Chapter 23
The address for Michael Munoz was that of an older home on the outskirts of Bend.
It was hard to read the house numbers because several were blocked by bushes and trees, but Noelle managed to spot the right home.
Evan parked on the road, and Noelle eyed the small bike in the bark dust next to an old Toyota Tercel in the driveway.
He has a child?
“This is the address on his driver’s license renewal from two years ago,” said Evan, leaning forward to look out the window past Noelle. “But the name on the home is Roger Jones. I’ll have someone run the Toyota’s plates.” He sent a text.
Noelle gestured at the bike. “He might have kids.”
Evan nodded grimly. “Always makes this part of the job even tougher. I prefer to talk to the spouse alone.” His phone buzzed. “Toyota comes back to a Louisa Munoz. We’re in the right spot. Maybe they’re renting.”
They got out of the SUV and headed up the driveway. Noelle swore it was getting colder as the day went on. She glanced at the gray sky.
Snow. Soon.
The concrete driveway was cracked in several spots, stubborn grass growing in the crevices.
Noelle rang the doorbell and heard it jangle inside, setting off loud barking from multiple dogs.
A moment later a small woman with long, dark hair opened the door.
Two white, fluffy dogs flanked her as she stood behind the screen door.
The barking stopped, and two tails wagged at lightning speed.
“Mrs. Munoz?” asked Noelle, holding out her ID as the woman nodded. “We’re with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Department. Can we speak with you for a moment?”
Louisa Munoz looked from one of them to the other, concern growing in her eyes. “What’s this about? Is it Michael?”
“Is he your husband?” asked Noelle.
“My brother. Is he okay?”
“He’s not okay,” said Noelle gently. “Do your dogs mind strangers? Can we come in?”
Louisa gave a jerky nod. “They’ll be good.” She grabbed the collar of one and opened the screen, stepping back to let in Noelle and Evan. She gestured for them to enter the living room, and Noelle was relieved to not see any kids close by.
“What happened to Michael?” Louisa crossed her arms, an “I’m prepared for the worst” expression on her face. She didn’t sit down, and neither did Noelle and Evan. One of the dogs hopped up on the sofa, its black gaze never leaving the new people. The other sniffed at Evan’s shoes.
“I’m very sorry, but your brother has passed. His body was found the day before yesterday,” said Noelle.
Louisa flinched and tightened her arms across her chest. “What? Was it a car accident?” She blinked rapidly.
“No. He was shot.” Noelle hated to be so blunt but knew there was no way to soften that fact. “I’m so sorry.”
“Are you sure it was him?” she pleaded.
“Yes. I’m so sorry,” Noelle repeated, hating the brief look of hope in the woman’s eyes. “He didn’t have ID on him, so he wasn’t identified until the medical examiner took his prints today.”
Louisa looked away for a long moment, her hands covering her mouth, the news sinking in. Suddenly her gaze flew back to Noelle, her eyes wet. “Was he the one found near Old Mill Highway?” she asked in a hoarse voice.
“Yes,” said Evan. “You didn’t realize he was missing?”
“I don’t see him much,” she whispered. “I’d heard that a body was found. I didn’t think for a second that it could be Michael.” She wiped her eyes, her posture softening. “Oh, Michael.” The dog on the sofa hopped down and circled Louisa’s legs.
“Can we sit?” Noelle asked.
“Please.” With shaking legs, Louisa moved to the sofa and seemed to melt into the cushions. Noelle sat beside her as Evan took a seat in an easy chair. The other dog continued to sniff at his shoes and then his legs.
“He smells Thor,” Evan said quietly. “My fiancée’s dog,” he explained to Louisa.
She blinked, looking lost, and then nodded at his explanation. The woman blew out a lungful of air, and shock slowly faded from her face as she pulled herself together. “Who did this to him?” she asked, her voice low.
“We don’t know yet, but we’ll find out,” said Noelle. “When did you see Michael last?”
Louisa thought. “It was the weekend before last. He used to live here, but I made him move out just after Christmas. He’s stopped by a few times since then to pick up more of his belongings.” She smiled sadly. “The garage is still packed with his car stuff and tools, even after several trips.”
“Where did he live?” asked Noelle, not missing that Louisa had made him move out.
“I don’t know.” Frustration filled her face. “I didn’t ask, and he didn’t say where. I was angry with him, and he was mad that I made him leave. I gave him several chances,” she said earnestly. “But things kept happening.”
