The Forbidden Promise

by Helena Rose

  Viviana got up and caressed Aurora’s pained face.

  As she closed Aurora’s bedroom door behind herself, Carmen appeared.

  "Ma’am, Don Cristobal has just arrived and would like to talk to Doña Aurora."

  "Tell him I'll be right down and make him comfortable in the living room."

  A few minutes later Doña Viviana joined her guest. Gallantly, Cristobal immediately stood up from the sofa.

  "Good evening Doña Viviana, how are you?" He said kissing her hand.

  Viviana sighed sadly.

  "The pain of losing my husband is still very strong, but I understand that I have to have courage. I'm glad you came to see me. Would you like something to drink, a coffee?"

  "A brandy, thank you." Replied Cristobal.

  Doña Viviana handed him a glass.

  "Thank you," he said, "I'm here to see Aurora, they told me that she’s in town."

  "News travels fast here!" exclaimed Doña Viviana.

  Cristobal gave one of his open and friendly smiles.

  "Forgive me, I didn’t mean to be hasty or seem intrusive."

  "Don’t worry, you certainly didn’t give me this impression. However, Aurora is resting, tomorrow morning we leave for Mexico City. We both need a break from this town."

  "May I ask if Lucas Navarra y Reyes will accompany you?" asked Cristobal, poorly concealing a note of anxiety in his voice.

  Viviana stared at him for a moment, curious.

  "No, just the two of us are going. We’ll be guests of my niece Dolores."

  "I can therefore offer to accompany you? I should be going to Mexico City in a few days’ time to resolve some business but I’ll bring my journey forward if I could have the honor of coming with you."

  Viviana hesitated. It was a golden opportunity to bring Cristobal and Aurora together, but at the same time Aurora could be very upset about it. In addition, she had to take care of Aurora’s honor as she was still a married woman and traveling with another man could give rise to gossip.

  "It’s very kind of you, but we wouldn’t want to cause you any trouble,” she said finally.

  "It’s no trouble at all, it will be a great pleasure for me," responded Cristobal.

  What should I do? Viviana asked herself, the presence of a man could be useful, the journey to Mexico City is very long ...

  "All right." She conceded," if you really wish to, we could make the trip together. It will seem shorter and more enjoyable for us."

  Cristobal smiled happily. He stood up unable to contain the joy that had suddenly pervaded him. This was an opportunity that destiny had given him to win Aurora’s love. He would certainly take advantage as much as possible of being beside her all day.

  He took leave of Doña Viviana who stood up herself to accompany him to the entrance. Cristobal kissed her hand and headed for home.

  Doña Viviana could not help smiling at seeing Cristobal’s exuberance and thinking that he would have made her daughter happy.

  Back in the living room she heard another knock at the door.

  Carmen came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.

  " Leave it Carmen, I’ll go ... today is the day for visits." She said.

  On the threshold was Don José, the inspector whom she had already had the opportunity to meet. Don José, tall, with dark chestnut hair and bright blue eyes, stared at her intently.

  "Good evening, may I come in? I've come to talk with you."

  "Please come in captain." Said Viviana, motioning for him to enter.

  Don José took off his hat and kissed Doña Viviana’s soft and delicate hand. He could not deny to himself that he was very impressed by Doña Viviana’s beauty and dignity . The black dress did not do her justice, but José admired her beautiful bronze hair and warm hazel eyes.

  "Forgive the disturbance, but it’s a matter of some urgency."

  At that moment Aurora came down the stairs and saw the guest who had just arrived.

  "Good evening, Don José."

  "Good evening, Doña Aurora, it’s a real pleasure to meet you here ..."

  Vivian looked at her daughter worried.

  "Dear, why didn’t you stay in your room to rest?"

  "No mother, I prefer to take my mind off it a little." Said Aurora looking down shyly.

  "My daughter is very stricken by her father’s death." Viviana justified, "As indeed I am, this tragedy has shocked us and we won’t rest until the person responsible for such a crime is brought to justice!"

