CRIME OF RETRIBUTION: A Gripping Crime Mystery Full of Twists Page 12

  Pedro looked to his elder, uncertain what action to take.

  “These people are here to help you. Go with them,” Roberto instructed.

  “I won’t leave without Adriana. I need to know she’s safe from the fire.”

  “Your girlfriend is in the main building with the other women,” his uncle said. He turned to Dan. “Park on the road near the entrance. I’ll send her to your car. Now hurry!”

  The boy moved slowly at first. But at the sound of shouting from the guards, the three of them broke into a run and sprinted the entire way to Dan’s car.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  After a tearful reunion in the car, the couple huddled in the back seat whispering to each other in Spanish. Lea and Dan were careful to avoid any mention of Pedro’s questioning at police headquarters the previous night.

  At one point during the ride, Pedro leaned forward beaming with pride. “My girlfriend is beautiful, yes?”

  Lea turned to look at the young woman. “I agree. She’s very pretty.”

  “My aunt says Adriana is the loveliest rose in the garden.”

  His girlfriend pulled him back. “Hush, Pedro. You embarrass me.” She placed her hand across his mouth but Lea could tell his words pleased her.

  When they got to the agency, Dan settled the couple in his office before pulling Lea aside. “Pedro may be less candid in front of you and his girl if he thinks his aunt sent you. Why don’t you two hustle up some grub while I try to get him to talk?”

  She grabbed her purse. “C’mon, Adriana. We’ll find a takeout and get food for all of us.”

  Pedro grew sullen after his girlfriend left, but observed Dan’s office with curiosity. “Not what I expected for a macho detective,” he said cheekily.

  Dan took a seat behind his desk, removed his boots, and rubbed his stockinged feet. “This room was designed for Lea’s sister.”

  Pedro snickered. “So you’re a fill-in for a female gumshoe.”

  Ignoring the young man’s attempts to goad him, Dan asked, “Can I get you anything to drink until the women bring food?”

  “Thanks anyway, but there’s nothing I need from a lawman. Especially after the police hauled me in for questioning over something I didn’t do.”

  “I no longer work for law enforcement. We’re private investigators. My partner is the man who kept you from being detained at headquarters last night.”

  Pedro looked surprised. “You work with Mr. Conley?”

  “With him and his daughter, Lea. Your aunt retained us to find you when you went missing from work. Now, it seems we’ll be helping you out of a bigger mess.”

  “The police are paid to do whatever the landowners want,” Pedro said belligerently. “In my case, my employer wants to get rid of me because I’m fighting for workers’ rights.”

  “I won’t pretend I haven’t seen cases of law enforcement being bought off by wealthy landowners, but that’s not the situation here. I know the lieutenant who heads the major crimes unit here in Buena Viaje. He’s as honest as they come. If someone is out to get you as you claim, they’ll receive no help from law enforcement unless you’re guilty.”

  “I swear, they’re framing me. I hardly knew the girl who was murdered.”

  “The police found her scarf among your belongings at the barracks.”

  He threw up his hands. “Anyone could have planted that scarf to make me appear guilty. It’s not as if we have privacy in those living areas. We live six to a room with people in and out all day.”

  He had a chip on his shoulder a mile wide, but Dan admired him. “Look, I’m on your side. I resent powerful men who throw their weight around at other people’s expense as much as you do. But you’re going about it the wrong way.”

  “Why should I listen to you?”

  “You’re a lot like I was at your age. No one could tell me anything either. But I’m more experienced now. I’ve been around a block or two.”

  Pedro’s chin jutted out. “So have I.”

  Dan smiled patiently. “You should take my advice. I know what I’m talking about.”

  “And you should listen to what I’m telling you,” Pedro argued back.

  Dan couldn’t deny the young man’s zeal. “All right, you’ve got my attention. Start at the beginning and tell me your story. Let’s develop your grievances into something the authorities can work with. Then I’ll hook you up with someone to explain your rights in a way you’ll be able to pass on to others. He’ll suggest the most productive approach to present your demands.”

  Pedro relaxed and sat back in his chair. “My mother brought me to this country for a better life and to get an education, but living here has been tough. With no social security number, it’s hard to find work outside the fields. Working in town is almost impossible without a driver’s license and a car. I want to make something of myself,” he said earnestly. “But I struggle to continue my studies when it’s so difficult to attend class and pay tuition.”

  He stretched his legs and put his hands behind his head. “The living situation doesn’t help. Being single, I live in a bungalow with six other men. The bathrooms and showers we share are dirty, lack privacy, and are often damp and cold. Not an inviting place to wash off pesticides we come into contact with.

  “Even when my mother was here, we lived with three or four other families. Each family got their own room and did their own cooking. We were assigned a drawer in the cupboard and a shelf in the refrigerator. When people cooked meals at the same time, it got chaotic. Still, I miss my family. I wish we were together again no matter how crowded the living arrangements.”

  “You have a right to better conditions than those provided at the ranch.”