“What sort of things?” asked Evan.
“I have an eight-year-old son,” said Louisa.
“He’s into everything; he’s so curious. Michael had several guns, which I don’t have a problem with, but it’s not a good situation in a house with my son, especially when Michael forgets to lock them up.
He has a safe, but he’d often lay a weapon on top of it instead of putting it away.
That’s not good enough. Austin was fascinated with them.
” She held up her hands. “What could I do? I told him to move out. I wasn’t taking any more chances.
I know Michael loved my son, but I couldn’t handle the pressure that something bad could happen because Michael got lazy.
” She rubbed her forehead. “Austin was in tears for weeks because he missed his uncle. So we made an agreement that he could see Austin here for an hour or two, and he wasn’t to bring any guns.
Not even if he left them in his truck. No guns. ”
“He respected that?” asked Evan.
“He did. I insisted on looking in his truck before I’d let him see Austin.
Then I’d let him hang out at the house while I ran some errands.
Very short errands. Most of the time I was close by.
Usually they just played video games.” Louisa was very emphatic about protecting her son.
Noelle had no doubt she only let Michael see Austin in a regulated environment.
“You can’t guess where Michael moved to?” asked Noelle.
“To a friend’s, I supposed. He hadn’t worked in several months, so he didn’t have much money for rent, and I doubt anyone would rent to him if he didn’t have a job.”
“Where did he used to work?”
“Post office in Bend. He told me he quit, but I know he was fired. My friend whose husband works there said he missed too many shifts. It had gone on for months.”
“What about your parents?” asked Noelle. “Are they nearby?”
“My father died several years ago,” said Louisa.
“My mother lives in Arizona with my other brother and his wife.” She paused for a long moment.
“They need to hear about Michael from me. Michael wasn’t close to our brother, and I don’t know the last time he talked to our mother,” she said slowly.
“It’s best that I’m the one who tells them today.
” She turned imploring eyes to Noelle. “I’ll get their numbers for you, but could you wait until tomorrow to contact them? Give them overnight to process this?”
“We can wait,” said Noelle, knowing it was news best heard from Louisa. “Do you know of anyone that Michael had a dispute with? Or of anyone who would hurt him?”
A dog hopped up on the sofa and laid its head on Louisa’s thigh. She absentmindedly stroked its fur as she stared at the wall across the room. “I don’t know,” she said slowly. “He’s never talked about something like that to me.”
“Can you tell us who his friends are? Maybe they would have some ideas.”
A dark look flashed on her face. “He didn’t have many friends. Never has. But he started hanging out with some people about the same time as he got fired. That’s when he started buying more guns too.”
“You don’t seem to like these people,” said Evan. “How come?”
“His behavior changed, and I’m sure it was from their influence.
Michael started staying out half the night, and he was rude when I pointed out he was upsetting the routine of the house.
So disrespectful. He’d wake up Austin, and then the boy can’t get back to sleep, so he’s a mess the next day. He acts out in school and can’t focus.
“I tried to talk to Michael about it, but he said that his schedule was none of my business and that’s how things were going to be now.
His attitude was dark, and he acted angry with the world.
When I caught Austin alone in his room with a rifle in his hands, that was the last straw.
I told Michael to leave that day.” She slumped on the sofa, her fingers burrowing into the dog’s white fur.
“I shouldn’t have done that. Maybe he’d still be alive. ”
“Or maybe we’d be sharing this news about your son instead,” Noelle pointed out. “You did what was best for your family. Why the late hours for Michael? You said he didn’t have a job. Could it have been a girlfriend?”
“Not a girlfriend.” Her forehead wrinkled in concentration. “I asked that too, and he brushed me off.” She exhaled and looked at Evan. “I’m worried he was involved with a gang,” she said quietly.
Noelle was surprised. “Does he have a motorcycle?” Most of the gang activity she was aware of in the area involved motorcycle gangs. Other activity was mostly young adults trying to imitate gang behavior.
A gang hit?
The two bullets in the forehead does seem like an execution.
“No.” Louisa slumped again. “But I don’t know what else it could be. What could change him so dramatically?”
“Did he seem to carry more cash?” asked Evan. “Any evidence of drug use?”
Louisa shook her head as he spoke. “None of that. When I started to suspect it was a gang, I searched his room several times. I never found either of those things.” She grimaced. “He never had money. I gave him money here and there. Mainly to get him off my back. I’d hoped he’d go look for a job.”