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I was about to expose myself and try to de-escalate, when Javier said, “Okay, I have an idea.”
I backed away again, because he sounded hopeful, and if he thought he could escape, that bought me a little time.
Javier seemed to have forgotten Evelyn was in the room. He walked past her to the kitchen. If he had looked down the hall, he would have seen me, but he was focused on Sophia, who he still clutched hard to his side. As soon as they were out of view, I motioned for Evelyn to come toward me. She crawled slowly, trying not to attract attention. I whispered into my phone, “One hostage going out rear window,” then nodded to her and motioned down the hall.
She understood, pulled herself up off the floor, and walked briskly to her room.
One down, one to go.
“Yes!” Javier shouted, excited.
“Stop it, Javier! Please,” Sophia begged.
I couldn’t see them and moved down the hall toward the front of the house. Looking around the corner and through the dining room, I saw Javier grabbing bottles and rags from under the sink.
“We’ll just create this diversion, see? Then we’ll run away and be together. Sophia, from the minute I saw you I knew it was you and me forever.”
He turned on the gas stove and put paper towels and rags on the flames. What the hell was he doing? He poured something liquid on the burners.
An explosion rocked the kitchen.
I ran forward as Sophia stumbled from the kitchen, coughing, her hair smoking. I grabbed her and pushed her to the carpet, covering her body, not knowing if she was on fire or if Javier was going to shoot her in the back.
The front door crashed open and I stayed down. Smoke filled the house and I didn’t know if the whole place was going to explode, or just the kitchen. Suddenly, big hands grabbed me, pulled me to my feet, half pushed, half carried me outside. From my clouded vision, I saw another man pick up Sophia and follow us. I held on to him, unable to see through the smoke, as we ran outside. As soon as I was on the porch, I stumbled and another cop picked me up and carried me down the stairs.
“I can walk,” I said while coughing.
But the cop didn’t put me down until we were on the street, behind a police car. The other rescuer put Sophia down next to me. She clutched me and I held her tight.
“What happened?” Villines was saying to me. My ears were still ringing and I could barely hear him. I gratefully accepted his water bottle, then coughed, clearing my throat.
“He—Javier—was doing something with the stove,” I said. “He said a diversion.”
Villines looked to the front of the house. Four cops brought out Javier. His face was blistered and black, his clothes smoldering, but he was very much alive.
I leaned back and closed my eyes. He was alive, but he would be spending many years in prison.
“You’re safe,” I told Sophia.
“What’s going to happen?”
“Justice.”
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.
