Erin, Robert & Eduardo

By Dennis F. Killeen

Erin was settling her aunt’s estate trying at best to adhere to her aunt’s specific instructions for disposing of her estate. Part of the challenge is locating her aunt’s estranged son Robert, Erin’s cousin. Erin utilizes her husband’s firm to help locate Robert. The trail leads Erin from Georgia through California and through Mexico. Along the way Erin discovers that Robert’s gambling has put his family not only in debt but in danger from his bookie. Robert decided to disappear leaving all his identification behind and no indication of where he is headed. Surviving a harrowing encounter with the cartel, Robert obtains a new Mexican identity to start life over and now with a family that befriended him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 19, 2024
• ISBN: 9798369418376

Dennis F. Killeen

After 50 plus years of designing and implementing business and security systems a new challenge was in demand. Having written business contracts, proposals and documentation, in which there may have been some fiction, most led to qualified successes. Years of poetry, small articles in newspapers along the way, still left a hole in the writing quest. Telling stories is a time-honored tradition and certainly among my family and friends. I finally applied fingers to keyboard to write stories for me and share them with everyone

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Copyright © 2024 by Dennis F. Killeen.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 06/07/2024

Xlibris

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Contents

Chapter 1:     Robert and Eduardo

Chapter 2:     Victoria

Chapter 3:     Carlotta and Larene

Chapter 4:     Erin and Lydia Settling Estate

Chapter 5:     Eduardo and Victoria

Chapter 6:     Hector

Chapter 7:     Lincoln Hightower Task Force

Chapter 8:     Erin and Lydia Discuss the Final Sale

Chapter 9:     Roberto

Chapter 10:   Hector Arrives home

Chapter 11:   Tony’s First Report on Robert

Chapter 12:   Mr. Ely Carpanty The Buyer

Chapter 13:   Organizing the Search Party

Chapter 14:   Erin & Lydia Visit Eva

Chapter 15:   The Soccer Game

Chapter 16:   Linc and the Bookie

Chapter 17:   Robert crosses the border to Tijuana

Chapter 18:   Erin and Lydia Return to Eva’s House

Chapter 19:   Roberto is Questioned

Chapter 20:   Carlotta Heading Home

Chapter 21:   Meeting with Mr. Dolor

Chapter 22:   Eduardo goes to meet with Hector

Chapter 23:   Eduardo and Hector talk

Chapter 24:   Larene looks For Carlotta

Chapter 25:   Larene Heads to Victoria’s House

Chapter 26:   Linc, Erin and Team Regroup

Chapter 27:   Carlotta Awakens

Chapter 28:   Linc and the Colonel

Chapter 29:   Victoria Updates Hector

Chapter 30:   Carlotta Drifting Away

Chapter 31:   Gean Having a Bad Day

Chapter 32:   Search Plans Get a Twist

Chapter 33:   Carlotta Search Party

Chapter 34:   The Pursuit

Chapter 35:   Capturing Gean

Chapter 36:   Carlotta’s Back Home

Chapter 37:   Finding Chef Rochi

Chapter 38:   Erin Plans the Team Extraction

Chapter 39:   Gotta Leave Mexico

Chapter 40:   Chef’s Road Trip

Chapter 41:   Final Exit Plan

Chapter 42:   Heading to Guadalajara

Chapter 43:   Guadalajara and Padre Pat

Chapter 44:   Extraction Point

Chapter 45:   Erin Preparing for Homecoming

Chapter 46:   Police have Suspects

Chapter 47:   All’s Well that Ends Well

Acknowledgements

Dedicate

d to

The 1960 Graduation Class of

Saint Charles Borromeo

The rules say that you can survive:

■ 3 minutes without air

■ 3 hours without shelter

■ 3 days without water

■ 3 weeks without food

Chapter 1

Robert and Eduardo

Eduardo was just finishing up his shift at the Manzanillo Maintenance Hangar. He stood the mops up in the sink to finish drying and was now stacking the piso mojado (wet floor) signs. He has been working as a janitor cleaning the bathrooms, sweeping the hangar floors and the employee cafeteria. It is a good job that pays three hundred fifty pesos a day. He works inside, out of the sun and the cafeteria is air-conditioned. The problem with the job is the commute.

