“I agree,” she said, pressing her lips together. “That looks bad. We should have tacos and funnel cakes and beer down by the peer. They have outdoor dancing when it gets dark.”
“Oh good,” Kate said, catching my panic-stricken gaze in the rearview mirror. “Addison was just saying how she wanted tacos.”
“Addison?” Angelica asked.
“That’s my name,” I said.
“It’s ridiculous,” she said, flapping her hand.
“Anyway,” I said. “No one has seen or heard from Vince in three days. And I think he could be in trouble. It looks like he might have been digging into a case he and my father had worked years ago.”
“Your father?” she asked.
“Charlie Holmes,” I said.
“Sí, sí,” she said, clapping her hands together. “Carlos and Vinny. Vince was fire and Carlos was ice. Back in those days I wouldn’t have turned down a po-po sandwich.”
“Gross,” I said, squenching my face. Thinking of my dad in any kind of sandwich wasn’t settling well with my digestive system.
I had no idea where I was going. I was driving the coast road back toward the hotel, and I figured she’d tell me where to stop.
“Because I’m good at my job and can put all the clues together pretty easily,” Kate said, “I’m going to assume you know something about the old case Vince was looking into. And I’m also going to assume it has something to do with you since you’re in WITSEC.”
“We have a saying in Puerto Rico. Gato con guantes no caza ratones.”
“Yes,” Kate said, nodding her head.
“Anyone want to fill me in?” I asked.
“The literal translation means a cat with gloves can hunt no mice,” Kate said.
“Right,” I said. “That makes no sense.”
“It means sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to get the job done right,” Angelica
said. “And I was the one who got my hands dirty and cleaned up the mess. Your father and Vinny helped me when I didn’t think anyone would. Do you know what it’s like to be married to someone with so much power that every move you make is under scrutiny all the time?
“I got to the point where I didn’t care if I lived or died. I only wanted out. I only had to sacrifice everyone and everything to do it.”
Her emotions were so heavy they filled the whole car, and everyone was silent for a couple of minutes before she spoke again.
“Vinny said your father died. I’m sorry. They were a good team. I didn’t trust cops back then. Still don’t. But they had this…” She flapped her hand. “I don’t know the right word—charisma—bravísimo—machismo.” She touched her fingers to her lips and kissed them. “It was beautiful. They were predators, and they weren’t going to let go of Carmen de Salva without a fight. It was very sexy to watch them in action.”
“And how were you involved with Carmen de Salva?” Kate asked.
“Valentina de Salva,” she said, smiling. “His wife.”
“Talk about wiping away your past,” I said. “There’s nothing in your background check that even remotely suggests you had anything to do with the de Salvas. Your marriage license says you and Luis Vega have been married almost forty years.”
“Exactly,” she said. “There is no such woman. According to media reports, someone set explosives in Valentina’s car and she was blown to smithereens. Not even a tooth left for identification.” Angelica gave us a toothy grin.
“Ouch,” Kate said.
“I really want to hear more of this story,” I said. “But I have to stop and use the bathroom.”
“There’s the pier just ahead of us,” Angelica said. “Park on the other side of the Ferris wheel. No one likes to go over there because that’s where they put the dumpsters. But it’s the easiest place to get in and out of here if a fight breaks out.”
“Does that happen often?” I asked.
“It’s Miami,” she said. “We fight with everyone. And then we make love. We are very passionate.”
“Could we be any farther from the bathroom?” I asked.
“Fresh air is good for the baby,” Angelica said. “Chica and I will talk and get tacos and funnel cakes while we wait on you. There are picnic tables down by the waterfront.”
“Are we really having dinner with a woman who kidnapped us and whose entire history is a lie?” Kate whispered.
“Don’t let her kidnap you,” I said, and then ran toward the bathroom.
I wasn’t very far before I wished I’d had the good sense to wear Kate’s flats. I had no idea what was happening or what had changed, but I’d learned two important things—Vince wasn’t a cheater, and he was probably in big trouble. The more information I could find out from Angelica, the better I could help Vince.
I wasn’t a fan of outdoor public bathrooms, so I finished quickly and then took full advantage of the hand sanitizing dispenser at the entrance. On my way back to the car, I noticed several kiosks selling sunglasses and souvenirs and all kinds of fried foods. And then I noticed the shadier operations where cars were parked with their trunks popped open. There were some who had wares on display and others who had tables set up to read palms and play three-card monte.
It was there I saw the knockoff purses and quasi-genuine leather goods. It’s like I couldn’t help myself. I somehow ended up with a black leather motorcycle jacket that would probably fade the first time it rained, but it looked fantastic with my outfit and added some welcome warmth since it was getting cooler as the sun went down.
It took me a few minutes to find the picnic tables down by the water. Strings of colored lights decorated any available surface, and the smell of fried dough and the oil they used on the Ferris wheel was overpowering.
“Did you
