Show Me Chapter 27

Date: March 25, 2019

Elena sat back, hanging up the phone after another disappointing conversation with the local police concerning the break-in. She had to go through it all again, talking about the helplessness she felt when she couldn't go back home and the anger she felt when she learned her husband had been injured.

To say the case had come to a screeching halt was an understatement; there had been no new leads in the case nor had anyone come forward. The only thing that the authorities were able to prove was that Santiago Lopez, the man who owned de la Cruz's crypt and many of the local businesses in town, had not been behind the break-in. Nor had the music shop owner who hated Elena.

"What about the wife of that mariachi, Abuelita?" Abel suggested when he called home later that evening. "She seems pretty angry and is famous for holding grudges."

Suddenly Miguel ran in, carrying a note and looking excited beyond belief. "THEY FOUND HIM! THEY FOUND HIM!" he screamed in excitement.

"Whoa, mijo, slow down! Who found him?" Luisa said as she came in from outside, carrying

Taking a deep breath, Miguel slowed down and spoke carefully, "Our ancestors found out where Rodriguez is buried, Mamá. Papá Héctor said that they asked around and that he is buried in Los Estados Unidos in Neeew México."

Once it was determined safe to read the letter (Miguel had to lay eyes on it first in order for it not to vanish for the other relatives), Elena read it over carefully. It seemed like Héctor Rivera had thought ahead and not even left a name or fingerprints on the letter so it could be used in court. And the handwriting was definitely de la Cruz's. Most of it was soaked through with water, but several lines remained legible.

-WENT HUNTING WITH RODRIGUEZ IN SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO-RODRIGUEZ ENJOYED IT-DOESN'T WANT TO LEAVE-GOT TO SEIZE MOMENT

Before entering the house, Miguel saw something red and gold laying on the ground. Noticing that it was a bright red clasp, normally attached to a mariachi's vest, the teen used a napkin and carefully picked it up off the ground and headed inside. Must have been from the break-in or maybe fell off my mariachi vest, Miguel thought.

"de la Cruz was definitely not a smart criminal if he kept leaving clues like this," Enrique muttered angrily as he reread the note after dinner for the other adults. "At least we can use this to find Rodriguez's body."

"Pero Santa Fe es enorme, Enrique."Berto said. "It would take months to search the whole area and it's not safe to travel back there right now considering what's been happening."

Everyone sighed. Stories about what had been happening at the U.S./Mexico border had gotten out, worrying the adults in the family who had friends in the United States of America. And much to everyone's sadness, a return trip to America to help locate Rodriguez's grave would not be a financially feasible option. But Franco had another idea.

"What if we get in touch with Martinez again? He might have contacts who can help." Franco suggested. "They helped us find Papá Héctor last year. And it's pretty easy to keep the note-writer anonymous."

"Eso es una buena idea, mí amor," Elena said as she stood up from her chair. "I'll go give Martinez a call right now and ask."

As Elena left the room to make the phone call, Franco went over to his daughter who had been quiet during the conversation. "When would you like for us to meet him as a novio, mija?"

She wanted Martinez to officially meet the family, not as clients but as a boyfriend and a potential husband. And with things slowly but surely progressing on the Rodriguez case, Gloria felt sure that Martinez could come over for that family dinner soon.

"Can we do it next month, Papá? To let everything settle down first with the Rodriguez family?" Gloria asked.

Nodding, Franco patted his daughter's hands and walked over to the main entrance to the house.

"What about Lopez's nephew?" Enrique asked as they worked at the workshop. "Would he have anything to do with this?"

"He's in Los Estados Unidos, Quique," Elena said as she examined the shoe she was holding. "He's been there for almost a month. And it couldn't be the mariachi that was mad at me, he's been staying away ever since Lopez was put in jail.""

"What about the music shop owner?" Luisa asked. "Hay rumores that he is a de la Cruz symphasizer, but I don't believe he'll want to hurt Miguel."

Shaking her head, Elena added, "He may not like me very much but he's not once ever implied that he doesn't like our Miguelito. Tendremos que seguir buscando."*

Despite the dead end in the case, the Riveras knew that they were getting closer to finding Rodriguez. A quick telephone call with Martinez confirmed that there would be a search team out in Santa Fe in three days and that he would talk to the Rodriguez family again. Miguel also revealed that he had heard from Aria, who told him that she had found information on Torres in an old movie magazine. At Elena's request, Miguel asked Aria to scan the article and send it over.

The family had been hard at work in the shop when suddenly a crash alerted the Riveras to something happening outside in the courtyard. At first glance, it appeared that Rosa was fighting with someone, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that it was not the case.

A boy, no more than 17, was playing tug-of-war with a crowbar with Rosa, who was determined to keep him from entering the shop. Elena and Berto ran over to break up the fight, carefully avoiding the broken glass lying nearby.

"QUÉ SUCEDE**?" Elena yelled as she yanked the two teens apart. "LET GO OF MÍ NIETA!"

Hearing in her voice that Elena meant business, the older boy stopped, letting go of the crowbar, and fell to the ground, taking Rosa with him. Scrambling to her feet, Rosa bolted away towards her mamá and younger brothers.

"Por favor," the young man said with a distinct American accent. "Don't hurt me, I had to do this. Lo see-en—to."

Quickly providing translation for the rest of the family as Carmen took a shaken Rosa inside, Gloria sharply asked the boy in English, "Why did you try to hurt my niece?"

Shaking his head, the boy said, "No, no, I wasn't trying to, I swear! I was just told to come and swing a crowbar at the window and not let anyone get in my way."

By that time the police had arrived, taking both the crowbar and the teen into custody. Much to everyone's relief, Rosa had not been injured. But the question of who the young man was remained a mystery. Telling the younger Riveras (with the exception of Miguel and Rosa) to go back to bed, Elena stayed up, knowing that there had to be more to this young man. Something or someone had driven him to go to the shop.

"His name is Joaquín de la Montoya," Martinez said the next day. "According to the police, he works for de la Cruz Productions and he was hired by them to try to destroy any evidence linking us to Torres."

"Did he say anything else?" Enrique said tiredly, knowing that the last time that someone from de la Cruz Productions was here, it resulted in a family member getting badly injured.

"Yes, he gave up the names for everyone involved in the break-in last month," Martinez said. "I don't know how much of it is true, but I'll do my due diligence and get back to you on that."

"And Torres?" Carmen asked. "Señor, what did he say about that? Did he say anything about her?"

Nodding, Martinez said, "Sí, he did. We even managed to get her daughter's name."

"What is it?"

"Riya. Triana Sofia Rodriguez."

Translations

*we'll just have to keep looking

**What's going on?