Eduardo rents a room in Colimilla about thirty km from the airport. When his scooter/motorbike is running, the commute is about thirty minutes. In the rain it takes longer and sometimes he holes up at a friend’s house off the Cihuatlan-Manzanillo Road near the abarrotes (grocery store). The friend, Victoria, is actually the sister of his landlord in Colimilla. If the scooter is not working, he gets a lift to the main road, Route 200, then walks the seven km to Victoria’s and sleeps on the floor, hoping he gets lucky. Which, still has not happened.

His landlord, Pablo, is a nice guy and has been very helpful since Eduardo arrived from Guadalajara. The padre at Purisma Concepcion in Tlaquepaque, outside of Guadalajara, made the introduction, and sponsored Roberto, nee Robert – now Eduardo. Pablo then got Eduardo the job at the airport.

Father Patrick Barrera at Purisma Concepcion read the recommendation letter from an old friend Hector Garza. That was enough for Father Patrick to provide for Roberto when he arrived from Chihuahua. It was Father Patrick that had enabled Roberto to get a fake FM3 permanent visa. This would protect him from the occasional police raids that occurred at the Concepcion. Roberto had worked his way through Mexico from San Diego doing odd jobs under the radar. Father Patrick gave him a job and allowed him to sleep in the church basement. Father Patrick was born and raised in the U.S. and was sent as a missionary to Mexico thirty years ago. His parents were from Mexico, and he jumped at the chance to serve God in a city near where his parents grew up, and among relatives. Father Patrick saw Roberto as a personal challenge to save a soul and, at times, share tequila.

Father Patrick realized that Roberto was a well-educated guy and very adept at fixing most things around the church. He was able to fix the electric wiring problems in both the rectory and the church. Roberto patched up the roof in the rectory and repaired several pews and kneeling benches in the church. He even fixed the damage to the crucifix over the altar that had been damaged during a long-ago earthquake. Padre Pat, as Roberto referred to him, also understood that Roberto was hiding from someone. They talked many times, but Roberto avoided Padre Pat’s probing questions until one tequila-laden conversation.

Padre Pat learned that Roberto was actually ‘Robert’ hiding from a thug in San Diego, California, and not a Mexican cartel, which he’d originally presumed. At least he didn’t think there was a connection. Roberto confessed that he had a gambling problem that put him in the crosshairs of a local bookie. Padre Pat also learned that Roberto was into the bookie for over twenty thousand dollars. The bookie’s henchmen – actually henchpersons (one thug was a striking raven-haired beauty with a real mean streak and who seemed to like hurting men) – left Robert with few options as they started to threaten the safety of his wife and children. After his last beating he decided to escape to Mexico. He thought if he left, they would chase him and leave his family alone. When he disappeared, the thugs kept up the surveillance of his family, hoping he would contact them. He never did, except with one Christmas card where he apologized for leaving. And explained why he left. That was two years ago. He had been on the run ever since, moving from one Mexican town to the next. Roberto never divulged how he knew their mutual friend Hector Garza and Padre Pat knew not to ask.

Padre Pat had developed a network of saints and sinners over his years at Purisma Concepcion and the Cathedral. He welcomed donations from all, and executed his pastoral duties to all members of the church regardless of their occupation. He was able to feed many of the poor in the parish by lobbying the sinners – and government officials – as though there was a difference. Local businesses sought redemption in the afterlife by helping the church. Padre Pat used that leverage to get many favors for the church and his parishioners. He called upon these connections to help Roberto.

Padre Pat asked his sacristan to put him in contact with an hombre de papeles. This a person that can provide a new identity for someone living in Mexico. As it is now, Roberto is a criminal living in Mexico illegally. Securing a new identity was expensive, but Padre Pat was going to ask for a favor.

Roberto will now be Eduardo Menduro, whose mother was American. This will support ‘Eduardo’s’ gringo appearance. The new identity will allow Eduardo to get a job, own a car and get health insurance. His papers include a deferment from the military due to a heart condition. The only condition is that Eduardo has to leave Guadalajara. Too many people know him as Roberto. He now also owes Padre Pat a favor.

Padre Pat is sorry to see Roberto leave, but it is best for Roberto. And probably Padre Pat. Padre Pat knows that somewhere in the future he will have to pay for the favor of the paperwork, but he will deal with that when the time comes. For now, adios Eduardo.

Eduardo headed south to start another chapter in his life. His family drifting further back in his memory every day.

Robert, Roberto, Eduardo – just who am I?

Chapter 2

Victoria

Victoria calls out, Vanilla, I need your help in the kitchen.

After a pause, Victoria yells, Vanessa now!

