Free Caribbean Rain by Rick Murcer Page B

nervousness was escalating. Good. “Well Evita, does it look like I give a lizard’s ass about your policy?”
    “I . . . I, no it doesn’t, but—”
    At that moment, a man emerged from the back office, and he immediately rushed to the counter, eyes showing more than just a concern for customer service.
    “Mr. Fogerty. We weren’t expecting you.”
    “That seems fairly obvious, muchacho. This fine young lady refuses to give me the limo; she says it’s already reserved.”
    “Let me take a look.”
    A moment later, after a few hurried key strokes, he looked up, smiling in relief. “It seems that reservation has been canceled. I’ll have the car brought up, señor .”
    Evita looked at her manager, then back to Fogerty. “I’m sure that reservation is still—”
    “Evita. Please go tell Alfredo to bring the limo up, now.”
    “But—”
    “I said now, if you want to work your next shift,” his eyes on fire.
    She bowed her head and moved to the back office.
    “Thank you, Benito. I appreciate the way you handled that.” Fogerty shook his hand. “For that kind gesture, we’ll leave the interest rate for your loan at twenty-five percent. You’ve been a day late on the payment twice, so we could raise it, but you did well.”
    “Yes sir, Mr. Fogerty. I appreciate that. My daughter is doing well from the surgery and her chances are good.”
    Fogerty smiled wider and leaned closer. “I hope that makes you feel better, because frankly, I don’t give a shit. If you miss another payment, you’ll have more trouble than she. Got that?”
    Benito’s voice shook. “Ye. . . yes sir. It won’t happen again.”
    “I know it won’t.”
    Fogerty spun on his heel and walked through the doors to the awaiting limo. Braxton instructed one of the bodyguards to take the wheel and the other to ride shotgun, while he climbed in back with his boss.
    Fogerty grinned as Braxton folded into the backseat opposite him. Not a small man himself at six feet and two hundred pounds, he was nothing compared to his number one man. Watching him get into the limo and get comfortable was always a show.
    Braxton returned the grin. “Dey don’t make des like dey use ta.”
    “I’m sure you’re right.”
    Braxton nodded, then abruptly hit the dividing glass that separated driver and passenger.
    “Let’s go, mon. Get dis ting up to the rainforest, now,” he yelled.
    Fogerty nodded his approval.
    It was time to end this charade, and no one could do that better than he.

Chapter-16
     
    Manny waited for Chloe and Josh outside the sterile examination room. Sitting in the padded chair, he ran his hand through his hair, contemplating Josh’s revelation regarding his brother. Shock was probably too strong a word, but it seemed his world was never devoid of the type of surprises that raised his blood pressure and made slack-jaw the expression of the day.
    The waiting room was empty, and for that, he was glad. He could use the quiet. Sophie and Alex had gone out to fill the SUV with gas and retrieve their baggage. Alex also wanted to call the Bureau for an updated time frame for when they could get another plane into Cleveland. The cell phone reception in the hospital was terrible, maybe by design, so he tagged along with Sophie. He said they’d be back in thirty minutes. Manny smiled to himself. Sophie was driving, and she had said twenty.
    After announcing his brother Caleb had been murdered, Josh had explained what he meant by brother. Caleb was actually his half-brother and had come to the Corner family at age thirteen. Josh’s father had had a bit of a wild side growing up and had gotten a young woman pregnant. She wanted nothing to do with him, married another man, and moved to the West Coast. The family apparently had trouble staying together. Then Josh’s family had gotten the call, out of nowhere, and he had a brother.
    Josh said Caleb had come from an extremely troubled home, where beating the children for no apparent reason and