No Good Deed...Part XIV

[Robbie C.]

Ricardo Tubbs was fighting back a yawn as he pulled out of the parking lot at Caitlin’s House. He’d been held late going through more personnel files, and all he could do is hope Mindy didn’t try to kill him when he walked through the door. The new security measures were necessary, but they were eating up his time in a way he hadn’t expected.

Cranking up the A/C to wick some of the sweat off his Armani suit, Rico hummed along with the James Brown CD in the car’s stereo and tapped his fingers to the beat on the wheel as he made his way through the early evening traffic. He tried to console himself by thinking it wasn’t really that late, and odds were she wouldn’t be pissed at all. Shaking his head, he turned off the expressway. He was more disappointed with himself for not getting done on time than anything else. Mindy would just be happy to see him.

The ride from the garage to the penthouse seemed to take forever, but he never minded. The view alone was worth however long it took, and one thing he hoped about impending fatherhood was that they didn’t have to move. Casa Cooper wasn’t short on space, but he wasn’t sure if Mindy would want to raise a child in an apartment. Even if it was bigger than many of the houses they drove by on the way to work every day. He was still chasing that little thought in his head when he unlocked the door and walked in.

She was waiting for him just behind the entryway, her slender body covered by a couple of pieces of lace and nothing else. “I wasn’t sure what to make for dinner, so I just set the buffet.” She smiled and did a quick twirl. “I won’t be long before I can’t fit into this, and I wanted to see how it looked.”

“Spectacular.” He set down his briefcase and rubbed his bearded chin with his thumb and forefinger, acting like he was conducting an appraisal. “And I do mean spectacular. You know what that blue against those freckles does to me, Mindy.”

“Yes, and I love what you do to me when I wear it.” She giggled. “Don’t you think you should search me, Mister Head of Security, before we go any further? I might have hidden weapons.”

Later she looked down at him with her bright blue eyes, her thick red hair soaked with sweat and draping around her face and shoulders. “I wasn’t kidding about not knowing what to make for dinner.”

He could feel her chest pressing against him as they both struggled to get their breathing under control. “We can order in.” He grinned and kissed her forehead. “I think I can afford it just this once.”

She rolled off him and curled up in the crook of his arm, still smiling. “I think it’s my turn to buy. And it better be, ‘cause I’m craving Chinese. The Bamboo Wok to be precise.”

“Now that’s a hell of a specific craving, lady. It wouldn’t have anything to do with the delivery menu I saw on the counter when I came in?”

“Maybe. But I was hoping I’d distract you.”

“Oh, you did. But I’m a detective, remember? Or was one. I can watch two different things at once. Sometimes three if I had my coffee first. But no donuts. They go straight to my ass.”

“We can’t have that. I’m gonna be the one with the big ass in this family soon enough.” She pressed herself harder against him. “Are you scared?”

He thought, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess I am. A bit, anyhow. I like to think I ain’t no chump when it comes to bein’ a dad, but in the end who the hell knows. I just know we’re gonna try the best we can, an’ that’s all we can do.”

He felt her nod, her hair brushing across his shoulder with the movement. “I just hope he’s healthy, you know?”

“So you want a boy?”

“I don’t know. I thought you would.”

“Like you said, pretty lady, so long as the baby’s healthy. Boy, girl, don’t matter to me. Any kid that comes out of you is gonna be perfect, no matter what.”

“Now you’re just being silly.”

“No. I mean it.” He gave her a long squeeze. “But I’d better get that food ordered before they close down for the night.”

“It’s not that late.”

“No, but I could lie in bed with a beautiful naked redhead all damned night and then where would we be?” He turned his head to kiss her and then rolled out of bed. “I’ll get the menu. I’ll wear my robe so the driver don’t have a heart attack, but clothes for the lady are optional in this establishment.”

Almost an hour later Mindy looked up from her plate of Firecracker Shrimp and Rice. “I might pay for this later, but I absolutely love this stuff.”

Rico grinned as he worked his way through his own orange chicken. “That’s what? A double order? But you’re eating for two now so it’s cool.” He ducked as she tossed an unused plastic fork at his head. “And I mean you can eat however much of that whenever you want, dear.”

“Just wait until I actually get the cravings.” She smiled. “I’ll be sending you out at three in the morning for chocolate ice cream and pickle sundaes.”

