by P J Skinner
‘What about the day after?’
‘Yes, that will be fine. Where shall I meet them?’
‘Can you wait at the crossroads at San Francisco after lunch? That way you won’t have to come in to town and then go back out again.’
‘I’ll be there.’
‘Thank you. Your loyal service will be well rewarded.’
‘I could never repay you the debt I owe, Don Sanchez.’
‘Be careful. We don’t know what has happened to them. They were looking for fugitives from Nazi Germany.’
‘I’ll take my gun.’
***
Gloria wanted to send Sam into the toilet with the pregnancy testing kit as soon as they got home.
‘But I don’t need to do a pee.’
‘You haven’t done one all day. So, unless you’re a camel, you’re a poor liar. Pee on the stick and let’s get this over with.’
‘But what if it’s positive? I don’t want to know before we set out, in case it makes me afraid.’
‘Afraid of what?’
‘Afraid of losing the baby. Afraid of being a mother. Afraid in general.’
‘So, you’ve decided that you want it?’
‘Yes, no, I don’t know. But I don’t want to find out yet. Let’s do the test when we get back? Please?’
‘Hmm, I’m not certain if that’s a good idea. Wouldn’t you rather be put out of your misery? We should bring it with us and decide on the trip.’
‘I don’t think being sure I'm pregnant is going to make me feel less miserable than I do already. I’ll put the kit in my rucksack, I promise. I might change my mind on the road.’
‘I don’t understand how putting off the result is going to help you make a decision, but if you can’t face doing it now I guess we can wait a while.’
‘Thanks, I don’t feel able to do this right now. It’s the rest of my life in the balance.’
‘Go to the toilet anyway and I’ll make some tea to refill your bladder.’
Gloria went to the kitchen and set the table with cups and saucers and put a kettle on to boil. She was not convinced by Sam’s arguments against doing the test but she could understand the reluctance. Lighting a cigarette, she leant against the counter and waited for the kettle to whistle. The phone rang and she carried an ashtray out to the hall in case it was going to be a long one.
‘Hello. Who’s speaking, please?’
No one spoke. Gloria heard the sound of coins being dropped into a payphone. She waited.
‘Hello? Is that Gloria Sanchez?’
‘Yes, it is. Please speak up, I can’t hear you well.’
‘It’s Ramon.’
‘Ramon? Ramon who?’
‘Ramon Vega, Alfredo’s friend.’
Now it was Gloria’s turn to be silent.
‘Hello? Are you still there, Gloria?’
‘You’re alive? We thought you’d died in the fire. How did you get my number?’
‘Alfredo’s maid gave it to me. I wanted people to think that I’d died in the fire so they would leave me alone, but I’m alive.’
‘Whose were the bodies that the police found in the house? They said that one was found in the maid’s room and the other in your room. I presume the maid was in her bed but who was in yours?
‘I was having an affair with someone who came over to see me that night. We were in bed together and then she sent me to the off-licence to buy some wine. When I got back, the house was a furnace. There was nothing I could do.’
‘Have you told the police?’
‘They are aware of it but they are keeping it quiet because the husband doesn’t want anyone to know how she died. He’s going to pretend she died in a car crash, I think.’
‘Alfredo’s devastated. He thinks you're dead.’
‘Where is he? I gave him an important document that I need to get back. He’s not answering his phone.’
‘Alfredo’s missing. He went into the mountains with an American journalist looking for the Nazis and they’ve disappeared.’
‘That’s awful news and I think it’s going to get worse. We need to publish the document as soon as possible to expose those people before they escape. Do you have any idea where it is?’
‘Yes, I hid it in my father’s house but I didn’t tell him. It’s safe. Where are you?’
‘I’m in Miami. I flew out after the fire as I was afraid they would hunt me down if they realised that I was still alive.’
‘My father can send you the document by courier if you let him have the address. You need to ring him but wait until tomorrow. I’ll ring him myself today and tell him to give it to you.’
‘Okay, what’s his number?’