  “I don’t understand why it’s so difficult for them to comply with the laws. They must relate to what we ask for. All people laugh and cry, experience joy and sorrow, eat, dream, and strive for goals.” He stared into space. “There is so much I am capable of achieving. But like other immigrants, I’m kept in the shadows.”

  “Not based on the manner in which you demand to be counted and motivate the workers. But why take such risks? Aren’t you afraid of suffering disappointment or defeat?”

  “I do it to improve our lives and to make myself a better man. Each time I stand up for myself in even the smallest way, it builds my self esteem. It encourages me to go another step. I want others to experience that feeling.”

  “If you’re so eager to help the workers, why did you run away?”

  His voice wavered and he sounded less sure of himself. “Because of what I saw.”

  “Tell me,” Dan insisted.

  “You might use what I say against me.”

  “Your aunt wouldn’t have sent us to find you if she doubted our good intentions.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, he relented. “It was on the night I met Adriana in the grove. My body was riddled with pain from the day’s labor. She was overheated from being in the sun. We went for a walk to stretch out the soreness in our muscles. That’s when it happened.”

  Dan leaned forward. “I’m listening.”

  “We saw strange activity in the barn.”

  “What kind of activity?”

  Pedro shook his head. “You won’t believe me if I tell. You’ll accuse me of spreading vicious lies about the guards.”

  Dan disagreed. “Based on my own late-night visit to the ranch, I’m fairly certain I’ll believe you.”

  “The guards were measuring drugs, bagging them, and placing them in the truck.”

  “Your story confirms our findings. I broke into that truck where I found cocaine buried among the crates.”

  Pedro’s eyes widened. “I knew I was right. The manager told me I was imagining things.”

  “Problem is, I can’t back up your claim because I was trespassing without a warrant. If you try to cause trouble for these people, it will be your word against theirs.”

  “My boss warned me what to expect if I tell anyone what I saw. That�
��s why I shouldn’t be talking to you.”

  “Did he catch you spying on the guards?”

  “No, but the next day I approached him with what I’d seen. He told me to keep my mouth shut or they would send me back to Mexico and my girlfriend would suffer repercussions.”

  “What repercussions was he referring to?”

  Pedro looked worried. “He didn’t spell them out but we’ve heard the stories.”

  “I need to know. For us to help, we must understand what we’re dealing with.”

  The young man clenched his fists. “You’ve seen what a beauty Adriana is.”

  “What do her looks have to do with what you told me?”

  “There are rumors about what happens to female immigrants, especially those who appeal to rich gringos interested in procuring their services.”

  Dan sat back, stunned. He was glad he sent Lea on an errand. She would have been outraged by Pedro’s revelation.

  Having seen similar scenarios played out near the Texas-Mexico border, he understood the formidable nature of the threat to Adriana’s well-being. Still, he tried to reassure the young man. “You mustn’t be intimidated by idle threats.”

  “The manager’s threats aren’t idle. There’s a place where girls are taken to work off the debt their families incur to get into this country. I could never live with myself if Adriana was forced to go there because I spoke the truth to the authorities.”

  “But what life will you and your girlfriend have if you let those bullies intimidate you?”

  “What choice do I have? I can’t stand up to them myself.”

  “You’re not alone in this fight any longer. As for the place you told me about, I know someone who can put them out of business.”

  Pedro’s face lit up. “Are you telling me you’re willing to help?”

  Dan nodded. “Not only me and my partners. There are others who will come on board.”

  The young man bit his lower lip. “I’m used to being lied to about things getting better. How can I be sure you aren’t spouting empty promises you won’t keep?”

  “Where I’m from, a man’s word is his bond.”

  Pedro’s eyes clouded. “No one will believe us without proof. I need to find evidence we can use.”

  “It’s too dangerous, Pedro. Leave this to me and my partners. You don’t realize who you’re up against.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They have the power to get you deported or worse.”

  “What could be worse than being forced to leave the country?”

  “Being convicted of a crime and sent to prison.”

  “I’m not scared because I know I’m innocent.”

  “Your lack of fear stems from your age. I’m old enough and wise enough to be afraid for both of us, which means you’re going to do exactly as I say.”

  • • •

  As she waited in line at the drive-through restaurant, Lea looked at her passenger.

  She was a timid girl, but Pedro had not exaggerated her looks. Curls of thick, wavy hair outlined her delicate face. Long, dark lashes highlighted the luminosity of her eyes. She had an air of vulnerability which Lea guessed masked an inner strength built from adversity.

  “Do you enjoy living at Rancho Hidalgo?” she asked to start a conversation.

  “The housing provided by the ranch for permanent workers is an improvement over where we lived before. When my parents worked seasonally, we were trucked to different farms and lived in migrant centers.” Adriana stretched the sleeves of her sweater to cover her broken nails. “Do you know about those centers?”

  Lea nodded. “They provide apartments at subsidized rents to migratory farmworkers and their families during growing and harvest seasons.”

