King Peso: An Emilia Cruz Novel (Detective Emilia Cruz Book 4) Read online

  Everyone, including Emilia, got to their feet. Carlota went around the room, shaking hands warmly and exchanging air kisses. When she came to Emilia, the mayor greeted her like an old friend. Carlota took the place next to Obregon, leaving the seat at the head of the table empty. Chief Salazar sat opposite Carlota. Her retinue sat at the other end of the table.

  Carlota waved a hand at the waiter, making a diamond tennis bracelet sparkle in the sunlight coming through the tall windows.

  Once everyone’s cup was full and the servers withdrew, Carlota thanked those around the table for coming. Emilia mentally flipped through a catalogue of every cop she knew. She didn’t recognize anyone besides the chief and Obregon.

  No one besides Chief Salazar was in uniform, either. That meant that the members were from plainclothes assignments, like Special Operations, rather than from uniformed units. Or maybe some were from the state attorney general’s office, there to work the Salinas angle. Hopefully, Acapulco’s task force was also drawing on federal law enforcement units that operated in street clothes.

  Carlota stood up and addressed those around the table. “As you know,” she began. “Security issues are uppermost in my mind as we prepare for Acapulco’s Olympic bid. After a 90 day study period, my staff has come up with a proposal that Chief Salazar joins me in supporting.”

  Carlota continued to talk in general terms about Acapulco’s valiant efforts to contain street violence and convince tourists, businesses, and the Olympic selection committee that the city was safe, happy, and ready. As Carlota went on and on, Emilia drank the last of the coffee in her cup and wished the waiter had left the pot. Sitting still in this comfortable chair, she could feel the exhaustion and heartbreak in her bones.

  Everyone around the table appeared to listen intently as the mayor spoke. There were smiles and nods but no interruptions. Carlota was an engaging speaker; plus she looked just like all the famous billboards dotted across the city. They featured her perfect smile and exhorted citizens to recycle, throw trash in new decorative bins, and support the city’s Olympic bid. Nobody recycled, the decorative bins were constantly vandalized, and Acapulco didn’t have the infrastructure to host the Olympic games, but the mayor’s vision translated into great popularity poll numbers.

  Carlota beamed at the group around the table. “Now I’d like to introduce our esteemed chief of police, Rodrigo Salazar. We have partnered on this new proposal and he can explain it so much better than I.” Carlota sat down to a hearty round of applause.

  Now that the preliminaries had been taken care of, Emilia leaned forward. Chief Salazar would talk about the task force, introduce the members around the table. Let them dive into the El Trio case files and catch a killer.

  “First, my thanks to the mayor for this meeting,” Chief Salazar said, remaining seated. “Since coming to office, she has been a strong supporter of law enforcement. She has a progressive view of how the police can help Acapulco welcome visitors.”

  Mostly by shaking them down for bribes. Emilia swallowed the thought and tried to look attentive even as the caffeine and sugar rush started to make itself felt. She’d heard that Chief Salazar had taken the murder of Captain Vega pretty hard. Vega had been on the chief’s executive staff.

  Chief Salazar droned on about aligning police resources with Carlota’s vision for Acapulco and finished to applause without ever mentioning the El Trio murders. Carlota said something to an aide and the lights in the conference room dimmed. A screen unwound from the ceiling and the city seal appeared as music played.

  They watched a documentary about an all-female police unit in India that had cut crime in half in a major city. The women wore matching saris and headscarves. Several spoke on camera, lauding their unit’s effectiveness and the impact on the city. The camera panned out after that, showing patrol units of two women walking their beat, talking to beggars and calling in a burglary with little radios clipped to the fabric swathed across their chests.

  “Aren’t they clever?” Claudia whispered to Emilia. The younger woman squeezed Emilia’s hand where it rested on the table, as if they were best friends catching a movie.

  Emilia moved her hand.

  She looked around the room. Everyone was watching the screen except Obregon. He was making notes on a pad with a silver pen, a half-smile on his face.

