Deadly Defiance Read online

  The waitress nodded and left. Rebekah grabbed a roll and began pulling it apart. “This is nice. I can’t remember the last time we ate lunch together on a weekday.”

  “Well, you’re free now that Marcia’s gone. You can come have lunch with me as often as you like.”

  “I doubt that. You’re usually too busy to eat lunch.”

  “True, but I’ll make time for you, don’t worry.”

  “I don’t want to bother you.”

  Stan sighed. “It’s no bother. I enjoy having lunch with you.”

  Rebekah shrugged. “So, how has your day been so far?”

  “Busy. Two interesting clients came in this morning—one of them actually Rollerbladed in all the way from Oak Cliff.”

  Rebekah frowned. “Why would she do that?”

  “Her car was repo’ed.”

  “Oh, my God. That’s terrible. How humiliating.”

  “I know. But you’ve got to give her credit. She’s determined to overcome all her problems . . . and she’s got a string of them.”

  Stan explained her circumstance in more detail. As they were talking Stan noticed Paula walk in the door. He stood up and waved to her. She saw him and rushed over.

  “Hi, Stan . . . Rebekah. I heard you two were having lunch, so I decided to come over and crash the party. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No,” Rebekah said. “Sit down and join us.”

  “Thank you. I haven’t seen you in ages. When I heard you were only five minutes away I couldn’t resist.”

  Rebekah and Paula were good friends now. It hadn’t always been that way. At one time Paula had tried to break up their marriage and take Stan away from her. But, Stan stubbornly resisted and eventually Paula married Bart, another attorney working for the Collin County DA’s office. Bart had worked for Turner & Waters for a while after he was canned by the Collin County DA’s office, but that didn’t last long. Bart found he didn’t like criminal defense work all that much. He was a prosecutor at heart, so when he was offered a job with the Dallas DA’s office he jumped at the opportunity. When Paula got married Rebekah was ecstatic and offered to help with the wedding. Paula appreciated the help since her mother was dead and she didn’t have a lot of friends. After that the two of them became close and they’d been good friends ever since.

  “I’m glad you decided to join us,” Rebekah said. “How have you been?”

  “Fine.”

  “How’s Bart?”

  “He’s very busy. I hardly ever see him. They’re working on some big drug prosecution in Amarillo, so he’s been gone a lot.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad.”

  Paula shrugged. “That’s the life of an attorney.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Rebekah snickered.

  “So, how are you holding up now that everyone’s left home?”

  “I’m miserable. It’s so lonely at home. I miss the kids.”

  “I’ve suggested she go back to work,” Stan interjected.

  Rebekah groaned. “I’ll never go back to nursing. I never really enjoyed it. I only did it to help Stan get started in his law practice.”

  “So, what do you do all day?” Paula asked.

  “Clean the house, watch TV, do the laundry, iron. There’s still plenty to do around the house.”

  Paula nodded then looked at Stan. “Stan could afford to hire you a maid, you know. You don’t have to do housework.”

  “I’ve offered to do that,” Stan noted.

  “I don’t want some stranger in my house,” Rebekah protested. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  Paula nodded. “So, you won’t believe what happened to me today.”

  “What?” Stan asked.

  “Judge Martini tried to appoint me attorney ad litem in a probate case.”

  “Seriously? What do you know about probate?”

  “Nothing. That’s what I told him, so he appointed you.”

  “Me? You’ve got to be kidding. Did you volunteer me?”

  “No, but when I declined he asked if you’d do it. He said it was an important case and he didn’t think anybody on his regular panel was up to the job.”

  “And what makes me up for it?” Stan asked curiously.

  “He said something about needing someone stubborn and tenacious,” Paula replied.

  “That’s Stan all right,” Rebekah agreed.

  Stan stiffened. “Oh, thanks a lot.”

