Sometimes
a person gets a major taste of his own medicine and that can be a
good thing. It's too bad justice isn't always that on target.
Chapter
Five: Mario is Kidnapped
Mario
was dragged into a building by two goons who had placed a black
pillow sham over his head so he would not see where he was taken.
His hands were tied behind his back, which did not prevent him
kicking the metal desk behind him as he protested this treatment, one
he would not hesitate to use on others.
Magda
went into Alonso's office and he knew something was bothering her.
She had been working for him long enough that he thought of her as
family. She didn't want to trouble him with her issues, but he tried
to get her to talk. She had protected him from the voracious press
eager to pounce on anything rotten they could find. You don't let
someone like that go.
Gerardo
had a conversation with Morales who wanted to make sure that no dirt
could be seen on him. He had to make sure he had his party's trust.
Gerardo told him he wanted to do things in a civilized manner, with
discussion. He wanted to present proposals that would gain votes and
the people's trust. He felt that mudslinging was a thing of the
past.
“I'm
going to do things my way. If you can't help me, it doesn't matter.”
“Do
you think I'm deaf?” Morales said, getting up. “Do you think
you don't need the party's help?”
“I
work for the people, Morales, not for the party. Now I ask you, whom
do you work for: For the party or for the people?”
“Did
you get him?” Omar asked his henchmen.
“Yes.
He's very nervous. He knows he's lost.”
“Surely
he knows I'm behind all this.”
“Yes,
Sir. I think he knows everything.”
“Keep
him under guard until I say otherwise.” Omar's cell phone rang and
he answered it immediately. He spoke briefly with Alonso, approving
an idea he had and saying they would talk later.
“One
thing more, Sir. Javier's colleague went to see your wife. He
threatened to go to the press.”
“I'll
take care of that. You keep busy with Mario; that's the priority.”
“Yes,
Sir.”
He
left Omar's car.
Cecelia
went home in a good mood only to have it interrupted at finding Isela
in her living room.
“What
are you doing here, Mama?”
“You
didn't know when you'd see me.”
“Well,
yes, I'm surprised.”
“You
didn't know it would be at your place.”
“Yes;
I didn't expect to see you here; that's all.”
“Who
were you expecting, your father?” She tossed the magazine she had
been reading on the coffee table. “What's going on? You've made
up with him, you don't need me...”
“Oh,
Mother,” she said as she went up the stairs. “Don't say that.”
Isela
got up and followed her daughter.
“Tell
me what's going on. For a few days you were scared and now... what
happened? What did that disgraceful man promise you?”
“Mother,
it's not like that. You don't know what's going on.”
“What
I know is this.” Isela held up a packet of powder. “You are
weak. That's what I know.”
Cecelia
took it back from her. “That's all over. Things are different
now. Today is a happy day for me because something happened that
will change my whole life.”
“You've
changed your look but if you go on with this foolishness, Cecelia....
Don't you realize that your father has manipulated you all your
life?”
“That's
over. I was with the governor and what do you think? Tomorrow I
start working with him. Mother, at last I'm going to work in my
profession. I'm going to work with the governor and thanks to whom?
My father. He promised me this and came through.”
She
hugged her mother but did not see in her face that she had grave
doubts about this.
Regina
presented a list of concerns about the women's shelter and other
matters to the secretary of health. He pointed out that the
nationwide crises affected every sector. Regina wasn't satisfied
with this. She wanted full reports and accounting and was accepting
no excuses. “If you don't present these, you are corrupt,” she
said. He was offended. She told him she did not know who was really
guilty, but had been given reason to suspect enterprise corruption
and cronyism. She was going to demand resignation of his entire
department if this turned out to be fact.
He
rose to his feet, saying he won't stand for being threatened. He
threatened to report her to the governor. She stood up and looked
him directly in the eyes.
“I
will not permit you or anyone robbing babies of cradles or allowing
thousands of people to go without medication for lack of supply. You
receive a salary to guarantee that no one goes without healthcare,
not for you or your friends to become millionaires.”
Shamed,
he started protesting. She dismissed him with “Thank you for your
visit” and he left.
Noemi
brought a tray to Emiliano's room, but he said he wasn't hungry. She
found him sitting on the floor with his back to the wall. He didn't
want any food. She was concerned that he had not gone to school. He
just stared into space, not wanting to do anything. She sat on the
floor next to him, explaining that while she wasn't the best
grandmother in the world she adored him. He would not look at her.