  "I'm very sorry," said Don José, "I understand your pain, but because it is also my desire to capture the person responsible for your husband’s death, I have to ask you some questions and I can’t delay any longer."

  They sat down on the couch and Don José continued.

  "We found this at the crime scene." And he pulled out of his pocket a white handkerchief which he cautiously opened. Inside was the gold cufflink engraved with the initials LNR.

  "Have you seen it before?" he asked, carefully watching the reaction of the two women.

  Aurora gasped at the sight of the cufflink and put her hands to her chest.

  "My God!" She exclaimed. Viviana looked at her worried.

  "What is it Aurora? Do you know whose it is?"

  "Yes, but ... it can’t be." Aurora began to tremble as she stared horrified at the jewel in Don José’s hand.

  "Doña Aurora, trust me ... whose cufflink is this?" Asked Don José.

  Aurora continued to stare at it in disbelief for a few minutes and then without taking her eyes from the handkerchief that contained it said, sighing,

  "It’s Lucas’."

  "Lucas’?" Said Doña Viviana recoiling. "No, it can’t be ... that scoundrel, murderer!"

  " Mother, please, calm down, there must be an explanation!" said Aurora bursting into tears.

  " Doña Aurora," interrupted Don José, "Are you really sure that it’s your husband’s?"

  " Yes," she said looking down.

  " May I ask where your husband was the night of the murder?"

  " The night of the murder," stammered Aurora confused, and in tears, "He was ... he was ... in Tampico ... but believe me Captain, Lucas would be incapable of committing such a crime ... it’s not possible!"

  "Incapable? But please! "Interrupted Doña Viviana, standing up in a fit of anger, "You remember that your father died in that fire! It seems your husband is suspected of causing it! I can’t believe you still want to defend him!"

  "Mother, enough, please!" cried Aurora.

  Doña Viviana averted her darkened look.

  "Don José, you have to believe me, Lucas would be incapable of committing such a crime." said Aurora in a beseeching tone.

  Don José was silent for a few seconds.

  "Don’t worry, we’ll investigate further. But do you know if there was any grudge between your husband and your father?" he asked, looking more at Doña Viviana than Aurora.

  "No, absolutely not! My father admired Lucas!"

  Viviana could not deny Aurora’s declaration and slowly sat back down on the couch.

  "If you'll excuse me, I don’t feel at all well," said Aurora, jumping up and running to her room.

  " Poor girl," said Doña Viviana. "She’s going through a lot at the moment!" And all because of that damned man!

  "Can you confirm that there were no grounds for animosity between your husband and your son in law?" asked Don José "I can understand that your daughter is reticent on this subject, however I need to know the truth. You understand, don’t you?"

  Viviana nodded, sighing.

  "My daughter told the truth, between my husband and Lucas there was no problem."

  Don José looked at her admiringly. Doña Viviana is an incredible woman ... She knows how to keep her self-control intact even in this terrible situation.

  However, he forced himself to focus on the investigation and continued the interrogation.

  "There is also another possibility, Doña Viviana." Don Jos�
� coughed embarrassed "You well know that at the site of the tragedy we found the body of an unknown man with that of your poor husband. Could you possibly think that the intended victim was not your husband, but the mysterious man? Do you know if your son in law had any enemies? Someone whose death might be to his benefit?"

  Viviana could not hold back a shudder. Hector was Lucas’ uncle, there was a relationship between them, but my God! Why kill him? No, there's something I don’t understand ...

  Viviana became agitated. She looked at Don José and she knew immediately that her reaction had put him on his guard. Don José was a formidable investigator, he had understood her, and she could not keep the truth hidden for long. In addition, she owed it to Costantino to do everything to ensure that his murderer was captured and brought to justice, even if it was Lucas.

  Don José watched her carefully, before speaking in a calm and persuasive voice.

  "I’m on your side, ma’am. Please if you know anything about this crime, you absolutely have to tell me. "

  Viviana looked down, finally, after a moment's silence she decided to speak.