“Dear God. Is that a thing?”

“It might be now.”

“Well, if that’s what it takes I’ll be rollin’ out in the wee hours looking for ice cream and pickles.” He smiled as he chewed another mouthful of sauce-coated chicken. “But you’d better get ready for work, too. Got a message from Nichole late today. They’re bringing another group in next week. At least four girls she said.”

“Makes sense. They have open beds from that group they graduated a couple of weeks back. Honestly I’m surprised she left them open that long.”

“Between the construction stuff and a lack of candidates she might not have had a choice.” Rico scratched his chin. “Gina said her old office had slowed down on screening since one of the girls was on vacation, and I know Catalina didn’t want to bring anyone in until the construction schedule was solid.”

“That sounds like Dr. Sanchez. She takes housing seriously.”

“And security, which Nichole forgets about sometimes.”

“Thanks for saying something, though. I’ll get started on getting the rooms ready first thing.”

“Solid.” Rico finished his chicken and licked the plastic fork clean. “I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna go take in some of that night air. Supposed to be a full moon tonight, and for once I don’t have to worry about some chump goin’ all crazy and ruining it for me.”

It wasn’t quite cool on the rooftop patio, but the light breeze felt good on his face. He’d left on the light silk robe just in case someone in one of the nearby buildings had a telescope and too much time on their hands, but he’d tied it loosely so the breeze could work its way in. He’d left Mindy finishing her shrimp, and he found he didn’t mind having the time alone to think.

A father! Who the hell would have thought that? He looked at the moon, a bright gold plate hanging in the sky, but didn’t really see it. Instead he saw his father’s face. Angelina’s. The hazy face of Rico Jr., the son he’d seen for a handful of minutes. It bothered hm that he couldn’t picture the boy’s face, and that Angelina’s was starting to fade as well. Any time he thought of them now he saw Mindy instead.

Down below he could hear traffic, an assortment of blowing horns, grumbling engines, and the occasional squeal of breaks as someone misjudged something. All punctuated by the high cry of sirens, each pitched differently so the trained ear could tell what was rolling. Paramedics, fire trucks, Miami-Dade squad cars. An entire symphony of first response. He smiled, realizing he missed it less and less with each passing day.

“I still listen to them, too.” Mindy slipped her arm around his waist. “Not like I used to, though.”

“Yeah. Funny how the Job matters until it doesn’t.” He shook his head. “There was a time I thought I couldn’t live without it. Then I met you and knew what I couldn’t live without.”

“Now you’re just being silly.”

“Naw, pretty lady. Honest.” He looked up at the sky again, picking out the brightest starts through the light reflected up by the city. Thin clouds drifted across the moon, and he smiled as he pulled her close.

Morning found them at their respective desks, Mindy working on the rooms after a quick kiss from Rico. He’d headed down to his office to sort through the staffing question of more patients. He knew he had enough guards, even with Sonny’s enhanced protocols, but he wanted to make sure the right guards were in the right places.

Rico had quickly learned a good part of his job was a balancing act. Making sure the right guards got in the right places. Arranging the routine so the girls didn’t feel like prisoners but were still kept under the kind of watch they needed. Shifting personnel and equipment as situations evolved. And constantly evaluating both the people and the threats they faced. From time to time one of the girls’ pimps tried to crash the gate, only to be hauled away in handcuffs. And once a girl had tried to escape, lured by the siren song of one of the pimps they’d run off two days before. He’d fired one guard early on for trying to smuggled drugs in for the one of the girls - the guy had been former Metro-Dade and was the source of the policy to never hire them. And it all had to be done on a tight budget. Balancing all around.

Like now. The renovations meant he had to shift personnel to keep an eye on the workers while still doing everything else. There was money for temporary help, but he knew he wouldn’t use it. You couldn’t screen temporary guards as well, and he never thought you got quality people for short-term deals. So he relied more on Stan and Lester’s gadgets for the perimeter work and moved people close in for patrols. And there were always at least two in close watching the workers themselves. He shook his head and stared at the scheduling spreadsheet open on his computer monitor. He’d done it before, and knew he’d have to do it again. But that didn’t always make it easier.

He was partway through the balancing act when Sonny came in, his eyes set in the Burnett stare. “How’s security looking?”

