It drew stares from everyone. Not exactly a low-profile vehicle. Then again, Jack didn’t do low profile unless it was a mission requirement.
JD parked in front of the mansion, and we ambled to the front door. Jack couldn’t help but look back at the magnificent thing.
Yard crews buzzed next door, blowing leaves in circles. The smell of fresh-cut grass and exhaust filled the air.
I rang the video doorbell.
Lena's voice crackled through the speaker a moment later. "Can I help you?"
I flashed my badge to the lens and made introductions, shouting over the leaf blower. “I hope we’re not interrupting. We just need to ask you a few questions."
"I'll be right there," she said.
The line crackled with static as she disconnected. Lena appeared at the door a few moments later and pulled it open.
She was an attractive woman in her mid-30s with long raven hair that hung to her mid-back, seductive honey eyes, olive skin, and full lips.
"I know this is a difficult time," I said. "We're just trying to put all the pieces together.”
"Do you have any leads?”
I told her we were trying to track down the shooters’ vehicle. "The more we know about your husband, the better.”
She nodded. "People are saying this was a random gang initiation.”
"It could be.”
Lena shivered. "Those people have no idea how many lives they have destroyed. Families broken apart.” Her throat tightened, and her eyes misted.
"Can you think of anybody who may have wanted to harm your husband?”
She cringed. "Nick was such a nice guy. Everybody who knew him loved him.”
I gave her a look. “No problems with tenants recently?”
She stammered. “Nick could be difficult in certain business situations. Don’t get me wrong, he maintained properties and lived up to his word. But he had zero tolerance if somebody didn't live up to their end of the bargain.”
I knew exactly where this was going.
"Did he evict anybody recently?”
18
“Nick did everything he could to keep tenants in their homes,” Lena said. “He extended credit through seller financing to people who could never get it otherwise. He was giving an opportunity to people who wouldn’t normally have it.“
“Some say he was setting people up to fail.”
She huffed. “Give someone a hand and you’re the bad guy, right?” She scoffed. “Eviction is part of the business. What are you going to do, let some deadbeat who doesn't pay rent occupy a property indefinitely?”
“Who did he recently evict?”
“A guy named Ray Muñoz,” Lena said. “I felt bad about it. Ray’s got a wife and two kids.”
I cringed.
“Nick gave him every opportunity to make good. Tried to work out a lower payment for him. Ray was behind three months' rent. How long was Nick supposed to float the guy?” She paused. “We had to get the sheriff’s department to evict him.”
“I take it Ray wasn’t too happy about that. Did he make any threats?”