She kissed him and leaned against him. He began to cry.
“Your
father is a manipulator. He is capable of selling you a desert of
salt. He's using you, Cecelia.”
“I'm
telling you that he made good on his promise. I'm going to work with
the governor.”
“Yes,
as a prostitute.”
“As
a journalist.”
“Yeah,
we'll see about that.”
“Mother,
this is very important.”
“And
that's what he made up for you. Your father gets you a job with the
governor, but doesn't yet recognize you. You are a bastard, Cecelia.
He denied you his name. Look at you! He will use you until he's
tired of you.”
“Why
do you have to ruin everything?” Cecelia shouted at her. “I was
so happy.”
“Enough
of that, daughter. I say this for your good. Open your eyes. He's
looking to use you. Use this opportunity to manage your father.”
“Manage
him how?”
“You're
going to work for the governor. Demonstrate to him that you are just
as deserving of the same name as that senator. From this moment show
your worth.”
It
was a worth she had never allowed Cecelia to feel.
As
usual, Regina was almost the last to leave her office in the Senate
building. She stopped outside Gerardo's door for a moment. It was
closed and his back was to it. She paused briefly, then continued
out. A few moments later he came out of his office and went to hers
only to see that she was already gone for the day.
Emiliano's
cell phone signaled a message. He looked at it and texted “Coward,
meet me on Skype. Why are you not answering if you're sending
messages? Are you afraid of the truth, killer?” He sent those and
dropped the phone on the carpeted floor.
Magda
told someone on the phone that she had good news, that she had spoken
to the governor. There was still some conflict. As she passed an
office where someone was working late she didn't notice that the
woman looked up at her and watched as she passed her office.
Gerardo
went to the casino. The boss was waiting for him. He explained that
he could not get all the money together and was negotiating interest
on a loan. The man shocked him with the surprise that the debt had
been paid in full.
“It
was paid in full. Must have been friends who were worried about you.
Friends in power, you know.”
“Who
paid?”
“He
didn't tell me his name. I only just accepted the money. Be happy,
man; you have no debt with the casino.”
“Very
well,” said Gerardo. “Thanks.”
He
shook the man's hand and left his office. He took out his cell and
called Regina on his way out.
Regina
was in the back seat of her limo when she answered.
“At
last! You had me very worried.”
“I'm
sorry for ignoring your messages. Neither could I pay the debt.”
“I
don't know what you're referring to.”
“It
wasn't you?”
“I
don't know what you're talking about and I didn't pay anything. What
is it?”
As
Gerardo descended the stairs he saw Omar and two other men.
“You
sound a bit confused and a bit worried.” He looked at Omar, who
also looked at him as the other two men departed. “You know what?
I'll call you back later.” He ended the call.
“It
was you, wasn't it?” he asked Omar.
“No.
It was the governor. He asked me the solution to your problem. Let's
say we decided to be an instrument.”
“Why
did you do it, or better, for what? What do you want in exchange?”
“Don't
ask so many questions. Why don't we have coffee and talk calmly?”
Gerardo
stared at him for a moment. He felt like Faust looking at
Mephistopheles.
At
the same moment Regina was thinking about Gerardo on the way home.
He was telling her he had always loved her. She smiled as she took
out her cell and tried to call her father. She got his voicemail and
left the message that he needed to call her; it was urgent.
A
Señor Rosa, one of Alonso's minions, reported back to him with his
latest information about the death of Florencia Oscura. He suspected
Mario, whom they had dropped off in front of the establishment where
he had called “your wife.” Alonso wasn't believing this. “My
wife is totally outside this business,” he said. The man said it
was an odd coincidence to be threatened by the father who informs the
daughter. Alonso was sure Regina knew nothing of all this and then
didn't believe him. He seemed ready to believe nothing. The man
told him to get his wife to call off her dogs or there would be a
very ugly problem. “I thought you had this under control.” he
said.
“No,
not for a while. My wife acted in good faith. I'm in charge of
everything. One more thing. What happened with the money you were
to deposit at the door I specified?”
“The
money was given. Worry about your wife.”
Mauro
entered just as Rosa was leaving. He waited until the door was
closed before he asked, He did not have good news.
Regina
arrived home to find Noemi waiting for her. She was agitated about
Mario but said she didn't want to talk about him and his
infidelities. Noemi told her that she didn't want her to think she
was crazy. Regina told her she never thought that and Noemi said
they had a more important matter at hand, telling her that Emiliano
was ill.
