Trifecta (29 page)

"I should never have brought you here," Robin
said.  "I'm so sorry."

"No," Julia said, blinking hard and fast.  "No,
you were perfectly right.  I can handle the truth.  Not knowing is much worse." 
She was looking into his large light blue eyes, which were still gazing at her with
pain and dismay.  "It's just that if I get any sympathy right now, I'll start
crying again.  Once I start, it's hard to stop.  Don't take it personally." 
She tried to smile at him and started to hiccup. 

They turned around and started back down the long hallway
toward the viewing room.  She was aware that Robin started to put his arm around
her and then moved away. 

Julia took a deep breath and hiccuped.  She couldn't think
about the ring.  Maybe it wasn't an engagement ring as she had first thought.  It
might be a sympathy gift, although diamonds meant forever, didn't they? 

They reached the viewing room and Robin had to leave her. 
She took hold of Robin's arm to get his attention.  When he turned toward her, she
looked straight in his eyes and blurted out, "When you find your paragon, that
perfect dream woman, I hope she understands that she's the luckiest person on this
earth."

Jay was out in the hallway, beckoning for Robin to hurry
up. "Come on.  You're holding us up."

Robin stood still, gazing at Julia in surprise.  He grabbed
her arm.  "What'd you say?"

Julia smiled up at him, "You heard me." 

He was grinning down at her.  "I need a repeat."

"I was thanking you, Robin.  For me.  And for my wonderful
dead brother.  For the justice you've given us.  I'm so proud of you.  What you've
done for my family." 

Then she hiccuped, turned around, and went back inside
the viewing room.

A
s Julia sat down again in the viewing room, Tony
told her that investigators from the D.A.'s office were on the way to Juan Carlos's
residence, to impound his car.  There might still be blood stains.  If they could
match them to her brother's blood type through DNA analysis they would have positive
physical proof for the trial against Juan Carlos and Pete Estandos.  It might not
work in the blood had degraded too much, though.  In the meantime they would start
the interrogation, hoping forensic investigators would call to let them know whether
they could proceed with new physical evidence.

Julia soon saw the ferret-faced Juan Carlos through the
viewing glass.  He slouched into the room insolently with his lawyer.  Juan Carlos
was sporting a dark mossy beard, his black slanted eyes darting around.  Julia could
see him looking hard at the mirror, as though he could actually see through it. 

It was horrifying to face him through just a thin glass
mirror, now that she knew the truth.  Julia felt nauseated and had to fight her
rising gorge.  This time she knew her reaction was not caused by the pregnancy. 
The roiling in her stomach was precipitated by the violence this small, ugly man
had performed on her own brother.  It was also because of the lies he was telling. 
He said he was with a girl, a prostitute, that night, and claimed that this woman
would corroborate his story.

Jay acted brilliantly indignant that Juan Carlos would
come up with such an implausible story at this late date.  He started pounding him
with statements, one after another.  They had declarations from Mike Garcia and
Pete Estandos, both, that put him at the scene of the beating of Brian Monay.  Sworn
testimony of two eyewitnesses that Juan Carlos had believed Brian dying or dead
when they left him in the road. 

Jay reiterated that Juan would be up on murder charges
since Brian Monay had died in the hospital, because his intent, sworn to by the
two other people with him that night, was to beat Brian Monay to death and make
it look like a robbery. 

"Murder charges!" Jay thundered at Juan Garcia. 
"Do you understand?  No one will believe an alibi, now.  Your only hope is
to make a deal, Juan Carlos.  Right now.  This minute.  If you tell us who ordered
the murder of Brian Monay, I will drop the charges to second degree murder.  Otherwise
you face the death penalty."  He was silent for a few beats and lowered his
voice to a calm whisper, looking with deadly implacability into Juan's shifty eyes. 
"Whether it's by lethal injection or the gas chamber, you are the dead man
walking."

In the viewing room, Tony was shaking his head in anguish,
whispering to Julia as they watched with baited breath, "Damn, damn.  Quijada
got to him.  Promised him an alibi for his silence."

Julia watched intently through the glass.  "He's afraid
of Quijada.  More than the murder charges.  Quijada could get off in a trial.  He
has to confess.  Put Quijada behind bars.  Otherwise he really is dead."

"I hope you're right," Tony said pessimistically. 
Neither was breathing as they watched in silence.  Juan Carlos was mumbling something
to his lawyer.

Finally, after a long sullen silence, Juan looked down
and sighed.  He whispered, "Aaron Quijada."

"Louder, please," Jay thundered.  "For the
record."