  The film wrapped up with comments by the mayor of the city in India. His popularity had risen remarkably since the all-female police unit began patrolling the streets. People trust them, the mayor said. That means the people trust me, too. Crime is down, and more visitors come to the city now. Women feel safe going out. Life here is good, thanks to the new police unit.

  Emilia stifled a yawn and hitched herself into a different position to keep from falling asleep. Women in saris had nothing to do with the El Trio murders.

  The lights brightened and the screen reeled back up into the ceiling. Carlota went to a podium angled to face the table. “Acapulco is a modern and vibrant city that welcomes the world,” she declared. The diamond bracelet again caught the light as Carlota tossed back her hair. “To our beaches. Our skyscrapers. Our shops and markets. Our conference venues and our businesses. Our challenge is to keep our visitors safe. With style.”

  A ripple of obligatory laughter ran around the conference room.

  Carlota smiled. “That is why, after much discussion with Chief Salazar and head of the police union Victor Obregon Sosa, I have decided to form an all-female auxiliary unit. This unit will be Acapulco’s doves of peace.” She paused dramatically. “Las Palomas. The Doves of Acapulco.”

  She waited for applause, which came in an enthusiastic wave. Stunned, Emilia found herself clapping along. Surely this new unit was just the first of a number of issues the meeting would address. The El Trio task force had to be next on the agenda.

  Carlota accepted the accolade with a smile of ownership. She raised her hands for quiet and continued. “Chief Salazar has promised me that the unit will be operational within 30 days. I have no reason to doubt his word, especially given our selection to head it up.”

  Emilia glanced at Obregon. He licked his lips at her and she focused on Carlota again.

  The mayor extended a manicured hand toward the woman next to Emilia. “Please join me in congratulating Claudia Sanchez Rangel from my own staff. Claudia, please stand up.”

  Claudia got to her feet and beamed at Carlota. There was a smattering of polite applause.

  Emilia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. How could Las Palomas be a police unit if it was headed by one of Carlota’s office minions? Claudia Sanchez Rangel probably didn’t have the first idea how to run a police unit. This was another one of Carlota’s ideas that was all about image and nothing about reality.

  Claudia continued to stand as Carlota swept her gaze around the table. “Claudia will be ably assisted by her chief of operations, an officer hand picked by Chief Salazar. Please join me in congratulating Detective Emilia Cruz Encinos.”

  Emilia knocked over her empty coffee cup.

  Claudia reached down and grabbed Emilia’s hand, pressuring her to rise. As Emilia got to her feet, feeling like she’d been struck with a bag full of wet sand, Claudia pumped their joined hands into the air. The room erupted into another round of applause.

  Across the expanse of polished wood, Obregon licked his lips again.

  “I’m so excited,” Claudia mouthed to Emilia.

  “Stop it,” Emilia hissed. She snatched her hand back and sat down.

  Claudia resumed her seat, lower lip trembling.

  Carlota began talking again, but the mayor’s words were lost on Emilia. Surely this was all a mistake. They were here to talk about the El Trio murders.

  Her breath came in little caffeine-fueled gulps as various people around the table were revealed to be from Carlota’s public relations machine or Obregon’s union organizers. The group discussed the aggressive timeline, office space that the union was willing to provide, and Carlota’s p
ress appearances to announce the formation of the Las Palomas unit.

  Claudia agreed with everything, as if she had a choice.

  Finally, Carlota declared Las Palomas a reality that would bring peace to the streets of Acapulco. The meeting was adjourned to another round of applause.

  When the mayor stood to leave, so did Chief Salazar. Emilia bolted to her feet. She had to talk to him, make sure he understood last night’s horrible tragedy. Surely he would not reassign her to this ridiculous unit if he knew.

  Meaningless chatter swirled around Emilia as she worked her way around the room to where Chief Salazar stood talking with some of Carlota’s staff. People she didn’t know shook her hand and wished her well. Small talk was obviously expected; Emilia smiled weakly and murmured her thanks.

