Isela's Love Page 5

  Maggie didn’t appear to hear him. He smiled as he watched her watching Lucan, love and adoration flowing freely from her into him. He grazed the back of his hand over her cheek.

  “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get the cradle so Lucan can sleep in here, with us.”

  Maggie nodded, her eyes glistening with tears, but her smile clearly indicating they were happy ones. Darrios set the cradle at the foot of their bed and took Lucan, sleeping soundly again, and gingerly placed him inside.

  Maggie stretched lazily, sliding down the pillows. “I can’t believe I’m so tired,” she said.

  Darrios chortled. “Oh sure, why would you be tired? You only had a baby. C’mon Maggie, snap out of it.”

  She laughed at his teasing. Darrios kissed Maggie softly, whispering,” Go to sleep. I’ll be in after I get your brother settled. I love you, Maggie.”

  She palmed his cheek. “I love you too.”

  Darrios carried two blankets and a pillow out into the living area. Dropping them onto the couch, he asked Brendan, “Are you tired or do you want to have a drink with me?”

  Brendan dropped his feet to the floor. He stood up. “Drink, of course. We need to toast the newest man in the family.”

  Darrios poured two drinks and handed Brendan one.

  “To Lucan,” Brendan toasted, holding up his glass, “and his parents.”

  Darrios held up his glass then sipped. Brendan leaned forward, letting his smile fade.

  “So, are you going to tell me what all that snipping was earlier...with your partner?”

  Darrios sighed. He filled Brendan in on what he knew about Guarros. “I’ve known so many guys like him. They think they’re above the law. If he’s involved in Kie’s murder or if he knows anything, we owe it to Kie and his daughter to find out. That girl does not belong in that prison, Brendan.”

  “I’ve known plenty of guys like him, too and if he’s a bad guy, he’s bad through and through. If he had anything to do with that girl’s father’s murder, there’s a whole list of other shit he’s done in the last thirteen years to boot. You need to trust your instincts and go after this guy, Darrios. There could be countless lives affected, including yours.”

  “I wish I knew where to start. We plan on asking the inmates that work for us, but we need to establish some trust among them first.”

  Brendan appeared deep in thought for a moment. “I’m going to be here a while. I could go undercover.”

  “Oh yeah, that’ll go over really well with your sister. Are you trying to get me killed or just divorced?”

  “I’m serious. I’ve done this kind of thing twice before and both times we got the guys. The last time was actually in a prison.”

  “That won’t matter to Maggie.”

  “I’ll handle Maggie. If it keeps me around, don’t you think she’ll go for it?”

  “And your aunt?”

  “She’ll understand.”

  “I’ll talk to Bernie and see if we can get it approved by the Council.”

  “The Council?”

  “The highest power in Celio. There are seven elders who sit on the Council. They make and enforce the laws here. Bernie has to convince them there is a need to send someone in to investigate before we can legally do it.”

  “Why Bernie?”

  “Because only a Celio native can bring something before the Council. Bernie and Jezbah are the only ones among us. Jezbah wants no part of politics so that leaves Bernie.”

  “Okay, let’s talk to Bernie first thing tomorrow. I’m always up for a good cause.”

  “And let’s not mention anything to your sister or your aunt until we have to.”

  “Agreed.”

  Chapter Six

  Bernie said he’d go to the Council after talking to the trustees on the farm.

  “I can’t go to them with nothing more than Darrios’ gut feeling and the rumors about Kie,” he explained. “I need evidence of wrongdoing if we want them to agree to this.”

  “What will happen to Guarros if we can prove he’s guilty of murdering Kie?” Brendan asked.

  “They’ll decide his fate. He could be imprisoned or they might decide to execute him, but the decision will be final. There is no appealing with the Council.”

  “Then I guess we’d better find something concrete to nail this bastard...or prove his innocence,” Evan said.

  Darrios snorted. “He’s far from innocent...of many things I’m sure.”

  ****

  Darrios wanted to remain present for the interviews with the trustees, but Bernie and Brendan agreed he was much too intimidating.