  As their food was served Stan wondered about the case Judge Martini had handpicked him for. He couldn’t imagine why the judge wanted him to be involved. Stan didn’t have any special probate experience. He did probate work from time to time but he wasn’t board certified and he didn’t solicit that type of business. He knew he should be flattered that the judge had specially picked him for the job, but instead he felt uneasy. For some reason he knew he wasn’t going to like this new assignment. He just wondered how long it would be before he figured out why.

  Chapter 2

  Renegade Son

  Jodie Marshall had a unique perspective on the law in that she’d seen it from every angle—as a client, a legal secretary, an investigator, and finally as an attorney. After high school she’d been looking for a job and ran across Stan’s ad for a secretary. Stan couldn’t afford a seasoned legal secretary, so he opted to hire someone green and train them. Jodie liked the idea of working for an attorney because it would look good on her resume and she’d learn a lot about the law. Before seeing the ad, she hadn’t had any particular interest in the law, but as time went on her interest grew.

  Shortly before going to work for Stan, Jodie’s brother was arrested for DWI and Jodie had helped him through the ordeal. From this experience she learned what it was like to be a client, and the experience made her sensitive to the needs of Stan’s clients. She’d often remind Stan of the importance of frequent communication with clients to keep them informed and to relieve their anxieties.

  As time went by Stan grew to appreciate Jodie’s talents and abilities. He had encouraged her to go to college and allowed her to adjust her hours to fit her academic schedule. After a while she was doing more than secretarial work. Stan noticed she was good with people so he gave her some assignments that normally would have gone to the firm’s private investigator. Jodie did so well at this Stan hired a new secretary, so Jodie would have more time to do investigations and paralegal work. When she graduated from college Stan suggested she might want to go to law school. By that time she was very passionate about the law and jumped at the opportunity.

  Since she had only recently passed the bar, she hadn’t been given her own case yet. She hoped the Romildo Alvarez case might be her first. After their meeting with the family on Monday, Jodie went to the factory owned by Icaro Melendez. She didn’t plan on talking to anybody, but just wanted to see the place and get the lay of the land. She wanted to have a mental picture of the plant and Mr. Melendez when she was talking to the family and working on the case.

  She stood across the street from the plant, wearing old jeans and a T-shirt rather than her usual business attire. She wasn’t sure how she’d get in until she saw a UPS delivery truck drive up. Jodie was disarmingly pretty, so men usually were a little mesmerized when they first met her. Seeing this as an opportunity she walked quickly across the street and intercepted the driver.

  “Who’s that for?” she asked.

  The driver smiled broadly when he saw her and eagerly responded. “Mr. Melendez.”

  “I’ll take it,” Jodie said, extending her hands to take the package.

  The driver handed her the package without hesitation. Jodie signed for it and then walked into Alliance Fabrications as if she owned the place. A clerk looked up and Jodie smiled at her.

  Jodie knew that if she acted like she was just doing her job she’d probably be ignored. She moved quickly, not giving anyone time to question her.

  “This is for Mr. Melendez. Is he around?”

  The girl nodded and pointed to a doorway. Jodie strolled over to it and stepped inside the big manufacturing facility. It was a good-size workplace—much bigger than she’d expected. She looked around and saw the executive offices to her left but went to the right and walked casually through the busy plant. She noticed the fabrication equipment was old and many machines sat idle in disrepair. There was trash and clutter everywhere, water dripped into buckets from leaks in the roof, and the place smelled of oil and mildew. Hundreds of workers labored at various work stations and along conveyor belts. From the plant she went out into the yard and looked around until someone stopped her.

  “Who are you?” a young Hispanic man in his late twenties asked.

  “Oh, I’ve got a package for Mr. Melendez. Have you seen him?”

  “He should be in his office.”

  “Where’s that?” Jodie asked.

  “I’ll show you,” the man said and escorted Jodie back into the plant and took her to the executive offices. He pointed to an office where a tough-looking man sat behind a cluttered desk. He had long black hair, a scar running down his left cheek, and a scowl on his face that gave Jodie a chill. She stared at him for a moment wondering if he was a murderer.

