"Thank you Rafael," I whispered, claiming my reward for the years I'd spent by the side of the man whose DNA was still alive inside this little boy.
It was close to two in the morning when I finished checking into the hotel. Santiago barely stirred as I took off his sneakers and pants. My own shoes fell to the ground somewhere in the middle of the room. Thoughts of a shower were appealing, but not nearly as much as curling up on the bed. I just noted Tee's phone number in my notebook before it would be smudged beyond legibility on my arm, then sank exhausted into the pillows next to Santi. Behind closed eyelids, I willed Rafael's face to appear, wishing I could take the present with me to tell him about his family's ongoing lineage. But all I managed to do was scramble the reception of my subconscious as Tee inserted himself where I wanted to see my Rafael. No doubt a frown split my forehead over the mixed signal, but I really wasn't aware of it. Nor of anything else the dark, unknown crevices of my mind mulled over this night. It remained thankfully quiet and just let me get much needed rest.
Chapter 14
Even my little sidekick slept longer than one normally expects of children his age, and if it hadn't been for the chamber maid's knock on the door, we probably would have continued snoozing.
"No, no service is needed, thank you." I closed the door again, stretching my limbs in all directions. Most of them were sore, no matter which way I turned them.
"Good morning, Santi. How did you sleep?" I asked Santiago, who watched me curiously as I twisted and turned.
"Good." He slid off the bed and copied my stretches before taking the TV's remote control. "When will my daddy come?" He flicked on the screen, changing channels expertly until pausing on some fast moving cartoons.
"Hopefully soon," I answered, chuckling at this little boy maneuvering the remote as well as most grown men I knew. It had to be something in their genetic make-up, the urge to immediately check what was on TV as soon as they became aware of a remote nearby. "How about we take a shower, get some breakfast and then go to Wal-Mart? The sooner I get a new phone, the sooner I can call your father and let him know where we are."
"Why don't you use the one on the nightstand?"
I stared at the phone sitting squarely in the middle of the little table. "I suppose that would be alrigI stared at the phone sitting squarely in the middle of the little table. "I suppose that would be alright," I muttered, dropping onto the bed and pulling the phone and my notebook onto my lap.
"Hello?"
The sound of Tee's voice managed to discombobulate me instantly. So much of it was Rafael, and yet it managed to come out so wrong when he used it.
I cleared my throat. "Hello Tee, it's me, Mel."
"Where are you?"
"We're at the Melia Hotel in Ponce."
"You went to Ponce?"
I grimaced. "Long story. The gist of it is there's a Wal-Mart here and I can get one of those pay-as-you-go phones. Can you come and get us?" I looked up as Santiago crawled across the bed, stretching his hand toward the receiver. "Your son wants to talk to you." I didn't wait for Tee to answer my question, but passed the phone into the boy's eager hand.
"Hello Papi." His face beamed, and a smile brightened my face as I listened to him talk about watching cartoons and having slept well. He confirmed he'd had his dinner of chicken nuggets and fries, but when he got to the part about the night club and the almost naked lady, I figured I'd better take over the conversation again.
"Mel wants to talk to you," Santiago said, handing me the receiver and returning his attention to the cartoons. I heard his father's admonition to be more respectful and call me Señorita Melissa.
"It's okay if he calls me Mel," I replied, and Tee fell silent. "Sorry," I hurried to say, my cheeks warming, "I don't mean to tell you how to raise your son. I just…I heard what you said and he doesn't have to be so formal with me." After everything we'd been through together, we certainly had passed into informal territory somewhere during last night's escape. As Tee remained silent, I asked, "Now what happens? Will you come and pick us up?" I held my breath that he wouldn't correct me and tell me that he would just come and get Santiago, and I could find my own way home.
"Yes," he said, "but not until tonight. They're watching me and it's easier to lose them in the dark."
"They?" I was trying not to sound panicky. "But it was just Valentín…"
"There's a ring of them," Tee interrupted. "It's not your concern. I just need you to follow my instructions, can you do that?"
I bristled at his question. "I managed to get your son away from them, didn't I? Not to mention getting money and moving as far away as possible from where I got it. So yeah, I think I can follow your instructions."
Tee let out his breath slowly. "Great." The word rolled hard off his tongue. "A woman with an attitude, just what I need."
"I'm the one with the attitude," I hissed into the phone, trying to keep my voice low enough so as not to alarm Santiago. "Me calling you from a hotel in Ponce with your son alive and well should have answered your question on whether or not I am able to follow instructions, don't you think?"
He paused, and I gave him all the time he needed to think.
"You're right," he finally said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you. Things are just a bit more…complicated, that's all. Go to the store and buy the phone as you planned. Do you mind distracting Santi a bit during the day? I'll come to the hotel tonight."
"Sure," I said. "I'll keep him busy. How many are in this ring?"
He let out a laugh that sounded suspiciously like a sigh. "Enough."
"How do you know about them?"
