Chapter 3
"What's this?" Ryan said, as he glanced at the file folder Horatio had just given him.
"It's the semen results found from Kate Larson"
Ryan opened the file and glanced at it, surprised.
"Why didn't you tell me you knew the vic?" Horatio said.
"I didn't think it was importantant. "
"Semen results indicate that you had sex with her at least 10 hrs ago."
"I don't exactly remember what happened last night. I woke up this morning in bed and I don't really remember having sex or anything that happened last night. I was drinking last night."
"How do you know Kate?"
"I got to know her when I first came to Miami. I stopped over a bar on the way home. I came almost every night, not to drink all the time, but to talk with her."
"Were you in a romantic relationship with her?"
"No, we flirted, but last night was the first time we actually did something further than that."
"What about Rico Salvador, do you know him?" Horatio said handing another file at Ryan.
"He owns the bar."
"Did you know him personally?"
"I guess you could call us friends."
"Was he and Kate on bad terms with each other?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Mr. Wolfe, if you know anything else you're going to have to tell me, so I can help you."
"I don't. I just want to find Kate's killer." Ryan said standing up.
"You know from protocol that I'm going to have to remove you from this case. You're on desk duty."
"H, I don't think that's a good idea. I think I can really help with this case."
"You're too involved, but you know that we will do everything to find her killer."
"I know."
"Good. I have to go. You know where to reach me if you know anything else." Horatio said leaving his office.
Ryan sighed, and headed to his desk. He sat down and turned on the computer and started typing information from previous cases. He was trying hard to concentrate, but he couldn't stop thinking about the Kate and the whole case, so he got up and left. He got his car keys and drove, just going around in circles, then he drove to the bar. Arriving after a few minutes, he took the keys out of the ignition and locked the car. He walked to the bar and opened the door and walked in seeing Rico behind the counter.
"What are you doing here? This is a crime scene, you're not suppose to be here."
"Neither are you. I suppose you're here to ask me about Kate."
"Damn, right I am. " Ryan said angrily.
"I suppose you think I killed her and why do you think I would do that."
"Maybe, she was going to the police about your little operation in the back."
"I highly doubt that, as she is involved in it as much as I am and, so are you."
"What do you mean?"
"Kate was receiving part of the profits."
"Well you paid her salary, of course she was receiving part of the profits." Ryan said hoarsely.
"You know what I mean. She received 10."
"She always tried to stop me from gambling."
"Maybe, she felt guilty for having to take your money."
"Bullshit. She wouldn't do that." Ryan said taking Rico by the scruff of his neck and slamming him against the wall.
"Ok. I was just jo…
Rico's words were cut by Frank who immediately entered after seeing that the crime scene tape was cut pulled his gun from the holster.
"Rico Salvador! MDPD here put your…
"Ryan, what the hell are you doing?" Frank said after seeing Ryan holding Rico's shirt.
"Rico and I were just talking about what he was doing here." Ryan said casting Rico a glare.
"Get out of here Wolfe and Rico you're coming with me to the station." Frank said taking Rico by the arm.
Ryan left and drove back to the station. He parked the car and took the elevator up to the lab. He was on his way to his desk when he was met by Stetler.
"You don't think I would have heard about you little rendezvous with Rico Salvador by now would you?" Stetler said entering the interrogation room.
"No, I guess not." Ryan said following Stetler inside the interrogation room.
"You were assigned to desk duty and you leave while you were on the clock to meet up with him. You were caught grabbing him by his shirtneck and that little stunt of yours just got you suspended with no pay for a week. The next time I see you meddling in this case, it's going to be more than a suspension." Stetler said.
"I lost my temper okay, I don't think a suspension is really necessary. I will personally apologize to him and I will keep my distance." Ryan said rather apologetically.
"I think it's a little too late for that now. I don't want to see you anywhere near him or this case. Do you understand me, Wolfe?" Stetler said glaring at Ryan.
"Yeah, I do." Ryan said angrily, leaving the interrogation room.
Ryan left the interrogation only to be met by Rico who was on his way to the other interrogation room. Rico glared at Ryan before entering the room. Eric and Calleigh entered the room a few minutes after Rico.
"What am I even doing here?" Rico said.
"You were caught trespassing." Eric said.
"I own that bar."
"It's a crime scene, what were you doing there?" Calleigh said.
"I was getting my things which you guys didn't give me the chance to."
"Everything in that place is evidence." Calleigh said.
"Looks like you're not only going to be charged with trespassing, but tampering with evidence." Eric said.
