Death Returns, page 11
part #3 of Death Card Series
The next morning, I heard a soft tap, tap, tap at the door. “C’mon in, Isabella.”
When she saw us in bed together, she smiled, pleased. “Good morning, Mama and Mike.”
Mike sat up and patted the bed for Sweet Pea and Isabella to sit there. “What’s going on?”
“Are you and Mama going to get married, Mike?”
I was curious to see what Mike would say. I was surprised when he answered, “Well, I’m not sure. Why?”
“Is Mama seeing if this is the best place for you, like with me?’
Mike laughed, and soon we all were laughing. Sweet Pea joined in by barking. After Mike caught his breath, he said, “I believe she is.”
I punched him lightly on his arm. “You never know.”
Mike’s cell phone rang, and he got up to answer it. When he came back, he said, “That was Coyote. He asked if I would come to the office because he wants me to look at something. I said I’d meet him in an hour.”
“Time to get up then,” I said as I threw back the covers.
“I’ll start the coffee,” Mike offered. “Anybody for scrambled eggs?”
“Yes,” Isabella and I said in unison.
After Mike left to meet Coyote, Isabella and I got dressed for the day. I went back into the kitchen to clean up the dishes. When Isabella and Sweet Pea came to me, I held her close and patted Sweet Pea. I said, “I’ll do these dishes, and you can help me with them tonight, all right?” I was trying to share some of the household responsibilities to prepare her for what might be expected of her at Maria’s house.
“Sure, Mama,” she answered happily.
Sweet Pea was making little whimpering sounds. “Isabella, I think Sweet Pea needs to go out.”
“Should I take her for a walk?” she asked.
“No, just take her out back and don’t wander. I don’t want you out of my sight, understand?”
After cleaning up the kitchen, I noticed the TV remote lying on the floor in the living room, but before I could pick it up, my phone rang. It was Nancy from the real estate office. “Hello, Nancy. How are you?”
“Fine, just fine, Rosie. How are things there at the house? Are you enjoying being there?
“Yes, very much so. It’s a delightful house, and I’m so glad you found this for us.”
“Well, I have good news for you, if you’re interested. The owner’s vacation was really a trip to France to check on his mother, who still lives there in the town where he grew up. He called to say that he’s planning on moving there for good. His mother is not well, and being the eldest, he’s responsible for taking care of her affairs. He wanted to know if you’d be interested in buying his house.”
As Nancy had been talking, I’d been making my way into the living room to pick up the remote and place it on the table. As I got closer to it, I looked out the front window and saw a truck parked down the street. It looked like Maria’s neighbor’s truck. I hollered into the phone, “I’ll call you later!” as I dropped the phone and ran to the back deck to see Sweet Pea running toward me, barking furiously.
I leaned over Sweet Pea and frantically asked, “Where’s Isabella, Sweet Pea? Where is she?”
I heard a faint rustle behind me. Then everything went black. I awoke to wet kisses from Sweet Pea, who was nudging me with her wet nose. “What happened, Sweet Pea?”
As my thinking cleared, I scrambled to my feet and raced to the front of the house. The neighbor’s truck was gone. I ran next door and pounded on the door. There was no answer. I raced to the next house and did the same, yelling, “Open up!”
The door cracked open, and I could see the woman who answered was frightened by my yelling. “Did you see a man with a little girl? Did you see a man drive away in a truck?” She shook her head no. “Did you see anything?” The woman began to speak in Spanish and shut the door in my face.
“Stop it, Rosie. Stop acting crazy and get your wits about you now,” I snapped at myself. I reached for my phone and remembered I’d dropped it in the house. I ran back, found it, and called Mike. No answer. I hurriedly left a message. Then I put Sweet Pea in the house, grabbed my purse, and headed out the door. I jumped in the car and headed for Maria’s house.
In a frenzy, I was going to see whether the neighbor’s truck was there. Mike called while I was on the way, and I told him what had happened and asked him and Coyote to meet me at Maria’s house.
