“Their bodies already stank. Maybe it was before we got there,” Axe said.
“Didn’t the kid with the bicycle say Carmelita was last seen the day before we arrived? It would mean they were still alive then.”
“Oh, no!” Axe jerked the steering wheel and stopped the pickup. “What if they were killed by the same person who took Carmelita?”
“Scabby Juan claims they’re protecting Carmelita,” Leanna gasped, choking and sputtering. “He thinks I was going to harm her because I showed up with you. He says you’re the hitman.”
“You’re my alibi,” Axe said.
“All except last night. You found the bodies this morning.”
“They already stank. There were flies. I would say they’ve been dead a few days.” Axe took off the night-vision goggles and put his head down over the steering wheel. “It was awful. I put in an anonymous call to the police before leaving.”
“Do you think El Bardo killed them? If he kidnapped Carmelita and he’s dead now, where is he holding her? What if she’s all alone and starving?”
Axe heaved his shoulders and swallowed visibly, over and over, while holding a hand over his stomach. He shook his head. “Honestly? El Bardo got sick when he saw the bodies. He threw up over the porch and was so pale, I thought he’d pass out. I don’t think he had the stomach to shoot them.”
“He shot at you,” Leanna said. “He shot and killed Maria, one of the girls being trafficked.”
“What would be his motive? If all he wanted was Carmelita, couldn’t he simply have lured her away? Didn’t that kid show pictures of Carmelita in the migrant caravan?”
“It wasn’t her,” Leanna said. “She was having too much fun. She’s a blogger, and she took a selfie with border patrol.”
“Oh, crap. That was our best lead. Are you sure? Her FacePlant name is litaloca.”
“Anyone can name themselves anything,” Leanna moaned. “She was on the American side of the border being interviewed like it was all a fun adventure. The Tres Amigos lied to me. All they wanted was my money. I should have let my father handle all of this.”
“He is, now,” Axe said. “He’s on his way, but he’ll kill me if he catches me. He’ll think I’m responsible for Carmelita’s disappearance.”
“You would be if you hired El Bardo!” Leanna accused.
“True, but if the Tres Amigos work for the Canos, we have no idea what they’d do.”
“What do we do?” Leanna shook Axe’s arm.
He lifted his face and peered at her. It was hard to read his expression in the dark.
“We stick together and find our daughters.”