“Solid. Except for those new girls Nichole wants to bring in.” He raised a hand. “I know…no changing her mind. But it’ll stretch us a bit thinner than I’d like in terms of people on the fences. Stan’s new toys can fill most of that gap, but…”

“Yeah. We both like to have real people out there instead of cameras.” Sonny hooked one of the chairs and sat down, and Rico could see the tired lines around his eyes. “She hit me with that about the same time you found out, I think. I know it’s gotta be done, but I’d feel better if we waited until Phase I of the project was done at least.”

“And Catalina’s cool with all this?”

“Mindy’s smoothing it over with her right now. You’d think someone told her about our future guests.” Sonny grinned, but the Burnett distance was still in his eyes. “But yeah, she’ll be ok with it. We have empty beds, it doesn’t look good on the board reports and all that.”

“Solid. Now if we can just keep the chumps with hammers from hitting on the girls…”

“Have Tiny give them the talk.”

“I might do that. Hey, you want some coffee? You’re lookin’ beat.”

“Thanks. Yeah, it’s been one of those weeks, I guess.”

Rico just nodded as he poured them both coffee. He had a sneaking suspicion about what was bothering Sonny, but he wasn’t going to raise the subject. Talking about Vietnam with Sonny was a quick ride to nowhere. “Yeah. You’ve been busy, partner. That court case and all.”

Sonny rubbed his eyes and the Burnett distance disappeared. “Come on, Rico. We both know it ain’t that.” He sipped the coffee and grinned. “You convince Stan to give you his recipe?”

“Yeah.” Rico sat down with his own cup and waited. You couldn’t rush Sonny when he was in this kind of mood.

“You know what really bugs me, Rico? I miss it.” He looked down at his shoes. “I miss the damned action. Here I am, in love with the greatest lady in the word, livin’ on a damned boat, and all I can do is miss the action.”

“It’s allowed, Sonny. Hell, you been doin’ that since you were in high school. There’s some times I miss it, too, and then I remind myself about Isla de las Arenas Rojas. Then you can bet I don’t miss it no more.”

Sonny nodded. “Yeah. I damned near froze out there. With those Hueys and Moneybags and his boys going through those Unit 8 guys like they were nothing.” He shook his head and was quiet for a time. “You know, you’re right, Rico. That, and when that damned redneck arms dealer’s boys opened up on us with that .50. I miss it until I remember we were lucky as hell to be able to walk away from it.”

“Yeah. That’s how I look back at it. That and I see Tiny almost every day. Man is damned good reality check, let me tell you.” Rico shook his head to clear the memories away. Or at least push them into the back for another time. He changed the subject with a grin. “You in court again today?”

“Yeah.” The word was a snort. “Gary wants me there to set the stage for the jury or something. I told him there were better people to do that, but he insisted. Something about the grieving widower and his wife’s legacy I guess.”

“Solid.” Rico nodded. “He’s got it all down. Goes back to bein’ a cop, man. You always want ‘em to see the victim, and since they can’t see Caitlin you’re the next best thing.”

“I know, Tubbs. I know. I just hate digging all that stuff up is all.” He rubbed his eyes with his fingers. “I wasn’t at my best back then.”

“Let ‘em see that, partner. If you want these chumps to go down for what they did the jury’s gotta see that.” He paused. “Gary gonna have you blow your old cover?”

“Not if we can help it. He had a closed-door hearing with the judge late yesterday and it looks like we’ll be able to stick with Burnett unless their defense digs up something else. But I don’t think Haskell and Watkins ever knew I was a cop. Not directly, anyhow.”

“Well, you’d better get ready if you’re gonna go stick it to those chumps. We’ll be ready for those new patients, but I still ain’t comfortable with how it stretches us on the perimeter. I’ll make it work, though.” He was about to continue when the phone rang. “This is Tubbs. Yeah? Solid! Can you come down?” There was a smile on his face when he hung up. “That was Trudy. One of her old CIs got back to her about that reporter.”

“I’ll..”

“You’ll go get ready for court and do your damned job there. I’ll handle this, partner.”

Sonny raised his hands. “Ok! Ok! Color me gone, pal. And yeah, I’d better get before Trudy sees me and starts in, too.”