Gloria dictated the number and then the beeps went. She could hear Ramon swearing as he tried to force more coins into the slot to no avail. The phone was cut off.
She stood in the hall composing herself for a minute and then rang her father.
‘Papi, it’s me.’
‘Hello, darling. I was about to ring you. I’ve news about Segundo.’
‘I have news, too. Who should go first?’
‘Tell me.’
‘I hear from Ramon Vega, Alfredo’s friend. He’s in Miami.’
‘Ramon? Didn’t he die in a fire?’
‘It’s a long story. I’ll tell you another time.’
‘Okay, so what did this fellow want?’
‘He asked me if I knew where a report he had written was hidden. He gave it to Alfredo and he was trying to track it down.’
‘What’s this report about then?’
‘It’s an exposé of the collaboration between Germany and Sierramar during and after the war.’
‘Would this be the document that is hidden in a drawer of your mother’s chest in my bedroom?’
‘I should’ve known you’d find it. It contains incriminating research. There are people who don’t want it published and are prepared to do anything to stop it. Ramon’s house burnt down last week and he left the country because he was worried about his safety.’
‘So why do you have it?’
‘It was given to me by Alfredo after someone tried to burgle his house to steal it. I didn’t think anyone would think to look in your house. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.’
‘This document’s a dangerous piece of paper. Perhaps I should destroy it.’
‘Don’t do that, Papi. Ramon wants to publish it in Miami. He contacted me this evening and asked me if I would send it to him. I told him that you have it and he’s going to ring you tomorrow.’
Hernan Sanchez was in a quandary. If the document was published, Holger Ponce and the rest of the collaborators might find out who kept it safe and that would be the end of his lucrative public contracts. On the other hand, he knew that the truth would not remain hidden much longer anyway, and the right thing to do was publish and be damned. He hedged his bets.
‘Off course, darling. I’ll talk to him and see what can be done.’
‘It’s vital, Papi. If the truth is published there is no reason for anyone to harm Alfredo and his friend for discovering the secret.’
‘I hear you. Now listen to me. Segundo cannot be here until tomorrow evening so I don’t want you to set out until he arrives. Is that clear?’
‘But…’
‘No buts. That’s an order.’
‘Okay.’
‘It’s too dangerous to go without him. I’m serious about this.’
‘Okay, Papi. I promise.’
‘Bye, darling. Ring me before you set out.’
‘I will. Bye.’
Gloria was not happy but she knew he was right. One day shouldn’t make any difference but who knew what was going on? She went back into the kitchen where Sam cradled a cup of tea.
‘So?’ she asked, ‘who was that?’
CHAPTER XVII
Simon was in a complete panic. Talk about bad timing. How could he h
ave been so stupid? He had dug himself a couple of holes in his life but this time he had tunnelled to the centre of the earth. And the worst thing was that he had done it because Hannah reminded him of Sam and he was feeling abandoned. In the end, he didn’t even tell her about Sam and the possible pregnancy. He doubted that she even remembered what happened. She was so drunk, well, they both were. She was so similar to Sam and at the same time so different, it was like being in a parallel universe until he woke up the next morning and realised what he had done.
He snuck out of Hannah’s flat without waking her and he hadn’t been brave enough to contact her since. She was going to be shell shocked, too. Why didn’t Hannah know about Sam’s pregnancy? He was so dumbstruck when Sam told him that he couldn’t remember what he had said. It couldn’t have been good because he was left holding the phone with a dialling tone ringing in his ear. What a bloody mess.
He blamed Sam for going away and leaving him alone. She knew that he could resist everything except temptation. The worse thing was that having found himself in bed with Hannah only made him long for Sam. He wanted to live with her and keep her close to stop him from roaming. Now he had done something unforgivable.
He moaned and paced the room, gesticulating and talking to himself. Could he convince Hannah not to tell? Surely, she would agree rather than hurt her sister? She would be feeling worse than him. No matter how awkward it was, he would have to talk to Hannah and get her to agree to a vow of silence. Sam need never find out. He would deal with the baby thing if it became a reality. Should they move in together and work from there? He found his address book and looked up Hannah’s number.
