Chapter Twenty-Four

It was my fault that Millie and Homer had landed on Don Cruz’s radar. I’d made a tactical error.

I had suspected Don had memorized my address from my license the first time I went to the Cactus Stop. Maybe he thought to rob me, maybe he thought I was cute, I have no idea. But it had crossed my mind...and then I dismissed it.

Idiot, I thought.

It bothered me greatly that my actions had put my family in danger. That Don had followed me and I didn’t notice. That he had targeted me and I’d been unaware until it was almost too late.

My instincts were off. I’d been so caught up in my own brilliance at solving both strings of robberies that I hadn’t seen the threat right in front of me. What did that say about my PI skills?

Yet, I did solve the robberies and the Paradise Valley burglaries. I was able to help Sophia and Evelyn Edgar, and while her house would need a lot of work, the firefighters were able to save the structure. Javier Escobar was in custody, and there was a good chance that Sergio would be out of jail tomorrow. A killer was caught and an innocent man would soon be set free. That had to mean something.

On Saturday, I’d given my statement to the police, then to Detective Barrios, then I met with Andy and told him everything I knew. He wouldn’t have to be proactive, because Barrios had hinted to me that she was re-opening the Cactus Stop investigation. Andy’s clandestine investigation would remain a secret. Scotty covered for me at the bar. I told him I owed him big, but he said nope, he could use the extra money. I needed sleep, but after all the statements and talking to Jack to assure him I was okay, I didn’t get home until nearly midnight.

After church on Sunday, I went to my parents’ house. I didn’t care that I was hours early for dinner, I wanted to be with my family.

My dad hugged me as soon as I walked into the house. “Jack told us what happened. Why didn’t you call?”

I shrugged, but happily accepted my dad’s hug. I didn’t realize how much I needed it.

He led me into the great room where Luisa was making sandwiches. “Hi, Margo. Want a turkey sandwich?”

“That’d be great, thanks.”

Mom was in the backyard talking on her cell phone, involved in a heated conversation with someone.

Jack was there, but not Austin. “Where’s my nephew?” I said. “I need an Austin hug.”

“Home. He has a cold. Sit.”

“I’m fine. Really.” But I sat on the couch because while I was physically fine, I was grumpy. I had tried to get answers yesterday after I gave my statement, but neither Villines nor Barrios were chatty. Maybe they wouldn’t know until after all the interviews and evidence was sorted out. But I hoped Sergio’s ill-conceived confession wouldn’t prevent him from gaining custody of his siblings.

“I talked to Homer last night,” my dad said, sitting next to me on the couch.

“It’s my fault that Don Cruz targeted them,” I said.

“Bullshit,” Jack said and handed me one of the porters Mom had bought for me. He tapped the neck of his Coors Light to my bottle, and we both drank.

“Thanks,” I said. I stared at the bottle. “Cruz had my address. I was stupid and bought beer from him. He carded me and I didn’t think twice about it. I didn’t notice he followed me. What kind of PI doesn’t pay attention to who’s on the street?”

“You don’t know that he followed you,” Jack said.

Dad said, “Homer told me Millie has been spending time with Julia Henderson and the other robbery victims. It would have been just as easy—easier—for the thieves to have seen and followed her.”

They were trying to make me feel better. Maybe they were right.

“I need more training,” I said. “I can’t do this if I put other people in danger.”

“You saved Sophia’s life,” Jack said. “Pat yourself on the back.”

I grunted, sipped my beer.

“I’ll do it for you,” Dad said and patted me on the back.

That made me smile.

Mom came in and said, “Well!” She went to the refrigerator and poured herself a large glass of white wine, then joined us on the couch. “Arizona Legal Services is now representing Sergio Diaz. We’ll have him out of jail tomorrow. And I suspect the charges will be dropped quickly.”

I blinked. “What? That fast? Barrios only said they were reopening the investigation.”

