41. Enslee
It’d been a few days since I’d last been at Declan’s Staten Island home.
During that time, I’d been working on finding out all that I could about Brogan’s case.
Fortunately, I had some news to share, so I returned to go over it with Declan.
As I pulled out my laptop and took a seat at the island, it still struck me as odd not to see either Jenni or Edna here, especially as I’d become so accustomed to both of their presences during the time I’d stayed here.
After plugging my laptop into its charger, I started to power it on as Declan poured me a glass of my favorite juice.
I didn’t know what it was about the orange juice Edna would freshly squeeze in the morning, but it was so much better than anything one could buy at a store.
In fact, it reminded me of the few trips taken to the Florida panhandle.
Each time we’d gone, my grandmother had stopped at a gift shop off the interstate that had some of the best orange juice you could get.
There were so many different flavors to choose from.
I’d never been able to decide on just one.
Although this one was just straight orange juice, it was still one of the best I'd ever had.
After he poured me a glass, he slid it over to me.
“I've actually found out something very interesting.”
“Really?” he asked before he walked around the bar to stand behind me. “What did you find?”
“For starters, I'd been doing some investigation into the account you’d deposited those funds into. And while a portion of that cash had been taken out, there have also been some funds added to it, and the most recent transaction was just a few days ago.”
“What the Hell? If she's dead, who has access to her account and is using it?”
I shrugged. “That's the thing. I'm hoping this means she's still alive.
I mean, I know it doesn't explain the knife and the key that had been found, but you did say your investigators had been watching her, or somebody that appeared to be her, in Mexico. Maybe she got spooked, and she's working with somebody here in the city who could’ve planted that evidence.”
“And if she’s alive, Brogan couldn’t have killed her, so they’d have to release him.”
“Exactly, and that’s not even all that I found that makes me think she’s still alive.”
“W-what else did you find?” he asked me. I could hear the hope in his voice, and I really hoped I wasn’t setting him up for disappointment.
“I was able to get my hands on a police report of the scene. They’d scanned every inch of her condo and found no additional traces of blood anywhere.”
“What if someone cleaned the scene really well?”
“It’s a possibility, but some of the chemicals used would still be able to detect that.”
“So the knife and key could’ve been planted?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t help him in the immediacy because whatever happened to her, it just might not have happened there.”
“We need to find her, or whoever is treating that account as their ATM.”
“Agreed,” I told him.
“I have a question,” he said.
“Yes…”
“How did you get access to this and the police report?”
I looked over my shoulder and smiled. “I do have connections, you know.”
“I have connections too, but…”
“Well, my connections are specifically in… ummm, how do I say that they’re not always legal?”
“So you're a bad girl, Enslee.”
I grinned even more cheekily. “Surely you didn’t think I just get information by reading articles other people have already written or watching things other people have already said.
I’ve made some friends along the way, and friends that may not always do things according to the book or the law or whatever.
But does that really matter at this point? ”
“No, it doesn't. So what have you found out about the recent transactions in that account?”
“You ever hear of Tepoztlán?” When he shook his head, I added, “It looks like whoever’s using that account is just outside of Mexico City. The ATM frequented is in Tepoztlán.”
“And that’s not close to Cancun where my investigators are still looking.”
“Nope, and it’s likely the reason they haven’t found her.”
“She might’ve suspected that we were on her tail and fled.”
“And inland to the mountains would be a great hiding spot,” I said.
“All this time, I’ve had the investigating team scouring the wrong damn area. If she’s in, or near, Mexico City, she could be anywhere. Where do we even start in a place that large?”
“Luckily for us, all of these transactions are taking place at the same bank branch, which leads me to believe it's one that's closest to her.”
“She might’ve allowed herself to be spotted in Cancun to throw people off her track.”
“And if she was still trying to do that, she would’ve gone to various branches across the city, but she’s frequenting the exact same one. I’m pretty positive that whoever it is, they’re in that part of Tepoztlán.”
“You’re really good at this, Enslee.”
“I just wish I didn’t have to be so good for the reasons I need to be,” I quipped.
“Did you do this level of research on Brogan?”
“I did a lot of research on him, but of a different kind. I’d been more looking at his personal life and what he stood to gain or lose from her disappearance or death. It confused me because he was far wealthier than her, and without actually having wed her, even a pre-nup wouldn’t have mattered.”
“Did you ever see anything to tie Brogan and me together?”
“Romantically, no. I suspect that’s why the police have not, either. You know that if they did, they might consider you an accomplice.”
“Brogan’s mentioned the same. He was very worried about that.”
“And rightfully so.”
“How did you even hear about his case? I know it's widely broadcast here in New York City, but I'm not even sure you were in the city.”
“I’d heard a few things about it on national sites, but the first time it had really caught my attention occurred when I’d been in the city.
There’d been some investigations going on at Rikers Island regarding jail conditions and human rights.
I’d been working on an exposé and talking to different prisoners over the last year.
Ones in different security levels, different classifications, different areas of the prison trying to piece together the absolutely harsh conditions that…
” I saw Declan squeeze his eyes shut, and I literally kicked myself with my heeled boot in the shin.
“I'm sorry. I know you don't want to think about Brogan in those types of conditions, but I can't sugarcoat it and tell you everything's fine.