  "I ... I think I know who the other victim of the fire is," she whispered at last.

  Don José’s face took on a look of disbelief, but he did not interrupt Viviana’s confidences.

  "The other man was Hector Navarra y Reyes," continued Viviana "Paternal uncle of my son in law."

  Don José could not help stifling a gasp of surprise. The issue was getting more intricate than expected, and everything centered around the powerful Navarra y Reyes family.

  "On the man’s body we found a mysterious medallion depicting a symbol, a bull's head surmounted by a crown. Do you recognize it? "

  Viviana nodded.

  "I think it's the symbol of the Navarra family. You should ask Doña Raquel to confirm this." Viviana voice took a hard tone as she pronounced the name of the woman.

  " Your husband knew Hector Navarra?"

  Viviana hesitated.

  "Yes, he knew him. Hector lived for years abroad and it seems that he only recently returned in secret from Europe. To my knowledge, no one knew of his return, but my husband must have found out and must have gone to the chapel on the beach to see him."

  José saw immediately that Viviana had taken on a reticent attitude. There was definitely something that did not ring true in this story. If Hector had returned in secret how had Costantino and Viviana discovered his return? Why had Hector returned after years of exile?

  "But Don José there is something else I must tell you ... Forgive me if I didn’t come forward before," Viviana hesitated for a moment and gripped her hands in her lap.

  Don José leaned forward, hanging on to her every word.

  " Continue, please!" He encouraged.

  "That night I was at the scene of the crime ... and I saw a figure covered with a hood and a black cloak, running away. I can’t tell you if it was a man or a woman... "

  " May I ask what you were doing at the scene of the crime?"

  Viviana bit her lip in agitation.

  "This I just can’t tell you. "

  "Doña Viviana, you put me in a difficult situation. I repeat, I just want to help you!"

  Without realizing he took her hands between his own. Doña Viviana looked down blushing and he immediately let them go, embarrassed.

  " Forgive me!" He apologized immediately, "I shouldn’t have ... "

  "It’s nothing." She said, staring into his eyes again, "but please don’t ask me what I was doing at that place..."

  "I believe that you didn’t have anything to do with the murder and I want to help you but you have to tell me the whole truth!"

  Don José’s tone was very reassuring and his blue eyes so clear and sincere, she could not say no to him again.

  "That night Don Hector had arranged to meet me in that place ... But I didn’t get there in time to see him, the chapel was already on fire when I arrived. Then I saw the hooded figure running away."

  "So ... it was you that gave the alarm?"

  Viviana nodded.

  "Don Hector and I knew each other when we were young and as soon as he came back to Mexico he sent me a note asking me to meet him at La Virgen del Mar chapel that evening. My husband must have read the note and he got there before me... " Said Viviana as she burst into tears.

  "Please Don José, don’t misjudge me. Don Hector and I had to talk about things that happened years ago... You understand, I can never testify in a trial what I have just said to you. I risk seeing my integrity compromised for having met with a man, alone, at night ..."

  "I understand," said Don José, "though, believe me, no one could ever doubt your integrity!"

  "Please don’t say anything to my daughter either... you see she doesn’t know ... "

  " You’ve nothing to fear from me, ma'am, I'll keep everything in absolute secrecy."

  Viviana thanked him heartily.

  "For my part I’ll try to give you all the help possible." She stated decisively.

  " So according to you, the intended victim might be Hector and not your husband. And Don Lucas might have some grudge towards his uncle ..." said Don José.

  "His family has marginalized him, I think you also know the story. His father disowned him ..."

  Don José had a lot to think about.

  "Well, I’ll not disturb you further," he said, standing up and heading for the door.

  "Tomorrow Aurora and I leave for Mexico City, we’ll be guests of my niece. I’ll send you my address in case you need to ask us any more questions."

  " Thank you, Doña Viviana."

  " Lucas is in Zacatecas but I have reason to believe that in a few days at the latest he will be back in Tampico, if you should be interested," added Viviana.