  “Before we worked at Rancho Hidalgo, we lived in those places in the northern part of the state.” Adriana stared out the window. “My father used to tell me we were lucky. Migrant workers living outside the centers endure less favorable conditions. They sleep in their cars, cramped in motel rooms, or under tarps in the fields with no electricity or plumbing. I would hate that.”

  “How big were the units in the housing centers where you lived?”

  “We were always squeezed for space and crowded together,” the girl complained.

  “Is your family at the ranch?”

  She nodded. “My parents and my older brother Juan.”

  “Have your parents always been farmworkers?”

  “For as long as I can remember. They come every year to pick cherries, prune grapes, or harvest tomatoes. But it’s not just my parents. My brother started when he was twelve years old. Our family needed his wage to make ends meet.”

  “That’s a young age for such hard work.”

  “By law, he’s allowed to work seven days a week outside of school hours.”

  “How about you? Do you join your parents in the fields?”

  She shook her head. “Not as often as my brother. My parents want me attending class as often as possible.”

  “I’m sure keeping up with schoolwork is difficult with your family moving around as you do.”

  Adriana sighed. “Me and my brother are always the new kids. That means new teachers, new friends, and finding classrooms in new schools. It’s easy to get discouraged by the routine of starting over and making up credits.”

  “Is your brother still in school?”

  “Juan stopped going after eighth grade and joined our parents doing farm work full time. Things are different for me. My mother is determined to see me graduate so I’ll have a chance to leave the fields.”

  “Do you believe that’s something you can accomplish?”

  “The biggest problem is attending class consistently. I've never spent an entire year at the same school.”

  “Why, Adriana?”

  “Seasonal workers can only rent housing units for six months at a time. When harvest season ends, families must vacate their apartments and move at least fifty miles away for three to six months to make sure the housing serves people who are truly migratory.

  “Since my family cannot afford unsubsidized housing, we go back to Mexico for the off-season. That’s the reason my brother quit. Our hometown school refused to take him because he could only attend a couple of months before my family returned to the States.”

  “Will the same thing happen to you?”

  The girl shook her head. “My parents decided we will travel to farms in other states from now on instead of returning to Mexico to prevent that from happening.”

  “Does that mean you will leave California?”

  The answer was plain from the sorrowful look on her face. “Once the harvest here is complete, we’ll go to Arizona.”

  “What will happen to your relationship with Pedro?”

  The girl’s eyes filled with tears. “Unless we find a reason for me to stay, I must go with my family.”

  “What reason might you have to stay?”

  “Pedro and I want to be married and apply for permanent residency. We love each other and want to spend the rest of our lives together.”

  “Is that likely to happen?”

  “Not if my mother has her way.”

  “She opposes your plans to marry?”

  “Her reasons make me laugh. She says we haven’t known each other long enough, yet she met my father during harvest season when she was younger than me. They’ve been happily married for twenty years.”

  “I’m sure she’s only concerned for your happiness.”

  The girl responded obstinately. “She knows I will only be happy if I can marry Pedro.”

  “Does your mother have other reasons for opposing your plans?”

  “She considers Pedro a troublemaker because she doesn’t understand what he is trying to do. He is devoted to helping migrants receive treatment equal to other laborers. We love this country as much as native-born citizens, yet we are treated as outcasts who don’t belong.”

  “It may be hard for you to
believe but things have improved. Working conditions will continue to get better if farmworkers, together with people who benefit from their labor, stand up to enforce the laws.”

  Adriana slumped in her seat. “It’s no use. Undocumented people can never be free. The threat of deportation always hangs over our heads.”

  Lea sensed her despair. “Dan and I want to help but we need to know the truth about what’s going on. Has anyone at Rancho Hidalgo threatened you?”

  The girl’s eyes darkened with anger. “The manager told me he will send me back to Mexico unless I do as he asks.”

  “The ranch has no grounds to deport you.”

  “For undocumented workers, reasons are easily created. Many are forced to leave without being told why.”

  “What does he want you to do?”

  “There’s a club…” She bit her lower lip. “The Sterling Club.”

  “What kind of place is it?”

  “A social club where guys go to drink and be entertained. He wants me to work there.”

  “He solicited you to be a prostitute?” Lea’s outrage was apparent.

  “The description he used was an escort for men who enjoy the company of beautiful young women. According to him, I wouldn’t be required to have sex with them.”

  “Fat chance of that not happening,” Lea muttered.

  Ignoring the comment, the girl continued. “He said it was a way to pay off my father’s debt.”

  “What financial obligation does your father have?”

  “He was on a crew planting strawberries when the tractor overturned. My father was seriously injured. He was treated at the hospital and took several weeks to recover. During his time off work, my family was forced to borrow money to pay medical bills and living expenses.”

  “Why did he pay himself? The state requires employers to cover seasonal agricultural workers for workmen’s compensation to the same extent as other laborers.”

  “My father was reluctant to file a claim for fear of employer retaliation. He was willing instead to forgo necessary treatment. But Mama insisted. She was afraid he would be crippled the rest of his life. My parents went into debt to get the therapy my father needed.”

  “Who loaned your father the money?”