  “That’s Mr. Melendez,” the man advised.

  “Oh, very good,” Jodie said and handed the package to the man. “Would you give this to him? He looks busy and I’m running late.”

  “Sure, but I didn’t get your name. I’m Ricardo.”

  “Oh, he doesn’t know me. I was out front and the UPS guy just stuck the package in my face and asked me to give it to Mr. Melendez.”

  “I see. What were you doing in front of the building?”

  “Oh, I was meeting someone. I’d been promised a drink.”

  Ricardo’s eyes widened. “Who?”

  “Oh, well I just met him yesterday. His name is Ganix.”

  “Ganix? You don’t want to go out with him. He’s just a line worker. Why don’t you let me take you out for that drink? I’m the boss’s son.”

  “Mr. Melendez is your father?”

  “Yes. I’m his youngest son. I just stopped by to get a check for next month’s tuition. I’m in college at the University of Dallas.”

  Jodie’s spirits rose as she perceived a great opportunity to get some inside information on Icaro Melendez and Alliance Fabrications. She pondered the obvious danger in a liaison with Icaro’s son. It certainly wasn’t the low profile Stan had suggested would be appropriate, but it was just too good an opportunity to pass up.

  “Well, okay. Ganix hasn’t shown up yet, so I guess it’s his loss, right?”

  “Absolutely,” Ricardo said excitedly. “Don’t worry about him. He has no business going out with a woman like you.”

  Jodie giggled shyly.

  “Oh. I still don’t know your name.”

  “Ah, it’s Jodie.”

  “Well, Jodie. I’ve got to take care of my business with my father. How about I meet you at Fridays on Greenville Avenue for happy hour. It starts at five. Then I’ll buy you dinner.”

  Jodie nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll see you at Fridays,” she said and made a quick exit. Once she was in her car and driving back to the office she thought about Ricardo and wondered if he knew what went on at his father’s plant. She thought about what she had seen there. The place was pretty much how Pandora Alvarez had described it. It was obvious Mr. Melendez was interested more in profit than employee satisfaction or safety. She couldn’t imagine having to work in a place like that. The very thought of it gave her gooseflesh.

  Late that afternoon Jodie dropped by her apartment to get ready for her date. She wanted to be as disarming as possible so Ricardo would open up to her. After taking a shower, taking pains to make sure her makeup was perfect, and fixing her hair, she picked out a short dress that she knew would be quite distracting. When she was satisfied with her appearance she drove to Fridays, arriving just a little late, so as not to appear anxious. She spotted Ricardo sitting nervously at the bar. He jumped up when he saw her coming.

  “There you are. I was afraid you wouldn’t come,” Ricardo said.

  “Why would a girl pass up free drinks and your charming company for the evening?” Jodie asked playfully.

  “I don’t know. It was just so unexpected meeting you at my father’s office. After you left I started thinking you might have agreed to have a drink just to get rid of me. I’m naturally paranoid—something I inherited from my father, I’m afraid. But I glad you’re here. What can I get you?”

  “Gin and tonic, please.”

  Ricardo caught the bartender’s attention and ordered a gin and tonic for Jodie and a rum and Coke for himself. Then he turned back and smiled at Jodie.

  “Meeting someone like you the way I did at my father’s sweatshop just seems so . . . so . . . surreal. I half expected to wake up and discover I’d been dreaming.”

  “Sweatshop?” Jodie repeated. “Do I detect a note of disapproval?”

  “You could say that. I’m the maverick in the family if you hadn’t already guessed.”

  “Yes. I was wondering about that.”

  Ricardo took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “My father is very disappointed that I haven’t embraced the family business. Luckily, not so disappointed that’s he’s cut me off. I think he still has delusions that someday I’ll come around. The prodigal son, you know?”

  “Right. So, your brothers work in the business?”

  “Yes. My eldest brother Rudy is the plant manager and my brother Helio is a salesman.”

  “What do you make at your plant?”

  “Mobile home parts. We supply two major manufacturers.”

