Sarah did a modified light-up followed by a quick douse. ‘Would he dare?’
‘A man who breaks into houses and steals guns for resale to drug lords is not risk-averse.’
‘So are you going to ask your examiners to scan for it?’
‘Damn right.’
‘Don’t forget, his legal name is José. His social security account must be in that name.’
‘Middle initial?’
‘Mmm. Don’t know. Can’t you start them looking while I try to find Teresa?’
‘Is she missing?’
‘I don’t think so but she hasn’t answered her phone lately. In fact, I’m not getting any answers from anybody in the García family, and they haven’t called me.’
‘Why should they?’
‘They just did the one thing we agreed they wouldn’t do, get Joey out of jail. You’d think they might like to explain what they have in mind.’
‘Have you forgotten we’re the police? People lie to us, make excuses and hide things. You want a nice friendly explanation of something, call your mother.’
Ignoring his advice, Sarah called Pilar, who was no more friendly than usual but at least answered the phone this time. She denied having delivered her mother to the bail bondsman, and was immediately angry at her mother for reneging on her promise to leave Joey in jail.
‘She told me this time it would be different. But when he whines to her she always gives in. It makes everything I do for her seem pointless and stupid.’
‘I’m very sorry to tell you there’s another problem.’
‘What now?’
‘Well, you know, we impounded his car yesterday.’
‘I didn’t know, obviously. Why?’
‘We showed probable cause to suspect it was involved in a series of home invasions.’
‘Probably was. So?’
‘So last night he cut the lock on the impound gate and took back the car. He’s at large somewhere in Tucson now, and we have to find him before he does any more damage. You’re saying you haven’t heard from him?’
‘No.’
‘If he does call you, will you let me know?’
‘Yes. But he won’t. He might call Cecelia, but he won’t call me.’
‘All right. Do you know where your mother is now?’
‘Actually, I do. She has a monthly appointment at a spa where she gets a massage and body wrap. It takes all day and she enjoys it a great deal. I delivered her there this morning, and I’m due back at five to take her home. Just think – she let me take her there and never said a word about getting Joey out of jail. When was she going to tell me, I wonder?’
‘I need to know what name Joey has on his social security number. Do you think it’s all right if I call her there?’
‘You bet. Why should she be all relaxed and happy in her aloe wrap when the rest of us are dealing with the results of her foolishness?’
‘Good. May I have the number for her spa, please?’
‘Actually, why don’t you just give me yours?’ Pilar said. ‘I’ll see to it that she calls you – it will be my pleasure.’ She hung up, still fuming, leaving Sarah wanting to beg for a little mercy for Teresa. But there was no time; Oscar and Jason walked onto the floor just then, talking to each other and then to Sarah.
‘We stopped at Chico’s place on the way back,’ Oscar said. ‘He says Joey called him last night, asking for a couple of phone numbers in Mazatlan. Anything we can do to keep him from going there?’
‘Plenty,’ Sarah said, and told them about all the processes under way. ‘We need to capture the rest of that money, which must be what he’s going for. Unless he’s already across the border without the money. But we think he’s going to try to get it, and then make a run. So we’ll try to get him at the border.’
Her phone rang then, and Teresa said, ‘Oh, Detective, my daughter says I have done such a foolish thing. But you know, he’s my baby …’ She made a small, painful sound and began to cry. Through sobs, she finished, ‘You can’t just … turn your back … on a person you love.’
‘I understand, Teresa. But right now … I need to know what name he uses on his social security account.’
‘Social security? What’s that got to do with anything?’
‘We think he’s got some money he’s hiding … money that isn’t rightly his, you understand? And that he’s got it in another town, in a bank, under his birth name. Does he have a middle name or initial?’
‘José is his middle name.’
‘Oh?’