Livewire

Chapter 27

Emilio's stiff corpse lay on the ground, in the open black bag. The police pathologist knelt next to him and pulled the zip closed. The tears had dried on Kyle's face and his eyes were sore. He watched his friend disappear under the plastic shroud and he swallowed hard. The body was taken away. His breath was ragged and stared at the spot where Emilio had lay.

"Señor?... Señor?" A gentle hand nudged his arm. "Señor, we have a few questions we'd like to ask you."

He turned and faced the policeman, clutching his notepad, and nodded.

"What capacity do you know the deceased?"

He took a deep breath. "He is a–," the words caught in his throat. "Was, a close friend."

"Mhm, and when did you last see or speak to him?"

"Three days ago. In the evening."

"And where have you been since then?"

His mouth gaped. "You think I did this?" His hands balled into fists.

The policeman held up his hands. "I have to ask the questions Señor. It's the procedure. We need to rule you out as a suspect."

He breathed in deep. "I was in Tampico. On holiday with my girlfriend."

The policeman raised his eyebrows briefly. "I see," he scribbled away in the notepad. Kyle couldn't make out what he was writing. "And to your knowledge, did your friend have any criminal connections or involvement?"

He clenched his jaw and swallowed. "No none. Why would you think that?"

The officer gestured across his own chest. "Because of the–"

"Because of the eagle carved into his chest?"

"Si, el águila roja. These types of..." he wafted his pen back and forth, "incidents can be quite common–"

"Murders."

The officer leaned back. "Que?"

"Murders. My friend was murdered in cold blood."

The policeman shrank back, looking at him awkwardly. "Ok Señor, one last question for now. Can you think of anyone who might be um... Hostile, to your friend?"

"No. No one. He was loved by everyone he knew." He choked down his emotion.

Another officer appeared at the door, dressed in plastic coveralls with a hood held round his head by elastic.

"Ok Señor, we may have other questions for you later. My colleague will need to take your fingerprints, so we can distinguish any others found at the scene."

He nodded but reluctantly allowed the forensics officer to take his prints. Police tape was already cordoning off the boat shed. He didn't know why they were making such an effort, it was clear who was to blame. Was there even any point in them investigating it at all - was it all just a formality. Maybe they wouldn't actually bother. In a few days he'd get a call saying the case had gone cold, there was nothing more they could do. That was usually the way of things with the cartel. No one ever got any justice. Not even just because the judicial system was probably in the cartel pocket.

Outside in the streets he was reunited with Trudie, who'd had her statement taken by a different officer.

She stroked his arm. "How are you doing?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ok I guess. I don't understand why they have to be so insensitive with their questions."

"I know, but they're just doing their jobs."

"You think they'll actually investigate? Like they don't already know who did this."

"I don't know."

She put an arm around his waist and they walked back to the street. A crowd had gathered around the collection of police vehicles. Emilio's body was being loaded into the back of the forensics van. People in the crowd were muttering and gasping while they watched the scene.

The van drove Emilio away, no doubt to be cut open and examined by a pathologist. Not that an autopsy was necessary. It was clear the cause of death was from hanging. It was clear the culprits were the Aguilas Rojas. The police would never go after the cartel though. There would be no justice for Emilio.

He looked across the street at a figure, loitering in the shadows. It was Eddy Vega. Leaning against the same telegraph pole where Kyle last saw him. The rage descended over his eyes in an instant.

He pushed through the crowd. "You bastard. This was you, wasn't it."

Trudie ran after him, grabbing his arm but he slipped through her grip.

"I'll fucking kill you!"

She jumped in front of him, trying to push him back. "Kyle, don't. It's not worth it, just leave him." She struggled against his hulking weight. "Come on, you need to tell Elvira. She needs you now."

His lip quivered and the tears built up in his eyes again. He gave up. Eddy skulked away, disappearing back into the shadows. Kyle turned around and all eyes were on him. Shocked faces all around stared and mouths gaped open. He hung his head and covered his eyes with his palm, trying to hide the tears. She was right. Elvira had lost her son. He needed to be sensitive to her needs and be there for her. Now that Emilio could not.

They pulled up outside the house and a light went on in Elvira's room. She had heard them return. He doubted that she had even got any sleep since they left. The front door flung open and she stood there, with wide eyes.

"You have news? Tell me Kyle."

Tears streamed from his eyes. "Mama. I'm so sorry."

"What happened? Where is my boy?"

"He was at the boat shed." He sniffed, barely holding down his sobs. "He was already gone when we arrived. Mama, he was murdered." He couldn't bring himself to tell her how he found Emilio. The sight of it was burnt into his memories and he couldn't shift the horrific vision from his mind.

Her face bunched up and she put her hands on her cheeks. "No. Dios por favor no." A wail erupted from her and before she fell to her knees, he caught her. His big arms wrapped around her and he squeezed her tight. They stood together in the doorway to her house, crying their hearts out. He always saw her as his surrogate mother, and in that moment of shared grief, she was closer to a mother than his real mum.

When the sobbing died down they went inside and sat on the couch. He was exhausted. It had been non-stop since they left Miguel and Anna.

He stared at the floor. "It's my fault Mama."

"What do you mean?"

"I got mixed up in some bad business. With some bad people. They did this to punish me. His blood is on my hands."

She lifted his chin. "No Kyle. You didn't kill my boy. I know how much you loved him. Whatever you did would not excuse the murder of an innocent man."

Her words soothed but the guilt remained. This was a threat to him from the cartel. A lesson not to meddle in their affairs.

He sank into the couch with one arm round Elvira and Trudie cuddled up to him on the other side. The exhaustion and grief got the better of them and they fell asleep where they were sitting.