***
Simon was not the only one in a panic. Hannah woke up alone, tangled up in bedlinen smelling of sex and wine. Her head was throbbing in a way that suggested it might explode. The nasty pain behind her eyes made her screw them up, stopping all but the tiniest glint of light from entering. This did not prevent her from noticing that there were stains on the bottom sheet that belonged to both types of liquid. It wasn’t a dream? She couldn’t have slept with him. But the evidence spoke for itself.
No one must ever find out. She could only imagine what her parents would think. And Sam? She blamed Sam for going away again. None of this would have happened if she had not gone prancing off to Sierramar leaving Simon home alone. She bundled the sheets up and stuffed them into the washing machine with her underwear and some random tea towels. Switching on the hottest wash, she went into the bathroom and immersed herself in the shower, trying to scrub herself free of fault with a loofah.
***
‘I don’t understand what the point of this is.’
Hannah stirred her coffee, avoiding Simon’s pleading look and staring past him out of the window at the plastic bags being blown around the bus stop.
‘We need to talk. You know we do.’
‘And what is there to say, Simon? You took advantage of me when I was drunk and now you want me to forget it ever happened. Or did I get that wrong?’
Simon spluttered. ‘How can you say that? You took advantage of me and not the other way around. I was vulnerable and you went for the jugular. You’re no angel, either.’
He put his head in his hands and ran his fingers through the tufts of hair above his ears. His shoulders slumped.
‘Okay, don’t panic, we’re both guilty. I was vulnerable after my breakup and you felt deserted by Indiana Jane. It was only sex.’
‘Just sex, huh? How come I can’t get it out of my head?’
‘Perhaps you enjoyed it?’ Hannah looked him straight in the face. ‘Or you like me? Has that ever occurred to you? It wouldn’t be the first time a man fancied more than one member of a family.’
‘Of course, I like you. You're funny and beautiful, but I love your sister.’
‘You can’t love her. You slept with me and you were quite passionate.’
Simon knew this was true. But he was thinking about Sam at the time and the two bodies mingled in his mind and drove him crazy with desire. He wasn’t clear who he was with in the end but he couldn’t admit that. He did fancy Hannah and he was certain it was mutual which was why he tended to avoid her. Why had he gone to her house? That was the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question. He must have realised that this scenario was a possibility, for him anyway. He had told himself that he was going there to bask in the family resemblance and flirt a bit. He hadn’t banked on her being drunk and lonely and open to suggestion. And she smelt great and he was dying to touch her again and make her moan. He leant forward and breathed in her smell as she bent to put her cup on the table. They stopped with their faces almost touching, hardly daring to breathe. She went pink with desire. He put his hand behind her head and pulled her in for a kiss.
***
The phone rang when Hernan Sanchez was walking by on his way to the bathroom. Tutting at the bad timing, he picked it up.
‘Yes?’
‘Good morning, Senor Sanchez.’
‘Good morning. Who is this? I’m in a hurry.’
‘It’s Ramon Vega, sir. I told your daughter that I’d contact you today.’
‘Oh, yes, how can I help you?’
‘I understand you have my report in your possession. I’d be most obliged if you could send it to me.’
‘Where are you? Why can’t you come and collect it?’
‘I am in Miami. I can’t come to Sierramar right now.’
‘The report is inflammatory. The reputation of Sierramar will be at stake if it is read by outsiders.’
‘You have read it? I thought it was hidden.’
‘My daughter cannot hide anything from me. I thought it right to read something that was secreted in my house.’
‘Aren’t you ashamed about the collaboration of our government? You are not blameless, either. This is not the sort of thing that can be kept secret forever. Sooner or later it will get out.’
‘You’ve no right to judge me. I was a young hothead. Things were different then.’
‘I’m sorry. You’re right. I can’t judge how it was then, but I know how things are now, and Alfredo is in danger. We must publish.’