"Aaron Quijada."

There was a pause for the correct spelling of Quijada's
name and his address.

"And you were paid for this?" Jay asked.

"No!"

"Because Brian Monay didn't die.  So you had to finish
the job, didn't you?"

Ed Riker, Juan Carlos's attorney, popped up in outrage. 
"Don't you answer that question, Juan Carlos.  We're ending these proceedings,
right now.  Evidently there are new charges we have not yet been advised of."

"To put it succinctly," Jay stated, "Mr.
Money died at Cedars Sinai Hospital because life support equipment was sabotaged."

Juan Carlos and his attorney huddled together in a corner
whispering.  Finally, Juan's lawyer said, "This interrogation will have to
be continued at another time.  My client is exhausted.  The hour is late.  You are
using scare tactics on an innocent man."  He went on and on about the rights
of Juan Carlos.

Julia felt let down.  There should have been trumpets blaring,
a drum roll, and lightening flashes, when Juan Carlos admitted that Aaron Quijada
ordered her brother's murder.  She turned to Tony, "Will they believe him? 
It's the word of a murderer, against that of a man who almost became the governor
of California."

Tony smiled.  "It might be circumstantial, but I believe
we've got Quijada.  Pete and Mike said that Juan worked for Quijada.  They'll probably
pick Quijada up tomorrow morning.  Maybe even tonight.  Particularly if they find
blood stains in Juan's car."

Julia swiveled to look at Robin through the glass.  He
appeared to show no emotion, but he must be feeling some righteous triumph.

Julia and Tony watched as everyone prepared to leave the
interrogation room. 

"We'll have to wait a few minutes," Tony said. 
"Otherwise we might bump into Juan Carlos in the hallway."

"I want to confront him," Julia said, getting
out of her chair and hurrying to the door.  She wanted to beat up the little guy
herself. 

"No!  Wait!  You can't Julia," Tony said, jumping
up to physically restrain her if he had to.  He was too late.

Julia ran out into the hallway.  Juan Carlos was just a
few feet away.  They looked into each other's eyes.  Julia noticed that he was shorter
than she was.  She might be able to fight him, but she would lose, because he preyed
on the weak and helpless and fought dirty.  She walked up to him slowly.  It seemed
like time stopped.

"You murdered my only brother," Julia said, with
great restraint.  "A wonderful, valuable, talented person."  She wanted
to ask him how he could beat a man to death in cold blood.  She wanted to hit him. 
He backed away, seeing her intent.

"Get this filthy lying bitch away from me," Juan
Carlos said with utter contempt.

Thomas McQuery had been standing in the hallway and he
stepped between the two of them.  Julia could feel Tony pulling her away from the
confrontation.  Robin came out of the interrogation room and put his arm around
her shoulders to guide her in the opposite direction, leading her to the elevators.

"There will be justice for that little prick,"
Tony said consolingly.

"No," Julia answered sadly.  "My brother
is gone."

They all walked silently down the corridor toward the elevator,
with Thomas McQuery in the rear. 

Robin finally said, "There can't be pure justice. 
But in this instance, I believe 'An Eye for an Eye' is the best we can do."

Julia looked up at him.  She didn't want him to think she
was ungrateful for all he had done by her bitter remark, or take away from the victory
he had achieved.  "I agree.  It's more than I ever hoped for, Robin.  You'll
let me know when they're going to pick up Quijada, won't you?"

"The minute I hear," Robin promised.  "I'll
take you to see it myself."

"Thanks."  She glanced down, suddenly mute. 
The ring she was wearing might be an engagement ring.  She was glad that Tony and
Tom McQuery were with them as they stood waiting for the elevator.

"I need a favor," Robin said to Julia as they
stood in front of the ornate doors of the ancient and slow elevator.  He was smiling. 
"Tomorrow is my father's birthday.  There's going to be a party.  He and Mom
asked specifically if you would come.  My dad's been following this case with interest."

"Right now, I'd do anything you ask," Julia said
smiling up at him.

"Careful there," Tony interjected, slapping Robin
on the back.  "This boy is not shy."

Julia hoped she wasn't blushing.  "What I mean is,
it would be an honor to go to your father's birthday party.  Thank's for asking."

Robin was looking at Julia in a puzzled way.  She thought
he was probably wondering if she knew his father was the famous senator.

"We gotta talk logistics," Tom McQuery broke
in.  "Julia's staying in a hotel room.  I don't think she wants me in there. 
Course, with what Robin's paying me, I'd prostrate myself in the hallway in front
of the door.  Sleep there..."  He went on, "Julia won't be safe till Quijada's
behind bars.  Maybe not even then, if he's put out a contract."