“Don’t do anything until we get there, do you hear me?”
“You better hurry then.”
When I reached Maria’s house, the neighbor’s truck wasn’t in his yard. Panic began to build in me. This can’t be happening! Where had he taken her? Oh, my god! I felt a weakness come over me, and I had barely enough strength to climb out of the car. It was as if my legs were made of rubber—my body completely drained of energy. Mike and Coyote pulled into the driveway. When Mike came to me, I collapsed in his arms. “He’s not here,” I moaned.
“Why don’t you begin at the beginning?” he said in a calm voice.
Haltingly, I told them everything. Then, we heard the rumbling of an approaching truck, and we watched as it pulled into the driveway where we stood. It was the neighbor, and I began to pull away from Mike, who held me tighter. “Let Coyote handle this, Rosie.”
“Where have you been?” Coyote demanded as he stepped toward the truck’s driver’s side.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Get the hell out of the truck now!” Coyote ordered.
“Why? I didn’t do nuthin’!”
“If you didn’t, why didn’t you answer my question?”
“You and your kind rub me the wrong way. You act so high and mighty as sheriff and all, but I’m not afraid of you.”
“Let me ask you again. Where have you been?”
“Nowhere!” he hollered. When he saw the look on Coyote’s face, he added, “Honest.”
“Get out now!” demanded Coyote. “Rosie, is this the truck you saw?”
When the neighbor looked at me, his upper lip rose in a sneer. He snarled, “You? You’re nothing but trouble! Stay away from me.”
Mike stepped toward him. “Watch it!” he warned.
As I walked around the neighbor’s truck, I noticed a dent in the tailgate. I closed my eyes to recall what I’d seen when I’d been talking to Nancy, and I realized it couldn’t have been this truck because the tailgate I’d seen had no dent. And this dent was old. I swallowed hard and shook my head. “No, Coyote, I’m sorry. It wasn’t him.”
My denial didn’t seem to lessen Coyote’s stance toward the neighbor. “Watch your step, mister. Don’t forget I’m keeping an eye on you.”
The neighbor mumbled something and slunk away. Coyote walked over to Mike and me. My head began to pound, and I felt sick to my stomach. “Where is Isabella?” I mumbled.
Mike suggested, “Let’s go back to the house. You rushed right over here without checking everything in the house, didn’t you? Maybe Isabella went back into the house while you were outside, and you missed her. She might even be wondering where you are,” he said, trying to placate me.
Perhaps I’d foolishly overreacted, but I remembered calling out for Isabella and getting no answer—but then everything had gone dark. After I’d come to, it was true I hadn’t looked further for Isabella. Maybe Mike was right that I’d been so worried about her that I’d raced from the house without any thought other than finding the neighbor. As Mike headed to my car, I rushed forward and placed my hand on his arm. “No, I can drive myself. You go with Coyote, and I’ll call you as soon as I get home. I’ll let you know if she’s there, and if she isn’t, we may also need to use your car to search her out.”
“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” I turned to Coyote. “Thanks for helping.”
“I want to help. Let me know what’s going on too. C’mon, Mike, let’s get your car.”
On my way back to the house, I sensed I’d missed something. As soon as I got there, I hurried to the shed and felt prickles along my arms. I silently crept up to the door. I drew in a deep breath and then, with all my strength, I slammed the door wide open. When I looked inside, it was empty. Disappointment washed over me. As I took a second look, I saw it—Isabella’s bracelet with the bear on it. It was the proof I needed to know she’d been there. I knew exactly what’d happened.
I raced up the hill, grabbed Sweet Pea, and settled her in the car with me. I backed out of the driveway and headed to the Palace of the Governors. As I neared, it was unnerving to find Grandmother already standing there, waiting for me. As soon as she saw me, she began to walk toward the car and then steadied herself as she climbed in. “The time has come, my daughter.”
I called Mike and told him to meet us at the pueblo and let Coyote know where Grandmother and I were headed. “Redmond has Isabella.”
