Luna Tango

by Alli Sinclair

  ‘Stand here, Dani.’ Roberto went to his case and opened it. Glimpsing the battered bandoneón, she craned her neck for a better view—just looking at the instrument sent chills of distaste up her spine. He moved tattered papers out of the way then pulled out an iPod. Dani glanced at Carlos, who raised his eyebrows, just as surprised as she.

  Roberto fiddled with the iPod, wheezing and coughing as he did so. A moment later he let out a triumphant ‘Ah!’ and handed it to Carlos. ‘When I say play, do so.’ Roberto moved to her side. ‘We dance.’

  ‘Thank you but I’m really not in the mood.’

  ‘You will feel better. I promise.’ He held her hands in the tango pose. ‘I want you to trust me.’

  Even though her mind doubted him, she forced herself to let things unfold in the way they were meant to. Roberto nodded at Carlos, who pressed play. Once more Dani’s ears filled with the whining bandoneón but no fingernails on a blackboard were present—again. The climb and fall of the notes had a hypnotic effect and she closed her eyes, wary this had been her downfall before.

  She sensed Roberto move and she leant to the left, tentatively stepping forwards. The thin skin on his hands made his bones jut out and even though he was frail, a deep energy surrounded him and embraced her. Violins and the piano joined the bandoneón, and although the accompaniments sounded amateur, the music seeped into her soul. The fear that had gripped her melted away, leaving an air of calm, a willingness to let go, a desire to be in the moment. Roberto guided her across the veranda and Dani trusted him without question.

  A stone caught under her foot and she stumbled forwards, eyes wide. Carlos jumped up and grabbed her just before she hit the ground face first. Twisting in his arms, she faced him. Concern clouded his handsome features, soon replaced by a smile as he helped her into a standing position. She moved away, his nearness disconcerting.

  ‘I’m sorry, Roberto,’ she said, taking a seat on the rail of the veranda far, far away from Carlos. Roberto sat also, his fragility appearing once again. His breathing became shallow and she asked, ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Yes,’ he wheezed. ‘I am good.’

  ‘You don’t look so great.’ She got up and passed him the glass of water.

  He took a long drink, his hand shaking slightly. ‘Why do you resist?’

  ‘What? The tango? Like I’ve told Carlos before, I don’t have my mother’s talent.’

  ‘It is there, I feel it. You must stop burying your abilities within your worries.’ He took another sip. ‘Did you like the music?’

  ‘It was beautiful.’ She chose not to mention that listening to the bandoneón usually made her shudder. ‘Who was that?’

  The wrinkles around Roberto’s eyes deepened when he grinned. ‘It is me with some friends from the plantation.’

  ‘What?’ Carlos and Dani caught each other’s eyes. He had to be her grandfather, otherwise why would every other bandoneón player make her cringe while he sent her on a magical musical journey?

  ‘It is a good machine, no? I like technology very much.’ He reached for the iPod next to Carlos. ‘I have almost every tune I have written on here.’

  ‘Don’t you worry about people discovering who you are?’ she asked.

  Roberto shook his head. ‘I never recorded when I was Eduardo’s protégé so no one can compare my playing. To everyone here,’ he swept his arms over the sleeping town of Chapada do Russo, ‘I am a Uruguayan who never took advantage of my talent.’

  ‘It’s sad the world never heard you play,’ said Carlos.

  Shrugging, Roberto smiled. ‘It is okay. The men at the plantation appreciate my efforts. Dani, I am too old to dwell on past regrets. However, there is one song I have never recorded.’

  She leant forwards. ‘Really?’

  ‘It was a song I wrote for your grandma. I called it “Luna Tango”.’

  CHAPTER

  30

  The sharp trill of Dani’s phone pierced the night. She reached into her bag and pulled it out, almost dropping it on the veranda.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Have you found him?’ asked Iris.

  ‘Yes and—’

  ‘Good. I’ve got some news.’ She sucked in hard, no doubt taking a long drag on her cigarette. ‘I’ve had confirmation Diego’s gone to the police with the information.’

  ‘Shit.’

  ‘The Argentine authorities are investigating his claim.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I’m not surprised. After all, this is the biggest lead they’ve ever had.’

  ‘Shit.’

  ‘Dani, cursing doesn’t help.’

