HANDS on their weapons, Rafa and Genie jogged up to Flores Cera’s residence. “I’ll take the front; you go around back,” Genie ordered.
Rafa obeyed. Covering the back was a good plan considering Diego had a habit of running. Right before turning the corner to the back of the house, a black sedan rolled by at a speed far lower than the limit. Rafa couldn’t make out the driver through the heavily tinted windows. From the shadows against the house, he watched as the car continued down the street, and decided it was nothing. He had to get to the back door before Genie knocked on the front. If Diego escaped, they might never have another chance at him.
He heard Genie shout, “Police, open up.” The sounds of hurried footsteps across the floorboards grew louder and Rafa pulled his weapon. The back door opened with a yank.
“Going somewhere, Cera?” Rafa’s voice was deadly calm.
Diego stopped at the sight of the 9mm.
“We’ve been looking all over for you.” He peered past Diego to his sister, her eyes wide with fright. “Good evening, Flores. Why don’t you open the front door for my partner and we can all have a nice chat.”
Flores nodded. She hurried toward the front door. Rafa’s gaze came back to Diego’s. He licked his dry lips. “Diego, are you going to let me in?” With a look of resignation, Diego backed up. Rafa holstered his weapon and entered the house. A few minutes later, Diego and his sister were seated on the living room sofa, with Rafa and Genie standing opposite them, a few feet away.
“Diego Cera?” Genie asked. The man responded with a nod, his eyes on the floor. Genie came around the tall back of an overstuffed chair and sat down. She leaned forward a bit to try to close the distance between her and the siblings, creating physical rapport. “You’ve been effectively nonexistent for the past few days, Mr. Cera, so I can assume you’ve heard about your girlfriend, Maribol Canales.”
Diego nodded again, and Rafa detected pain across his downcast features. He didn’t do it. He wasn’t part of the Snakes, but he knew something.
“I need you to tell me your whereabouts on that night between four p.m. and nine p.m.” Diego’s head shot up at Genie’s assertion he had something to do with her murder. He opened his mouth but paused before he spoke.
“I didn’t kill her,” his voice cracked. He put a hand over his eyes and his shoulders shook from emotion.
Flores laid a hand on his back and whispered encouragement in his ears. Her sharp eyes darted from Genie to Rafa. “My brother didn’t do anything. Can’t you see he’s in pain?”
“Ms. Cera, we need to hear from your brother,” Rafa responded. He reached inside his windbreaker and pulled out a note. He tossed it onto the table in front of the siblings. “Did you send this message to Genie?”
He nodded.
“Why?”
“I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt!”
“Please!” Flores interrupted. “He didn’t do anything!”
“Ms. Cera, por favor,” Rafa replied.
Her gaze wavered and she whispered again to her brother. Genie tactfully remained silent.
Diego ran a shaky hand through his short, dark hair. His eyes were pools as he stared up at them. “You don’t understand.”
“Then explain it to us, Diego,” Genie urged. “Help us understand. Where were you?”
“I can’t say anything.” He shook his head vigorously.
“Diego, you aren’t helping matters.”
“Please, I… I can’t!” His wide eyes went from her to Rafa and then back to Genie. “They will know.” He emphasized every word.
“Who will know?” Rafa leaned forward.
“Don’t you have to read him his rights?” Flores stood, her face indignant. “I didn’t hear you say he was under arrest.”
Genie quickly stepped forward, putting her hands up. “Ms. Flores…”
“Sit down, Flores,” Diego ordered. “They’re going to find out one way or the other.”
Rafa heard defeat in his voice. Flores frowned, taking her seat by his side, her hands wringing her short jeans skirt.
Diego’s gaze shifted between the three. “I’m already dead. They know, and I can’t do anything about it.”
“Once again Diego, who knows?” Genie pressed.
The house suddenly went dark. Flores screamed.
“Quiet!” Genie said in a loud whisper. Rafa darted to the front window. He carefully pulled back the shades just enough to see out.
“Lights are on across the street.” He pulled his weapon and heard Genie do the same.
“I’ll check out the back.” She darted away before Rafa could protest.
“What’s happening?” Flores’ shaky voice filled the silence.
“Are any windows open in this place?” Rafa crossed the foyer to another window in the dining room. After making sure it was secured, he returned to the living room.
“No, none. The ones upstairs are closed,” Flores responded.
“Okay, keep quiet and stay low to the floor,” Rafa commanded. Both Diego and Flores slid off the sofa and onto the floor.
“It’s them. The Snakes,” Diego’s muffled voice came from the floor.
“¡Dios mío, ayudalos!” Flores cried.
“¡Silencio!” Rafa ordered. Flores whimpered and Diego whispered in Spanish to soothe her.
Genie emerged. “I couldn’t see anything out back. It’s possible the circuit breaker just tripped.”
“No, it’s them,” Diego countered. He raised his head. “They’ve been following me for days. I would’ve left town but,” he stared at his sister, who kept her head in her hands on the floor, “I couldn’t leave my sister.” She shook as his hand rubbed her back for support.
“I’ll check the circuit breaker.” Rafa moved from the window. “Flores, where is it?”
She steadied herself and looked up. Her voice shook. “In the basement.” She raised an unsteady hand and pointed. “You can get there through the kitchen.”
Rafa pulled a small flashlight from his jacket and started for the kitchen. He paused in front of Genie, his eyes searching hers. “Are you going to be alright?”
“Sure,” she whispered back. “But hurry.”
“Not afraid of the dark, are you?” he teased, and stepped into the kitchen. He turned on the flashlight and scanned the room for the door leading to the basement. A loud crash of glass coming from the front of the house stopped his entrance. Before he could turn back, the back door smashed open. A dark figure came rushing through and collided with Rafa. They fell hard to the floor. As he struggled with his attacker, he heard Flores screaming and Genie shouting. Then he heard the sound of gunfire.
Rafa deflected an arm jab, not taking the chance a blade would be at the end of it. He landed a solid blow to the chin and a grunt followed. Rafa rolled on top and fisted the man’s face again. In the blink of an eye, the moonlight revealed a flash of metal springing up from the floor. Rafa grabbed the wrist and pounded it into the floor until the knife slid out of the hand. Rafa’s left fist made contact with the intruder’s face and the man groaned. When he lay still on the floor, Rafa jumped up and sped to the front room, where he saw Genie struggling to get up from the floor.
“Are you alright?” He pulled her up quickly. He saw her wince in pain and rub her chest.
“Yes, I think so.” Her voice shook with doubt. “Where is Diego?”
Suddenly the rest of the room came into focus. His ears picked up Flores’ crying and his eyes only saw the three of them in the room. “Stay here.” He pulled out a set of handcuffs. When he reached the kitchen, the man on the floor was gone, and so was the knife.