Free An Unacceptable Death - Barbara Seranella by Unknown

Abel
asked.
    Victoria didn't seem so sure of herself now.
    Abel pressed the barrel to the man's temple. "You
want me to take care of this?" The gardener tried to tilt his
head away from the gun. Abel grabbed him roughly by the sleeve,
holding him upright. A dark stain spread at the crotch of the
gardener's pants. Abel didn't need to look at the expression on the
man's face now. He knew what it would be.
    Victoria raised her hands, palms facing each other as
if she were about to clasp them in prayer. "You don't have to do
this."
    Abel felt his heart rev, speeding the blood through
his veins. "Yes? Now you are going to tell me what I need to
do?" With a quick movement, he compensated for the gardener's
flinch and pulled the trigger. The man crumpled, dead before he hit
the ground. "Now you need to get a new gardener. Can you handle
that?"
    " Yes," Victoria said in a small voice.
    " You're sure? I could make all your decisions
for you. Is that what you want?"
    She shook her head no. Her lips parted slightly but
no words emerged.
    Abel felt a grim satisfaction. She was much prettier
when she was frightened and vulnerable.
    At the sound of the shot, Humberto, Abel's second,
came running from the house with his gun drawn. Humberto was
surprisingly quick for such a big man.
    " It's okay now," Abel said.
    Humberto holstered his pistol, but his forehead still
wrinkled with concern.
    Abel knew Humberto was worried that security had been
breached, that he had failed at his job. Abel put his mind at ease.
    " Don't worry; this one was never a threat."
    " What do you want me to do?" Humberto
asked, his expression still anything but relaxed.
    Abel nudged the dead gardener with the toe of his
slipper. "You know his name?"
    " Nestor," Victoria said, her hand to her
throat. She looked as if she was fighting off tears. At least she
wasn't yelling anymore. Praise God for small favors.
    Abel turned to his lieutenant. "Find out if he
has any other family working for me and take care of them."
    Humberto nodded and Abel was pleased to see the
respect in the other man"s eyes. It never hurt to reinforce his
position now and then. He grabbed Victoria's long hair and pulled her
head back for a kiss. "Go upstairs. I'll be there in a minute."
He slapped her ass, feeling better already.
    " And when I find the family?" Humberto
asked.
    " The usual." Abel dismissed the man with a
curt wave, his mind already on the pleasures that awaited him
upstairs in his bed. He was glad the children were at school. Their
mother could be loud. Humberto would see to the details about the
other thing. He was a good soldier and knew what his patrón wanted.
    No matter what, Abel Delaguerra always took care of
the families. It was the only way he slept at night. "And
Humberto? Make it quick. I need you to go to Los Angeles."
 
 
    CHAPTER ELEVEN
    MUNCH TOOK A SEAT AT AN INNOCUOUS WOODEN TABLE.
Unlike most furniture found in interrogation rooms, there was no
graffiti scratched into the top. It was, however, bolted to the
floor. The camera was not concealed. Apparently any subjects who
found themselves in this room knew full well they were being recorded
and there was no need for subterfuge.
    Bayless Xeroxed her driver's license and took her
fingerprints. "We'll need to call up your criminal record and
include it in the file."
    " Whatever floats your boat," she said.
    He put a contract before her. "I'll need you to
initial each page as we go through them."
    Munch lifted the hefty document. "This could
take some time."
    " Some stipulations won't apply."
    " That's a relief."
    He smiled in that nervous manner of his that she
still hadn't figured out. You'd think if anyone's conscience was
clear, it would be his. Cops didn't get transferred into IA unless
they were squeaky clean.
    " Ready?" he asked.
    " Sure."
    Bayless started the camera and sat down opposite her.
"State your name."
    " Miranda Mancini." She smiled at the
camera, then looked back at him. He also asked her age,