“Okay, you’re right.” She stepped with him back to the covered garage and got into the car.
Her nerves were on pins and needles as they drove out of the motel parking area, and she kept looking over her shoulder.
“They won’t show themselves that quickly,” Axe said. “They could be stuck playing chicken with each other. This gives us a chance to get the jump on Gabriel.”
“How do we know they were there?” Leanna asked.
“The clerk was nervous. I’m sure one watched the other check in, and the other watched from above. They’re both there, but if not, they’re both watching us drive in and out.”
“Since we told them where we’re going,” Leanna said. “Like idiots.”
“Nope, like geniuses, because now we have cover and backup against Joshua Cano.” Axe’s smirk was too arrogant for even Leanna to comment.
She huffed and rolled her eyes, wishing she had thought of that. “Okay, then let’s flush Cano out.”
Axe’s expression turned grim, and his lips pressed together. He didn’t say anything until they pulled up to the diner where Leanna had first met Gabriel.
He escorted her inside and stood watch while she ordered large bags of takeout food. Her mouth watered, and she realized they hadn’t eaten. Axe had to be ravenous by now.
Axe helped her carry out the food without incident, and they drove to Ana and Eduardo’s neighborhood. The neat stucco homes were silent. Every house had their shades drawn, and there were few cars parked in the driveways, unlike the first time she arrived.
The execution-style killing of Ana and Eduardo had to have spooked everyone. Leanna hoped Belinda had taken in the cat, but when they pulled up, she saw the cat slink behind a bush.
“We’ll have to feed Carmelita’s cat,” she said.
“Uh-huh,” Axe hummed. “There are no other cars here, so if our fathers tail us, they’ll be obvious.”
“They could have parked a few blocks away and are making their way by foot. Obviously not from the sidewalks,” Leanna said.
“They’d cut through the backyards. The bad news is Gabriel’s bike’s not outside.”
“Let’s hope he’s home,” Leanna said.
They walked side by side with the food up the drive, and Leanna rang the bell.
“Gabriel, it’s me, Leanna. We need to speak to you about Carmelita. Is she safe?”
There was no answer.
Leanna knocked on the door. “I brought food for you. All I want to know is if Carmelita is safe. Your brother said he’s protecting her. I won’t bother you if you just tell me if she’s safe or not.”
She thought she heard a shuffle on the other side of the door, so she motioned to Axe to set down the food.
“We’re leaving now, but if Carmelita needs help, you have to let us know. My phone number is written on one of the takeout boxes.” Leanna backed away from the door in full view of the peephole.
Axe followed her, and they got into the car. They drove to the street behind Gabriel’s house and got out. There were more cars parked on the street, and three boys shot hoops on one of the driveways.
Leanna put on her sunglasses. She and Axe were both wearing business casual clothes. He had on slacks and a shirt and tie, and she wore a skirt with a white blouse and large sunhat.
She leaned into the back seat and handed him a large Bible, while she slung her purse over her shoulder. The boys paid them no attention as they knocked on doors with big Bibles in their hands. She opened each screen door and tried the doorknob, then shoved in a pamphlet.
When they got to the house directly behind Gabriel’s, Axe went toward the side yard.
He rattled the gate. “Yoo-hoo, anyone home? We came to invite you to church.”
Leanna rang the bell and tried the doorknob. “We’re having a special service tonight.”
There was no answer, but when Leanna met Axe at the side gate, he already had it unlatched. They slipped behind a hedge and into the backyard. It was easy pickings to climb the chain-link fence separating the yards.
