Pleasure Cove: Where love is hot on the beach! (21 page)

“Ah-h, how nice, and a fresh flower, too.” She smiled and kissed him again.

“I thought we’d share a mushroom omelet,” Bob explained taking the lid off the plate and cutting the steaming egg dish with a knife.

“So, tell me what you were doing up so early this morning. I turned to cuddle with you but you were gone.”

“My mind was racing about Miguel and getting him here so Hugo could interview him. We’re trying to make certain it gets videotaped.”

“My cell phone has a short video capability,” Carrie offered.

“Could we hide it on Jose’s desk so Miguel doesn’t know he’s being recorded?”

“Maybe, but you know that’s not admissible in court, Bob.”

“I’m thinking we have to serve our own justice here in Pleasure Cove. This would never hold up in a legal court. The best we can do is tip off the CEO that skullduggery is going on within his managers and leave him to clean it up.”

“Well, let’s go do a test in Jose’s office after breakfast. We’ll know within a few minutes if it’s going to work. If it does, I have to have the phone fully charged.”

Bob and Carrie walked into the lobby to hear Juanita say, “Gotcha.” while she clicked on her computer keyboard.

“What did you find, young lady?” Bob walked up behind her to look at her computer screen.

“I found a way into their email server so I could see the emails that guests have sent this weekend.  She smiled up at Bob and Carrie who had joined them behind the desk. “Felix has been a busy boy. Sending emails to Jacada about The Spa remodel. Look here he says it will take him over six months to completely set up the spa.  He sent an email to a Royal Hacienda address this morning stating that he’s back onto Pleasure Cove. He thinks he’s found a new mole.”

“That is good stuff. Can you print it off so we can show it to Hugo later today?”

“Sure. I’ll just add it to the file along with the other emails. We have to see if it’s going to the same address as before.”

Bob knocked on Jose’s door before entering.  Jose was not inside so Bob asked Carrie to wait while he got Jose’s permission to use his office. “I’ll only be a minute,” he promised, and headed for the kitchen.

Carrie sat down and took in the office. She looked at his desk detailing each item. We might squeeze a plant on that desk where we could hide a phone.  She moved the chairs and turned back to the desk placing the phone on the right edge to see if it captured enough images.  She wasn’t pleased with the angle.

She looked at both side walls. “Is that a common wall?” she wondered tapping on it to confirm it was hollow. “Hum-m, I wonder if we could mount a fake control box on the wall here and put the phone inside so it records everything?”

Just as she was sitting back down, Bob returned to the room. “Okay, he knows what we’re doing. So, any ideas yet?”

“Look at this. She returned to the wall and held up her phone dead center of the chairs. “If we can mount a fake control box here, plant my phone inside, it could record everything for about ten minutes.”

“Well, let’s give it a try. I’ll get Jose. He can be Hugo and I’ll be Miguel. You try taping us from the wall.”  He walked out calling Jose’s name and returned with him shortly.

Both men sat in the chairs while Carrie positioned the cell phone against the wall. She turned on the recorder and held her hand still to capture the images. After a minute or two, she brought the phone down, and hit play. The video was grainy but she could hear and see Bob and Jose as they chatted.

“It’s not as good as the police might do, but it will serve its purpose. Now, we just have to mount an empty AC temp box or control box onto the wall so I can hide my cell phone inside.” She turned to the men, “What do you think?”

“Very clever, Carrie,” smiled Jose. “Man, we don’t want to make these women angry at us, Bob. They are dangerous creatures.”

Carrie laughed, “We’re on your side, Jose. I want to nail this sucker to the wall. Maybe this video will help. I’m going to go charge my cell phone battery.” She and Bob stood up to head for the door.

“Let us know when Alfredo calls back, OK?” Bob added before opening the door.

“Will do, I’ll call maintenance now to come hang the fake box. Let me measure the height of your phone, Carrie, so we make sure it fits. It has to stand open inside, right?”

“Oh, right,” she passed the cell to Jose who laid it down and quickly traced around it on a blank sheet of paper.

“This should work as a pattern,” Jose returned her phone then turned to put tape on the wall right where the phone had been. “I’ll get this done so we can run one more test before Alfredo arrives.”

“Good idea. Juanita will be back here in a moment. She did get into the email server at The Spa. So, we have one more piece of evidence.” Bob rubbed his hands together. “We’re slowly making progress.”

“Like I said, these women are dangerous,” muttered Jose shaking his head.

Shortly after Carrie got her cell phone connected to the charger, Bob’s cell rang.

Looking at the phone, Bob recognized the international exchange, “It's Hugo calling.”

“Good morning, my friend,” Bob greeted.

“I’m just getting ready to head for Pleasure Cove, Bob. I thought I should make certain everything is ready.”

