even remotely suggests you had anything to do with the de Salvas. Your marriage license says you and Luis Vega have been married almost forty years.”
“Exactly,” she said. “There is no such woman. According to media reports, someone set explosives in Valentina’s car and she was blown to smithereens. Not even a tooth left for identification.” Angelica gave us a toothy grin.
“Ouch,” Kate said.
“I really want to hear more of this story,” I said. “But I have to stop and use the bathroom.”
“There’s the pier just ahead of us,” Angelica said. “Park on the other side of the Ferris wheel. No one likes to go over there because that’s where they put the dumpsters. But it’s the easiest place to get in and out of here if a fight breaks out.”
“Does that happen often?” I asked.
“It’s Miami,” she said. “We fight with everyone. And then we make love. We are very passionate.”
“Could we be any farther from the bathroom?” I asked.
“Fresh air is good for the baby,” Angelica said. “Chica and I will talk and get tacos and funnel cakes while we wait on you. There are picnic tables down by the waterfront.”
“Are we really having dinner with a woman who kidnapped us and whose entire history is a lie?” Kate whispered.
“Don’t let her kidnap you,” I said, and then ran toward the bathroom.
I wasn’t very far before I wished I’d had the good sense to wear Kate’s flats. I had no idea what was happening or what had changed, but I’d learned two important things—Vince wasn’t a cheater, and he was probably in big trouble. The more information I could find out from Angelica, the better I could help Vince.
I wasn’t a fan of outdoor public bathrooms, so I finished quickly and then took full advantage of the hand sanitizing dispenser at the entrance. On my way back to the car, I noticed several kiosks selling sunglasses and souvenirs and all kinds of fried foods. And then I noticed the shadier operations where cars were parked with their trunks popped open. There were some who had wares on display and others who had tables set up to read palms and play three-card monte.
It was there I saw the knockoff purses and quasi-genuine leather goods. It’s like I couldn’t help myself. I somehow ended up with a black leather motorcycle jacket that would probably fade the first time it rained, but it looked fantastic with my outfit and added some welcome warmth since it was getting cooler as the sun went down.
It took me a few minutes to find the picnic tables down by the water. Strings of colored lights decorated any available surface, and the smell of fried dough and the oil they used on the Ferris wheel was overpowering.
“Did you buy a jacket?” Kate asked once I found them.
“From the guy selling out of his trunk,” I said. “He’s got all kinds of stuff, and he said they’re selling like hot cakes. I got the last one of these in my size.”
“Yikes,” Angelica said. “Did you just fall off the turnip truck?”
“I like to support small businesses,” I said primly. “I want to get back to Vince. If he’s not with you then I’m afraid he’s in trouble. How did he find you?”
“That’s part of the agreement with witness protection,” she said. “That you’ll never have contact with anyone from your former life. I know Vince and your father were working with that FBI task force, and I have a contact at the FBI if my past comes back to bite my ass. But I never trusted him or those other two cops. Not like Vinny.”
“What other two cops?” I asked.
Angelica waved her hand away and said, “I don’t remember their names. But they wanted me to fry right along with Carmen, so good riddance to them. Vinny and your dad were the only ones I could trust. So I broke the rules. I sent Vinny and your dad a card with my number and my new name and told them I felt better knowing they would maybe look into it if something happened to me.”
I decided to start with the funnel cake instead of the tacos because I’m an adult and can eat dessert first if I want to, and then I asked Angelica, “Did y’all stay in touch a lot over the years?”
“No,” she said. “He’d check in every few years. And I’d check in with him if I moved or anything like that. Maybe five