‘I can’t make a decision right now. Tell me where you are and I’ll send it to you if I decide that this is the right thing to do.’
‘But it’s not your decision. It’s my document. You must send it.’
‘Possession is nine tenths of the law, young man. You don’t get to tell me what to do.’
‘I can’t force you to send it. That’s true. But I’m begging you. That report represents two year’s work. It’s my livelihood. If you destroy it, you’re vandalising history.’
‘Tough. I’ve got it and I’ll decide what to do. Where are you?’
‘I’m staying at the Hotel Franklin, on South Beach.’
‘Okay, leave it with me.’
‘Please send it soon. Time is of the essence. Alfredo may not survive if I do not publish as soon as possible.’
‘Goodbye, Mr Vega.’
Hernan Sanchez replaced the telephone and continued on his way to the bathroom.
***
Gloria was not happy. She had been determined to set out for San Blas to find Alfredo but now they had to wait for Segundo. It was only a day but it seemed like a week to her. She stomped around the house trying to find things to do.
‘This is the problem with having a maid,’ she said to Sam, ‘the ironing is done, the floors are shining, the beds are made. There's nothing to do.’
Sam, who thought that having a maid was a luxury, was quite happy doing nothing for a change. She was lying on her bed thinking about Simon and the baby. The pregnancy test lay on the quilt beside her, still in its plastic container. There was no escaping it. She needed to know.
‘I'm going to the corner shop to buy a newspaper and some cigarettes,’ said Gloria, ‘are you coming with me?’
‘No, I think I’ll stay here, thanks.’
/> ‘Okay, I’ll be back in a minute.’
As soon as she heard the front door shut, Sam jumped off the bed and grabbed the pregnancy test. The world began to spin as her low blood pressure made her world black for an instant. She grasped the door handle and waited until the moment passed, then she went into the bathroom and locked the door. The plastic packaging was difficult to take off and Sam swore as the wand flew out of her hand, across the tiles and landed in a pool of liquid under the toilet bowl. She reached under the bowl and picked it up. Would it still work? She imagined Gloria’s fury at her incompetence. Did she do it on purpose? It had seemed like an accident. Shaking off any excess liquid, she balanced the wand on the bath, removed her underwear and sat down on the seat of the toilet. She held the wand between her legs and tried to pee.
It was predictable but her desire to urinate had disappeared and no matter how she pushed, none would emerge. Balancing, she managed to open one of the taps on the bath. She tried to think of water, cool streams and lazy rivers. Suddenly, as if a cork had been released, a strong stream of urine shot out hitting her in the hand and knocking the wand onto the side of the bowl. ‘Bloody hell,’ she said, and reached down to grab the stick before it fell into the water. It was soaked with urine. She shook it dry and put it beside the sink. There was no reason to think it wouldn’t work. The whole point was to soak the stick in pee. She washed her hands and checked the packaging again. Three minutes for results. Even Sam could wait three minutes.
Three interminable minutes. Sam tried to distract herself by plucking her eyebrows but it didn’t take long to realise that she was not brave enough. The hairdresser generally did this for her at such high speed that she didn’t have time to complain. She examined her face in the mirror. Was this the face of mother? She didn’t look old enough to order a drink even though she was almost thirty. Her face was unlined and still had the dew of youth. Her worried green eyes stared back at her.
Time was up. She picked up the wand and examined the little box on it for a blue line that would indicate a seismic shift in her existence. She squinted and the window came into focus. Oh, bugger! There it was, the line of doom. How could a line so faint be a harbinger of such a life changing event? Bad luck seemed to follow her around. Why couldn’t she win the lottery instead? She let out the breath she had been holding and looked in the mirror again. She wasn’t certain how to feel but what on earth was she going to do? The walls of the bathroom started closing in like a blue womb. She felt like curling up in a foetal position and staying there. She was screwed. Where was Gloria? How long did it take to buy a lousy packet of cigarettes?