Kyra pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. Her parents had stayed here several times and they knew her and Nicky here too. She got out, walking to the back of her car. She got her things out, heading inside.
“Good afternoon, Miss Baldwin,” the desk manager greeted her. He was only about as tall as she was. He had red hair and pale skin, but he was one of her favorite people that worked here. She wondered what the little man would think if Ben and Tom walked in here, as tall as they both were.
She shook them – him – out of her head, “I’ve been better… how ‘bout you, Marty?”
“I’m just dandy,” he smiled. He almost looked like a teenager. “But what makes you so unhappy?”
“Nicky.”
“How is he? Did you get into a fight?”
“No, Marty…. I guess you haven’t seen the news yet.”
“No, ma’am, haven’t had the chance.”
“You should when you have time. Do you have a room for me?”
“I sure do. Would you like the usual one?”
“That’d be fine.”
Another young man came over to take her bags for her. Marty handed her the key, and the bellhop followed her to her room. She tipped him ten dollars when he left. She sat down on the soft and fluffy couch.
Her mind drifted back to the restaurant. Why had Ben done that to her? Even though he did seem sincere in his apology, but isn’t how it usually works? Who was she kidding? She had no idea how it worked. Marty probably had more dating skills than she had. Dating was pretty much ruined for her four years ago.
She cleared her mind. She didn’t want to think about the past.
She closed her eyes and Ben’s face popped into her head. That wasn’t exactly what she wanted to think of either. Her mind went back to their lunch. Did she really take him wrong? She didn’t know, but it seemed like maybe she had.
She thought about their conversation. She couldn’t forget that he was a cop, and she was the only one he could go to for anything about Nicky that might help them find the person who wanted this to happen. How and why did it upset her so badly when he asked about Nicky? It was stuff he probably needed to know.
Then part of the conversation hit her. The men were looking for a wooden box. What would Nicky have in the box that could get him killed over? The only things she knew he kept in it were little things.
She got up, walking over to her bags sitting on the bed. She opened the duffle, pulling the box out and opening it. There wasn’t much in it. But moving the few items around, she saw a pregnancy test that read positive. The way her brother had been, she figured it was probably one of Tiffany’s. Nicky had wanted children badly. She wished he had been able to have one.
Then she came across a paper all folded up. ‘Nicky’ was written on the outside of it in a female’s handwriting. She didn’t remember Tiffany’s, and it made her wonder if Nicky had been that in love with her. She opened it.
My Dearest Nicky,
I know that we have to do this all in secret, which I really don’t like and wish that we didn’t have to do. Hopefully it can all be changed so we won’t have to anymore.
Anyway, I wanted to tell you I love you. One day I know we will be able to be together. I have faith. Especially after everyone finds out I am pregnant with your baby. I know, I am waiting, just like you asked me too. I think it is the best for right now. Though, I think you should tell your sister as close as the two of you are.
But I should let you go before someone comes in and finds me writing to you. I will meet you in my dreams.
I hope you decide we can run off together soon.
Para semipro, mi amour.
Forever yours,
Gabriela
“What?” Kyra asked aloud to the empty room. She didn’t know a Gabriela, never even heard him mention that name, and they were planning to run off together? This woman was pregnant with her brother’s baby? Why didn’t he tell her?
Her heart broke. Did Nicky actually feel like he couldn’t share that secret with her? She wouldn’t have ever told anyone.
“You know what, Ky?” Nicky flopped down on her bed with her. “You're the best sister ever.”
“Like you have a bunch to compare me too,” she laughed.
“But you are better than anyone. I can tell you anything.”
She had never told any of his secrets, now she had to. It could have something to do with his murder. Would someone really kill a man because of that?
They would. Nicky once wanted to kill someone for what they had done to her. Fortunately, he had never had the chance. The person had vanished.
She had to tell Ben about this. She looked over at the clock. It was almost four. They probably weren’t back yet. But what could she do?
She could go to Nicky’s work. She could ask around there if anyone knew a Gabriela, and if they knew about the relationship between her and Nicky. She stuck the letter back into the box, and picked it up as she stood, grabbing her purse.
She went back downstairs and out to her car. She pulled out of the hotel parking lot, heading to the plastics factory on the other side of the city. When she pulled into the half full parking lot, she had started to lose her nerve. What if it did have something to do with his murder? Was she going to put herself into danger by asking a couple simple questions?
“I am going to kill him!” Nicky punched the wall. “No more walking home. No more walking anywhere. I didn’t like it anyway. I can’t let anything happen to you.”
