Page 108 of Fatal Strike
“Unclear. It’s possible Rachel sent them out of town already, maybe went with them. But there’s more. Richard James called me—Elena’s gone. No note. Neither is anything missing. Herbedroom has a balcony, and they assume she left or was taken from there. They haven’t seen her since she went to bed last night. I tried Silvia’s cell phone and the dentist office. No answer there. The surveillance team said she went to work this morning and hasn’t left the office. I asked them to check inside, but the front and back doors are locked. No signs on either door about closing. They forced entry. Nothing indicated a problem, but no one’s there. It’s possible Silvia and the Rioses left through a side door that provides access to a community courtyard and adjoining offices.”
“What about Warren?”
“He isn’t picking up at his shop or on his cell. The only person who responded was Father Gabriel.”
“Tell me the missing people are at St. Peter’s.”
“I wish. Father Gabriel received a call warning him the Venenos were doing a roundup. He informed the officer assigned to him, and they’re at GPD headquarters.”
“Rachel, Elena, and Silvia, the three women important to Dylan,” Leah said. “Warren and possibly the Rioses. They’re together somewhere.”
As if timed to precision with his recap, Jon’s phone alerted him to an incoming call. He plugged his phone into the headphones. It was Zachary Everson. “A neighbor to the Mendezes saw a man matching Warren Livingston’s description enter the home about 7a.m.”
“Any gunfire?” He wished Leah were listening in.
“No,” Everson said. “But the home’s security cam isn’t showing anything. My conclusion is the system’s been hacked—probably was done before their SUV was stolen.”
“Leah and I discovered he’s not the savory guy we thought. We were waiting on search warrants this morning and for himand Rachel to be brought in. We also have a search warrant for Dr. Pablo Rios’s office.” Jon explained the previous DEA investigation and the possible link to Warren Livingston.
“Officers checked Silvia’s home and Warren’s,” Everson said. “No one answered at either home. I’ll send officers to the Rioses’ residence.”
“As soon as we land, Leah and I will join our agents at the dentist office.” Jon ended the call, still gripping his phone, his thoughts spinning. He told Leah about the findings. “People are missing, and we have no clue if they’re dead or alive or who’s responsible.”
God, I pray not one more victim.
Galveston came into view, and Leah spoke. “I’m thinking this is what they want—GPD and the FBI in one location to distract us. The rattlesnake scare diverted law enforcement. We need to work smarter, Jon. What’s on the island worth the risk? Moving a shipment of prescription drugs?” She stared at her injured left hand. “Do they need to transport drugs to another location while we’re occupied on the opposite end of the island?”
The chopper descended for landing, and Jon’s phone signaled a text, an unknown number.
Flew home a day early. Here’s the number for the man who wanted to buy acreage.
Jon leaned back and closed his eyes. The man who owned the farm where they found the rattlesnake pit had come through. This was the break they needed.Thank You.
“Everything okay?” Leah said.
“Better than okay. The man who wanted to buy the land where we found the rattler pit used a burner. It’s a number we’ve seen on Aaron Michaels’s phone.”
Once the chopper landed, Leah and Jon raced to an awaiting car. Jon drove, but she didn’t care. Her thoughts zeroed in on missing people and those suspected of masterminding the crimes.
Jon’s phone sounded, and he glanced at the caller. “It’s Kempler. Can you take it?”
She snatched it and hit Speaker. “Mr. Kempler, this is Agent Riesel. Jon and I are in a time-sensitive situation.”
“I’ll make it quick. I found the evidence.”
She swung a look at Jon. “Where?”
“The judge gave me a Bible years ago. I kept it in my desk. Never thought to look inside. But I was moving it aside to get something else and dropped it. A note fell out addressed to me. It said, ‘What you are looking for is in the family frame on my wall.’ Took a while to examine what he’d written, but it’s all documented. He believed Dr. Pablo Rios and Warren Livingston were dealing in prescription drugs. The judge didn’t have enough proof.”
Confirmation. “Are you sure the evidence you have isn’t enough proof?” Jon wondered if they should pick up the judge’s notes before doing anything else.
“I’ll bring everything to GPD—will that work?”
Jon exchanged a look with Leah. Was Everson trustworthy enough? “Yes. We’re on our way with a search warrant to Rios’s office now. We’ll call when we’re done.”
As Kempler ended the call, Jon turned to Leah. “I feel like I smacked the piñata and it broke. Now to find out where all these people are.”
As Pablo Rios’s dental office came into view, Leah recognizedthe vehicle of the agent assigned to Silvia’s surveillance. “Jon, I’m requesting the agent’s car. Ross Kempler has the documentation to help make arrests, and I want to get my hands on it.”