“Yes, we are getting everything for you right now, Hugo. We’re just waiting for a callback to confirm that the witness in Tijuana can arrive here by two.”

“Okay, I’ll see you just before noon.”

Bob sat staring at the phone and looked up to Carrie, “I don’t think I’ve ever had anything happen in this village so quickly before.” She laughed and took his hand.

“Trust me; it wouldn’t be now if you weren’t driving it.”

They left the room to stroll out to the palapa for a cool drink. The beach was quiet this morning as the guests headed back to the airport. “Do you really think we’ll get everything wrapped up today, Bob?”

“Alfredo and Jose will have to finish it. I’ve got to return the airplane or the doctor will have a search party out for me.”

“Oh, I forgot all about the plane. Of course, and I have to be ready for a new work assignment on Tuesday.”

“We’ll be fine, Carrie, we just need to get Hugo on board today. I’m sure he will do the right thing if he believes this evidence as we do.”

Jose found them in the palapa a few minutes later. “Alfredo is on his way to pick up Miguel. He should be here in a couple of hours.”

“That’s good news. Now, what are we going to feed Hugo for lunch? I’m thinking he had enough fish this weekend. Does the cook have any carnitas? Maybe we could have fajitas.  We want you to join us for lunch, Jose.”

“I’ll go talk to the cook and see what she thinks. Come help yourself to a cold beer.”

Bob and Carrie drifted into the bar and opened Coronas. He looked at the chips and salsa and admitted, “I’ve had qualms about chips and salsa ever since Miguel’s little stunt.”

“This all has an emotional impact. You’ve got to be done with it for that reason alone,” reasoned Carrie. She rubbed Bob’s back while they sipped their beers.

“Fajitas it will be,” Jose reported as he returned to the bar. “Would you like to eat under the palapa to enjoy the day?”

“Great idea, Jose, Carrie and I will get the table ready so you can take care of things in here.” Bob touched her back as they rose to go set the table for lunch.

Within an hour, Hugo drove up to the motel. Jose walked out to meet him along with Bob and Carrie. “This is one terrific beach, Jose,” greeted Hugo.

As soon as they were comfortable under the palapa, steaming fajita skillets were served from the kitchen. Jose watched proudly as the cook catered to their special guest.

“Well, I can see why someone wants to steal your place,” admired Hugo. “This is muy bueno.” He brought his fingers to his lips in a kiss. “My compliments to the chef.”

Bob and Carrie excused themselves briefly so the two men could chat in Spanish. Bob knew Jose needed the bonding time with Hugo, and he and Carrie wanted to test the cell phone one more time before Alfredo arrived.

Taping the phone inside the control box in Jose’s office, Carrie turned it to record.  She and Bob sat in the chairs for the interview testing their voices for volume. When Carrie hit replay, they were pleased with the video image. It wasn’t perfect but it would get the job done.

Chapter 34

Alfredo arrived at the motel just as Bob and Carrie walked back to the palapa. Releasing Miguel from the handcuffs that had been necessary while he drove, Alfredo turned to greet Jose and Hugo.

Bob watched as the four men headed to Jose’s office. His lips touched Carrie’s, “I’m not staying long. I just want to watch the interview get started. Then, I’ll come find you.” He walked quickly to catch up as the men entered the room.

“Well, Miguel, I understand you are in some hot water with the family here,” Hugo began. “I wanted to hear your side of the story.” He stopped and looked Miguel in the eye. “We like to solve our own problems in this village and I’m a patriarch. Comprendre?”  He looked at Miguel again and waited until he nodded. “I’ve known these men since they were young, and they trust me to make a decision on what to do with you. You can talk to me or take your chances with the police. There’s still a chance you can walk away, but only if I’m convinced you’re being honest with me.”

Hugo sat down in his chair and leaned forward so he was close to Miguel. “Now, tell me everything. I want the details.”

“I’ve already told them everything I know,” Miguel said sullenly with his head bowed.

“Yes, but I’m an outsider. I have a more objective mind and ear to listen. This is your last chance. Please, I want to hear what you have to say.”

Miguel shuffled in his chair and began his story. “I met Felix Jacada at The Spa and we talked about minor accidents at Pleasure Cove hurting their business so they would sell.”

“Was Felix Jacada your only contact or did you meet with other people as well?”

“My contact was Felix. But, he had contact with someone at Royal Hacienda. He told me about it, and he sent me a couple of emails proving that he had a serious buyer.”

“Did he ever admit to you that his contact had come to see Pleasure Cove?”

“No, he implied that his contact saw the motel at the same time he looked at The Spa several months ago.”

“Did you do any sabotage for Felix at The Spa Motel?”

“No, the family members couldn’t agree on selling so Felix walked away.”