When we got to the pueblo, I parked the car and helped Grandmother out. She grabbed my hand, and without saying a word, I knew she was going to lead me to the area that had been the scene of my little sister’s death lifetimes ago. We made the slow climb up the hill and into the forest, where so many delectable plants lay as gifts from Mother Earth. It was dark and damp in comparison to the desert area, and its smell was intoxicating. When we reached a particular pathway that was familiar to Grandmother, she pushed me forward. “You go first and hurry. I’ll follow.”
I handed her Sweet Pea’s leash. As I scurried along, I was overcome with the oddest sensation that I was once again nine years old. My feet and stride seemed shorter, and the forest seemed thicker and the daylight darker. I felt light-headed and my heart pounded to the fast beat of fear of what lay ahead. I didn’t know whether I could survive if Redmond had hurt Isabella in any way.
As I raced along, I began to recognize where I was—or had been in the past. I saw the bend in the path and instinctively knew whatever was to come was just around the corner. I continued, barely able to breathe. When I rounded the bend, I half-expected to see Little One on the ground with the deadly snake at her side. Instead, there was Isabella sitting against a tree, a cloth covering her mouth, hands tied behind her. Redmond stood swaying over her. I picked up a rock and held it in my hand.
I could see he was drunk. “Hey there, Redmond.”
“What are you doing here?” he asked, slurring his words, surprised to see me.
“I came to thank you for taking such good care of Isabella. I’ll take over now.”
“She’s not for sale. She’s mine.”
“What do you mean, Redmond, not for sale? Are you into selling girls?”
“None of your business …”
I was outraged at the thought he might be involved in child trafficking. “Redmond, stand back,” I commanded. “I’m coming to get Isabella.”
“No way,” he said as he stumbled forward and sprang toward me. He grabbed me by my hair and forced me down onto my knees. He bent down closer and threatened me. “You bitch ….” I raised the rock and hit him as hard as I could alongside his temple. Down he went—out cold.
Grandmother had seen the whole incident and nodded in approval. I raced to Isabella and struggled to untie her at the same time Sweet Pea rushed forward. She jumped on top of us and tried to lick first me, then Isabella. Tears streamed down both our faces. As soon as she was freed, Isabella clung to me. I pulled her into my lap, and we cried with relief at being safe. Then we nervously laughed at Sweet Pea’s antics before more tears came unbidden.
I looked up at Grandmother, who smiled with relief to see us together and safe. I glanced at Redmond lying on the ground. He wasn’t moving, and I couldn’t see him breathing. My god, had I killed him? Was I going to save Isabella only to have killed Redmond? I abruptly got up and moved closer to his body at the same time Nica raced toward us and threw herself at Isabella. I heard Mike and Coyote behind her. My heart pounded with fear, and as they neared Redmond, I asked in a tremulous voice, “Is he dead?”
Coyote kicked him, and I burst into fresh tears of gratitude when I heard him groan. I heard Nica crying and asked, “Sweetheart, why are you crying?”
“Because she’s my sister-friend,” she said simply.
The two of them were holding onto each other. Those simple words made everything clear, and I knew exactly what I needed to do about Isabella’s situation … if only Maria would agree.
CHAPTER 21
As the men stood over Redmond, Coyote looked at me, curious. “How did you know it was Redmond who had Isabella and that he’d be here?”
“What Mike had said about Isabella being at the house made me wonder—had I missed something? When I looked inside the shed and saw Isabella’s bracelet, I knew what had happened. Isabella had promised me she’d always wear it for protection, so I knew she’d left it as a clue. There were only two men who’d been in that shed—Redmond and the neighbor. We already knew it wasn’t the neighbor, so it had to be Redmond.”
“Why at the pueblo? Why here?”
“It’s the place he’d be the most comfortable and feel the most protected.”
Coyote nodded in agreement and didn’t need me to explain why it was this particular spot. I breathed a sigh of relief.