But if someone was going to have her brother’s baby, then she wanted to know. She wanted to be able to see her niece or nephew. If Nicky loved this person as much as it seemed, then she wanted to meet the lady who stole his heart.
She got out, walking to the office entrance. The receptionist smiled warmly at her.
“Miss Baldwin,” the brunette said, surprise in her dark eyes, “we’re so sorry about Nick. We heard this morning. Is there anything we can do? Do you need anything?”
“Thank you, Anna, but I’m managing so far.”
“I can’t imagine what you must be going through…. But what brings you here?”
“Actually, I found something and I have a question. You know everyone who works here, so I’ll ask you.”
“What’s that?”
“Do you know a Gabriela?” Kyra watched the woman’s face turn pale at the mention of the name.
“I only know one person by that name,” she leaned forward on the desk as she looked around. “And you really don’t want to ask many questions about her around here. It can get you hurt, but I didn’t tell you that.” The woman leaned back.
Kyra’s phone started ringing. She reached into her purse, seeing it was Ben, she looked back at the lady, stepping back, “Thanks, I’ll see ya later, Anna.”
“Be careful, please,” she had spoken to the lady many times, and she had never seen her acting so weird.
Kyra headed outside as she answered the phone, “Hello.”
“Where are you at?” Ben’s voice came over the line.
“What a way to greet someone,” she returned sarcastically.
“Sorry…. Where are you? We need to talk.”
The urgency in his voice made her answer, “At the Plastics Factory.”
“Leave now,” she could hear some anger in his voice.
“I am.”
“I’m not kidding, Kyra.”
“Getting in my car now,” she opened the door of her car, setting down in the seat. “I’ve got that box with me too.”
“Meet me up the street at the gas station. I’ll be there within ten minutes.”
“What’s going on?” She started the vehicle up.
“Just get away from there and to the gas station. Then go inside.”
“Can you tell me what’s going on?”
“When I see you.”
“Fine…. I’m leaving now,” she backed out of the parking spot.
“Good. Can you drive and talk at the same time?”
“That’s a silly question. Of course I can.”
“I want to stay on the phone with you.”
“I don’t get what’s wrong. Didn’t you just go talk to Dennis Harper?” She pulled out onto the street.
“Yah, but we found out something. I need to talk to you.”
“You’ve said that.”
“Are you there yet?”
“Almost, I’m at the stop light now.”
“Stay in the car until we get there.”
“I thought you wanted me to go in.”
“I changed my mind.”
“You’re worse than a female…. I’m pulling in now.”
“I see you. When I get there, I’ll pull up beside you. Get in with me, Tom’s going to drive your car. Leave the box with him.”
“I wish you-”
“I will. I’m pulling in.”
“I see you,” she hung up the phone as she watched him pull up beside her. Tom gave her a big grin as he switched places with her.
“Nice to see you again, bye,” He got in her car and backed up.
Kyra shut the door of the GTO, Ben instantly backing up. He took off out of the parking lot, right behind Tom.
“What were you doing at the factory?” Ben glanced over at her, seriousness covering his face.
“I had to ask them something…. Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Don’t go back there again.”
“You sound like my brother,” Kyra’s phone rang, vibrating her hand. It was a number she didn’t recognize. She flipped it open. “Hello?”
“It’s Anna. I got a break so I went out to my car to call you. I hope you don‘t mind, but I looked in Nick’s files to get your number.”
“It’s ok,” the woman had never called Kyra before. “Why are you calling me?”
“Over what you asked me about.”
“Tell me,” she glanced at Ben.
“Gabriela’s a guy works here’s sister. His name’s Diego Martinez and he’s really bad news. Nick showed interest in her one day when she had came to see Diego for lunch. When Diego saw the two talking to each other, he went off. He told Nick not to ever talk to her again or else.”
“Did Nicky listen?”
“I don’t know. She never came eat lunch here again, and Nick started leaving for lunch. I know Diego came in the other day, and he was really mad. I heard he was looking for Nick…. That’s all I know.”
“Thank you, Anna.”
“I gotta go,” the line went dead.
Kyra stared at the phone for a moment. Who was Diego Martinez?
“What was that about?” Ben glanced at her.
“I found something in the wooden box after I got to the hotel.”
“You went through it?” He glanced at her again.
She looked at him, “It's my brother’s. I have the right.”
“What did you find?”
“There was a pregnancy test, and a letter to Nicky from a girl named Gabriela. It said they'd been seeing each other in secret, and she's pregnant.”
“Did you know anything about the relationship?”
“No.”
“So why did you go to the factory?”
“To ask about her.”
