“No. Azzara isn’t here, but six people were murdered. Three of them are Malevos. It will probably be on the news, so I wanted you to hear about it from me, first.”

“I understand. Thank you.”

“Azzara took off with one of my friends when he found the bodies—a man from Louisiana. I need to find him.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.”

“People run home when they’re scared, and Miguel will be scared. If you hear something, will you call me?”

“May I ask you something?”

“Yes.”

“Did you kill them?”

“No.”

“Did Miguel?”

“No. A man who wants to kill my friends killed them. That’s why I have to find them first. Will you call?”

“Yes. Of course, I will call.”

“Stay with Artie. Watch his temperature.”

“You are a strange man.”

Pike closed his phone, then went to the chaise lounge where Dru Rayne had lain in the sun. He sat where she sat, and stared at her bottle. It was still on the deck. Dos Equis. Pike took out his phone and called her. Voice mail. He put away his phone, and thought over his options as he watched Cole, Button, Straw, and Valenti talking. Straw saw him and raised a hand, but Pike did not respond.

The call from Dru told him the killer would keep her alive until he had Rainey. By letting her make the call, he was using her as bait, but this didn’t mean he would kick back until Rainey showed up. He was a predator, so he would hunt. He was probably searching for Rainey even as Pike sat in the sun on Azzara’s chaise lounge. Pike felt confident he understood what the killer would do, but he was less certain about Rainey.

Pike wondered if Rainey would deal with the killer or run. Dru’s call suggested Rainey had the money, so Pike thought Rainey would probably run. Even if he wanted to stay, Azzara might not give him the choice. Whatever business Rainey had with Azzara and the Mexicans might force him onto a private jet.

Button came outside while Pike was thinking, and called him over.

“Stop sunning yourself and c’mere! Valenti has a question.”

When Pike went inside, Valenti said, “The guy who looked like a veterano , you said he had a ghost on his arm? Was it Casper the Friendly Ghost? You know that cartoon?”

“Yes. It was Casper.”

Valenti turned to Button.

“José Eschuara had a Casper. They called him the ghost because he’d sneak up behind people to shoot them—his vics never saw him.”

Cole said, “Creative.”

“Eschuara’s a big deal—a senior member in La Eme’s command structure in California. If Eschuara was here with the Federales—if these cowboys are really Federales—this was a high-level meeting. Way over Azzara’s pay grade.”