  “If they tell us anything you can ask them anything further you want, but let me get them talking first. It’s no secret that I have certain people skills you lack, Darrios.”

  “What are you talking about? I can be perfectly charming,” he argued.

  Bernie laughed. “Yeah, of course you can. Seriously? Maggie’s a saint.”

  Smiling, Darrios blew him a kiss and then left the room. The first trustee, Alden, came in shortly after. Bernie smiled broadly at him extending his hand. Alden shook it, eyeing him warily. Bernie offered him a beverage. When he declined, Bernie motioned for him to sit.

  “I’m going to ask you some questions, Alden. I need you to be honest. Your answers will remain confidential, I promise.”

  Alden nodded. Bernie began his interrogation. By the time he finished, he didn’t feel like he’d learned anything worth taking to the Council. Alden was fairly new as an inmate. His crimes that put him there had been fairly insignificant. Plus he hadn’t really had much contact with the warden.

  Dolly was next and her interview went much the same way. As she was leaving, Jerric came in and sat down.

  “Jerric, do you know what I want to talk to you about?”

  The young man glanced nervously around the room. He turned his attention back to Bernie. “Alden said you were asking about Warden Guarros.”

  “That’s right,” Bernie said gently. “I need to know what he’s like.”

  Jerric stared into his lap, shaking his head.

  “Jerric?”

  “He doesn’t bother with the guys too much. As long as we do our work and don’t complain...”

  “But?”

  “It’s different for the girls, especially Isela.”

  He looked up at Bernie, hopefully. Suddenly Jerric seemed so young. Recognizing the girl’s name, Bernie was relieved he’d made Darrios leave.

  “What do you mean by ‘especially Isela’?”

  “The warden goes out of his way to go after her. He taunts her. He wants her...you know, for sex.”

  Bernie kept his disgust for Guarros off his face and remained impassive.

  “How do you know that, Jerric?”

  “Everybody knows it. He’s always saying things to her, touching her, threatening her. He hits her, too.”

  Darrios blew out a breath. “Why her?”

  Jerric met Bernie’s gaze and quietly said, “Because she says no.”

  Bernie leaned in closer to Jerric, trying to be as nonthreatening as he could. “Jerric, are you telling me Guarros has sex with the other girls...that they consent to it?”

  “Hmph,” he grunted, “What choice do they have? Most of them aren’t as strong as Isela. They see how he treats her. It’s a lot easier for them to give in than to fight him. They know they’re going to lose in the end anyway. Guarros always wins. Isela, she just won’t give in. Maybe it’s because of her mother, I don’t know.”

  “What can you tell me about Isela’s mother, Jerric? Were you there when she killed herself?”

  “No, but there’s a guy, Bashua. Everyone says he’s crazy, but I think he’s a lot sharper than anyone knows. He’s been an inmate forever. He’s the guy you should talk to.”

  “Thank you, Jerric. I promise you, Guarros will never know you talked to me.”

  “I don’t care if he does. I’m tired of watching my friends live in shame and fe
ar. If you can stop him, I’ll do whatever I can to help, especially to save Isela.”

  Bernie needed to take a minute to compose himself after listening to Jerric’s testimony. He wouldn’t want to be in Guarros’ shoes if Darrios ever got a hold of him, once he heard what this kid had just told him.

  Leezil wasn’t as forthcoming with her answers, giving Bernie the distinct impression she was hiding something. If Jerric was right, he understood her reluctance to talk about it. She seemed very relieved when he told her she could go.

  Rone entered the room as if it was full of snakes, her eyes round as saucers, darting around the room, almost frantically. Bernie knew he needed to put her more at ease if was going to get any information out of her. Smiling warmly at her, he thanked her for coming in and agreeing to talk to him. He spoke slowly and softly to her.

  “I don’t really know anything,” she said, avoiding eye contact.

  “It’s okay, Rone,” Bernie said, patting her hand, “I know about the warden.”

  He heard her sharp intake of breath, even though she tried to hide it. Her head snapped up, tears in her eyes. Bernie decided to push a little.

