Dangerous Stranger - Piper Stone Page 0,69
of the deal, they can attempt to negotiate with me. However, they should also be told that I never negotiate.”
Jorge chuckled. “I’ll tell them exactly that, boss. I have some additional information for you on the girl.”
“You mean, Savannah Tyler.”
“Um, yes, sir. From what I can tell, her aunt does own a little galleria called Artemanz on the strip in A Coruna.”
“And who is her aunt?” I asked absently.
“A woman by the name of Lucia Martina.”
Perhaps Savannah was here for exactly the reason she claimed. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”
“I checked her out. Nothing raises a red flag. The galleria has been in the woman’s name for years. There’s some shit with Savannah’s stepfather though. I just emailed you a file,” Jorge stated, his tone full of caution.
“Her stepfather is a cop,” I retorted. There were always connections, especially with a man like Calleja. I was finding my way through the snake pit.
“How did you know?”
“A discussion with Savannah. What’s the issue?” I fired up the computer.
He hesitated. “I don’t know much about the American police but if they are anything like the corrupt CNP, they shoved some shit about the guy’s background under the rug. He even has commendations up the ass.”
“What the hell are you trying to tell me, Jorge?”
“What I’m telling you, boss, is that Savannah’s sister, Lily, was murdered and it would appear that Savannah accused her stepfather of the crime. Happened only a few months ago.”
Fuck. No wonder the girl had left the country. “And he was never charged.”
“No.”
“How did he die?” I asked as I navigated toward the email, pulling up the one Jorge had sent.
“He’s not dead, boss, although from some of the shit I read about him, I’m surprised. Seems like the guy is a real asshole. Get this, he just transferred to the Atlanta Police Department. He’s now a captain.”
“I’m curious. How did Savannah’s sister die?”
Jorge muttered in Spanish before answering, “She was knifed.”
I glanced at the information, studying Captain Creed’s file. As Jorge suggested, the man was true scum. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say he’d placed Savannah in harm’s way as well. “You did good work, Jorge. Now, I need you to concentrate on finding the fucking informant with the information on the meeting.”
“Coming close, boss. Coming close,” Jorge hissed. “Can’t wait to get my hands on the motherfucker.”
“You don’t touch him, Jorge. The asshole belongs to me.”
“You got it, boss.”
“Make sure everyone on the street searches for any sign of Calleja. He’ll show his ugly mug sooner or later.”
He laughed this time, snorting in his usual manner. “The hunt is on.”
As I’d done before, I checked the local news source for any indication of the attempted arrest. As anticipated, the press had likely been tipped off prior to calls made to the proper authorities. What were the chances that the authorities would attempt to implicate my father and brother in some way? There was one way of finding out.
My father had spent a great deal of time developing and nurturing friendships, as he liked to call having influential people on the payroll. While certain crackdowns as well as changes within the law enforcement system had occurred, the family still owned several top-ranking officials in every local department as well as certain members of parliament. Several of them owed us favors. At least I should be able to find out what our family was dealing with.
The call would be brief.
“You had to know I’d be calling,” I said casually.
“And you shouldn’t have, at least not right now. It’s too hot.” The president of the senate was a cautious man, one with a stellar reputation. If anyone found out that he had ties to the Galicia mafia, the loss of his job would be the least of his worries.
I chuckled in a husky manner, waiting for a solid ten seconds before answering. “And I suspect I know who’s behind these bogus warrants, but I need confirmation, Felipe, or I will enjoy providing a story for the various newspapers. As I believe you remember, many details about your involvement with my family have been collected over the years.”
“Both you and your father are true bastards, Rafael,” Felipe hissed.
“That we are, President. Now, I only want simple confirmation and nothing more.”
“I’m only privy to certain information, but from what I understand, the tip was anonymous.”
“Why would any self-respecting officer of the law or parliament for that matter take the word of an anonymous tip?”
As he cursed several times, my patience