Midnight Crossing (Josie Gray Mysteries #5)(26)

Josie thanked Sergio for the information and ended the call with a promise to visit soon.

“I’ll go tonight. Nick’s staying at my place until we clear this up. He knows Piedra Labrada, so he can help me find the woman’s home. He also speaks fluent Spanish. I might stand a better chance of talking with her if he’s with me.”

Otto huffed as if irritated. “You need to take him with you for protection. If he can’t go with you tonight, then call it off. Sergio said you’re known in town. Well, that means you’re known in town by the cartel too. Play it safe.”

“I got it. And Marta, can you check in at the trauma center? See if you can get anything else out of Isabella?”

Marta nodded. “I don’t feel good about her staying at the center. But we don’t have any victims’ assistance homes in town. With the house for battered women closed down we have nothing.”

“I’ve got an idea on that. Let me work on it for tomorrow,” Josie said. “There’s a sheriff’s deputy posted there until eight. Why don’t you relieve him and stay through your shift. I’ll call the sheriff and make sure he’s got someone who can cover you at midnight.”

*

Marta parked her jeep in the parking lot at the trauma center and carried her printing kit inside, where she found nurse Vie Blessings in her purple scrub suit and bright pink tennis shoes talking to Caroline Moss, the mayor’s wife.

Marta had never cared for Caroline. She was rich and uppity, and Marta always felt as if the woman thought she was doing Marta a favor when speaking to her. Marta wanted to remind her, You might be the mayor’s wife, but he’s mayor of a town with twenty-five hundred people in it, not exactly bragging rights.

Rather than interrupt the conversation, Marta took a seat in the waiting room.

When Caroline left, Vie approached Marta. “You here to check on Isabella?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“She’s a popular girl.”

Marta frowned in confusion. “Someone’s been here to see her?”

“Selena Rocha stopped by earlier and asked if she could speak with Isabella, but she was asleep.”

Marta nodded, surprised at the news. “Josie talked to Selena earlier today.”

Vie shrugged. “She said she wanted to offer her help. She said she’s from South America and might be able to talk to her. I suggested she work through Josie.”

“I’d prefer that. She may hear information we could use and not realize it’s relevant,” Marta said.

“And then Caroline stopped by to see her.”

Marta followed Vie’s glance out the window, where they watched Caroline drive away in her convertible

“She said she’s having a dinner tomorrow to raise funds for the local missions and she wanted to know what the woman needs, clothes and shoes, basic necessities to help her get back on her feet.”

Marta nodded, feeling a twinge of guilt for her earlier thoughts.

“She asked if she could talk with her, but Josie told me not to allow outside visitors until you know more about her background.”

“Is she awake? I’d like to ask her a few questions.”

Vie pointed down the hallway. “She’s watching television.”

Marta stopped in the hallway to talk to Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Wilson, who was sitting in a chair outside the patient room. Wilson was in his early twenties, with a heavy build and a southern way of drawing out his words. He’d had a crush on Marta’s daughter in high school, but Teresa had preferred the bad boys. Marta could only hope she’d passed that phase in her life.

“Hey, Marta. You here to relieve me?” he asked.

“I am. Anything to pass along?” she said.

He sighed heavily and stood. He leaned in and whispered to Marta so that Vie couldn’t hear as she walked into the room. “Nothing. Hope you got a pot of coffee in your car. I ran out of things to do after I counted the floor tiles for about the tenth time.”

Marta laughed and he patted her on the back before taking off.

*

After Vie checked the woman’s vital signs and left the room, Marta pulled a chair beside the bed. She reminded her that she’d sat with her in Josie’s living room early that morning, and Marta noted that she made eye contact at the mention of Josie’s name.

“We’d like to help you, Isabella. We can help you get back to your home and your family if you’ll give us some information.”

She paused and the woman turned her head away to stare across the room at a painting. Marta took a deep breath, knowing the following request would probably shut her down.

She opened her bag and pulled out her pad and ink, smiling, attempting to lighten the task. “I’ve brought a kit with me. I need to get your fingerprints here on this paper. It will help us get your records in order.” She set everything up on the rolling bedside table and stood, holding her hand out. Surprisingly, Isabella held her own hand out in response and allowed Marta to print her as she talked.

“Where do you live?”

Isabella remained silent.

“Are you from Mexico? Maybe Brazil?” She paused. “Guatemala? Honduras?”

Nothing.

“Do you live here in the U.S.?”

No reply.

“Can you tell me where your friend is from?”