  “Hmm. How many employees do you have?”

  “Around a hundred or so. My father doesn’t believe in automation, not when you can hire illegal aliens so cheaply.”

  “Oh, really. I didn’t know it was that easy.”

  “Yes. The illegals are everywhere. If you put out the word that you’ve got one job twenty-five will show up wanting it.”

  “So, you don’t approve of that?” Jodie asked.

  “Not particularly, but I don’t want to talk about my father. Tell me something about you.”

  Jodie looked at Ricardo and wondered if she should lie. If she did it could come back to haunt her later if a wrongful death suit were filed. She decided not to lie, but that didn’t mean she had to tell him everything.

  “Hmm. Well. I just passed the bar exam after ten years.”

  “Really? You’re an attorney?”

  “Barely. I’ve just been working for a few months. It took me ten years to get through school and pass the bar. I had to work my way through school.”

  “Wow! That’s impressive.”

  “So, if you don’t want to work at your father’s plant, what do you want to do?”

  “Actually, I’m studying to be an architect or a construction engineer. I’ve always been fascinated with building things—roads, bridges, buildings.”

  Jodie and Ricardo continued to talk for another hour or so and then they had dinner. Jodie didn’t press for more information about Alliance Fabrications for fear of blowing her cover. She decided it might take a few more dates to get the information she needed from Ricardo without making him suspicious. She liked Ricardo so she didn’t mind spending some time with him. She felt a little guilty about deceiving him, but if that’s what it took to bring a murderer to justice, she reasoned, she had no choice but to do it.

  The next day Jodie met with Nehemias Alvarez, the eldest son of the family, and his brother Ganix. She wondered if Ricardo would say anything to Ganix about her. She decided she had better tell him what she’d done so he wouldn’t act surprised if Ricardo said something. Nehemias was a tall, slender, quiet man who, according to Jodie’s notes, was twenty-six years old. He wore jeans, a T-shirt, and brown work shoes. Twenty-two-year-old Ganix looked a lot like his brother but was shorter and had a mustache.

  “Thanks for coming by,” Jodie said.

  “No problem. Thank you for taking our case,” Nehemias said.

  “Well, we’re just looking into it for now. It’s not going to be easy proving Mr. Melendez murdered your father.”

  “I know. What can I do to help you prove it?”

  “I don’t know yet. How long have you two worked at Alliance Fabrications?”

  “Since we were twelve years old,” Nehemias replied.

  “Twelve years old?” Jodie said. “That’s not legal, is it? How did Mr. Melendez get around the law?”

  “We weren’t on the books as employees. The company provides day care for its workers, except the children don’t play games, they work.”

  “Oh, my God! How do they get away with that?”

  “Most of the employees are illegal. If they complain they’re threatened with deportation. If that doesn’t work Mr. Melendez has some men who will keep them in line.”

  “Why didn’t you just quit and find employment elsewhere?”

  “Mr. Melendez doesn’t allow employees to quit,” Nehemias replied.

  “What! You’ve got to be kidding,” Jodie said incredulously.

  “No. There’s no turnover at Alliance Fabrications. As Mr. Melendez likes to tell us, it’s the job of a lifetime.”

  “It sounds like slavery to me,” Jodie said.

  Nehemias shrugged. “That’s what got my father in trouble. He told them he was tired of being their slave and he was going to report them to the Labor Department.”

  “Hmm. Did they pay you when you started working there at age twelve?”

  “Yes, we were paid half the rate as our parents.”

  “What were your parents paid?”

  “Minimum wage.”

  “How many hours did you have to work?”

  “Sixty hours. Ten hours per day, six days a week,” Nehemias replied.

  “I don’t suppose they paid overtime.”

  Nehemias laughed. “No. Mr. Melendez said we were lucky to be able to work that many hours and shouldn’t complain. He said since we were illegal the labor laws didn’t apply to us.”

  “Really? And nobody was in a position to dispute his claim, I suppose.”