“How did Felix find you to do this work for him?”

“We started talking in The Spa bar one night. I was there looking to work on a fishing boat, and he bought me a beer. He took me out on his boat and we became friends. He promised me a job if I would help him buy the motel for a good price.”

Hugo handed Miguel a print-out of the email with the Royal Hacienda address. “Is this the email you mentioned before?”  When Miguel nodded, Hugo asked, “Are there more like this?”

“Maybe one more, I don’t remember. I only used Mary’s computer. That’s where you got this one – right?”

“Yes, we have that computer. Did Felix ever mention any other Jacada names?” 

“No, he just said “my guy inside Hacienda.”

“Did he ever refer to any other guys, maybe at other motels like my guy at Los Suenos?”

“No, we only had contact four-five times either on his boat or at the bar.”

“Where does he keep his boat?”

“I assumed it was at The Spa since that’s where I went on board. Felix came into Cabo and picked his boat up at the marina and brought it up the coast.”

Hugo looked at Jose who jotted down a quick note.

“This is a good start, Miguel. I need to take a short break. Would you like something to drink?  I could bring you some water or soda.”

“Yeah, an ice cold beer sounds really good. I haven’t had a cold Corona in weeks.”

“Sure, I understand. We’ll have a cold beer together. I’ll be right back.”

Bob and Hugo walked outside Jose’s office and quickly headed for the bar.

“What are your first thoughts, Hugo?”

“His story is consistent with all the evidence you shared over lunch. I think he’s telling us the truth. We need to check out that boat. It’s probably still at The Spa.”

“We have someone we can send over. I’ll go talk with her right now.”

“Okay. Anything else we need to know?”

“Yes, ask him about timelines. If there was a critical date, it might help us link it to something inside Hacienda.”

“Will do, I’m going to go get those beers.”

“Thanks again, Hugo,” Bob extended his hand and patted his friend’s shoulder before heading off to find Juanita.

Back inside the office, Hugo passed a cold Corona to Miguel who took a long draw.

“Thanks,” he smiled at Hugo.

“Sure,” Hugo nodded. “Let’s talk about the timing of the sabotage. You had a spreadsheet with a series of events you had to do by Memorial Day.”

“Felix wanted to hurt the motel’s revenues early in the season so Jose would be forced to sell by hurricane season in September.”

“Did he mention any other deadlines or dates?”

“No, not to me, he just slowly wanted to drive the value down so he could walk in and get the motel cheap.”

“Wait,” Miguel paused. “He did talk about the ‘line-up’ he called it – Cabo, Los Barriles and Los Suenos. There has got to be a connection. I thought it was the location so guests could move from one motel to another by boat.”

“Very good, Miguel. Now, we’re getting somewhere. You’re right; those towns make quite a line-up to Pleasure Cove.”

“Did he ever mention bringing anyone else on the boat – name dropping, maybe, or someone he wanted to impress?”

“One night he met me offshore and he’d just come from Los Suenos where he had a meeting.”

“Did you notice anything on the boat that night, maybe wine glasses sitting around or food still out?”

“No, it was dark, and I had financial papers to turn in.”

“Was Pedro with you that night?” interrupted Alfredo.

“Yes, but he only helped with the skiff. He didn’t come on board the boat.”

“Where is Pedro?” Miguel asked.

“Doing his time,” quipped Jose.

“Let’s stay focused, Miguel.  You met Felix on the boat, at the bar. You never saw his cell phone. Did he ever take calls in front of you?”

“Oh, yeah, all the time, but I didn’t pay any attention.  He even called me a few times.”

“Really, do you have his cell phone number? That would be useful to us.”

Miguel looked at Alfredo. “Your buddy, the cop, has my cell phone. He’s in my voicemail. I didn’t return Felix’s last couple of calls.”

“I’ll check on that right now,” Alfredo rose to leave the room. “I’ll be right back.”

“I see you’re almost done with that beer. Would you like another one?”

“Sure, I’m hungry, too. The food is lousy in jail.”

“Jose, would you go get Miguel a couple of tacos? They will go good with his beer.”

Jose walked out to the bar to see Bob and Alfredo talking quietly. He joined them for a minute. “Well, is your cop on duty this weekend?”

“I just left him an urgent cell phone message. I can’t believe he didn’t check out Felix’s cell phone records. It sounds like we need his credit card records, too, so we can see just how often he’s been in Cabo for the past six months.

Bob shook his head. “I’m not sure we need to worry about that. We may have enough for Hugo to call the CEO. Let somebody else take Felix down a notch. We just want him away from Pleasure Cove.

“Oh, before I forget,” Bob continued, “I want you both to know that Juanita has gone to look for Felix’s boat at The Spa Motel. She promised to call when she finds it.”

