Page 4 of Four Cards Exposed

“Since it became known Guerrero was getting out of prison, we’ve been watching him closely. Three days ago, he received a letter, containing this.”

Lorraine brought out a picture of a bright red and black folded paper snake and placed it next to the two photographs of the young woman.

“What’s that?”

Lorraine nodded. “It’s a coral snake—coralillo, they call it in Mexico.” Lorraine’s Spanish accent reminded Susan that, like herself, the other woman also had Mexican roots. “It’s a deadly snake—and the symbol of the Mendoza Cartel. We think it means somebody’s going to reach out to him when he gets out.”

“And what does—uh—what did the dead girl have to do with this?”

“With the Mendoza Cartel? Absolutely nothing. With Daniel Guerrero? Everything.” Lorraine’s dark eyes met hers across the table. “Milena Rojas was the sister of a low-life criminal who just happened to be Guerrero’s roommate, and who died in prison last year after an incident with another inmate … an incident where he happened to save Guerrero’s life.”

Susan touched her temples gently. This wasn’t helping her headache. “So what … Guerrero feels he owes this guy’s sister, or something?”

“He started writing to her a couple of months ago, when he learned he was getting out. He’s convinced her to move from Texas to Maine. He told her he would take care of her. That’s why she was in the motel in Redham. She was waiting for him to get out of prison.”

Finally, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

“Guerrero doesn’t know she’s dead.”

“No.”

“And he’s never met her in person.”

“No. She sent him a picture of herself, though. This picture,” Lorraine said, tapping her finger on the left-most picture, the one where Milena was alive and smiling.

“So you’re thinking …” Susan’s voice trailed off. She already knew what Lorraine was thinking, but a part of her needed the federal agent to come out and say it.

“I won’t beat around the bush, Susan. You’ve seen how alike the two of you look. You know why I’m here, and what I’m asking.”

Susan licked her suddenly dry lips. “But even if I wanted to, I don’t know anything about their relationship. How could I convince him that—“

“We’ve been through Guerrero’s phone records. They’ve never spoken on the phone, only by letter. And we have all the letters he wrote to her, which we recovered from her motel. We also have copies of the letters Milena wrote to Guerrero. He threw away the originals, but the prison’s mail facility copies all mail that’s not considered privileged. So you’d have access to those as well.”

“I’m not an FBI agent, Lorraine … I’m a sheriff’s officer in a small town. I don’t have any undercover experience.”

She wondered if the excuse sounded as lame to others as it did to her own ears.

“Don’t you think I know all that?” Lorraine’s voice was laced with discomfort.

“Of course you do. I wasn’t your first choice, was I?”

“It’s too late to find anyone else. Guerrero is getting out of prison two days from now. Milena will either be there to meet him, or she won’t.”

Susan took a sip of her now cold coffee and watched as Lorraine carefully placed the photos back inside her bag. A part of her wanted to walk out and go back to her parking tickets. But she also knew that wasn’t going to solve her problems—there was no going back to who she’d been before her near-death experience. If she kept going as she had been, she’d continue to feel smothered by Natalie’s and Rob’s concern. Every night, she’d struggle to go to sleep, and wake up exhausted, wondering if this was all her life would ever be.

Susan thought of her mother, who always insisted that things happened for a reason. Maybe her resemblance to Milena was a sign—the chance to do something bigger with her life.

Or maybe you’re losing your mind, and saying yes will kill you faster than lack of sleep could.

“I’ll read the letters tonight, Lorraine. That’s all I can promise.” Susan held out her hand, knowing those letters would be inside the federal agent’s bag.

“That’s all we can ask. Thank you, Susan.”

As she stood up, Lorraine handed her a thick folder, which Susan placed on the table in front of her. She sat there, nursing that cold cup of coffee, long after Lorraine had left, not quite willing to open the folder and start reading.

2

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