Blood for Blow

Rios had an alibi for family members wondering how he made his money. He told them that he rehabbed houses. But Rios had a history of dealing drugs. In February 1998, he pleaded guilty to felony possession of marijuana. A year later, in May, he pleaded guilty to felony distribution, delivery, manufacturing and producing of a controlled substance. In July 1999, Associate Circuit Judge Gregory Gillis sentenced Rios to 120 days in jail. The sentence was called "shock time" — the four months behind bars were meant to scare him out of dealing again.

Prison didn't scare Rios straight. Nearly three years later, Rios was still hustling cocaine and marijuana.

Friday was an especially busy day for Rios, who was wearing Air Jordans and track pants. At 6:16 p.m., he collected $4,000 for 7 pounds of pot that he had fronted to Desi Arnau, the boyfriend of Raya's youngest sister.

Rios also sold a kilogram of cocaine for $20,000 to a handsome, spiky-haired dealer and longtime friend named Paul Lupercio. Rios had been Lupercio's coke source since 1999, selling him about a kilo a week.

While Rios worked in the kitchen, Raya wrote thank-you cards in the living room. Six days earlier, the doe-eyed 26-year-old had graduated from Rockhurst University with a degree in organizational communication.

Rockhurst was only a 10-minute drive from the house. While studying for her degree, Raya worked full time in the marketing department of Blue Cross Blue Shield.

When Raya saw Lupercio, she handed him a thank-you card:

Paul and Danielle.

Thanks for the gift. Sorry you guys came when it was over. Will have to go out another time to celebrate.

Olivia.

Lupercio wanted to take Raya up on her offer. He invited her and Rios to join him later that night at a new sports bar. The idea of trying something new excited Raya and Rios. Lupercio told them that he'd call later to work out the details.

Lupercio was running late for a party. He didn't want the drugs on him in case police stopped him. Lupercio arranged to go back for his kilo on Saturday.

Before Lupercio left, Rios had a question for him. Rios was about to meet with a cocaine dealer named Dyshawn Johnson. Rios asked if Johnson and his brother, Bryant Burton, could be trusted.

"No," Lupercio told Rios, "I would not trust them."

Lupercio left, but his warning didn't stop Rios from calling Johnson at 7:21 p.m. The call — like 11 others between Rios and Johnson that day — lasted less than a minute.

Raya placed her final phone call. She talked to her mother, Sylvia Raya.

Sylvia and her husband, Louis Raya, were at home making Christmas gifts for their daughters. Olivia's younger sisters, Raquel and Sara Raya, had plans to meet Olivia for breakfast at 8 the next morning.

"Don't forget, we're going shopping," Olivia told her mother.

"Love you, and talk to you in the morning," Sylvia told Olivia.

Within an hour of Rios' call, Johnson — a tall, muscular man with sharply arched eyebrows — stood at Rios' front door. He wasn't alone. He'd brought along his revolver-toting partner, Michael Dale, who wore gloves and a skullcap over his close-shaved head.

Rios let Johnson and Dale, both 28, in the front door. A Mexican flag and crosses hung on the light-pink walls. Raya sat on the couch, next to a towering white Christmas tree. Rios led the men into the kitchen.

Minutes later, Dale whipped out the gun. Rios rushed him.

Dale fired.

Rios tried to block the shot with his hands. The bullet lodged between the thumb and index finger of his right hand, just below the cursive tattoo of his last name.

The wound slowed Rios.

Dale fired again.

The bullet struck Rios in the head and knocked him to the tile floor.

Dale stood above the bleeding Rios and fired a final shot into his skull.

Raya didn't run. She didn't fight. Maybe she thought Dale and Johnson would let her live if she didn't react. Maybe she was resigned to her fate. Or maybe she didn't want to live without Rios. She gripped a pen in her left hand and wrote a final thank-you card.

"Shoot the bitch!" Johnson screamed. "Shoot the bitch!"

Dale walked into the living room.