“I don’t know how much time passed before I regained consciousness,” Alvarez said. “When I came to I wished I hadn’t.” He paused for a moment, reliving the agony of those moments. “How did you get out of the cave?” Kate asked. “Joan McCann brought the police. She was attacked while she was waiting for me.” “Who…?” “She doesn’t know. The person was wearing a mask. He put a gun to her head and forced her to tell where I’d gone, then she was knocked out. When she came to I hadn’t returned, so she called the police. I was barely alive when the search party found me and Paul.” “McCann was still there?” “He was dead, shot between the eyes. The ransom money was gone.” “Did Aaron Flynn have an alibi?” “He was never a suspect. Six months later he quietly left town. I had no idea where he’d moved until today.” “Did anyone else connected with the case move away?”
“Joan. She left within three months. She visited me several times at the hospital while I was recuperating. The last time, she told me that she couldn’t stay in Desert Grove any longer.” “Was there a theory about the identity of Paul McCann’s killer?” “No. I’m certain that McCann and Lester Dobbs killed Patty, and that the same person murdered McCann and Dobbs. In the end, the most widely accepted theory was that an outsider was behind the plot.” “Do you believe that?”
“Absolutely not,” Alvarez said, his voice as hard as granite. “What happened to Gene Arnold?” “I hired the best criminal lawyer in Arizona to represent Gene. He convinced Ramon that there wasn’t enough evidence to hold him. It was obvious to everyone that Melissa’s clothing and the car had been planted at the cabin. The crime lab was all over the place and couldn’t find any evidence that Melissa or Gene had been there recently. Melissa’s body was never recovered, so there was no forensic evidence connecting Gene to the murder. All they had were the arguments and Ramon wasn’t going to prosecute Gene on the basis of a few domestic spats.” “Were there any new developments after you were shot?” “Not until now.” “Can you think of anything else that might help, Mr. Alvarez?” After a moment Martin shook his head. “You realize, of course, that Gene’s death may have nothing to do with what happened here. It was a long time ago.” “That’s true, but Aaron Flynn … The coincidence bothers me.” “Life is full of coincidences.”
Kate stood and extended her hand. “Thanks for seeing me.” Alvarez took her hand and held it for a moment before releasing it. Kate handed him her card. “If you think of anything else, please call me.” Martin nodded just as his assistant appeared on the patio. “Anna will see you to your car. Good luck.” • • • Martin Alvarez watched Kate Ross cross the terrace. Though she looked nothing like Patty, the investigator reminded him of her. They both had the same purposeful stride, and Patty had always shown a core of strength that he sensed in Kate Ross. Alvarez closed his good eye and rubbed his temples. There were times when he imagined that his wife was still with him, taking her morning ride, just out of sight and soon to return. Thoughts like that were calming, like a belief that he and Patty would be reunited in a life after death. There were other times when memories of Patty stoked an impotent rage. It was that rage that was building as Martin entered the hacienda and went to his office. As soon as he closed his door he picked up the phone. A man answered in Spanish. “You know who this is?” Alvarez asked. “Yes.”
“I have work for you. Come on the evening plane.”