Mike came forward and crushed me to him. “Rosie, am I ever going to be able to not worry about you?”
I had to admit that was an interesting question—one I’d have to ponder later. For now, I simply whispered back, “I love you too.”
Grandmother was exhausted and ready to go home. I gathered the girls in my arms and kissed each little face enough times to make them giggle. Then I tilted Isabella’s head up and looked deep into her eyes. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
Her eyes held mine. “In so many ways, Mama.”
Isabella’s wisdom and her choice of words continued to surprise me. Who was this precious soul? I thought of how strangely amazing it was for her to have come from her family in Mexico and endured what she had in order to find me in Las Vegas so that we could clear up old karma. How powerful the universe was with all its synchronicities!
I smelled my grandmother’s perfume all around me, and I felt her love. “I love you too, Gram,” I whispered. I took hold of Grandmother’s arm and helped her back down the hill as she leaned against me. We left Coyote and Mike to deal with Redmond, and this time he was in serious trouble—more than stealing food and camping out in my shed. I had a feeling he would be instrumental in solving much of the mystery behind some of the child trafficking in Santa Fe.
When we got to Grandmother’s house, I helped Grandmother into the large comfortable chair in the living room and went into the kitchen to put the kettle on. We all were going to have a special tea that Grandmother had waiting for us. It was a mixture of lavender and other herbs that would calm and relax us after such a harrowing time. I got out some of her homemade cookies and put them on a plate in the center of the kitchen table.
When the tea had steeped, I called the others into the kitchen. I smiled as I watched Nica hover over Isabella, not wanting her out of her sight. After a few cookies and sips of tea, both of the girls settled down. When Isabella asked whether Nica could spend the night, I knew she was on the mend.
The girls excused themselves and left Grandmother and me so we could talk. Sensing something on my mind, she asked. “So what are you thinking, my daughter?”
I began to explain what I was planning to do with Isabella. By the end, she seemed pleased and nodded in satisfaction.
“Are you going to be okay, Grandmother, if we leave now?” I asked, concerned.
“Go, my daughter. You have much to do,” she urged.
I kissed her. “I love you, my dear mother.”
“And I, you, Little Bird.”
I called the girls to come. Nica had her overnight bag in one hand; her other hand clutched Isabella’s. I’d have to make sure to talk to both of them both about what’d happened so they could move forward. Isabella seemed ahead of Nica with regard to that—probably because of all she’d endured in earlier times.
When we got home, the girls raced into Isabella’s room with Sweet Pea at their heels. I immediately went into the kitchen to make my calls. I made an appointment with Nancy. I’d rudely hung up on her, and I wanted to at least give her the opportunity to tell me about the house. Then I called Maria, and we agreed to meet the next afternoon when her sister would be able to babysit the kids. I’d pick her up, and we’d come back to the rental house, where we’d have the space to talk in private. I’d ask Mike if he’d be willing to entertain the girls, and I was pretty sure he’d agree.
Mike arrived home a while later. He held me close. “I love you, Rosie.”
“I love you too, Mike.”
Mike handed me an Amaretto and soda and pushed me forward. “Let’s go out on the deck, Rosie, and relax. We have a lot to discuss.”
“Not tonight, please. It’s going to have to wait until morning.” There was so much I wanted to tell Mike, but I was in no shape to do it then.
“I see how tired you are, baby. We’ll just relax tonight then we can talk in the morning, all right?”
I smiled at him. “Thanks.”
We sat back in our chairs, and soon the girls wandered out with Sweet Pea, who immediately slid under my chair for a nap. I think she was as tired as the rest of us. Isabella sat at the foot of Mike’s lounge chair, while Nica sat on mine. “What’s up, girls?” I asked.
Isabella said, “Can we order pizza in tonight, Mama?”
I chuckled. “You’re a girl after my heart. Yes, we’ll order pizza. Bring paper and pen so we can all choose what we want.”
Isabella raced from her seat and hollered, “See, I told you so, Nica.”