Julia felt her eyes and even her mouth open in astonishment. 
If a policeman thought she was in danger, then Robin hadn't been exaggerating about
Quijada's plans for vengeance.

The three men began arguing.  Robin wanted to take her
to his parents home.  Tony said he had a guest room at his apartment, that she would
be welcome to stay for a few days.  Thomas McQuery said it didn't matter where she
was, he would stay there, too.  The elevator came and the doors opened slowly and
then closed again.

During the arguement Jay caught up with them and said Julia
could stay with him.  They all nodded in agreement that she shouldn't be alone in
a hotel room.

"Just talk around me.  I'm a lamp," Julia finally
said.

"What do you want to do?" Robin asked.

"It's late and my things are at the hotel.  It's nice
of all of you to invite me to stay at your homes, but Mr. McQuery can sleep in my
room.  There's a side alcove with a bed."  She turned to the policeman.  "Would
that be all right with you?  I would appreciate your being there."

Thomas McQuery nodded, "Fine with me."

They all entered the elevator.  Robin put his arm around
her, leaned close and whispered, "I wanted to take care of you."  He was
looking at her very intently.

Julia took a big breath to respond.  She was prevented
from answering when Tony started congratulating Jay on the way he had conducted
the interviews.  Jay said legal documents authorizing a search of Quijada's home
were now on the way to a judge.

T
he hotel room had an amazing number of full length
mirrors; on the bathroom door, the closet doors, and even the hallway into the suite. 
Julia would have loved to walk around nude.  She thought here was a minuscule swelling
in her lower abdomen and her breasts had become larger.  But Thomas McQuery was
there and she would have to forgo the pleasurable nightly ritual; admiring the marvelous
changes a baby was bringing to her.

When she got in bed she was positive she would never sleep. 
There was the prospect of seeing Quijada arrested tomorrow.  Then she would be meeting
Robin's parents, a daunting thought sure to keep her awake for hours.  She looked
across the room.  McQuery had been out as soon as his head hit the pillow and he
snored gently and rhythmically, like a growling lion, still fully dressed but with
his shoes off, on top of the covers. 

As she was wondering what to wear to the senator's birthday
party tomorrow, Julia heard the phone ringing and realized that hours had gone by. 
She had been asleep.  Drugged with exhaustion, she could barely lift her eyelids.

In the time it took for her to roll over to pick up the
telephone receiver by the side of the bed, McQuery was already there and had grabbed
it.

"Yes.  Right now?  I'll see if she wants to go,"
McQuery said after listening for a few moments.  He hung up.

"What is it?" Julia asked, rubbing her eyes as
she looked at the bedside clock.  It was five-thirty in the morning.

"Robin called.  The D.A.'s office got a tip.  Quijada's
on the run.  Probably leaving for Mexico.  There must have been a leak about Juan
Carlos admitting his boss ordered the hit.  If you want to catch this, we have to
leave now."

Julia leaped out of bed and pulled on the clothing she
had worn the day before, running her fingers through her hair distractedly as she
gathered up her cameras. 

McQuery was holding the door open impatiently as she slung
her purse and the bulky camera bag over her shoulder and they  thundered down the
hallway, got the elevator to the parking garage and ran through the dimly lit garage
to McQuery's car.

As she buckled in, McQuery said, "I'm going to be
speeding, so hold on tight.  Oh, get the light in back."

Julia looked in the back seat and saw the warning bubble
light that flashed on the top of police cars.  She unbuckled her belt to reach it
and was thrown sideways against the door as McQuery screeched around the curving
ramp out of the garage.  Julia managed to get hold of the warning light and handed
it to McQuery.  He rolled down the window and slapped it on the roof when they paused,
before turning right on Century Boulevard.  He flipped a switch and the siren began
to wail.

McQuery was driving like a madman, running all the red
lights, but he appeared totally calm as he said, "Since Quijada's going to
be charged with murder, and there's drug smuggling charges pending, there'll be
a swat team.  We don't need the extradition problems if he gets away, so it's all
going down fast.  You can watch, but we'll have to stay way back, out of the way."

Whew, this is big time, Julia was thinking.  Light was
filling the sky and the ultra sensitive film she had loaded yesterday would be all
wrong.  Another sunny day in Los Angeles.  Julia changed film with trembling fingers
as the car sped through the dawn.  When she glanced at the speedometer she noted
McQuery was driving the deserted streets at almost 100 miles per hour.

