“How do you know she was gone?”
Roberto gave a small shrug. “I didn’t hear her anymore. She used to scream a lot at night.”
Louis heard Landeta let out a tired breath. When Louis looked back at Roberto, the boy was smiling, holding up a small pointed object.
“This is a shark tooth,” he said. “I have a whole bunch of them in here. Want one? Papa says they’re good luck charms.”
Louis started to shake his head but the boy was obviously proud of his possessions. Louis took the tooth.
“Thanks,” he said.
Roberto smiled.
“Roberto, you said this is your secret place,” Louis said. “Do you ever bring any friends here?”
“Friends? What’s that?”
“Well, maybe like a brother or sister?”
Roberto shook his head slowly.
“Who do you play with then?” Louis asked.
“The Indians. I mean, they aren’t real. I just pretend they are.”
Louis watched Roberto playing with his small cache of artifacts.
“Well, what now, Rocky?” Landeta said softly.
“I don’t know.”
Landeta was quiet. “Do you realize what a mess this is?” he said finally.
“Mel, for God’s sake,” Louis said, putting up a hand. “Yes, I have thought about it.”
“No, I don’t think you have,” Landeta whispered. He scooted closer to Louis. “When we moved Angela, we probably caused her to bleed to death. I shot and wounded an unarmed man. And now we could be charged with kidnapping. Not to mention trespassing.”
Louis looked at Roberto, but the boy was busy.
“Cult or no cult, the women are alive,” Landeta went on. “They probably came here willingly.”
“Shelly didn’t,” Louis said. “That’s what they were talking about in the house. Tomas killed —-”
He stopped himself, looking at Roberto, but the boy didn’t seem to hear him.
“All right, all right,” Landeta said. “If we get out of here alive, the cops can come back and question Tomas. But we don’t have any proof that anything else is going on here.”
“What about those graves back there?” Louis said, trying to keep his voice low. “What the hell is that all about?”
“I don’t know,” Landeta said. He leaned his head back against the shell wall. “I don’t know.”
Louis shifted the baby in his arm, trying to cover it with the blanket. It was awake and quiet, just lying there looking up at him with dark eyes.
“They’re hiding something, Mel,” Louis whispered. “Something besides Shelly’s murder. I know it.”
“Forget it,” Landeta said. “At least for now.”
“I’m not leaving this baby here,” Louis whispered. “Or him.”
“Louis, the boy is obviously in no danger,” Landeta said. “There’s no reason to believe the baby is either. Kidnapping carries twenty to life in this state.”
Landeta was right. They had no real proof of anything, not even that Shelly Umber had been murdered here. Their only option was to try to get off the island, go to Horton, and pray that the chief trusted them enough to listen this time. And they couldn’t take the baby or the boy with them.
“All right,” he said quietly. He handed the baby back to Landeta and touched Roberto’s arm.
“Roberto, can you take us to the restaurant now?”
The boy smiled and nodded, getting to his feet. Louis rose and helped Landeta get up. He realized he was still holding the shark tooth Roberto had given him. He started to toss it down, but then put it in his pocket.
“Let’s go,” he said.
CHAPTER 46
“If we get to the restaurant before my uncles, do we win?”
Louis glanced down at Roberto. “Yes,” he whispered, his eyes scanning the brush as they walked.
The ground was sloping downward. Louis could feel it as they made their way through the brush. And there was a light ahead. But it wasn’t a spot of light like the lanterns. This looked more dispersed, like a floodlight.
Louis slowed. Shit, that’s exactly what it was. He could see the fence about twenty yards ahead now. The restaurant was behind it and someone had turned on a floodlight in the front.
“What the hell is that light?” Landeta whispered behind him.
“Floodlight. We’re at the fence.” Louis put a hand on Roberto’s shoulder, stopping him. “Roberto, is there a gate?”
“Yes, over there.”
Roberto led them up to the fence. Louis could see the gate now, see that it wasn’t the one he had seen on their last trip to the restaurant. It was an older one and it had no latch, just hinges and a large rusted keyhole. Louis pushed against it, but the gate didn’t give. He looked up at the six-foot fence. No way could he get everyone over it.