The sentry

14

Pike climbed into the Monte Carlo, but this time into the passenger seat, leaving Hector tied to the wheel. Hector once more scrunched as far from Pike as possible.

"Look at my hands, homes. Look at'm! They're turnin' blue!"

Pike fingered through the papers in the box, wanting to see what he had.

"You gonna let me go? You gotta let me go, bro, this shit here is kidnap-pin'. That's a federal offense."

"Shut up."

Hector fell silent, but grumbled under his breath.

Pike found cash receipts and instructions for three disposable phones Mendoza purchased from Best Buy. Pike wondered if his friend Elvis Cole could use the information to locate Mendoza or identify who he was calling. Cole was a private investigator, and had relationships with most of the cell service providers. He might also be able to help find Alberto Gomer.

Pike studied Reuben Mendoza's picture last, then dropped it into the box. A plan to flush Mendoza out of the weeds was forming, and the picture would help.

Pike said, "Hold still."

Hector's eyes bulged when Pike drew his knife. Pike clipped the ties, cutting him free.

"Get out."

"What get out? This is my car."

"Out."

"Bro, what, you takin' my car?"

"I won't tell you again."

Hector shoved open the door, and got out in a sullen funk. He slammed the door as Pike slid behind the wheel.

"This ain't right, stealin' my car. You takin' my wallet, too? You takin' my phone?"

Pike drove back to his Jeep. He left Hector's wallet in the Monte Carlo, but added his phone to Mendoza's box. Pike didn't take time to examine these things because he wanted to keep pressing.

Pike drove directly to Lily Palmer's house, parked in Wilson's carport, and rang the bell. She answered the second ring.

"I knew you'd be back. Did you find Wilson and Dru?"

"Not yet. Is Jared here?"

She sighed.

"Jared's always here."

She called into the house, and Jared's flip-flops announced his approach. He was freshly slathered with sunblock and carried a bottle of beer. He frowned when he saw Pike and tugged the iPod buds from his ears.

"Dude, you got it all. I don't know anything else."

"The man with the cast-"

Pike showed him the picture of Reuben Mendoza.

"Was this him?"

Jared glanced at the picture, then brightened with a surprised smile that made him look proud of himself.

"Dude! That's him! The Cast Man!"

"You're sure?"

"Fuckin' A."

Jared beamed, and continued to vomit up memories.

"Dude had khaki baggies and a gray plaid shirt, but it was open. Shirt was huge, dude, like fifty sizes too big, and a white T-shirt underneath. And he was bald."

Pike had seen witnesses have similar explosions of memories when he was an officer. If a witness was given a visual trigger, a memory that had been vague would often snap into focus. Psychologists called these memory cues, and the resulting cascade of recollections were memory chains.

"You remember anything about the second man?"

Jared thought for a moment, but his lips peeled from his teeth in frustrated effort.

"Not really getting him. He was in front, kinda already through the gate. The Cast Man was behind him. I remember black hair. And shades. He might've been wearing shades."

Jared finally ran out of gas.

"Sorry, bro. That's all I got."

Pike could now tie Mendoza to the scene with a picture ID. The second man was almost certainly Gomer, but Mendoza would be enough.

Pike went back to his Jeep to decide on his next play, but knew he would ultimately have to return to Button. Button was the last person to have contact with Smith. Pike wanted to know exactly what Smith said, how he had said it, and when. These things could be crucial, and so could having Button back in the game. The police would increase the pressure on Mendoza, but timing their entry was a trade-off. Once the police reinserted themselves they would block Pike's moves and kill his momentum. He had to cover the primary plays before they came in, and keep himself ahead of the curve.

Pike fished Hector's phone from the box, spent a few seconds figuring it out, then scrolled through the directory. He found Mendoza's number under R MENDOZA, but nothing for GOMER or ALBERTO. No numbers were listed for AZZARA, but he found a number for MIGUEL.

Pike pressed the send button, heard two rings, and Mikie Azzara answered.

"Don't bother me with crap at that body shop."

Answering this way because the caller ID told him it was Hector.

Pike said, "I am here."

Mikie hesitated.

"Who is this?"

"One of your boys wrote it on their wall."

Azzara hesitated again, but this time he recognized Pike's voice.

"How'd you get this phone?"

"I want Mendoza and Gomer."

Azzara lowered his voice, as if he was someplace where he didn't want to be overheard.

"What are you talking about?"

"Mendoza was at their home this morning. Now they're missing."

Azzara cleared his throat. Pike heard something in the background, but couldn't make out what it was. Then Azzara tried to sound reassuring, which left Pike wondering why Azzara wanted to reassure him.

"Listen, I don't know anything about this, but I will find out. I promise you-you don't have to worry. I'm sure these people are fine."

"You're a liar, Miguel. You told me you covered Mendoza's bond. You didn't. What else are you lying about?"

"Would you listen? I'm in the middle of something now, but I will help you here, homes. Just relax. Kick back, give me a few hours, and-"

"Time's up."

Azzara fell silent. It was several seconds before he spoke again. Then his voice was softer, but not reassuring.

"You are making a mistake. You think you're talking to some pretty-boy Mexican, but you are talking to La Eme. We are two hundred thousand strong. You should wait like I say. You don't want to go to war with us."

Pike waited him out, letting the pressure of his silence build. When Azzara finally spoke again his voice showed a strain Pike found curious.

"Are we clear on this? Do you get it?"

Pike said nothing.

"Do. You. Get. It?"

"You don't understand."

"What? What don't I understand?"

"War is what I do."

Pike hung up, then called a friend named Elvis Cole.