They screamed through Beverly Hills, took a left on Sunset,
and then were on Bel-Air Road heading for Quijada's home.  McQuery turned off the
siren and slowed down, as there were a number of vehicles on the road now, all heading
up the hill.  There was a road block where McQuery had to stop and show identification. 
The policeman at the barricade nodded at Julia with a questioning look and McQuery
said, Press.  They were waved on. 

McQuery parked a few blocks down the hill from Quijada's
residence, which was hidden from view by the winding road.  As they walked up the
road, brightening minute by minute in the morning sun, Julia got out her camera
to check it one last time.

McQuery went over to several policemen clustered together
in the road wearing odd black uniforms and she followed him.  The swat team.  They
had rifles hung with leather straps over their shoulders, so Julia thought that
they would be getting in position soon.  McQuery was telling them about how two
armed men had been with Quijada the night before, holding guns on Julia and Robin. 
They were talking excitedly about the prospect of armed resistance.

Julia looked around.  She would have to get closer and
be in position when the police knocked on Quijada's door.  McQuery was busy telling
the swat team about the fire power Quijada's men had held last night.  He didn't
notice when she moved away. 

Men from two police cars were conferring with bent heads,
holding maps.  An ambulance had arrived and parked near the police cars.  The swat
team was clustered around McQuery and their own team leader.  No one was paying
attention as she went up the road, around a bend, and everyone was lost to view. 

Julia jogged up several blocks, hoping she would appear
like a local resident out for some early morning exercise.  She finally saw that
the big gates in front of Quijada's mansion were open.  Walking slowly past, feeling
the hair rise on her arms, she peeked inside the grounds.  There wasn't any movement. 
A stretch limousine was parked in the driveway, probably ready for a quick and luxurious
getaway to Mexico later this morning.  Bruno must be inside the house if the gates
were open.  Looking behind her Julia could see a black and white police car coming
slowly, officially, up the road.  Julia knew she would lose her chance if she hesitated.

Turning around, Julia quickly backtracked, went inside
the gates and ran over beside a large oak tree at the left side of the property,
positioning herself so that she would not be seen from inside the windows of the
home.  She felt pretty safe because she was within a cluster of trees.  There was
a lot of dense foliage at the front of the property.  It was hard for her to believe
she had walked right in without anyone preventing her from doing so.

As Julia gazed around she could see men in black uniforms
positioned on top of the walls of the estate.  It was as though they had suddenly
materialized, because moments ago there had not been a soul in sight.  There were
two lethal looking black shapes to the right of her, and one on the left wall. 
The man on the left was motioning angrily at her.  He obviously wanted her to scram.

Julia turned away and pretended she didn't notice, but
she managed a quick picture of him crouched on the wall, holding the camera at waist
level, long experience telling her the correct angle to position the camera.  She
took pictures of the other two swat members also, dodging stealthily out from between
the trees to do so.

Then she turned around and got a picture of the police
car now parked in front of the gate, barring exit to the property.  She knelt down
to snap pictures over a banana tree with wide, light green fronds.  She was still
snapping when Jay got out of the police vehicle, carrying a briefcase, and started
walking up the drive with a blue uniformed policeman on either side of him.  He
was wearing a grey pin striped suit and looked tiny standing between the two burly
policemen at the front door.

Jay knocked on the door and it opened partially, after
a long time went by.  Julia couldn't tell who was at the door because all was dark
inside and the angle was wrong with the door only open about a foot.  Jay opened
the briefcase and handed it to a policeman to hold while he withdrew some documents,
which he handed to the shadowed person inside.  Julia could see him talking, but
couldn't make out what he was saying. 

The bull-like figure of Quijada emerged for a moment from
the doorway dressed in a scarlet and black brocade lounging coat.  He handed the
papers back to Jay.  One of the policemen went inside with Quijada.  Then the door
slammed sharply in Jay's face.

It seemed like hours went by as Julia waited with her camera
poised on the front door.  The day was getting warm and the camera bag was heavy. 
Julia shrugged it off her shoulder.  Quijada was probably changing his clothes and
calling his lawyer.  She anticipated that the following sequence would be a let
down for the hyper, excited swat team.  They were ready for action, but Quijada
was too smart to resist. 

Finally Jay knocked on the door again.  Julia took a moment
to look around.  The gateway to the property was now filled with policemen and officials. 
The real press had arrived and they were taking pictures.  They were being restrained
and had to stay back.  She saw Thomas McQuery there, frowning at her.  He motioned
to come outside.  Julia shook her head and smiled at him.  She searched the crowd
to see if Robin was there, but couldn't locate him in the crowd.

