“I’m sure you did. I gave him lots of chances as well. So it was fortunate that this woman showed up when she did.”
“Yeah. See, Ken was beyond pissed because he said I’d looked at another guy for a couple seconds. I mean, as if. I’d never do that because he’d kill me.”
“Yes, I’m sure. So what can you tell me about your savior?”
“Why?” Rosa said cautiously. “Look, I don’t want her getting into trouble. She told Ken to cool it and walk away. But he was going to knife her and then he pulled his gun.”
Buckley spread his hands in a disarming gesture. “I’m not here to get her into trouble. But the police are looking for her. I want to make sure that she knows Ken won’t be pressing charges against her, because I also made that clear to him. As you also pointed out, Ken was going to hurt her.”
“Hell yes he was. He said he was going to kill her. He fired two shots from the pistol before she knocked him out. So why are the police looking for her then? If she didn’t do anything wrong and Ken isn’t pressing charges?”
“There is one small problem that goes outside of anything having to do with Ken. She apparently told people that she was an undercover cop. The police frown on that. I believe that’s why they’re looking for her. For identifying herself as a police officer.”
“She only said that to get that witch at the front desk off her case.”
“Nevertheless, I’m just telling you what I’ve been told. So do you have any idea where she is, or what her name is?”
“No, she never told me her name. And I didn’t ask. But I think she was from around here. I mean, she knew where the women’s shelter was. We drove straight there.”
“Do you believe she might have stayed there at some point?” asked Buckley.
“I guess it’s possible. I mean, why else would she know where it was?”
“Unless she worked there at some point?” suggested Buckley. “Or had a friend who stayed or worked there?”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
“What are your plans?” asked Buckley.
“I’m not sure I have any right now.”
“What is your line of work?” Buckley asked.
“I used to be a receptionist. But I can do nails. And I did some personal fitness training.”
“Yes, you look very fit. So you did that before Ken came into your life?”
“I . . . I had some problems with stuff that sort of messed me up for a while,” Rosa replied, averting her gaze. “Ken and I met at a party. We hit it off, so . . .”
“Were they substance abuse problems?”
“Why do you say that?” she asked, giving him an offended look.
“Because that’s the problem most people have that messes up their lives. But I’m not judging you. Lots of people get addicted for all sorts of reasons.”
“Well, I kicked it, at least I’m pretty sure I did.”
He took out his wallet, counted out a thousand dollars, and handed them across.
“What’s this for?” Rosa asked with a stunned expression.
“Call it a down payment on financing your post-Ken life.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“No, I feel that I do.”
She quickly put the cash in her jeans pocket. “Thank you. That’s really sweet of you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She gazed admiringly at him, obviously attracted by his good looks and expensive clothes and cultured and generous manner. “I can’t believe you’re Ken’s brother.”
“We were always very different. But if he had made better choices, he could have become what I did. Or perhaps even better. He had some talents.”
“I wish I’d met you instead of him,” she said coyly, gracing him with a smile as she toyed with a lock of her hair and leaned forward to show a flash of cleavage. “Look, I’ll leave you my number, in case you have any more . . . you know, questions. Maybe we could have a drink?”
“Maybe we could. Shall we head back?”
He walked her to the shelter and watched as she disappeared inside after giving him a smile and a little wave.
“Saw you give her that money, mister.”
Buckley turned to see a woman standing there. She was in her fifties and had clearly suffered a hard life. Her clothes were dirty and disheveled and her eyes unfocused and her body wobbly. She said, “I live here, too.” She pointed to the shelter. “I heard you talking to that pretty Mex girl over coffee. I was having coffee too, with my last dollar.”
“I see,” said Buckley. “Perhaps you can earn some money, too.”
The lady looked at her falling-apart shoes. “I was here when El brought her in.”
“El?” said Buckley.
“El Cain.”
“Is El short for something? Ellen, Eleanor?”
“Don’t know about that.”
“Exactly how do you know her?”
“She used to be here, years ago. I come here off and on. You don’t forget El. Tallest woman I’ve ever met. And tough. She don’t take shit from nobody.”
“What else do you know about her?” asked Buckley.
The woman eyed him funny. “Saw you give her money,” she said again.
Buckley produced ten twenty-dollar bills and passed them to the woman.
She pocketed the money, looking warily around as though to check who might be watching, and said, “She’s a good person. Helped me.”
“Do you know anything about her background? Where she came from? What she does for a living?”
The woman thought for a moment and then snapped her fingers. “She does that kickboxing stuff. You know? That MM-something.”
“MMA? Mixed martial arts?”
The woman pointed at him. “Yep, that’s it.”
“Where does she fight?” “There’s a place on the south side of town. Old shoe factory or something like that. Went there one time to watch two gals near kill each other. Never saw El fight, but I bet she was good. Don’t take shit off nobody, like I said. She told me she fought there.”
“She apparently is a very good fighter. When was the last time you saw her?”
“Well, when she brought in the Mex gal.”
“Anything else?”
“She’s a good person,” she said again.
“I’m sure she is. Thank you.”
CHAPTER
26
BUCKLEY MADE SOME CALLS AND FINALLY located the old shoe factory. There was a fight scheduled the next night. He spent the day with his brother at the hospital after he’d undergone another surgery. As he stared down at his unconscious brother, Buckley had the sensation that this might be as good as it got for Ken. And that saddened him more than he thought it would.
The next night Buckley headed to the fights. The venue had an invitation-only list that he circumvented by passing the bouncer out front a hundred dollars.
“Go right in, sir” was the bouncer’s immediate reply as he tacked on a big smile.
The place held about two hundred people, who were both fired up and drunk. The fighters were two men with shaved heads and chiseled physiques, and tats that covered more of their exposed bodies than not. Buckley did not care about the fight. He made discreet inquiries among the staff and quickly focused on the man named Sam.
After the fight was over he cornered Sam in a back hall.
“El Cain?”
“What about her?”
“I’d like to know more about her than I do right now.”
“What’s it to you?”