  “I know he...touches you,” Bernie said barely above a whisper.

  Rone dropped her chin to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut tight. She covered her face with her hands and shook her head.

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she cried. Bernie jumped up. Dropping down to his knees next to her, he placed his arms around her. At first, she stiffened. When he spoke she relaxed in his arms.

  “Shhh, shhh, you have nothing to be sorry for. It isn’t your fault. It’s his. How old are you, Rone?”

  “Nine...nineteen,” she hiccupped between sobs.

  “Warden Guarros was wrong to touch you. He should have known better, but we’re going to make sure he never hurts you or any of the other girls again.”

  She gasped. “No, you can’t tell him what I told you!” she shrieked. “He’ll kill me.”

  “I’m not going to tell him anything...not until we’re sure you’re safe from him, but by you telling me this? That will help me stop him all that much sooner.”

  She nodded, calming some. Bernie sat back on his heels.

  “Rone, can you tell me anything else? I know this is difficult, but it really will help.”

  She wrung her hands, staring at her fingers as she did so. Without making eye contact, she whispered, “He usually only does it after Isela refuses him. Then he comes to one of us. He’s always so angry. I’ve seen him hit her...sometimes a lot, but she won’t give in to him. I heard her tell him the only way he’d ever have her is against her will...and then he’d have to kill her or she’d kill herself. She looked him right in the eye and said that...in front of everyone.”

  “What did he do?” Bernie asked, afraid of what the answer would be.

  Tears trickled down Rone’s cheeks.

  “He beat her...bad. I guess he thought he needed to save face or something. I don’t know how she took it, but she did. She never made a sound.” She looked at Bernie, her tears glistening in her eyes. “I know it’s weak, but it’s easier not to fight him. He’ll get his way in the end, so why make it harder on myself?”

  “You listen to me, Rone. You are not weak. In fact, I think you’re very brave to have faced what you have alone. He hasn’t broken you. You’ve won, not him. Do you understand? And we will stop him, I promise.”

  The disbelieving look she gave him nearly broke his heart, but he understood where it came from. When you’re battered enough, that becomes the norm. He smiled weakly at her.

  “Can I go now?” she asked meekly.

  “Sure you can. Thank you, Rone.”

  “When all of this breaks, please protect Isela. I don’t know what he’s going to do, but he’ll surely take it out on her.”

  “We will. We’ll protect you all.”

  She got up and left, her shoulders sagging beneath the burden she carried. Bernie swiped his hands over his face. Nausea rolled around in his gut, reminding him how much he did not want to share the results of his inquiry.

  Darrios would go crazy, he knew. He had an extremely overdeveloped sense of righteousness where bullies were concerned and the word bully didn’t even begin to describe Guarros. Evan would be consumed with guilt for not jumping on board sooner. His only hope for a sane reaction and some solid brainstorming was Brendan.

  He sent for the men, assembling them in Darrios and Evan’s office overlooking the farm. Bernie waited for everyone to be seated before he addressed the group.

  “Gentlemen, it’s worse than we thought. He’s abusing the women sexually.”

  The other three men broke out into elevated voices. Bernie raised his hands. “Guys, c’mon, let me finish.”

  They quieted, stewing over his announcement. Bernie shared the details of what he’d learned, emphasizing what Jerric and Rone had said about Isela.

  “He’s focusing on her, but he doesn’t force her to do anything sexual. It’s like he’s trying to intimidate her into giving in. That’s the game. And when she doesn’t, he takes it out on the other girls. They don’t fight him because they’re afraid.”

  “I say we kill the motherfucker,” Darrios growled.

  “Now you know we can’t do that, Darrios,” Bernie said. “We have to follow the Council if we want him brought to justice.”

  “I’m with Darrios,” Evan said. “Killing him would be justice. I only wish I’d have listened to you earlier, Darrios.”

  “Uh, guys?” Brendan interrupted. “Instead of wasting time waving our dicks around, why don’t we concentrate on making a plan to nail this fucker so we can stop him from hurting any more women?”