Then Quijada was at the door dressed in a lightweight blue
suit.  He held his arms in front of him and the policeman at the door put on the
cuffs.  Quijada had his head lowered and Julia wasn't having any success at getting
a picture of his face as the cuffs were locked in place.  Jay, Quijada and the two
policemen all started down the circular path to the gate.  They would be walking
right by her and Julia held the camera poised.  Quijada was practically bowed over
so that no one could get pictures of his humiliation.

Julia moved out of her hiding place, bumping her head on
a branch of the oak tree as she straightened up from her crouched position.  She
went to the edge of the walkway.  Quijada might have a violent reaction if he saw
her there.  Maybe she could get some kind of confession or an angry word.  She knew,
even with his head bent, that he could see her, but something was missing.  Julia
couldn't figure it out.  Then it came.  She was within a few feet of the man, but
she couldn't smell him.  That awful perfume he always wore.  And she had a close-up
of the top of his head through the viewing lens of the camera.  It was all wrong.

"Mr. Quijada?" Julia said, as he went slowly
past.

No reaction.

Julia stood there frowning.  Then she shouted.  "Jay! 
You've got the wrong man!"

When her voice rang out, the man moving with Jay and the
two policemen looked back at her, startled.  It wasn't Quijada.

She was afraid she might have been mistaken and too hasty,
but when she actually saw his face, she knew she was right.  The man resembled Quijada
remarkably.  Probably an extra from one of Quijada's movies, or a relative.  Undoubtedly
paid an enormous sum to impersonate Quijada so the murdering drug lord could get
away. 

No one else knew Quijada, personally, like she did.  He
could have gotten away with it, at least for a while.  Jay thought he had the right
guy.  The two policemen had probably never met the real Quijada.

She was astonished at the number of blue uniformed officers
running toward the house.  The swat team must have had radio communication because
they were leaping off the walls and sprinting toward the house, rifles pointed forward. 
Some of them had disappeared behind the house.  Julia was taking swift shots of
it all, turning around and around, getting pictures of the police holding back onlookers
trying to get inside the gates; pictures of the cuffed man being ushered into a
police car; pictures of uniformed policemen rushing inside the front door of the
home.

Julia was out of film.  She ran back to her camera bag
within the circle of trees where she had been hiding.  As she bent down to reload,
there was a rapid burping noise, no louder than the birds chirping in the trees,
and then a splintering crash.  Julia felt blinding pain for only an instant, and
then everything went black.

Several of the policemen rushed forward to help her, and
the branch was lifted and thrown aside.  When she did regain consciousness, she
felt the weight of someone covering her with his own body.  She had a sense of deja'vu
for a moment, believing she was on the hillside with Quijada's gunmen searching
for her and Robin, because Robin was the human shield.  It was as though he had
imprinted her.  His presence felt comforting. 

She heard the words, Sniper, and Got Him, but she didn't
know if they were referring to the person who tried to shoot her or Quijada. 

"Julia?  Julia, please be all right."  It was
Robin speaking in her ear, asking, and then demanding, over and over again, for
her to wake up.  She could feel his breath on her cheek.  His hand was in her hair,
stroking her head.  She wondered if she had been shot.  Her shoulder hurt horribly.

"Automatic rifle sheered the branch right off.  Doesn't
look like she was hit.  It would have cut her in half,"  McQuery was saying
from somewhere up above.

How totally comforting, Julia thought as she finally understood
what hit her.  She wanted to go back to sleep she felt so groggy.  Then she remembered
they were arresting the wrong man and everything came rushing back.  There was a
terrible pain in her shoulder.

"I'm fine," Julia said.  The branch was right
beside her face.  She looked with horror at how the end had been shredded.  She
felt the warmth leaving and knew Robin had moved off of her.  Trying to sit up was
an ordeal because one arm seemed unresponsive, but Robin helped prop her up to a
sitting position.  He was kneeling on the ground beside her.  There was a ring of
policemen around the two of them, backs turned with guns pointed outward in a circle.

"What's happening?" Julia asked.  She turned
her face to smile at Robin.  He was going to get very angry in a minute.

"You scared me to death," Robin said softly. 
"Why do you do these things?"

"Help me," Julia said.  She was trying to pick
up her camera as she made the effort to stand.  Her left arm was totally useless. 
"You'll have to take the pictures, Robin.  My left arm isn't working."