Trudy came in only a handful of minutes after Sonny left. “I can’t believe it, but Marco came through.” She was smiling, and Rico found himself smiling back. It was hard to resist Trudy when she was happy.

“You didn’t think he would?”

“You never know with CIs. Yeah, he’s from Overtown like me, but he took his turn and I took mine. Origin don’t always mean much then. But I think there’s something personal between him and that reporter, so he dug.” She sat down in the chair Crockett had occupied a short time before. “It’s not much, though.”

“Still more than we got now.” Rico put on his best street act. “So lay it on me, sister.”

“Call me sister again and I’ll lay something upside your head.” She smiled. “I think he was sitting on the info and just waited a day or two to string me along. Anyhow, there was this girl called Angel.”

“How original.”

“Yeah. Marco isn’t the creative type. Anyhow, she’d been working for him for a few months and then just sort of disappeared. He went looking and found her working with that punk Campbell. Turns out she was working as bait for him. Get the fancy dudes in compromising positions so he could take pictures to sell to those tabloids or maybe back to the fancy dudes.” She looked down at her notes, and Rico could see her face change just a bit. It was something you’d only notice if you really knew Trudy. “Marco said Campbell liked to smack her around some, too. That I’m not sure about, since Marco isn’t above smacking his girls up from time to time.”

“So you think this Marco tried to lean on Campbell and the white boy told him to pound sand?”

“Something like that. Marco’s a leach, but he’s not a tough guy. He got his limp trying to be one, and that kinda took the wind outa his sails. Turns out it didn’t much matter, though. She got busted in a hooker sweep a couple of weeks later. I think Marco dropped a dime on her to get her out of Jimmy’s reach.”

“If he can’t have her, no one else can.” Rico nodded slowly. “Makes sense in a hood kinda way.”

“I ran the alias. Turns out her real name is Angelina Francis. Seventeen year old runaway from Lexington, Kentucky. And part of the third group of girls to go through Caitlin’s House.”

“You don’t say. So you think he’s after the place because he lost his best lure?”

“Seems thin to me, too, Rico. But it’s what we have. Angelina went back to Kentucky after she finished the program and seems to be doing well. She still writes to Nichole from time to time.”

“I get the feeling that might be part of why he’s so hot to get to us, but it ain’t the whole story. If he was using her to set up blackmail photos there’s gotta be something on him somewhere.”

“I’ll try running it again, maybe cross-referencing with her now that we know her name. Between Mindy and me something might turn up.” She started to get up. “Assuming I can get her back from that Catalina woman.”

“Yeah. Gonna be busy around here soon.” Then he got an idea. “Hey, Trudy? I know you got the teaching thing and all, but you want to pick up some more extra cash? I could use someone who knows their way around this stuff to help run background checks and maybe a bit of security as well. I’d ask Mindy, but…”

“They’re gonna have her tied up with that other stuff. Her and Gina both.” Trudy paused for a second and nodded. “Sure, I can do that.”

“It shouldn’t be for long. A month at the most. Once that renovation is done I can move people around again.”

“I can do it as long as you need me.” She smiled. “It’ll give Marty some space, too. He’s…”

“Like Sonny. A warrior who doesn’t know when to slow down.” Rico grinned. “Sometimes I think it’s better just bein’ a regular cop. At least when you leave the Job you can turn it off.”

She stood there for a moment, looking at him with that penetrating Trudy look. “But do we really, Rico?” Then she was gone.

 

A gentle breeze blew across the wooden deck, ruffling Martin Castillo’s hair. Behind the dark sunglasses his eyes smiled, but nothing transferred itself to his face. He could hear the leaves rustling with the passing of the air, communicating to him in ways only someone who’d spent time in the jungle could understand.

Beside him Randy Mather cleared his throat. “Damned sand. How the hell does it get airborne so fast?” Castillo sensed rather than saw the other man turn. “And all you’ve got is a dream?”

“Yes. That and Jenny’s warning. You’re sure Dave doesn’t mind covering for you at this conference?”

“Yeah. It’s crowd control day, and that’s more his thing. Besides, I think he’s wanting to meet up with that nephew of his. Kid’s supposed to be in town.” Randy smiled. “Seems he took your advice and made a call. Figured I’d better make myself scarce for that meeting.” There was a pause. “I thought we tied up all the loose ends from the old days.”