  ‘Sorry.’ She felt like a teenager. So this was what it felt like to have a mother? ‘The Argentine authorities are notoriously slow, right? And even if they did urgently contact the Australian Federal Police, who’s to say the file won’t gather dust in Australia? Or maybe they’ll jump on it because they have a good lead. Either way, we need to be careful.’

  ‘I’m worried but I haven’t hit the panic button yet. I’ve called Stella but she’s not answering.’

  ‘Crap,’ said Dani.

  ‘Your mouth, Dani—’

  ‘Sorry. We’ll return tomorrow, okay?’

  ‘Will Roberto be with you?’ Dani could hear the hope in her mother’s voice. She hadn’t thought that far ahead.

  ‘I don’t know. If he is, you’ll have to call him Lucas Villa. He’s being going by that name for years. Call me if you get hold of Stella otherwise I’ll see you in BA.’

  ‘Goodbye, Dani.’

  ‘Iris?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Thank you for looking out for Stella.’

  ‘It’s my pleasure. As the story unfolds, I’m beginning to understand why she did what she did. She and I have a lot to talk about but let’s deal with our immediate concerns first.’

  The phone went dead and Dani faced the men. Carlos stood and took her shaking hands, his warm, soft skin instantly calming her.

  Roberto took a moment then said, ‘I must return to Argentina. I must speak with the authorities. I need to tell them who I am.’

  ‘But don’t you want to meet with Stella—I mean, Louisa? Why can’t you meet here, in Brazil? Then you don’t have to worry about police or—’

  ‘It is time, Dani. I have spent too long on the run and I cannot entertain the possibility the authorities could arrest my Louisa.’

  They sat in silence, accompanied by a symphony of cicadas. Question upon question raced through her mind but she didn’t know where to start.

  Clearing his throat, Roberto said, ‘It will be problematic for me to prove who I am. I spent many, many years pretending to be someone else.’

  ‘DNA will work if Iris is your daughter,’ said Carlos.

  ‘Oh, that’s true!’ Dani had a strong feeling Iris would not baulk at a request to prove her parentage but she wasn’t so sure if anyone was ready to prove anything. ‘Roberto, you going to Argentine authorities and handing yourself in is gallant but it will only be of use if you were the one who killed Eduardo.’

  He raised an eyebrow. ‘Do you think your grandma did it?’

  ‘No! Well, I didn’t know her then—Of course not!’ Honestly, she had no idea.

  ‘Please, sit.’ He nodded towards the chair. She did so and crossed her legs then uncrossed them. ‘Now is the time for you to learn the truth.’

  Dani and Carlos exchanged hopeful glances.

  ‘How much do you know?’ Roberto asked.

  ‘I read the witness accounts. They believed the alibi Héctor Sosa gave them. He said he was with his mistress the entire night and she backed it up. Then he went on a business trip.’

  Roberto took a sip of water and set it down. His eyes closed for a moment, as if gathering strength. ‘Canziani hit me and I fell unconscious. A doctor helped me and I woke in my apartment with Louisa fussing over me.’ His dry lips curved into a small smile. ‘Then I fell asleep. When I stirred again she wasn’t there and I knew she had
gone to see Canziani to speak her mind. She was a feisty girl. She is like this now, yes?’

  ‘Most definitely.’

  ‘I am happy. This is one of her best qualities.’

  ‘It’s served her well,’ said Dani.

  ‘It’s hereditary.’ Carlos winked at her and heat rushed across her cheeks.

  ‘When I left my apartment to find Louisa, I met him near my place.’

  ‘Canziani?’

  ‘Yes. He had a bloody eye and his collarbone was damaged. Lots of blood. So much blood. He’d come looking for me because he thought I had sent Héctor Sosa after him.’

  ‘Had you?’ Dani asked.

  He tsked. ‘No, of course not. You know, Louisa and I were friends because we took solace in each other over Canziani’s moods. Then we fell in love.’ He stared out into the darkness. Shaking his head, he smiled. ‘Sorry, I got lost.’

  ‘That’s okay,’ she said, patting his hand. ‘Take your time.’

  Roberto squared his shoulders. ‘When Canziani saw me again that same night after we had fought in San Telmo—he was furious about me taking Louisa from him. I demanded he give back my bandoneón and the sheet music.’ Roberto’s breathing became shallow. ‘He had a gun.’