  Don José kissed Doña Viviana’s hand and took his leave with his eyes fixed on her, saying,

  "Thank you and see you soon then!"

  Doña Viviana blushed, slightly disturbed by Don José’s sweet and deep look.

  As he left Don José reflected on everything. He was very puzzled. The story that was emerging had something strange about it as if there was a concealed controller deliberately pulling the strings. All the clues seem to lead to Lucas but he was somewhat doubtful. He decided to make one last visit before the day ended.

  He passed by the barracks and asked his men to telegraph the Veracruz shipping company and check all the passengers from Europe that had arrived in Mexico in recent weeks. He then departed Tampico and went to the Navarra hacienda.

  As soon as he reached the front door he rang the bell and a maid came to the door.

  "Good evening, I want to talk with Doña Raquel. I’m the captain of the police, José Pereira."

  "Just a moment please," said the maid that returned a few minutes later. "Please, follow me."

  Don José walked down the long corridor decorated with precious tapestries and paintings and entered the living room where he found Don Federico sitting comfortably on a couch intent on rotating a glass of cognac in his hands and Doña Raquel, standing next to an armchair with her usual austere air.

  "Please sit down," said Doña Raquel. "This is my son who has just returned from his honeymoon."

  Don José greeted Federico then bent down to kiss Doña Raquel’s hand. Federico nodded his head in acknowledgement.

  "Forgive the inopportune time but it’s extremely urgent that I talk to you about the death of Don Costantino." said Don José.

  Doña Raquel clasped the back of the armchair with her hands and without revealing the slightest emotion, said,

  "A terrible tragedy. How can I help you?"

  "We found next to the unidentified victim who was with Don Costantino, this ..." said Don José as he very carefully pulled from the bag that he carried with him, the gold medallion engraved with a bull's head surmounted by a crown that had been partially blackened by the flames.

  Doña Raquel gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth,

  "No, it can’t be
! "

  Federico, who until then had looked bored, on seeing the medallion his eyes widened and he leaned forward. Then he turned to his mother, as if waiting for instructions on what to do.

  "You see Don José," Doña Raquel continued, "only two copies of that medallion were made, one for my late husband and one for his brother Hector. "

  "Are you sure that this is the same medallion? "

  "It is engraved with the bull, symbol of the House of Navarra, the one that belonged to Eduardo is now in Federico’s possession." Explained Raquel.

  Don José turned to Federico who took from around his neck, a chain with a medallion on it and handed it to Don José. He examined them next to each other and declared, "They are the same! "

  "Therefore, this means that this is Hector’s medallion..." Doña Raquel could not finish the sentence and burst into tears covering her face with both hands.

  "The unidentified corpse is my uncle Hector, isn’t it captain?" asked Federico.

  "I'm afraid so, yes ... There is one other thing that I wanted to show you ma’am, but perhaps it is better that I come back tomorrow, perhaps I’ve upset you a little too much for today."

  " No, please, go ahead," said Doña Raquel in a broken voice, wiping away her tears, "I want to know the whole truth."

  "On the scene we found this cufflink. Have you ever seen it before?"

  "Oh my God ..." Doña Raquel again covered her eyes with her hands in a performance worthy of a lead theater actress. "That cufflink belongs to my stepson Lucas ... Does this mean that he had something to do with the crime?"

  " We still can’t say because there doesn’t seem to be a motive." Said Don José, passing his gaze from Doña Raquel to Federico.

  "Actually ... even if it breaks my heart to admit it." Doña Raquel said between sobs, "There may be a motive. God forgive me, I'm about to tell you something that will harm my stepson but I can no longer remain silent."

  Raquel paused a moment to wipe away the tears that fell copiously down her pale cheeks.

  "My brother in law must have returned from Mexico a while ago," continued Raquel. "and Lucas probably feared that Hector’s arrival would provoke a scandal ... "

  "What scandal are you speaking about?" Urged Don José while Federico settled back comfortably in the sofa, sipping his cognac and barely able to control smiling.