Demand answers from him.
Or demand compensation.
Abundio finally waved for Martinez to sit in one of the two chairs in front of his desk and the man hesitantly lowered himself into it. Abundio finally sat.
“I summoned you here to make you a business proposition.”
“Sir?”
“I know you still work for Manuel’s wife as personal security,” Abundio said. “I will make this worth your while, and it is money that is easy to earn—I want you to listen and report on anything you see and hear. Regarding Manuel, regarding Raul, or if anyone tries to come in and take control of the cartel’s operations. In addition, my daughter, Miranda. If you hear any word of her asking around about the business operations, I wish to know that immediately. And you may not tell anyone else, not even your own family, what you are doing.”
He looked incredulous. “That’s…it?”
Abundio nodded. “That’s it. I want a spy close inside. My men will give you cash and a burner phone to use that already has numbers programmed into it. Even if you think it’s not important information, I wish to know. Sometimes, we will call or text you with questions we wish you to make the best attempt possible to answer.” Abundio held up a finger. “There will be no punishment for not being able to obtain an answer. I do not want to hear lies, and some questions might not have answers. If so, tell me that. But you can always give us observations, yes?”
“Y-yes, sir.”
“In addition to the cash you will receive today, you will give my men information on your children’s schools, and I will take care of their tuition going forward. Because,” he added, “if I pay you too much directly, it will look suspicious where you suddenly came into all this extra money. I will structure this to look like a scholarship through one of my charitable foundations so as to raise no questions. That will allow you to remain under the radar and perhaps learn more. Understand?”
He nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“I will give you your first assignment right now—I have reason to believe Miranda desires access to computers that belonged to Manuel and were used for his…business. That she may be seeking information that would allow someone to step in and take over. I wish for you to make your best effort to discern what her true motives were for her visit to my nephew’s wife not long ago. Where she went, if she spoke with anyone, and so forth. Any nugget of news, I wish to know immediately, no matter how tiny. Am I clear?”
“Absolutely, sir.”
Abundio offered him a smile. “Who is currently in charge of the cartel operations with Manuel absent?”
“Mario Reyes. Manuel left him in charge when he left. Everyone is still obeying him, so far, and he is reporting to Manuel’s widow, although apparently she is not taking much control on her own.”
“Excellent. Give me his contact information.” He motioned to his men to return the man’s belongings. The guy dug through the bag, retrieved his phone, and read the information he had to Abundio. One of the men took notes.
Abundio already had this information because he’d obtained it directly from Manuel before he’d left for the States, but Abundio wanted to know if there’d been any change in “management,” so to speak, in the interim.
Apparently, there hadn’t.
“Thank you very much,” Abundio told him, sitting back. “My men will escort you to one of the guest rooms so you may freshen up, take a shower if you wish, and get dressed. Dinner is in forty-five minutes. Once we’re finished, you may either spend the night or depart, as you wish. In addition, I wish to tell you that as long as you do your best to keep me informed, and do not lie to me, I will take every action possible to protect your family. If you ever fear for their safety, you contact me immediately and I will take it from there. Understand?”
He almost looked like he couldn’t believe he wasn’t going to die. “Thank you, sir!”
Abundio dismissed him and two of his men took him away, the third remaining behind. Once the door was closed, Abundio dropped his voice. “I want him followed. I want to know everything about him, about Mario Reyes, and more importantly I wish to confirm if Miranda has been in contact with anyone other than direct family.”
“Yes, sir. And if she has?”
He grimly sook his head. “I do not wish to think that far ahead. Let us hope she has not.”
Abundio pulled a burner phone from his desk and dialed Reyes’ number. Another reason Abundio wanted to do this now, while Martinez was still in his home, was in case he needed to add instructions, or learned there was a discrepancy in the man’s story.
The man answered, sounding wary. “Hello?”
“Hello, Mario Reyes? This is Abundio Segura, Manuel and Raul’s uncle.”
He hesitated. “Yes, sir?”
“The code Manuel left for you was ‘desert cactus,’” he said.
A hint of relief crept into the man’s tone. “Yes, sir. What can I do for you today?”
“I need to pass information on to you. Manuel is currently out of the country and engaged in pressing matters I am not at liberty to discuss with you…”