“What were you told?”
“The receptionist only knows one Gabriela, and said I shouldn’t ask about her.”
“And who was that on the phone?”
“The receptionist…. She said Gabriela was a guy that worked there’s sister, and the man was bad news. She came to eat lunch with her brother one day, and when he saw Nicky talking to the girl, he went off. He threatened Nicky to never look at her again, or else. The girl never came back there again, and Nicky started eating lunch somewhere else. And the other day the brother came into work really mad, looking for Nicky…. That's it.”
“What’s the guy’s name?”
“Diego Martinez.”
They were both quiet for a moment as they came to a stop in the parking garage of the police station.
“What did you find out at Dennis Harper’s?” Kyra asked, looking over at the man.
“He hasn’t seen Tiffany in a month…. He did give her one of his cars to drive, but it was stolen while she had it. The last time he seen her she was all worked up, something about seeing Nicky and some Mexican and something about the Martinez’s.”
“I wonder if it was Gabriela.”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out,” he turned and looked at her. “I’m really sorry ‘bout earlier. Have you forgave me yet?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she looked out the windshield at the other cars. “I just want to find out who killed my brother. And now I want to know who this Gabriela is and if she’s really pregnant with his baby.”
“You can’t do that.”
She looked into his eyes, instantly wondering why he had to be so handsome, and such a cop. “Why can’t I?”
“If you weren’t already in danger, you put yourself there going and asking about her today.”
“How did I do that?”
“The Martinez’s isn’t a family you mess around with. The lady was right when she said it’s bad news. They’re known as killers around here.”
“So why aren’t they all in prison?”
“No one has been able to prove anything. There was never a solid case, just another unsolved murder.”
“If that’s who killed my brother, then I’ll find the proof.”
“You won’t do anything,” his voice was hard.
Her body went cold. He wasn’t going to tell her what she could and couldn’t do. No one had done that since she was fifteen. They weren’t going to start now. “We’ll see about that,” She went to get out of the car, but his hand came down on her arm.
“You’ll get yourself killed,” he moved his hand.
“Then help me find who did it.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do, but I can’t put you in any more danger.”
“Then do it with me, so I won’t be.”
“I would lose my job if anyone found out I took you out with me. And if you did get hurt….”
“I won’t.”
“I bet your brother thought that too.”
“That was cold….” She looked away from him. “Like he could have known someone was going to do that. I know he wouldn’t have had me there.”
“Are you sure it’s actually your neighbor that left you the note? Did you ever get to talk to her?”
She wanted to say yes, but she couldn’t. Kyra looked down into her lap. She hadn’t seen the woman for three days.
“She’s never left a note before. Maybe it’s important,” Nicky’s words rang through her head. “At least go see if it can wait, Ky, be a good neighbor.”
She could see her brother’s face in her head. If Anita had really needed to talk to her, then why hadn’t she come over this morning? Even this afternoon, Kyra had been standing outside.
“What if something happens to me?”
Did Nicky know what was going to happen?
“Kyra?” His voice was soft.
She realized she hadn’t said anything, “No.”
He looked back out the windshield. “Where are you staying at?”
“The Hamilton,” she whispered.
“Does anyone know you're there?”
“Only the people that work there.”
“I’ll take you back there.”
“What about my car?” She looked back over at him. He looked sad, making her wonder why.
“I want it to stay here for awhile. I don’t want you followed anywhere.”
She let out a sarcastic laugh, looking away as he fired back up his vehicle, leaving the parking area. “You mean you don’t want me to be able to go anywhere.”
“Kyra, I’m only trying to protect you.”
“You’re only trying to control me.”
He left the police garage, “I’m doing what I think’s best.”
“Who do you think you are?” She looked back at him, full of anger.
He took a deep breath, “I just want you to be safe. If you stay at the hotel you should be fine.”
“Do you really think I’m just going to sit and wait?”
“That’s what you should do.”
“Then I’ll be a sitting duck for them if they want to find me.”
“Why do you have to be so stubborn?”
“Why do you have to be such a pig-headed cop?” She turned and looked out the window. “I was wrong; you’re no different than the rest of them.”
“Kyra-”
“Don’t bother, Ben. I really don’t care anymore. I have my way and you have yours. Let’s just agree to stay out of the other’s way.”
“I can’t do that.”
“You can, you just chose not to.” Taking her car wasn’t going to stop her. She still had her feet, and there were things called taxis. She wasn’t just some stupid female and she wasn’t about to just stay put. If the people who killed Nicky wanted her dead, then she would be. It didn’t matter if she was out in the public or in the hotel, they would make sure she didn’t survive.
