Metro Girl (Alex Barnaby 1)

We walked over to the car and looked inside.

“No bloodstains,” Hooker said.

“That is so gross,” Judey said.

Rosa made the sign of the cross.

“It looks like Bill and Maria were together the night they disappeared,” I said.

“Maria was excited about a dive project and her charts are missing. Plus Hooker’s boat is missing. So I’m guessing Wild Bill and Maria are off on a sunken treasure hunt,” Judey said. “Mystery solved.”

“It must be the mother of all treasure hunts,” Hooker said. “They both walked out on their jobs. Two different groups of people are after them. And one of those groups includes Salzar. A night watchman was killed at the marina. They ‘borrowed’ my boat. And Maria’s been researching gold and warheads.”

“I don’t know anything about a night watchman getting killed,” Rosa said. “And why is Salzar involved?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t read about the murder in the paper,” Judey said. “It was splashed all over.”

“I live in a neighborhood where murder isn’t big news. Guess I overlooked the fancy pants marina murder that was in the paper. I was probably in a hurry to see what Snoopy was doing.”

“Monday night my brother and Maria went clubbing and it looks like they left together, took Hooker’s boat, and disappeared. That night the watchman at the marina was stabbed and killed outside the dockmaster’s office. And one of Salzar’s employees broke into Bill’s apartment last night and tried to kidnap me.”

Rosa gave a single shake to her head. “I don’t like this. Maria is mixed up in something bad. Such a nice girl, too.”

“I’d like to know about the dive project,” I said. “Maria must have talked to someone about it.”

“Maybe family,” Rosa said. “She hasn’t got a lot. Just a cousin. She’s never seen her father. She doesn’t talk about it, but I think maybe he was killed or maybe put in prison. She has a hatred of Castro. Her mother died four years ago. That was when Maria left Cuba.”

“No sisters or brothers?”

“No. Her mama never remarried.”

“Do you know the cousin?”

“Felicia Ibarra. She lives a couple blocks from me. I know her from Maria, and sometimes I see her at showers and things. She’s probably at work now. The Ibarras own the fruit stand on Fourth.”

“Oh my goodness,” Judey said. “Look at the time. I have to go. I have a dinner date tonight. I hate to punk out on the investigation, but this guy I’m dating knows someone at Joe’s Stone Crab. And you know how hard it is to get into Joe’s.”

“Do you need a ride home?” I asked him.

“No. I live one block from here.” He took a card out of his wallet and scribbled a number on it. “This is my cell phone. And my home phone is on the card, too. Call me if you need help. I’ll get Todd to sniff around on Flex.”

I gave Judey my cell number. “It’s been great seeing you again,” I said.

Judey gave me a hug, and he and Brian left.

&nb

sp; I opened the driver’s side door on the Mini, and Hooker grabbed me by the back of my T-shirt.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked.

“I’m going to the fruit stand on Fourth.”

“By yourself?”

“Sure.”

“I don’t think so.”