"Thanks for keeping an eye on my son," he replied. "He's the only thing that matters in all of this."
A little twinge pressed against my ribs. I knew from his perspective this was probably true, but it would have been nice to hear that he was concerned about me as well. Maybe that was asking a lot, since I barely managed to convince him that I wasn't working with Valentín and his buddies. "We'll see you tonight then," I said.
The line went dead, but I sat for a stretch longer with the phone perched on my knees. Somehow this call had only raised more questions, not answered any. I really wanted to talk to someone about this, but the only one coming to mind was Elena, and I couldn't even imagine how this latest episode would go over. And yet…
"Santiago." I turned around. "How about you take your shower now? Then you can watch some more cartoons while I get ready."
It took a moment to break his concentration from the TV screen, but I finally got him to march into the bathroom where I got him started with shampoo and warm water. While he splashed around, I hurried to dial Elena's number. Hearing her voice made me want to cry. Somebody on my side. Finally.
"Hey, you hard-working woman," I said, resisting the urge to blurt out everything I'd been through since our last call in two minutes flat without taking a breath. "It's me, Mel. Calling you from Puerto Rico's south side this time."
"Is that a good thing? I've been worried sick about you. I've been calling your phone…"
"Oh that thing?" I interrupted, nonchalantly. "Yeah, funny thing happened in the woods with a low battery. I don't have that phone anymore."
Elena paused, and I cringed. Of course her antennas immediately went up. "That was a two hundred dollar phone," she said, "what do you mean you don't have it anymore? What's going on?"
"Hm." I dragged the word into a hum. "Let's see, how do I explain this? Remember the live-and-in-the-flesh detective you encouraged me to spend more time with?"
"Yes," Elena said, the word teetering between statement and question.
"Well, I did and turns out he's not exactly what you would call a clean cop." I tried keeping my tone light. "Long story short, he kidnapped the son of…one of Rafael's family members…I got the kid back and in the woods I lost my phone."
"I don't want the story short," Elena said. "Give me the long version. What's going on? Where are you? Are you okay? Did you ge
t hurt?"
"Whoa," I replied. "That's a lot of questions, and I actually am in a bit of a hurry."
"Why?"
"I want to get to Wal-Mart when they open to buy a pay-as-you-go-phone. And if I want to get breakfast at the hotel before they stop serving, I have to get moving pretty soon."
"And why exactly are you on the island's south side?"
I took a deep breath. "Since Valentín knows which hotel I'm staying at in San Juan, I figured heading to the opposite side of the island was a good plan."
"And is it?" Elena asked.
"Me-el!" Santiago yelled from the bathroom, and I jumped to my feet.
"Hold one sec," I said to Elena, dropping the receiver onto the bed. I stuck my head into the steam-filled bathroom. "What is it?"
"I got my underwear wet," Santiago said.
Fishing a coat hanger out of the closet, I hung his undies up and got the hair dryer going. It kept him amused, pretending to shoot at fluttering aliens with his heat-emissions ray gun while I continued my talk with Elena.
"Sorry," I said, picking up the receiver again. "Santiago got his underwear wet. He's now blow drying it."
"You have a naked guy in your room?"
I giggled. "Yes, but he's only eight years old. His father is coming to pick us up tonight. He's a jeweler. Like Rafael. It's a family business, really."
Elena sighed. "Another man! At this rate, it appears that my best friend and her adventures are determined to kill me."
"Hey, don't complain. You're the one who sent me on this wild goose chase."
"Ha! Good one," Elena said. "Well, if I'm the one who started it, then I also choose to end it. Tell me where you are, and I'll get you a ticket to come back right now."
I knew she wasn't kidding, yet despite everything, I couldn't leave now. "Alright," I said, "I'll accept the blame. Don't end this. Not now."
"What about Rafael," Elena asked, "your actual reason for being there, remember?"
"Yeah, I remember." I sighed. "He's…here. Everywhere. More than I ever could have imagined. Elena, I need to finish this. I just called because I wanted to let you know that I'm fine and that I might not be able to call you for a few days, depending on where we're at."
"Who's we?" Helen asked.
Santiago popped open the bathroom door, his dried underpants circling triumphantly around the hanger as he waved them above his head.
It made me smile. "Just trust me," I said to Elena. "I'll tell you everything later, okay?"
"Swear to me that you really are alright."
"I swear," I said. "Cross my heart and hope to…"
"Don't finish that sentence!" Elena shouted. "Against my better judgment I will believe you. That you're okay. That somewhere amid all of this talk about crooked cops and small kidnapped children, you're having a really good time getting to know Rafael." She sighed. "I give you two, three days tops without calling me. Then I'll get the police involved."
"Elena!"
"Don't Elena me," my friend chided. "Three days. After all, you said you'll have one of those pay-as-you-go phones. Make sure you'll be in a spot where you get good reception. Promise me that."