They pulled into the lot in front of the hotel.
“Do you need anything?” He asked getting out of the car with her.
“Not from you,” she left him standing there, walking into the hotel alone. She didn’t say anything to anyone; she went straight up to her room. She threw her purse on the sofa, and herself across the bed as the tears formed in her eyes.
“Oh, Nicky,” she whispered into the room. “I wish you were here to tell me what to do.”
Her mind flashed to Anita. If she hadn’t left the note for her, then who had? Did Ben think Nicky could have left it? It hadn’t been in his handwriting. Who were these Martinez people? She had lived in this town for years, and she didn’t remember ever hearing about any Martinez’s. If they were that bad, wouldn’t everyone know? She was missing something. There had to be more to the story.
Apparently, Tiffany had found out about Nicky and his girlfriend. Why had she been upset about it? They had been divorced for five years. Unless she was still in love with him, but then why would she have signed the papers?
There were too many questions, and no answers. She wanted the answers.
She wasn’t going to sit around in this room and wait for someone to give them to her. Even Ben said no one had been able to convict a Martinez of anything. They just ended up as unsolved cases.
Nicky wasn’t going to be one of those. She wasn’t going to let him. She was going to go find some answers herself, starting with going to the diner to see if anyone had been in there looking for her.
Everyone looked at her in surprise when she walked through the door of her work. She sat down at the counter.
“How you doing, Honey?” Micky came up to her.
“The best I can,” Kyra answered.
“We’re real sorry. He was such a nice guy.”
“Thank you,” she was already getting tired of hearing the word sorry.
“Can I get you anything?”
“A Pepsi and a cookie.”
She smiled, “Chunky chocolate chip?”
Kyra grinned back, “Of course.”
The tall brunette walked away for a minute, returning with the pop and cookie, “There ya go, Honey. Do you need anything else?”
“I just have a question,” Kyra looked up into the hazel eyes of her friend.
“What’s that?”
“Has anyone come in looking for me?”
Micky leaned down on the counter, “Actually a couple of people have.”
“Who?”
“They didn’t leave any names. One was a kinda chunky Mexican older lady. She said she lived by you or something, and there was one blonde girl. She looked kinda like your brother’s ex-wife, but I wouldn’t swear on it.”
Probably Anita and Tiffany, but that meant Tiffany was in town. Kyra had worked yesterday, “When was this?”
“The older one came in this morning. She said she didn’t think you’d be here, but no one answered your door. The other one, you just missed her by maybe five minutes.”
“Did she say anything about Nicky?”
“Neither of them did. Just asked if we knew where you were.”
“Did either of them leave a number?” She stood up.
“The chubby one said you had hers. The one who reminded me of Tiff said she’d come back later.”
Kyra looked out the window as the red car pulled into the lot. “Damn it,” she got up, walking out of the restaurant. He pulled up in front of her, so she was beside the driver’s window. “Can’t I do anything?”
“Get in,” he looked at her with his intense eyes.
“No,” she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Kyra, please, just get in the car,” he sounded annoyed, but then so was she.
“I don’t want to,” she turned to go back inside, hearing the car door open behind her. His arm wrapped around her waist from behind, and he lifted her into his arms in a quick movement. “Put me down!” She screamed as he carried back over to his car.
He plopped her down in the seat, “There ya go. Now move over.”
“No,” she looked up at him.
“Then I’ll sit on you.”
“You wouldn’t.” When he started to actually sit on her, she quickly moved over. He put the car into gear as he closed his door. He pulled out of the parking lot, heading back towards the hotel.
“You’re very stubborn.”
“Never said I wasn’t,” she stared out the windshield. “And you’re arrogant.”
“I should've known with the stories I heard about your dad.”
“Don’t talk about my dad.”
“Fine,” he pulled up in front of the hotel, putting the car into park. He turned in the seat to look at her, his voice was stern, “What would you have done if someone grabbed you? Were you even thinking about anything, Kyra?”
“You don’t have to yell at me!”
“Apparently I do and I’m not yelling!”
“Then what do call it?” Tears formed in her eyes.
He leaned back on the seat, his eyes softening, “I’m sorry.”
She lowered her voice as she looked away from him and out the windshield, “They didn’t want to kill me, anyway, only Nicky.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Anita wouldn’t have left me a note,” she looked down at her hands.
“How do you know?”
“She never has before. She’d just call me. She wouldn’t have gone to the diner like she did looking for me. She said no one answered the door this morning at the house, she thought maybe I had gone to work.”