  Chief Salazar moved towards the door, still in discussions with several men. Emilia broke out of the pack of well-wishers.

  But Claudia Sanchez stuck to her elbow. “Detective Cruz, I’d like to schedule our first team meeting for this afternoon.”

  “Not now,” Emilia said.

  She pushed past Claudia, shouldered a suit out of the way, and edged close to Chief Salazar.

  “May I have a word with you, mi jefe?” she asked, trying to keep the urgency out of her voice.

  “Cruz,” he said. The single word was laden with irritation at her interruption.

  “Two minutes, mi jefe. Thank you.” It was dangerous to be so presumptuous, Emilia knew, but she couldn’t help it.

  Several of the suits with the police chief smiled indulgently as Emilia kept up with the knot of people with Chief Salazar. They passed into the hallway outside the mayor’s reception area. The chief’s security detail stayed with the group.

  “What is it, Cruz?” Salazar’s words were clipped.

  “I greatly appreciate your confidence in me, mi jefe.” Emilia started on her hastily composed speech, despite the multiple pairs of eyes staring at her. “But I’m a detective. Not a chief of operations. This assignment should go to someone with more compatible skills.”

  “Cruz, you will select candidates, train them, and get those women patrolling the streets of Acapulco within 30 days. And it was the mayor who has confidence in you, not me.” Salazar looked at his watch. It was heavy and gold.

  “Mi jefe,” Emilia said, refusing to be dismissed so quickly. “I’m on a critical case right now. My partner’s wife was murdered last night.”

  “Your partner’s wife?” One of the suits positioned himself at Chief Salazar’s elbow and pointed at Emilia.

  “Yes,” Emilia started. “A home invasion.”

  Salazar shook his head. “What happened last night was unfortunate, Cruz, but the investigation will go forward without you. The mayor’s new unit is just as important.” He walked away, the entire group moving with him.

  Just as important?

  Emilia felt the blood in her head pound as she glued herself to Salazar’s side. “Mi jefe, with all due respect, I request that my assignment to Las Palomas be given to someone else. Or at least delayed while the investigation is ongoing.”

  Chief Salazar stopped and stared at her as if astounded.

  “We can give her some time,” one of suits said.

  Chief Salazar gave the man a thin-lipped smile. “We have many excellent detectives,” he said. “Detective Cruz often has trouble remembering that she is not the only one.”

  “Please, mi jefe,” Emilia pleaded. “This could be related to the El Trio murders.”

  The suits excitedly exchanged glances. “The El Trio murders?” one of them exclaimed. “Are you saying there’s been another one?”

  “There should be an El Trio task force,” a second suit opined. “Good for Carlota’s image.”

  Another man chimed in, concern all over his fleshy face. “That’s Acapulco’s biggest public relations mess right now. We all liked Detective Cruz’s file, but if she’s on the El Trio thing, we can get someone else for Las Palomas.”

  Emilia didn’t know who the suits were, but today they were her guardian angels.

  Chief Salazar’s smile was so tight his face looked like a mask. “Unfortunately, there is no El Trio task force,” he said stiffly to the cluster of suits. “The Acapulco police have the jurisdiction to investigate Captain Vega’s death and my office is doing so. The attorney general’s office investigates their own, as do the federales. There is no task force combining all three. But of course, we are all cooperating and sharing information and each of the crimes will be solved with all possible speed.” His glance narrowed and focused on Emilia. “As for you, Detective Cruz, you’d do well not to question the capabilities of your fellow detectives.”

  “No, no, of course not, mi jefe,” Emilia said hastily. “If this crime had happened to anyone else, I wouldn’t be asking. But this is my partner.”

  “We can give Detective Cruz some time to sort things out, can’t we, Chief Salazar?”

  It was that distinctive voice, always pitched between command and cajole. All heads swiveled to see Carlota standing in the hallway a few feet away.

  Obregon was at her elbow. “Carlota, I think we should let Chief Salazar make that decision.”