“I’ve been working on this since you first talked to me. He’ll have to make a statement about what he knows, formally recant his confession, and there may be some repercussions, but I think we can make it go away. The most important thing is that we clear his name so he can be reunited with his sister. Rita is going to help him through the process to gain custody. She and that girl you put me in contact with. Faith Jones has detailed notes about every step of the process thus far, and Rita says if I can clear him, she’ll help him get custody of Sophia.”

“What about Henry?” I asked.

“He’s in a great deal of trouble,” Mom said. “Rita is taking his case. She’s better versed in juvenile court issues than I am. He’s already talked and given detailed information about Greg Rodriguez’s murder, about how Javier wore Sergio’s hoodie intentionally wanting to frame him. Javier was obsessed with Sophia and believed that if Sergio wasn’t around, Sophia would turn to him.”

“Sergio said Javier threatened to hurt Sophia, which is why he confessed.”

“Henry was there, witnessed the threat.”

“And went along with it?” Dad said.

Mom shook her head sadly. “He’s an angry, troubled teenager, but I think the last few days have shown him who he should trust—and who he shouldn’t. He’ll be in detention for a while, and I don’t think the court will grant Sergio custody of Henry, at least not immediately, but it may happen if Henry keeps his nose clean.”

“That’s great news,” I said. Henry had made mistakes and needed to own up to them.

I’d made mistakes, too. Yet, I’d not only helped exonerate an innocent man, but also reunited Sergio and Sophia—and my mom and Aunt Rita were helping keep them together. That mattered.

Mom said, “I talked to Antonio Perez this morning and we’re going to work on moving Sergio and Sophia to another community, in case there is any fallout. Javier is a minor, and I don’t know how long he’ll be in custody. Even with Henry’s statement that Javier killed Rodriguez, I don’t know if they’ll try him as an adult. He won’t walk away from the attack on Sophia and Evelyn Edgar, but how long he’ll get is up in the air. Javier is a troubled young man and I think removing Sophia from his sphere is wise. Antonio has a Taco House north of 101, in Norterra. He’ll send Sergio there, and with the Kinship Caregiver allowance, Sergio should be able to afford an apartment in the same area.”

“Mom—I told you that you can move mountains. Thank you.”

“I wouldn’t have known there were mountains to move if you hadn’t pointed them out to me,” she said with a smile. She leaned over and touched my hand. “Margo, you did good.”

Her praise meant everything to me. Here I was, twenty-five, still needing my family’s approval. Maybe I always would. “Thanks, Mom.”

Mom’s phone rang again and she stepped out.

I’d solved two separate robberies and a homicide and I felt good about it. But I still had much to learn.

I wanted to learn. I might not have the experience yet, but I have the desire.

I wanted to help people like Sergio—people who didn’t have anyone else to help them. I was good at the puzzle, at looking at a wide canvas and making connections where others didn’t.

It would take time to build my business, and I’d probably have to take cases I didn’t want. I might have to work for a divorce lawyer to make ends meet. There was a lot of money there, enough where I could take cases like Sergio’s for free—or mostly free. Maybe I should look at it from another angle: taking a variety of cases would help me hone my instincts to become a better investigator.

I could work at Flannigan’s until I had enough income coming in that I didn’t need the regular check. I didn’t know how long it would take, but I hoped by the end of the year I would be able to support myself full-time as a PI.

“You okay, sis?” Jack asked.

I nodded. “For the first time, I don’t have doubts.”

“About?”

“My decision to be a PI.”

“Good.”

I tilted my head. “What does that mean?”

“It means you were meant to do this—you were the only one who didn’t see it.”

I might not know where this path would take me, but it was the journey that was important.

Life is a journey. For the first time in a long, long time, I knew I was on the right path.

It wasn’t solving the robberies—or even a murder—that gave me this deep sense of satisfaction and pride. It was how, without me and other people who cared, like Andy and Detective Villines and even Detective Barrios, an innocent man may have gone to prison. A family could have been destroyed forever. I couldn’t fathom how I would feel if this had happened to my family, if someone confessed to a crime they didn’t commit to protect the Angelharts.

I hoped I would never find out.