Cecelia
sat in her bed, thinking of her latest conversation with her own
mother. She took out a vial of cocaine and its tiny spoon.
Gerardo
and Omar were at an outdoor table at a place unlikely to have been
very visible. They played a verbal chess game about the money Omar
paid out. When Gerardo asked what he wanted in exchange he said
“Nothing” and went on about concern for the governor's wife and
son. Gerardo concluded that this was meant to keep him away from
Regina. He told Omar he was going to pay back the money and reminded
him that Regina was a lady before getting up and leaving.
Regina
explained to her mother that she had tried calling all day and
Emiliano didn't answer. She also had told her about her day and
confided that she didn't know how to deal with corruption or with
gangsters. She was confounded by her ability to make decisions in
Parliament while being equally unable to communicate with her son.
She speculated that perhaps Emiliano should talk to a psychologist.
Noemi then told her she had overheard him talking to Hugo and thought
that their friendship ended over the sex video. Regina's cell phone
rang just as she was taking this in and she got up and excused
herself when she saw the caller's name.
“Can't
you explain what happened? Don't leave me in suspense.”
“I
don't know your husband's story.”
“What
story? It should be clear I don't understand.”
“Your
husband paid my debt. You exposed me, Regina. You didn't think this
through. You didn't have to do this. Excuse me, but I have to go.”
He ended the call immediately.
Regina
was confused about this. She returned her phone to her handbag and
told Noemi she had to go out. Noemi followed her to the door where
Regina told the guard she was not to be followed.
Isela
found Cecelia with the cocaine and a mostly empty bottle of liquor,
which brought on an I-told-you-so conversation that was mostly
one-sided. When Cecelia declined to say anything Isela reminded her
that she was being presented with the opportunity of her
life...backed up with the usual reproaches.
“Look
at you! Look at nothing else. What are you?”
“Stop
trying to hurt me,” she said.
“Trying
to hurt you?” Isela asked, sarcastically. “Now I'm going. I
don't know why you called me.” She got up.
“Don't
go.”
“Then,
clean yourself up. Get up, take a bath, and fix your bed. Should I
go for your pills so you can sleep?”
“Yes.
Can you stay with me a bit?”
“Ah,
the servant takes care of the governor's next mistress.” She
paused for a second, then extended her hand to help Cecelia get up.
Alonso
went to his parents' home. Natalia was expecting him. He greeted
the maid politely then noticed that all was not right with Natalia.
He asked about the bruise, but she did not answer.
“I
need to ask you a favor but I don't want your father to know.”
“Who
did that to you, Mother?”
“I
don't want to talk about that,” she said, avoiding his eyes. “I
want to talk about a friend who is in danger.”
“A
friend in danger? Why?”
“Because
he was my lover. Your father found us together.”
From
the look on Alonso's face one would think she had told him she was
pregnant.
Ximena
had overheard at least part of Gerardo's conversation and she asked
about it. She didn't believe that it was a business call, which was
what he told her. She figured out that he had been talking to a
woman and specifically the one Teresa accused him of wanting.
“The
governor's wife?” she asked.
Gerardo
stood for a moment, not knowing what to tell her.
Magda
arrived home to find her living room a mess. The furniture had been
overturned or tossed around. She called for Julian, who claimed to
have heard nothing. He speculated that Israel was in some way
responsible. Magda opened to the door to Mauro, who told her the
police had called him after talking to her. She didn't have to press
charges or say anymore. He was there because the governor was
worried about her. He didn't know about this yet but would soon. He
told her not to worry, that they would recover her property. She had
trusted someone she shouldn't have. She demanded to know where he
was.
Isela
brushed Cecelia's hair as she tried giving her a pep talk that
Xaviera Hollander must have delivered many times. “Get as much as
you can out of them, all the money you can.”
“Yes,
mother,” she said, mechanically.
Ximena
wouldn't leave it at that. She kept asking her father whether he and
Regina had ever been lovers or anything. He didn't want to talk
about it but she persisted, citing that since they lived together and
her mother was in the sanitarium she needed to know. He told her to
sit down.
“Regina
was my friend, yes. We were friends many years ago at the same
university. Now we just sit in Parliament.”
“So
nothing else happened between you?”
“This
woman was the love of my life.”
“Israel
is leading a double life, Magda. It's because he's very ill and
doesn't have the money to pay for the treatment. That's why he's
with you and why he deceived you.”
