Black Ops (Presidential Agent 5)

"How awful!" Dona Alicia said.

Castillo's cellular rattled on the table as the vibration function announced an incoming call. He looked at the caller identity illuminated on its screen.

"Quiet, please," he ordered, and pushed the SPEAKERPHONE button. "Homicide. Strangulation Division."

"I don't suppose you know, Gringo, you wiseass, where Abuela might be?"

"Abuela," Castillo said. "It's your other grandson. The fat one."

"That's not kind, Carlos. Shame on you!" Dona Alicia said. "And Fernando, you know how I feel about you calling Carlos 'Gringo.' "

"Abuela, you could have told me you were going there."

"I didn't want to bother you, my darling. Merry Christmas!"

"I was worried sick. There was no answer at the house. I was just about to get in the car and go over there."

"Nobody answered the phone because I gave everybody the day off. Did you have a nice Christmas dinner?"

"Very nice, thank you."

"We had a wonderful dinner," she went on as others around the table exchanged grins. "Billy Kocian is here and he made some sort of Hungarian dessert with cherries, brandy, and brown sugar with whipped cream. It was marvelous! And now we're sitting around chatting. And having a little champagne, if it is the truth you really want. There's no cause for concern."

"When do you want to come home?"

"If it wasn't for Carlos going out of town tomorrow, I'd stay awhile. But sometime tomorrow, probably."

"I'll come pick you up."

"You're not thinking of coming here in the plane, Fernando?"

"The plane" was the Bombardier/Learjet 45XR owned by the family company and piloted more often than not by one Fernando Lopez, the company's president and Castillo's cousin and Abuela's grandson.

"Yes, I am, Abuela."

"That's very kind, darling, but I know what it costs by the hour to fly the plane; and that there's no way that we can claim it as a business deduction and get away with it. I'm perfectly capable of getting on an airliner by myself. Now, get off the phone and enjoy your family at Christmas!"

"Fernando?" Castillo called.

"What?"

"A penny saved is a penny earned. Try to keep that in mind while you're running our family business."

"Gringo! You son--"

" 'Bye, now, Fernando!" Castillo called cheerfully, and quickly broke the connection.

"You were saying, Edgar," Dona Alicia said, "that being garroted is more frightening than painful?"

[TWO]

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Baltimore-Washington International Airport

Baltimore, Maryland

0725 26 December 2005