  “Excellent suggestion, Brendan,” Bernie said. “Obviously, Guarros has some sort of obsession with this Isela. I think that’s a good place to start. Why is he so obsessed with her?”

  “She’s a looker,” Evan replied.

  “It’s more than that,” Bernie said. “It’s like he has her on some sort of pedestal or something. He must consider her special or he would have already forced himself on her like he did with the others. Rone and Jerric both told me she’s refused his advances. It angers him, but he lets her get away with it.”

  “Yeah, and then he takes it out on someone else instead,” Darrios added. “That’s so much better.”

  “Guarros had a thing for her mother,” Bernie remembered. “He said he took her in after the father was killed.”

  “I still think he had something to do with Kie’s death. His obsession with Isela smacks of it,” Darrios argued. “I’ll bet the mother knew the warden before her husband was killed. If we can make that connection...”

  “Jerric said one of the older inmates might be able to help.” He unfolded his notes. “The guy’s name is Bashua.”

  Darrios sucked in a breath. “What did you say?”

  “I said his name is Bashua.”

  Darrios and Evan exchanged glances.

  “You gonna share, boys?” Brendan asked.

  “We knew Bashua,” Evan said quietly.

  “Word was he got himself killed,” Darrios added.

  “Yeah, not that long after Kie.”

  “Soon enough that it looks suspicious?” Bernie asked.

  “Oh yeah,” Darrios and Evan said in unison.

  “I’ll go to the Council first thing tomorrow. Brendan, be ready. I have a feeling they’re going to be more than receptive when I tell them what we’ve learned today.”

  “Do you think the kid, Jerric, will go with you, Bernie? I bet he’d be willing to.”

  Bernie shrugged. “It can’t hurt and he is a native. Can you do without him on the farm?”

  Darrios and Evan smirked at each other. “Yeah, Bernie,” Darrios said sarcastically, “I think we can handle it.”

  “No need to get ugly, gentlemen. I was only trying to be considerate.”

  Chapter Seven

  Upon hearing Bernie’s account of the warden�
�s activities and Jerric’s testimony, the Council unanimously agreed to support an undercover investigation of Warden Guarros. They placed Bernie in charge, instructing him to keep them informed and not to take further, aggressive action without their direct approval. He agreed, signed the necessary paperwork, and he and Jerric headed home.

  As Bernie pushed the door to Darrios and Evan’s office open, Jerric ran in ahead of him and announced, “Guarros is goin’ down! He’s out!”

  Darrios and Evan exchanged looks, both of them fighting smiles as they watched the young man dancing around, chanting that repeatedly. Bernie sighed then smiled and nodded.

  “We have the full support of the Council. “They’re sending a sheriff tomorrow to escort ‘the condemned man’ to prison,” Bernie said, referring to Brendan.

  Darrios groaned.

  “What’s wrong, Darrios?” Bernie asked. “I thought you and Brendan cooked this whole thing up to begin with.”

  Leaning back in his chair, Darrios rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “We did, but now that it’s official I have to tell Maggie...and Aunt Gin.”

  “I don’t know who I’d be more scared of,” Evan muttered, snickering.

  Darrios glanced out the window at the endless farmland, bountiful with crops, enjoying the peace it brought him, if only for the moment. He stood, stretching. “Well, let’s go guys. We might as well get this over with.”

  Bernie and Evan stared at him.

  “We?” Bernie asked.

  “Are you crazy?” Evan asked.

  Bernie shook his head. “I’d rather face ten moltergs than be anywhere near you when you tell your wife you’ve arranged for her baby brother to go undercover in Midland Prison. Mmm mmm, not me, brother. You are one hundred percent on your own.”

  Evan pointed a finger at Bernie and smirked. “What he said.”

  “Cowards,” Darrios muttered, stalking out.

  ****

  Darrios hoped Brendan would be with Maggie when he got there. At least then he’d have some backup. He breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped onto his porch, hearing the sound of Brendan’s voice along with Maggie’s. Brendan looked at him expectantly as he came through the door. Darrios gave him a knowing nod before pulling his wife into his arms.