  Dani gasped. She took in the words but their gravity had yet to register.

  ‘Eduardo, he would never fight with his fists but always used his words to hurt. Although this night he felt the need for a gun. He said my career was dead so I might as well be, too.’

  ‘What happened?’ asked Carlos, his eyes wide.

  ‘I asked him to calm down but he aimed the gun at my chest. He said if Louisa wouldn’t be with him then she could not have my heart and he would blow it to pieces.’ He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his brow. She glanced at the red stains on it and looked away. Her heart beat so loudly she was afraid it would drown his words.

  ‘I put my head down and I ran at him. I knocked him over and he hit his head on the gutter.’ He grimaced. ‘The sound, it was horrible. It stunned him but then I saw the gun on the ground next to him.’

  ‘What did you do?’ Dani and Carlos asked simultaneously.

  ‘I grabbed it and pointed it at him. He pulled a knife from his jacket, got up and ran at me. He cut my arm and I ...’ He covered his brow with a trembling hand.

  Dani knelt in front of him. She placed her hand in his. ‘It must have been torture keeping this inside for so many years.’

  ‘I am fine. You need to know this.’ A wheeze rattled his chest.

  Her heart went out to him. As she held his hand, she sensed the years of pent-up anger, hurt and tension within.

  ‘I pointed the gun at his leg and asked him to stop. He did not listen. He would not listen.’ His hand shook violently in hers. ‘I kept the gun pointed at his leg but he ran forwards and tripped. He fell, and—and the bullet went in his stomach.’ Doubling over, he wept, long and loud. Dani rubbed her hand up and down his spine, his clothes doing a pathetic job of disguising his bony frame.

  He straightened, determination flashing in his eyes. ‘The sheet music went everywhere. And the blood, it was on my hands, the road—he was dying. I heard people running towards us so I knew he would get help. I panicked. I picked up the gun, my bandoneón and music, and ran. I must have run fast because no one came forwards to say they’d seen me.’

  Breathless, Dani asked, ‘Where did you go?’

  ‘I tried to find my Louisa. I went to the house of Canziani. I planned to go through the back garden but Héctor Sosa was in the alley. I told him what happened.’ He hung his head. ‘I did not think much of it at the time; after all, he was a man I trusted. Like an older brother. I had no reason to think he would lie.’

  ‘But he did?’

  ‘Sosa said Louisa wasn’t there but I now believe she was. He said I needed to leave the country straight away and he would arrange for Louisa to meet me. I suggested Chapada do Russo and he said he would make sure she found me.’ He shook his head. ‘All he did was ensure we were apart forever.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘He loved her. I can see that now. Why did I not know that back then?’ His glassy eyes pleaded with hers.

  Roberto’s revelation stunned Dani. This man held answers to a mystery Argentina had struggled to solve for decades. If she were a true journalist, she’d jump on this story but she couldn’t. Not with his pain filling the cool night air. ‘So Louisa had three men in love with her?’

  ‘I guess she did and I can understand why. My Louisa had a heart of gold and a soul of beauty.’

  Not in her wildest dreams could Dani imagine Stella as a sweet, gorgeous, charismatic woman who wooed every man in sight.

  ‘When Sosa moved toward me his jacket opened and I saw blood on his shirt. I was the one who shot Canziani but I am sure Sosa was the one who inflicted the injuries that would have killed Canziani in the end anyway.’ Taking a deep breath, he said, ‘I lost everything that night—Louisa, my career, my mentor

  ‘What about the gun?’

  ‘I pulled the gun apart and put different pieces in trash around the city.’ He shifted in his seat and rested his clenched fist against his heart.

  ‘Are you okay?’ she asked and patted his hand. ‘Do you need to rest?’

  ‘Yes.’ His hacking cough returned with force. ‘And no.’ His eyes travelled from Dani to Carlos. ‘It is obvious I am sick, yes? In truth, I am not long for this world. I have cancer.’

  ‘But people survive that all the time!’ Yet one more blow for this poor man and her grandma.

  ‘I am old. It is okay, Dani.’ He coughed again. ‘The cancer, it has spread from my lungs into other parts of my body. The doctors said this would happen.’

  Dani moved closer to Carlos, who grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight.

