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“No doubt about it,” Zé replies. “The only question is who was sending us a message. It seems a bit tame to be a warning from the upper echelon of a trafficking ring.”
“It does. Although there are probably a dozen layers between the bastards we caught last night and the kingpin. We’ll need extra security tonight. I want those streets cordoned off as soon as possible. Let the police know to expect it.”
“What do you want me to tell them?”
“That we’re taking extra precautions because of what happened last night. You know what? You focus on collecting evidence. Let Xavier get the place ready for tonight. I’ll talk to the police.” Zé has enough to do. Besides, I can call the captain directly, and he’ll put his officers on notice. It’s more efficient this way. “I’ll be there within the hour.”
“Last night was long and brutal. Why don’t you stay home and relax tonight?”
“Why don’t you do your job, and let me do mine?” I end the call before Zé can nag me like a fishwife. Before I speak to the police, I need to let Antonio know what happened. He can decide whether security should be tightened at Huntsman Lodge as well.
* * *
“Rafael,” Arturo, the Porto police chief, says, “your ears must have been burning. I just told my deputy that I was going to call you.”
“We have it under control. It might have been a faulty starter. My people are all over it.”
“I’m sorry about the explosion, but that’s not why I want to talk to you. The three suspects that were arrested at Sirena last night are dead.”
A cold shiver runs up my spine. Dead? All three, already? Misha—just eighteen years old. What a waste. Fortunately, we got her sister and mother out of Romania last night. Someone needs to tell them she’s dead.
“What happened?”
“Sometime this morning, while the Intelligence Service and Interpol were fighting in front of a judge about who should have custody of those assholes, they were murdered. Possibly before.”
“How?”
“The woman was strangled, one of the men had a broken neck, and the other took a shiv to the kidney. All died in their cells. They didn’t even bother to make any of it look like an accident.”
Ballsy as fuck. “You’re sure it’s not just a rumor before moving them to a safe house location where they can assist in catching the bigger fish?”
“I can’t speak to the woman. But I have a close friend who works at the men’s prison. He saw the aftermath with his own eyes. Somebody didn’t want them to talk.”
Somebody with a lot of power. “By the time they were questioned and processed, it must have been daybreak before they got into a cell. Two separate facilities. It’s not easy to pull off something like that without inside help.”
“Someone tipped them off, and they were waiting for them to get there. And by they, I don’t mean inmates. I mean guards. It’s the only way it could have gone down so quickly. I’ll let you know what else I hear.”
“One more thing, Arturo. Given what happened last night, and now this news, I want to cordon off the streets around Sirena, starting this afternoon.” We’ve done this before, although not during the day. “We’ll make sure it’s not a huge inconvenience for anyone who lives in the neighborhood. It’s for their protection too.”
“I think it’s better to be safe than sorry, even if it aggravates some of the neighbors. I’ll let my people know.”
“Thanks, Arturo. Keep me apprised. I’ll do the same.”
I toss my phone aside and sit back in the chair, my heart pounding like a son of a bitch. There’s no doubt that Lexie’s in danger. Francesca Russo too. I’ll contact her father on the way to Sirena.
I pick up my desk phone and buzz Noelia. “Make sure Valentina is en route to Porto. Keep me updated.”
My plan to take Lexie out to dinner, someplace neutral where we could talk without emotion getting the best of the conversation, just became take-in. Even with tight security, I won’t take her to a public place.
I glance at the time. I need to get to Sirena.
A Molotov cocktail that bounced off bulletproof glass to cause minimal damage doesn’t seem like a message from the people who ordered a successful hit on three high-profile inmates in federal custody.
The truth is, there are a number of people who would want to cause trouble for anyone named Huntsman. While we enjoy the support of much of the valley, including Porto, we also have a lot of enemies. It might be a competitor who heard about last night and wants to kick us while we’re down, or it could be someone who’s angry about the new direction Premier is taking. If only it were that simple.
I send Giana, Sabio, and Carlos a message on my way out: No mistakes.
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