“No.
He didn't deceive me.” She did not look at him while she spoke.
“Excuse
me? Do you know if he has family?”
“Yes,
he has a daughter. But at my age a woman needs a little affection.”
“But
he was using you, Magda. You don't need that.”
“Can
I ask you a favor? Get him out of jail. We're going to help him. I
promise you I will never see him again. But I don't want to leave
him alone in this world.”
Mauro
stared for a moment. He was unsure whether she was saintly or
insane.
Noemi
opened the door to Hugo's parents. They wanted to talk to either
Regina or Alonso. Noemi explained that they were both out, but she
was expecting Alonso shortly and thus invited them in.
“We're
very worried,” said the mother. “Hugo and Emiliano were always
inseparable. They fought and now, frankly, Hugo is very sick about
it.”
“We've
never seen him like this,” said the father.
“Emiliano
also feels very bad,” Noemi told them.
“Señora,
Emiliano threatened my son,” said the father. “It's torturing
him. Hugo is very sick. We're afraid that –”
“We
need to talk to Emiliano. This can't go on like this. Hugo is going
crazy.”
The
father got up and showed Noemi something on his cell phone.
“I
know everything I'm saying must hurt you a lot but it's the truth.”
“She
was the love of your life, Dad?”
“She's
the governor's wife, my love. Our relationship is now political. It
has nothing to do with our separation. There were a lot of reasons
for my separating from your mother. Many reasons. Her illness, the
bills she ran up. I never deceived her.”
“Dad,
can I ask a favor? Don't leave Mother. I won't ask you to love her
because I know that's impossible but please help me take care of her.
Please.”
She
joined him on the couch and he embraced her in a protective manner.
“I'm
sorry, but I'm so afraid.”
“It's
a heavy burden and you're my baby,” he said, kissing her again.
“You're my little girl. You're whom I most love in this world.
Don't be afraid. I won't leave you alone.”
He
kissed her again and stared into space. His expression was one of
doom.
“I
understand that my grandson's messages are not good, but I suppose
you know that your son is responsible for the dissemination of that
video all over the place. I suppose you also know what a scandal
this caused,” said the mother.
“Truthfully,
we can't believe that Hugo had bad intentions in doing this.”
“We
are in charge of Emiliano. And we will also talk to him to take care
of his aggressive actions. But you have to control your son. We are
dealing with a woman getting murdered.”
The
couple rose to leave.
“Look,
all that we want is to end all this. I don't want any kind of
relationship with your family. I also will make sure that my son
stays far away from your grandson. Please, I ask you that whatever
happens, this is what has to be. Good night.”
Noemi
got up, the ice tinkling in her glass. “I don't know what you're
talking about regarding relations with our family, but we as a family
promise to talk to Emiliano. We hope that you will take
responsibility for your son.”
“I
think it's time we leave,” said the mother. “Good night.”
They
did not wait to be shown out. After they left and Noemi made sure
the door was secure she turned around and saw her grandson, who had
listened to the entire conversation.
“What
are we going to do with you, Emiliano?” she asked. “What are we
going to do?”
Almirón
stopped his car right in the path of Regina's. He got out and
approached her, telling her to be calm.
“It's
urgent that I talk with you. It's about your father.”
“My
father?”
Alonso
was incredulous.
“How
could my father catch you with your lover? That can't be, Mother!”
“Why?
Why is that strange to you? Your father and I stopped being a
couple years ago.”
“That
isn't sufficient reason to have a lover!”
“Oh,
such shenanigans! Please, I've always known your father had women on
the side. Of course, I took a lot of crap from that man. And what
about me? Don't I have the same rights as he?”
“This
is a conversation I don't want to have with you, Mother.”
Alonso
stepped away, but Natalia pulled him back.
“Well,
you will have to. Your father threw him out. And he will kill him.”
“Kill
him? What are you saying, Mother?”
“I
know perfectly well what you're father is capable of. And I'm asking
you to help. I don't want Omar to kill him.”
Regina
remained calm despite her anger.
“You
must have kidnapped him. You ordered the murder of that girl. I
want him freed.”
“Señora,
it's not true. The guilty one is in prison. I'm out for lack of
evidence. Besides I didn't come here to talk about this. I'm here
to talk about your father. They took him. He has him.”
“How
did that happen? Who did it?”
“They
have him, Señora. He did it.”
“Who
is 'he?' Almirón? Who are you talking about and where is my
father?”
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