Vanessa, like all fifteen-year-old girls, is always challenging her mother. This is especially true when her father is away on assignment. Her father, Hector, is in the military and can be gone for months at a time. This puts pressure on not only Vanessa, but Victoria as well.

I’m coming. You don’t have to yell, Vanessa answers. You know I’m not fond of you calling me ‘Vanilla’. It’s bad enough when my friends call me that.

Okay, okay. But I think the nickname is cute, Victoria replies.

When Vanessa walks into the kitchen and stands next to her mother, she is a true doppelganger of her mother. The resemblance is striking. The only big difference is Vanessa’s complexion. She is very pale, hence the nickname, ‘Vanilla’. They both have raven hair, golden eyes and all the right curves. This makes for great conversation in the house as Hector is amazed that Victoria has not changed much over the years. Hector is also aware that his daughter will be a target for all red-blooded boys in high school. This is both a sense of pride and fear for Hector.

What’d you want me to do? Vanessa asks.

Dry the dishes and take out the trash, Victoria answers.

Why do I have to do all this? What about Juan? He never has to do anything around here.

Juan is at soccer practice and won’t be home for another hour.

Vanessa mutters, Can’t wait to graduate and get out of here.

Victoria chuckles and asks, Where will you go? What will you do?

Vanessa knows how to push her mother’s buttons and replies, Las Vegas. I’ll be a dancer on the Strip.

Victoria winces to herself on this answer. She knows that Vanessa is testing her. The problem that Victoria has is that is exactly what she had done herself many years ago. She dropped out of school in the eleventh grade, went to Vegas and ended up working in a strip club. Not exactly the dancing career she had had in mind when she took off from home. Vanessa does not know that. Not even Hector. After a few years in Vegas, she returned to Mexico and took a job in Puerto Vallarta working in the marina restaurants and department stores and finally at a scuba dive shop where she met Hector.

A dancer? Seems like a low bar for you. Your grades in school are really good. You can go to a university.

School is boring. I want to be rich and famous. I’m thinking of starting a Tik Tok featuring my dance moves. My friends think I’m pretty good.

Your friends are being nice. Not saying you’re not a good dancer, but please stay off Tik Tok. There are too many perverts out there and you don’t need to attract their attention.

University is expensive, and I don’t know what studies to take as I don’t know what I want to do.

"You don’t have to go to a bachilleratos. You can go to tecnologia or comercio school. Become a famous chef. Maybe an internet guru. You still have time to think about it."

Maybe I should go to a university in the U.S.A. I could meet a rich guy and marry him and live happily ever after, Vanessa says, laughing while heading to the door with the trash.

Make sure your house has an in-law apartment for me, Victoria fires back.

Hola, Juan says as he comes into the kitchen.

"What are you doing home so early? Did you go to futbol practice?" Victoria asks.

Yes, but it was cancelled as the coach was sick. We did some drills for a while and decided to take the day off.

Good timing, Juan. I already took out the trash, Vanessa said.

Thanks. Knew you were good for something, Juan quips.

Victoria’s cell phone chimes. Hello Hector. Where are you? How are you?

Hector answers, I’m fine. How are the kids? He never responds to the ‘Where are you’ question.

Kids are fine. Are you coming home soon?

Yes. I should be home next week. Not sure which day yet.

Will you be home for long?.

Possibly a few months and working locally.

Great! Do you want to talk to the kids?

Can’t right now as I am about to board… Hector almost revealed something but caught himself. Love to all.

Did you hear your dad? Victoria asked holding the phone in the air.

Love you, too, They all shouted.

Chapter 3

Carlotta and Larene

It was pouring rain and Eduardo decided to head to Victoria’s house rather than struggle to get to Colimilla. Even if his motor scooter was working it would be a lousy ride in the rain. A co-worker dropped him off at the aeropuerto entrance. The seven kilometer walk on Route 200 to Victoria’s house was not going to be fun, but it would it at least end up with a good meal and a warm floor. Eduardo slept on the floor at Victoria’s. Not that he didn’t wish he had options. At least options he liked. Victoria’s mother-in-law, Carlotta, was someone to not only be wary of, but to be scared of, judging by some of her actions. She is protective of her son’s wife. And undeniably, she’s beautiful– and not too old, but she is also a horny woman who makes Eduardo very uncomfortable.

When Hector was on assignment, Carlotta would stay with Victoria to help with the children. The children have grown to be somewhat independent, but Carlotta