course it can’t be a coincidence,” she added, raising her eyebrows at him.
“Don’t think so.”
“So we wait until we get the okay from this Bullock guy? And what about Ryon?”
“We can check her out. But while we’re here I want to find out something else.”
She followed him down the street and away from the beach. The sun seemed to be fighting its way to the top of the sky with astonishing speed. Carson wiped a bead of sweat off her brow and picked up her pace so she was walking next to Puller.
“What’s this place we’re heading to?” “Diego’s.”
They passed the Sierra and Puller arrived at the building with the blue awning. He marched up to the second story and knocked on the door. No one came.
He knocked again.
And then a third time.
He heard footsteps and relaxed slightly as Carson looked at him expectantly.
The door opened. Puller had thought it would be one o
f two people. Diego or Isabel. Well, maybe three if one counted little Mateo.
It was none of them.
The woman standing there was in her sixties, short and plump with brown hair streaked heavily with silver. Her face was thickly lined and a prominent mole had grown in the crevice between her cheek and nose. She was dressed in sweatpants, cheap sneakers, and a dark top. She looked curiously from Puller to Carson.
“Si?”
So this was the abuela, thought Puller, the grandmother.
“Habla inglés, senora?” asked Puller.
“Yes. Poquito”
“My name is John Puller. I know Diego and Isabel and Mateo. I helped them out the other day. They might have told you.”
“Yes, they tell me.” Then her face collapsed and her shoulders started to shake. Puller put a hand under her arm to keep the woman from
slumping to the floor.
“What’s wrong?” he asked her.
“Los nińos, they no here.”
“Where are they?” asked Puller.
“Donde estan los nińos?” amended Carson.
“No sé. Desaparecido.”
Puller looked at Carson. “They vanished?”
Carson nodded. “That’s what she said.”
Puller said, “Have you called the police? He llamado a la policía?”
She shook her head. “No policía. Nunca la policía.”
Carson said, “Doesn’t sound as though she likes the police very much.”
“She could be undocumented. And the kids too.”
“Right.”
Puller looked at the sobbing woman and said to Carson, “it could be the guys I beat up. But something feel me it’s not. But Diego did help me track down the two guys.”
“So the two guys made them disappear?”
“I guess that’s the most likely answer. Diego was following them. Maybe they spotted him and Isabel and Mateo were with him.” Puller felt sudden guilt for involving Diego in this.
“Unless the two guys are lying dead at the Plaza.”
“Still could have been them. Diego and his cousins might have escaped from them.”
“After killing the two guys?” Carson said skeptically.
Puller looked at the woman again. “Lo siento. Podemos ayudar de alguna manera?”
The woman shook her head and told Puller that only God could help her now. She shut the door and Puller stood staring off over Carson’s shoulder.
“Should we report it?” she asked.
“We might do more harm than good if the kids are okay. They might end up getting deported.”
“Better than being dead, John.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“We can ask around. Maybe someone has seen them.”
“That’s a good idea. Diego has some friends around here. They might know something.”
It took them twenty minutes to locate two of Diego’s friends. The first had not seen Diego for two days. The second one had seen him yesterday.
“Was he with anyone?” asked Puller.
The boy held out his hand.
Puller put a five-dollar bill in it.
“Yes.”
“Who?” asked Carson.
The boy held out his hand again.
Carson put a dollar bill in it. The boy said nothing.
Puller said, “You tell us something useful there’ll be more. Otherwise, the ATM is shut down for the day.”
The boy looked around and said, “He is with the dueńos de la calle.”
“The street kings?” said Puller.
“Yes. The street kings.”
“What is he doing with them?”
The boy held out his hand and Carson put another dollar bill in it.
“I think he is trying to join. If he is, he is stupid. They are a very bad gang.”
“What about Isabel and Mateo?” Puller asked. The boy withdrew his hand and put the cash in his pocket. He shrugged. “I do not know about them.”
“Where do we find the street kings?” asked Puller.
“You do not want to find the street kings, sewor,” said the boy.
“Actually, yes, I do. Where?”
Puller held out a twenty. “Ahora!”
The boy gave them an address and then ran off.
Puller looked at Carson. “You don’t have to go with me.”
“The hell I don’t. This is just getting interesting.”
“You have any weapons?”
“You’re asking a one-star if she has any weapons? Other women might like shoes and nail polish. I grew up on Winchesters and Colts on a farm in Oklahoma. So I brought some goodies with me.”
“Okay. So we might want to gun up for this.” “Hell, John, I don’t think there’s any ‘might’
about it.”
CHAPTER 57
The small shack sat behind an abandoned- looking building ten blocks off the water. It was in an area that would be discreetly described as in a transitional stage, meaning don’t go there at night and also try to avoid it during the day. The place looked dead and wasted and nothing like Paradise and its emerald beaches relatively close by. It seemed that the town’s beauty was only skin deep. A few layers under the surface it became quite ugly.
Three young men were standing outside the building and taking turns tossing knives at tin cans set atop a Dumpster. They were good enough that each one consistently knocked the cans over from a distance of ten feet.
“Decent aim.”
The men whirled, their hands dipping to the guns in their waistbands.
And then they stopped reaching for their guns.
Puller stood there holding an MP5 set on two- shot bursts. Carson had not been kidding about weapons. And flying on military transport had allowed her to bring whatever guns she wanted.