Forbidden (Mystery Lake Series Book 10) by Tamsen Schultz

Author:Tamsen Schultz [Schultz, Tamsen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Devil's Gate Press, LLC
Published: 2024-08-07T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

In her usual magical way, by the time Leo walked into the lab, Sabina had cleared the path for his investigation. Her contact at the FBI had agreed the situation warranted looking into but didn’t have the resources to devote. Together, they’d decided to divide the work—the FBI taking responsibility for all warrants and administrative work and HICC taking everything else.

By noon, he’d spoken to his mother’s accountant friend in Dallas. She hadn’t been able to give him much—she didn’t remember any issues his mom might have had when they were younger or anything that would give rise to the desire to kill her nearly thirty years later. She had, however, remembered the classes his mom had sat in on with her and he’d spent a few hours pulling class records.

“I tracked down Javier Flores,” Ava said, walking over and perching on the edge of his desk. “He’s the same stand-up guy now that he was when your mom knew him.”

“Still in Miami?” he asked, leaning back.

Ava shook her head. “He’s in New York. Working for one of the organized crime families out there. Low level but thinks he’s a big shot. He seems to enjoy intimidation tactics, and the rumor is he has a few kills under his belt, but I don’t see him as our killer.”

He didn’t either but wanted Ava’s thoughts. “Why not?”

“Killing those women would require he leave New York and risk not being at the beck and call of his boss. I also think his entire life is devoted to this delusion he has about himself that he’s a big, bad gangsta. Going off on a personal vendetta seems…a bit profound, and I doubt he has that kind of depth. Or the ability to find all the other Maria Benitezes and pay for the travel. He lives in a five-floor walk-up in one of the rougher neighborhoods in the Bronx.”

“I didn’t see it either,” he said. “Based on what my mom shared, he didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who would wait thirty years to come after her if he thought she’d done something that she deserved to die for.”

Ava nodded in agreement. “So what’s next?”

“I left a message for my mom’s teacher friend, and Noah called and said he might have a lead on who this Juanita woman was. Is,” he corrected. “I’d like to know how they figured out that Nilda Gallardo was once Maria Benitez. Also, the date pattern that Joey identified is interesting. That’s on my list, too. What is it about the second Wednesday of every month?”

Ava crossed her arms, and he realized he’d made a tactical error in mentioning Joey’s name. The entire compound would now view it—them—as an open topic of conversation.

“So, you and Joey?”

“Oh, we’re talking about Leo and Joey,” Collin said, walking into the room with Sabina.

“Oh good, glad we didn’t miss it,” Sabina added.

“We’re not talking about me and Joey. How did the testing go?” he asked Collin in a fruitless attempt to divert the conversation.

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