“So did I. But now Ti Ti is saying otherwise.”

“And the Nung’s never been in the dreams before?”

“No.” Castillo didn’t mention he’d had another the night before. It was the same circular path through the jungle, but this time there were more tracers from behind the two men. “I understand if you don’t want to help.”

“Screw that.” Randy took a long pull at his glass of green tea. “I ever tell you I grew up around Indians? Blackfeet mostly, but there were some Crow and Northern Cheyenne running around, too. They put a lot of stock in dreams and all that. I ain’t one to ever discount a dream. An’ if that Nung’s in it that’s damned big medicine as they say.”

“You think so?”

“He’s the best warrior you ever knew? Then yeah, it’s a damned big deal. And even if I didn’t think so, I owe you. So you ask, I’m there.”

“I just wish I knew more.”

“Then let’s play damned detective. Or you play detective an’ I’ll play deputy marshal. They started what? Two, three weeks gone?”

Castillo nodded. “It was about the time Sonny said they started having trouble again with some reporter trying to get into Caitlin’s House.”

“So he’s part of it. But not the only part, since Ti Ti’s shown’ you more than one set of tracers. An’ they didn’t know him before, right? Then he’s a scout. Not the main enemy.” Castillo could imagine Randy’s pale blue eyes narrowing behind his own sunglasses. “And the paper he works for is one of them damned supermarket rags? With drug money behind it?”

“Yes. But this isn’t their style. A cartel, I mean.”

“Naw. These days they’d say to hell with consequences and just blow up his damned boat. Those two ain’t got no Feds with grudges in the woodshed, do they?”

“No. That was always me.”

“Yeah. You had a right interesting way of pissing off the big boys.” Randy’s lips twisted into a narrow smile. “Anyone they bust get out of jail recently?”

“Not that we know of. And before you ask, Sonny retired the Burnett cover. It could be someone from that past, but I doubt it.”

“Yeah. Another bomb in the boat thing if it’s someone after Burnett. But at the rate those cartels eat their own I doubt if there’s many players still alive who remember him after a year or two.”

“Possibly.” Castillo looked out toward the water. He wasn’t sure where he was going now that he’d told Randy about the dream and the former Marine had agreed to help. “There’s no timeline with this, though.”

“You might be wrong there.” Randy adjusted his sunglasses and wiped at the sweat on his face. “Forgot how much I hate this humidity shit. Reminds me of Nam. Anyhow, there may be a timeline on this we don’t know about. I got some time comin’ to me so I can hang around for a week or so after the conference, but then I gotta head home. God knows what kinda trouble Dave will get in without me to keep him in line. Debbie can only do so much.” He chuckled then the humor drained from his face. “There anything goin’ on with that House place?”

“Renovations. An expansion so they can start treating boys. A court case.”

“Do tell. Things just got interesting. Who an’ why?”

Castillo told him about the audit, cursing himself for not thinking of it first. “I didn’t consider them because it’s a civil case. But that firm had been representing Caitlin Davies going back to before she married Sonny. I never met either one of them, or the senior partner who’s serving Federal time.”

“So they’d not object to seeing something nasty happen to the place? An’ lawyers ain’t bombs in boats people. More the kind of sneaky shits who’d send a dirty reporter nosin’ around with all kinds of fancy gear.”

“We have to draw them out first. Get them to make a move we can track back to them.”

“Naturally. Think we can get Stan and Lester in on this?”

“I’d prefer not. Sonny just hired them on.”

“Fair enough. So just the two of us, then?”

“Yes.” Castillo drank his own tea, still looking off into the distance. “I think we’re only seeing part of the picture now.”

“Could be. But it’s better than no part of the picture.” Randy looked at his watch. “I gotta get back. The afternoon’s hostage situations from a sniper’s point of view. But I’m in, Marty. In all the way.”

Castillo shook his hand, feeling the warrior’s strength in the firm grip. “I’m in your debt.”

“No. It’s what we do for each other. I’ll call you once the seminar’s over.”

[MrsCastillo]

Loving this story! So nice to see life come together for Rico. Getting nervous for Randy and Martin, as well as Sonny and Rico... I definitely trust Martin and Jenny, it really does seem like they have some sort of connection!

[Robbie C.]

Glad you’re enjoying it!