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Evelyn said, “My youngest daughter took them to her house. She has a nice little place in north Glendale. She’s a teacher, so doesn’t work weekends. They’re going to have a girls’ day, then they’ll stay over there. I wanted Sophia to go as well, but she didn’t want to. I’ll be vigilant.”
“Please do. One sighting, call 9-1-1.”
“I will.”
I didn’t want to leave them, but there wasn’t much I could do here. Plus, I had to work at the bar tonight. Still, I checked all her windows and doors, and gave Evelyn a few security tips that she seemed to appreciate.
Torn about leaving Sophia, I promised to check in later. I left and drove to the Orozco’s restaurant.
Millie was her usual warm self and told me everything I already knew about the robberies, but it was relaxing to hear her talk about identifying the “little hoodlums” as she said, and how the police were finally taking the robberies seriously. I thought that the police had always taken them seriously, but between the randomness of the targets and lack of evidence, it wasn’t really their fault they didn’t catch them until now.
My phone vibrated and I excused myself. It was Villines.
“Well, we found something interesting. The note left at your house last night had prints on it. They match the Paradise Valley burglaries.”
“Don Cruz,” I said.
“They are technically unknown, but I’m working on it. I have several cops talking to your neighbors, getting security footage, and as soon as I get a match on the vehicle that fled your neighborhood last night, I’ll have probable cause to talk to him.”
“Assuming the vehicle matches Don’s car.”
“Javier Escobar doesn’t have a driver’s license, so if your theory is right, it’s most likely Don who was driving.”
“Good,” I said.
“Keep your head down. This threat seems to be coming from left field, but that could be because they’re panicking.”
“Roger that.”
“I’m serious, Margo. I got a call from your brother this morning.”
“I wish he hadn’t,” I moaned.
I ended the call, tried to tell Millie I didn’t need food, but she fixed me a lunch burrito to go. “You have been working so hard,” Millie said. “Take it, eat it when you have time. It’s good.”
“I know it’s good. You’re the best.” I kissed her cheek and headed to my car. My phone rang again. I’d never been this popular before.
I put the bag on the seat next to me and answered the phone. “Hi, Andy, you got my messages?”
“Yes. Sergio still hasn’t contacted the court, and he hasn’t even spoken to his lawyer. I gently prodded her, but she’s expecting to go into a plea negotiation hearing on Monday.”
“Sergio isn’t going to say a word until he knows his brother and sister are safe,” I said. “But it might be a moot point, if Barrios can nail Javier for the Cactus Stop murder.”
“You said Henry is a witness. I can’t ask around without making George suspicious of my involvement, but do you think the police are following through on that?”
“Yes,” I said. “Barrios took Sophia’s statement, and that coupled with the identification on Villines’s robbery case, and I think they’ll track him down. If they talk to him without Javier or any of his friends around, I think he’ll do the right thing.” I was fifty-fifty on that. I didn’t know Henry Diaz. I wanted to believe that he would put family above his friendship with Javier, but I couldn’t count on it. “Do you know if Barrios has already talked to the teens?”
“Like I said, I have to be careful,” Andy said. “I know she went to the house last night around dinner. The boys were there, and the mom put up major obstacles. They denied they did anything and the mom sent her away. Barrios is working on getting a warrant. Apparently, she’s working with Villines who has some evidence from one of the robberies, but I don’t have the details.”
That was interesting, I thought. Was it the IDs from the businesses? Prints? A camera shot that matched one of them?
Andy said, “The younger boys are wards of the state, so it’ll be a process.”
“But?” I pushed.
“Once she gets the warrant, she can separate and interrogate them. The two wards will have court-appointed advocates. Javier is seventeen, so she can question him as an adult. His mother or an attorney can be present, but she’ll formally question him on Monday. She’s also working on a petition to remove Henry and Bruno from the home, but that’ll only work if there’s a place for them to go. It might be juvenile detention.”
I winced. Not the best option, but if I was right—and I thought I was—they were accessories to murder. Maybe a few nights locked up would compel them to cooperate.
