Detective Nancy Escalante: five days after the incident
My whole career in a shit sling because my original case had nothing. Now I'm looking at more nothing and a larger list of suspects. Captain Miller is unsympathetic to my situation informing me that 'if I'd got a confirmed suspect the first time maybe the suspects wouldn't have tried again'. Yeah boss, that's really going to help me. Forensic evidence reported they have their total findings ready for me and I find myself stuck in that familiar rock and hard place.
"Nothing? Not a single bit of usable evidence in the whole warehouse," I ask as the local examiner shakes his head.
"Nothing concrete detective, whoever did this, picked a spot that even with what we did find was like picking out a needle in a stack of needles. The location they used was a previously raised dog fighting arena so trace evidence of that littered the scene making it tricky. The items used were completely sanitized prior to use so determining a location prior to incident is impossible. The items found at the scene had plenty of DNA evidence. The only problem is that there is one actual human marker and that would be of our victim," the older male examiner states and I have to interrupt.
"The victim was covered in blood," I ask and he nods.
"Unfortunately that was not a person's blood but a combination of cow, pig and chicken. We've begun running down where they originated from but…," he starts but I am already there.
"It's a large area and narrowing down is nearly impossible," I state and the examiner nods stoically.
I leave and return to my desk looking at the list of suspects, it's only six inches of files and that's just the students who have had interactions with the victim. I see one of my most pushed suspects being brought in along with his attorney and I have to wonder if one person was more right than a small community a few months earlier. I grab the file and settle into the interview room.
"For the record detective this is a courtesy visit, my client is here to give a statement and whereabouts during the times in question," another overpriced lawyer gives me the opening statement I'll be hearing at least a dozen times over the next few days.
Carlos Ortega: Day of the Hearing on Administrative Negligence
"Sis I don't need to go and say anything to the school board, my name wasn't even listed and none of my crew is on the list either. We left Guy alone, I kept everyone back," I explain to Marta who is upset with me to say the least.
"After everything you and that trained baboon Hector should be there. You make yourself look like what everyone calls you now," my baby sister informs me and now I find out people talking shit.
"And what are they calling me," I ask and she shakes her head.
"A gang leader. Not the nice way either. I've had to sit and listen while girls at school share horror stories about the female initiations that a girl has to go through if she dates one of your 'crew'," Marta explains and I am very pissed by that statement.
"What the fuck does that mean? I have never allowed any shit like that, not ever," I damn near shout in my parent's living room.
"Well I'd like to defend you but everyone just looks at me with pity because I'm dating Romeo and since he's one of your boys they think you ordered a train on me," Marta is using terms I prayed she'd never know.
"I'm gonna go to school instead and get this settled right now," I begin to get up and she shakes her head at me again.
"Yes, because heavy handed tactics really show a more compassionate side. You let this go on and now it's bit you in the ass. Oh and since you aren't going to school and you aren't going to the meeting where are you going to be today big brother," Marta asks the question and I want to answer but she is to be kept separate from business.
I let her leave and take Romeo's car to the district meeting. I don't envy anyone going up against the Delauter family but my boys should have been stopped after the first time by the school. Okay that is hypocritical of me to say and yes I know what the word means but it's true. Benefit of today is movement. We're taking in products from the Union and it's going on in broad daylight during school hours. Somehow the Old Man got us a window and mobilizing everyone on my end took me about five minutes. Every storage point was set up except one, and that one is Hector's spot. I've kept him out for a couple weeks now but we're looking at too much to move and store so I have to bring him back in. He's been skipping school as well which doesn't put me in a good mood as I arrive at his parent's home and as soon as Romeo and I get out of my car he's on the porch to greet me but there isn't any love right now.
"Didn't think you'd remember me," Hector remarks sitting on his porch.
"You needed time to cool off," I remind him and he shakes his head.
"You needed to step up and do something about him. Three years we handled that disrespectful shit and you just watched. It's easy to watch everyone do your shit for you isn't it," Hector asks before looking to Romeo," Watch closely and you can see what he's gonna do with you when you outgrow your uses.``
"We got work, a lot of work today. I came here to bring you back in and put you to work, you remember work when you weren't fucking around with shit that gets us in too much trouble," I remind him and he scoffs.
"Yeah well enjoy getting your hands dirty El Jefe," I hate when people call me that and Hector knows it," I got some homework to catch up on."
I wave Romeo back to the car and wait till he's in before sitting next to Hector on the porch. It's been a long time since we had to talk one on one about anything. We came up together and when I took the helm of the business for the Union I brought him with me and he's got skills but his temper is his weakness.
"I had to shelf you, you know that right," I ask and he nods," I know you can't let Romeo or anyone see that you get it. Got a rep to uphold."
"Yeah, shouldn't have brought him along though," Hector nods his head to Rome," He's not really one of us."
"That is our alibi; he's got a plan to make it look like we're all in different spots while we get everything stored up. So are you in," I ask and he shakes his head.
"Yeah, get my people and we'll get it moved," Hector says and I smile.
We get the basic logistics taken care of and scare everyone when Romeo takes all cell phones from everyone and leaves so he can take care of his part. Four hours of logistics on burner phones while Smitty and Marcus, the Union's smith, tell us what goes with where and it's good to be doing solid business again. I get final confirmation that everything is in place and locked down before bringing everyone back to change out devices and get everything cleared up. I don't meet my people at the airfield warehouses where the Union does most of their offloading. We meet in the usual spot right next to Hector's house and everyone transfers out the burner phones and Romeo hands back their own.
"I'd like to welcome back my right hand Hector, glad to have you back on the clock brother," I say in front of the whole crew.