“Who told you this?”
“One of my co-workers,” she looked into his brown eyes. “So no one’s after me. You can stop coming after me every time I go somewhere. I don’t need your protection.” She got out of the car, going inside. She watched while he sat there for a minute. Then he drove away. She went over to the pay phone, looking up the number to a taxi.
She needed a laptop. Hers was at home and she wasn’t close to being ready to go back there yet. After getting a new laptop, she went back to the diner.
“Thought you’d be back,” Micky smiled. “Took ya longer than I figured it would.”
“You know me well,” Kyra sat the laptop down at the end of the counter. She had got it all set up in the taxi. Micky sat her Pepsi and the cookie down for her. “And thanks for coming to help.”
“He was so cute; I figured you didn’t want any.” She smiled. “Wasn’t he one of the hotties in here yesterday?”
“Yep.”
Micky smiled, “If ya need anything just holler.”
“I will. Thanks.” Kyra turned back to the machine. It was only a few minutes before she was on the web. She picked up her cookie as she typed MARTINEZ into the search. A long list popped up in front of her. She read them, several mentioning trials and suspects, but one of them instantly caught her eye: ‘Anita Martinez to be married….’
She clicked on the link, bringing up a color picture of a younger version of her neighbor. She was shocked; she had no idea the woman was a Martinez. And that would make sense if the Martinez’s were the ones who killed her brother. Anita could have put the note on the door to get her out of the line of fire.
“Hey, Micky,” Kyra spun the laptop around as her friend came over to her. “Was this the lady asking for me?”
Micky’s eyebrows went up, “Just a skinnier version.” She paused a moment as she looked at the screen. “She’s a Martinez?”
“Shhhh,” Kyra spun the laptop back around. She hit the back to return to the search screen.
Micky leaned towards her, lowering her voice, “Why are you looking up that family? They're bad news, Kyra. You need to leave them alone.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“My brother may have something to do with one of them.”
Micky leaned back, “You really need to leave it alone, Kyra. Before you end up like that too.”
“What are you talking about?” Kyra looked up at her.
“They’re horrible people. They have killed people just for looking at them wrong. At least that’s what I’ve heard.”
“If so,” she looked back at the screen, “then why haven’t I heard about them?” She saw the name she was looking for, clicking on it. A picture of a very pretty Mexican girl popped up, with blonde highlights. She didn’t blame her brother for liking her, if that was what was going on.
“I don’t know, Kyra, maybe because you're always in your own la-la land.”
“Ha-ha,” She saved the picture to the memory then looked up at her friend.
Micky was looking out the window, “Your hottie’s back.”
Kyra looked in the same direction, “My God, I can’t do anything!” She shut the screen, picking it up, “I’ll see ya later.”
“Take care and be careful,” Micky called after her as she went out the door.
Ben pulled the car into the parking spot. She saved him some trouble, going ahead and getting into the car. He put the car in reverse, then into drive. He headed back to the hotel, and didn’t say a word.
Her mind was going a mile a minute. If it was the Martinez’s, why did they only want to kill Nicky and not her? If they were really as horrible as everyone made them out to be, then it wouldn’t have bothered them at all to take her out too. And could it really be over a girl?
They pulled into the parking lot in front of the huge building, Ben finally speaking, his voice was low, “What are you doing, Kyra?”
“I told you you don’t have to protect me anymore,” she didn’t look at him.
“I still have doubts,” he pulled into a parking spot this time.
“What now?” She looked at him. “Are you going to walk me to my room this time?”
“It seems like I have to. It also seems like you need a babysitter.”
“I can take care of myself, Ben,” she got out, walking to the automatic sliding doors, her laptop in her arm.
She knew Ben was following her. She went in and headed for the staircase.
“Miss Baldwin?”
She turned around, watching the older, short man coming near her. He was wearing a hotel uniform, but she didn’t recognize him, “Yes?”
“I have a message for you,” he handed her a folded piece of paper, then quickly walked off.
Ben had almost caught up with her. She turned, running up the steps to her room. She put the key in the door, turning the knob. The door cracked open as Ben’s hand covered the top of hers.
“What does it say?”
“I haven’t read it yet,” she pulled her hand away, as the electricity from his touch flowed through her veins. She pushed the door the rest of the way open, walking into the room.
He pulled the message out of her hand, pausing for a moment as he read it, “I think you better be more careful.”
“Why?” She spun around, finding him right behind her. He held the paper out to her, and she took it quickly from his fingers.
‘The first one missed the next won’t Stop snooping or you will find yourself joining your brother.’