“At least, Miguel sounds more credible today. He’s fighting for his life in there so he’s being more co-operative. Jose stopped and nodded to Bob, “I agree someone should bring Felix down a notch. Why don’t you do it? After all, he did try to steal your woman.”

“No, I’ve got better things to do. The Jacada family will take care of him when they find out what he’s been doing,” Bob replied sarcastically.

“I’m more worried about Miguel. What if this ploy works?” asked Alfredo. “We’ve run out of time hiding him in jail.”

“Is there some place we can send him like you did Pedro – maybe somewhere on the mainland?” hinted Bob. “He could work on a farm or a ranch so far away we don’t have to worry about him getting a cell phone or the internet.”

“How about a mango orchard in Belize?” joked Jose with a nasty chuckle.

“First things first,” countered Alfredo. “Hugo has to finish his job.  Can’t we keep Miguel in the local jail for one night?”

“Maybe,” Jose said hesitantly. “I’ll make a call after I take in his tacos.”

“We all need to take a break. I bet Carrie’s cell battery is running down about now.”

“OK. I’ll go retrieve it while he eats his food. Nodding his head, Jose turned to the hallway, “We should have enough video recorded.”

Alfredo’s phone rang as Jose walked away. Bob sat while he took the call in Spanish.  The conversation didn’t last long.

“Our cop got called in on another case,” explained Alfredo. “We have to formally charge Miguel to get specific police action. So far, we’ve just been scaring him making him think charges have been brought against him.”

“I see. I wonder if Juanita could do some research tomorrow.  She just might find some more dirt on Felix, and a safe place to hide Miguel while Hugo does his thing.”

“Couldn’t hurt. The more ammo we give Hugo, the better job he will do. You did the right thing bringing him here, Bob. He’s got more out of Miguel than we did in two weeks. Everyone has calmed down a bit.”

“It’s that patriarch thing, Alfredo. It works on those young boys every time.”

They waited as Jose delivered the beers and tacos. He was walking back down the hall holding Carrie’s cell in his hand within minutes.

“Let’s see what we’ve got,” Bob said as he took the phone from Jose’s hand. “It’s still got a little battery left.  He hit replay and the three men crowded round to watch the video play. It was a little dark but the sound was good and the faces recognizable.

“We got it,” Bob smiled as the men patted each other on the back. “I promised I’d show it to Carrie. You guys can handle the rest of this. I’ll be back shortly.” He headed out to the palapa looking for Carrie.

Pausing on the sidewalk, he stopped and simply admired her profile while she read a book. She was going to be so happy. “I’m back, love,” he greeted sitting down beside her. He passed her phone over so she could watch the video.

“It’s good enough for me,” she commented after watching for a few minutes.

“We all agree,” Bob smiled, “Thank you, my dear. We couldn’t have done it without you.” He leaned forward to give her a soft kiss.

“How did Hugo take the interview? Is he willing to call the CEO for you?”

Bob nodded quickly, “Oh, yeah, he’s having a field day with Miguel. He’s sure won Alfredo over.”

“Great, then we’re going home on a good note. I know it’s been a busy day. Have you had a chance to check your flight plan for tomorrow?”

Bob smacked his forehead. “See what I mean. I’d be lost without you. Let’s look up the weather so we know how early we have to leave.” 

He looked down at her phone while she brought up the weather. “Cloudy skies in the morning but looks like it will burn off by ten.” She looked up at him. “So, does that mean departing at ten?”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. We can enjoy breakfast and still get home early in the afternoon. What would you like to do tonight, love? I feel like we should celebrate. We pulled off a miracle today.”

“Let’s eat here in the café so we can say good-bye to Hugo. You may need to chat with Juanita when she gets back.”

“She just called Jose letting us know she found Miguel’s boat but is being cautious about boarding it. Maybe we can have margaritas and some chicken enchiladas. It’s our last night for some real Mexican food for a while.”

Engrossed in conversation, Bob and Carrie didn’t notice as the men walked down the hall toward the bar. Hugo and Miguel walked together behind Jose and Alfredo. Hearing their voices, Bob and Carrie turned toward them as they headed down the sidewalk to the parking lot.

Hugo spoke up first. “Miguel has agreed to stay at the local jail tonight to give us time to check out new information he remembered today. I’ll come back tomorrow so we can double-check the facts before I make any calls.”

Bob stood and shook Hugo’s hand. “Thanks again, Hugo, and thanks to you, Alfredo, for bringing Miguel back today. We really hope we can all put this behind us soon.”

The men continued to their cars while Bob and Carrie lingered under the shade of the palapa. “Why don’t we treat ourselves to a margarita now, babe?”  I think this merits a toast, and I can only have one since I’m flying tomorrow.”