All we can do is try to find Layla so we can prove Brogan didn't kill anybody, and he can be released.”
“It’s all I want. Honestly, until today I’d been losing hope.”
“Then it’s a good thing you've got me here to help bring you that hope. You've been looking at it from one angle, but I'm looking at it from another. You know, I don't like to just look at a crime itself. I like to look at the reasons to see what led to it. I put together a profile, and—”
“You should work for the damn FBI,” he said.
I giggled. “I'm not sure with my past that the FBI is the correct place for me to be.”
“What do you mean about your past?”
“We're not talking about me. We're talking about Layla. Let's just work on this.” I went ahead and took a large swig of my orange juice. It still tasted so good. I continued to drink it while flipping through tabs on my laptop.
“I think we should head to Mexico, but Tepoztlán, if that’s where you think she might be hiding,” he said to me.
“You want to leave Brogan?”
“Of course not, but why just sit here in the city and ask others to do what we could be doing ourselves? If we get down there, maybe we can track her movements in real time and have a better chance of getting to her. I can even send my team there.”
“I know you have investigators, but have you ever thought that maybe she knows or suspects who they are and might be hiding from them? She’d definitely hide from you if she thinks she's at risk of getting caught or getting noticed. She doesn't know me though, so even if I got to asking around, it’s what I do for a living.”
“So you want me to just go down there and act like some sort of tourist?”
“I mean, isn't that what you do for a living? You act?”
“True, but this may be Brogan's best shot at freedom because who knows where she may end up eventually after leaving Mexico. We’re wasting valuable time. Do you want me to go with you?”
“Of course, I want you to go with me. You know her. I mean, I don't want to just pick blonde women off the streets and hassle her. You know who she is, and if we find who we think is Layla, you’d be able to confirm it. I've seen some pictures of her, but I don't know her like you do.”
“True, and while I have filming to do, I can't sit here and act like everything’s normal. While pretending is what I do for a living, I can't pretend to just pretend anymore.”
“It’s understandable. Your entire world’s crashing down around your feet.”
“The man I love is in prison, and one that you yourself said has subpar conditions. And after what you’d told me about that fucking facility too, and what I know about Brogan, I can't go on. I have to help him, even though he hates me and will never forgive me.”
“You don’t know that for—”
“I set this all into motion by giving her the means and opportunity to leave, so I have to get her back so she can clear his name.”
“We should leave this evening,” I said to him.
“I need to make a few calls,” he told me, and I watched as he grabbed his cell phone off the counter and walked across the room.
As he did, I continued sipping on my orange juice and looking up plane tickets. I knew he had his passport and I had mine, and it wasn't long before I had our flights pulled up. By this time, he’d already stopped the call and walked back over to me.
“I have the flights pulled up. Would you like me to go ahead and book them?”
“No, I have a private jet being chartered as we speak. You wouldn't believe how crazy it is at the fucking airport with the paparazzi. And I just… I don't want to and cannot deal with that right now.”
“I understand,” I said, even though I didn't.
I couldn’t even fathom what it’d be like to have people chasing me to photograph my every move.
And then, as I thought about it, he'd be photographed with me, which was the last thing he’d want.
After all, he may have fucked me senseless, but at the end of the day, I was just another notch on his bedpost and certainly not somebody he’d want rumors to openly start about.
“If you don’t mind, could you find us a hotel, and put the two rooms under your name to draw less attention.
Last time I’d been to Mexico, a number of people recognized me.
I really think if Layla was there, it’d been another reason she’d gotten away.
As grateful and appreciative of the fans that I am, the attention took away my focus and even that of my investigators. ”
“Enough said. I'm going to find one that's hopefully within walking distance to the bank so we won’t be that far from her if we were to get a hit.”
“You’re amazing,” he said, and something warm bubbled up inside of me at his praise.
I didn't know why I even cared what these men thought about me.
I shouldn't even be helping them, but I was because, regardless of everything that’d happened, I still cared.
Meanwhile, I kept telling myself that I was just trying to help them tell their story, and until Layla was found, Brogan couldn't tell his side.
A nagging voice inside then reminded me that I just wanted to be around them.
I needed to be around them, and it was breaking my heart knowing Brogan was all alone.
Hopefully, the next time I went to visit him, I could bring information or at the very least, give him some sort of hope.
Declan noticed that my orange juice was now gone, so he fixed me another glass as I finished booking the hotel, then went off to his room to pack.
Since I always kept a bag packed in my van, I finished the juice before going outside to make sure I had everything I’d need, including my passport and extra charging cords.
After, I pulled my van into the garage when he opened the door for me.
It felt weird driving it back into this place, especially since the entire time I’d stayed here, it’d been hidden in this space and I’d never known it.
It’d also been the catalyst to help me recover my memories, even though they were muddled with all the ones I’d made since I’d awakened that morning.
I joined him in his SUV, and we soon headed off to the private airstrip.
Not long after, we boarded a plane en route to Mexico.
As he leaned back in his plush leather seat with his eyes closed, I took in the sleek and modern design of the space.
It certainly looked like something a movie star would own.
As he tried to sleep away part of the five-hour flight, I used the WIFI and did a bit more research until fatigue finally gripped me too.