  ‘I have had a good life. Not the one I planned but I have done the best with what transpired.’ Dani’s lips quivered and Roberto placed his hand under her chin. ‘Please, do not be sad. I am going to finish my life the way I started: with honesty. Too many times I have succumbed to telling lies to protect myself. I am done with this. Truth is now my guide.’ Satisfaction pushed his lips into a smile. He broke into a coughing fit and she rubbed his shoulders.

  ‘You’ve told us the truth, isn’t that enough?’

  ‘No, I am afraid it is not. I do not expect you to understand but I cannot continue living this lie.’

  ‘What about Louisa? As soon as we get hold of her she can come here. She can be with you, just like you’ve both wanted.’ Dani tried to keep the desperation out of her tone but couldn’t. If she had to get down on her knees and beg, she would.

  Roberto shook his head. ‘I am sorry, Dani, but I’ve made up my mind. Believe me, I want nothing more than to see my Louisa and spend my last days with her but I cannot, out of good conscience, have her under threat. It is my fault she is implicated and I will do everything in my power to ensure she is struck off the list as a suspect. Time is not a luxury I possess. I wish I did, but I don’t.’

  ‘But doctors are always wrong! My friend was told she only had six months to live and that was three years ago. Miracles happen all the time!’

  ‘I am sorry but this is not so in my case. The cancer is everywhere. I can barely breathe. I have no energy. I am very, very sick and there is no chance for recovery. Please, accept this is my fate and allow me my final wish: to ensure my Louisa is safe.’

  ‘But it could take ages for the authorities to—’

  ‘This is my point. By the time they realise who I am I will be dead and cannot protect her. They will arrest her and she will suffer. I am doing what is right. Please understand.’

  ‘I can’t.’

  ‘I do not expect you to. No one can understand unless they have lived a lie for many decades. No one should die with a secret as large as mine deep within their soul. It must be set free and I must endure the consequences.’

  ‘What about us? What if I’m your granddaughter?’

  �
��You are, I am sure of this.’

  ‘Me too, but where does that leave us? We spend one day together then you disappear behind bars? Is that what you want? To destroy our family?’ A heavy hand pressed on her shoulder and she turned to face Carlos.

  ‘Daniela, please, respect Roberto’s wishes.’

  ‘How can I?’ Her voice rose an octave. ‘All my life I’ve wanted a grandfather and now I may have one he’s ripped away?’ Kicking the chair, she said, ‘Why can’t I have my grandma and possible grandpa together? Why does there have to be a choice?’ She bit her lip and her eyes welled with tears. ‘Life’s bloody unfair.’

  ‘That it is.’ Roberto patted her hand. ‘We will talk in the morning. Yes?’

  She nodded and said, ‘Please, sleep on my bed.’

  She guided him to the small room and he settled quickly, his snores punctuated by a crackly cough. Closing the door behind her, Dani stared down the dark hallway, her mind a mess of conflicting thoughts. Either way, she was about to lose a grandparent.

  * * *

  Dani gazed out the plane window. Cotton wool clouds floated below, framed by a bright blue sky stretching across the horizon. She glanced over at Roberto, who sat in the aisle seat, sleeping fitfully, his skin greyer than when they’d met the day before.

  ‘He is tired, yes?’ Carlos asked, his arm bumping hers as he swirled ice and water in a plastic cup.

  ‘Yes. I worry about him,’ she whispered.

  ‘He might be frail in body but he is strong in the mind, like his granddaughter.’

  ‘If I’m his granddaughter.’

  ‘Your grandmother can let you know when you speak with her, yes?’

  Dani nodded. ‘At least he’s arriving in Argentina using his Uruguayan name.’

  ‘You think you can still change his mind?’

  ‘I can’t believe he killed someone, even if it was by accident. Look at him!’ She leant over to study his sleeping form. He looked angelic.

  ‘Maybe he did the murder, not the manslaughter.’

  ‘You don’t believe him?’ she asked, hurt by his cynicism. ‘Perhaps he’ll take a lie detector test and prove me right. Watch this space.’ Carlos shrugged and his nonchalance sent a ripple of annoyance through her. ‘I still don’t understand why he couldn’t just stay in Brazil and meet Stella there. Then they wouldn’t have to worry about any of this Canziani business.’