  Carlota gave a frosty smile. “The El Trio situation is a public relations black eye. We can give Detective Cruz a week, shall we say? I’m sure she’ll show some impressive results.”

  The hallway was crowded with competing agendas Emilia didn’t understand. The tension between Carlota, Obregon, and Salazar was practically visible, arcing between them like electricity. It included her, too, and Carlota’s remark about “impressive results” felt like a warning.

  “Of course.” Chief Salazar’s face betrayed nothing. “A week for Detective Cruz to get her affairs in order, wrap up current investigations, and clean out her desk.”

  “Excellent.” Carlota gave a regal nod and swept by. Her minions followed in her wake like a school of fish. Obregon stayed with the suits, clearly enjoying the sight of Salazar being put in his place by the mayor.

  “Gentlemen, will you excuse us?” Salazar said.

  Obregon and the suits moved down the hallway. The security detail backed away a step, leaving Salazar and Emilia alone by a gilded console table.

  “How dare you attempt to negotiate with me.” Salazar’s face flushed with suppressed anger as he spat out the words. “You will take the jobs that are assigned to you and behave like a police officer who understands the concept of chain of command, instead of a little girl who doesn’t like the games played in the schoolyard. Carlota may have helped you out today, but she won’t be there the next time. Do you understand me, Detective?”

  “Yes, mi jefe,” Emilia murmured.

  Chief Salazar strode away, back to the suits and Obregon, his security detail maintaining their respectful distance. He spoke to the group of suits, they all shook hands, and the suits disappeared into the mayoral offices.

  Salazar and Obregon were left alone near the exit. Obregon glanced down the hall at Emilia. Salazar spoke to one of his security detail.

  One of his men came back down the long hallway and pointed at Emilia. “You waiting for something, Detective?”

  Over his shoulder, it was clear that Salazar and Obregon were arguing.

  “No,” Emilia said. She went back into the waiting room.

  Emilia leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. The caffeine and sugar that had propped her up for the past two hours were gone.

  “Detective Cruz, I’m so glad I found you.” It was Claudia Sanchez again, but no longer Emilia’s new best friend. She thrust out a cell phone, the gesture full of shaky bravado. “I need your contact information.”

  Emilia blinked at the woman.

  “We need to schedule our first planning meeting,” Claudia continued. “I’d like to make it the same time every week. We’ll meet in my office in this building until we move to the Las Palomas headquarters.”

  She paused and looked at Emilia expectantly.


  Emilia didn’t move.

  After a moment of confusion, Claudia went on doggedly. “We have a lot of decisions to make. Carlota has given me a file full of her ideas. We really need to focus on the uniforms. Carlota wants something with that signature Las Brisas pink.”

  “Do you have any idea what it means to be a cop in this city?” Emilia asked abruptly.

  “I . . . I majored in public administration and security in college,” Claudia stammered. “I’ve been working for the mayor for almost two years.”

  Emilia was nearly speechless with sudden fury. “Have you ever listened to your partner describe how he came home to find his wife a bloody dead mess?” She launched herself off the wall as she spoke. “Paid a snitch on the street for information to keep your friends from being killed? Scraped bodies off a sidewalk after a gang fight?”

  Claudia took a shaky step away from Emilia. “You’re not being very nice, Detective Cruz.”

  Emilia’s anger fled as quickly as it came. Claudia’s face was puckered with the effort not to cry.

  The situation was hopeless.

  “I have to go,” Emilia said.

  Chapter 3

  Emilia walked into the squadroom to see a dozen uniformed cops clustered around Loyola, the bespectacled former teacher who was now acting lieutenant of detectives, as he handed out flyers and rattled off instructions.

  Detectives Macias and Sandor were over by the long wall used to display information about active cases. It had already been turned into the murder board for the shooting death of Isabel de Silvio. Her picture, obviously copied from her national identity card, or cédula, topped the board. Below it, photographs of the crime featured the woman’s body crumpled on a stairway. A dark puddle of blood spread beneath her.