"I only got the money out of the cash register."
"Don't you usually do that before you close up?"
"I forgot."
"The money from the cash register was only 50 bucks."
"That's a lot of money. Look do you actually have anything on me cos' if not you're wasting my time."
Eric and Calleigh looked at each other and Calleigh said, "You can go."
Rico stood up and left.
Eric looked at Calleigh and said, "What about the fingerprints?"
"It's not enough to hold him."
"Don't we have anything else on him. "
"No, we'll have to get back to crime scene and check whatever he was looking for." Calleigh said.
"I'll drive." Eric said.
Eric and Calleigh hopped into the police issued Hummer and after a few minutes arrived at the bar. Calleigh went behind the counter and started looking through the shelves behind the counter.
"Find anything?" Eric said who was in the backroom.
"Not yet."
"I think I got something." Eric said.
"What is it?" Calleigh said approaching Eric.
"I found an envelope filled with money inside one of the beer cartons here."
"How much money is in there?" Calleigh said.
"About 5 gran." Eric said flipping through the money.
I don't think a bar like this could make 5 gran." Calleigh said.
"Let's get to this to lab for processing then let's have QD check Rico's accounts."
"Alright." Calleigh said packing up her kit.
Eric resealed the crime scene and with Calleigh went back to the lab.
"It's good you're back, because I found something interesting about Rico's bank accounts. He's been making really big deposits which doesn't match up with his income from the bar." Natalia said.
"How much?" Calleigh said.
"About, $10,000 to $50,000" Natalia said.
"How often?" Eric said.
"Every month." Natalia said.
"Any idea what it could be?" Eric said.
"No, but I don't thinks it's drugs because if it was there would be bigger amounts and I don't see him as someone who'd risk that." Natalia said.
"What about the vic's bank account." Calleigh said.
"Nothing out of the ordinary." Natalia said.
"We'll have to bring Rico in again." Eric said.
"Did you get anything from the crime scene?" Natalia said.
"We found an envelope with about 5 gran." Eric said.
"He was probably looking for that, that's why he went back to the crime scene." Calleigh said.
"I'll give this to DNA." Eric said leaving Natalia and Calleigh.
"I'll go with Eric." Natalia said.
"Alright, tell me if you guys found anything." Calleigh said.
"Calleigh, Rico is in interrogation room 1." Frank said from behind Calleigh.
"Thanks, Frank." Calleigh said turning to face Frank, then heading to the interrogation room.
"Calleigh" Horatio said, "I heard Rico Salvador is in the interrogation room."
"He is, I'm on my way to question him."
"I'll go with you." Horatio said.
Horatio entered the room with Calleigh right behind him.
"What am I in here for now?" Rico said.
"Mr. Salvador, we looked at your bank accounts and it seems that you have been making monthly regular deposits. You've been depositing $10-25,000 per month and it doesn't quite match up to what you're earning in your bar." Horatio said.
'I don't know what you're talking about." Rico said crossing his arms.
"We have enough to put you in prison for at least 20 years for trespassing, tampering with evidence and tax evasion, Calleigh said, "so you might wanna think about what you just said.
"Alright, I'll tell you. I've been holding gambling sessions at the backroom of my bar about every week, but I sure as hell did not kill Kate." Rico said.
"Did Kate Larson know about what you were up to in the backroom?" Horatio said.
"She did, but she really didn't bother with it."
"Did Mr. Wolfe know?" Horatio said.
"He more than knew what I was up to; he joined in a couple of times."
"Did you have a game last night?" Calleigh said.
"Yeah, and Ryan was playing along with a couple of people."
"What time did Ryan leave the bar?" Horatio said.
"About 11 or 12 I think." Rico said.
"Was Kate with him when he left?" Horatio said.
"She was the one who drove him home."
"Did you see Kate return to the bar?" Calleigh said.
"No, last time I saw her alive was yesterday."
"What time did you close the bar?" Calleigh said.
"About 1 in the morning."
"Who were the other people playing poker with you yesterday?" Horatio said.
"There was Danny, Mitch, Claire and Ryan."
"I'll need their full names and anything else you know about them." Calleigh said handing Rico a pad.
Rico wrote down the names and handed it back to Calleigh.
"Am I off the hook now?" Rico said.
"Not yet. Don't go far." Horatio said.
Rico left the room and Calleigh faced Horatio and said, "What do we do next?"
"We check on the people in the list."
"What about Ryan? " Calleigh said.
"I'll handle it." Horatio said.
To be continued…