"Alright, I promise. Three days at the latest." I put the phone back on the night stand. So much for thinking that I'd have time to really discuss everything with Elena. I didn't want to go into details in front of Santiago. Even though he was already engrossed in the cartoons again, children's ears have the magic ability to pick up precisely what one doesn't want them to hear. I didn't want to scare him by mentioning anything related to his kidnapping, and anything related to Rafael was my personal business. Although the call hadn't brought the satisfaction I thought it would, at least I didn't have to worry about Elena for a few days.
The shower felt wonderful, and I let my body get thoroughly soaked, especially all of the sore parts. By the time we finished breakfast on the hotel's rooftop restaurant, it felt like just another day on vacation, with the added attraction of having a very active eight-year-old boy tagging along. Finding the phone at Wal-Mart proved easier than picking out toys for Santiago. Since I limited it to two, he really wanted to make sure he picked something he would like. We weren't in any kind of hurry, and I allowed myself to thoroughly enjoy the process, watching him pick things up and put them back, return to a few items, pick them up again, spot something new, thinking he had what he wanted, then changing his mind again. He finally settled on a small video game, and I talked him into an old-fashioned Etch-a-Sketch, since I loved mine as a child and got excited enough for both of us doodling on it.
It was late afternoon by the time we returned to the Plaza Degetau. I loved the open square. The cathedral and city hall were gleaming structures in white and barely-there pastel tones, making the striped firehouse stand out boldly in contrast. Santiago of course was drawn to the open entrance with the fire engine, but only until I bought him a piragua the color of the vehicle and he decided that while slurping it, it was more fun to chase pigeons around the Plaza's fountain. The fountain's carved lions inspired him to roar and if that didn't chase the birds away, a good flick of water did the trick. I sat down on a nearby bench, glad that I had enough mothering instinct in me to also buy him a couple of replacement T-shirts and more underwear. It was good to just sit and laugh as the melting snow cone dribbled like blood around the paper cover and straight down Santiago's chin and onto his shirt. He stopped the bird-chasing long enough to chuck the paper into a nearby trash can, and I credited Tee with teaching him well as I didn't need to say anything. We'd picked up a pizza on the way, and as the sun was turning the sky into a canvas of pink and amber hues, it was time to go.
"Hey Santi." I motioned him over. "Let's head back to the hotel to eat the pizza and then get you cleaned up before your dad arrives."
"Coming," he said. "I'm just going to take another look at the fire truck." He trotted over to the entrance of the Parque de Bombas, some red sugary smears still gracing his left cheek. I followed, squatting down in front of him to wipe his face clean. He watched me intently, and for an instant I lost myself in Rafael's eyes. It took all of my willpower to not hug him to my chest and talk to him as though he were Guey and Manuel's son. Yet there was one question that had been on my mind.
"Do you live with just your dad," I asked.
Santiago nodded. "But after school I go to my grandmother's house until my dad comes home from work."
"And your mom?" It wasn't really any of my business, but I felt safer broaching the subject with Santiago than with his father.
"My mom doesn't live on earth anymore," he said. "She died."
I regretted I'd asked. "I'm so sorry," I said, straightening his hair. I shouldn't have given in to my curiosity. "Let's go to the hotel and wait for your dad." I rose to my feet, but as I glanced past Santiago toward our hotel, I noticed two men talking to the bellman by the entrance. One of the two men had a blazer on, but with his hand on his hip opened it up enough to reveal a full holster and police badge suspended from his belt. They were plain-clothes cops, the one with the sparkling badge scanning the street in the opposite direction.
One should never ignore one's gut instinct as it usually is right, and mine told me these were Valentín's buddies looking for us.
"Small change of plans," I said to Santiago, who had already placed his hand into mine. "Let's take our pizza and go eat it up the street."
The cop turned his head and looked toward the square. I ushered my young charge around the firehouse to a bench where I put a newly purchased small backpack with his toys on him, adding the clothes and a few other things to it so I could throw out the shopping bag. The new phone went into my pant pocket.
"But my dad is coming to the hotel," Santi argued.
"Not if we call him and tell him to meet us elsewhere," I said. I peered around the building's red and black stripes again toward the Melia Hotel and noticed that the one who had been watching the street now tapped his partner on the arm while his eyes fixed on me.
"Oh boy," I muttered. Trying to act like any of the sightseers in the Plaza Degetau, I signaled toward the cathedral with the pizza box. "Let's head this way and in a little bit we'll call your dad."
As soon the firehouse blocked us from the view of the two men I picked up the pace, angling to the west end of the cathedral and toward the edge of the square beyond it.
"Santiago, we're going to have to run," I blurted out. "There are some men who are trying to catch us. But we're pretty good at hiding, right?"
My heart ached as the young boy looked up at me, eyes frightened and his little legs hurrying faster at the words I spoke. I forced a smile onto my face. "Your dad said you're a very smart, brave boy," I lied. "Just like the super heroes in the cartoons. He knows they won't catch us. You've seen movies on TV where the bad guys are really close, but they don't catch the good guys, right?"
He nodded in silence.
"Well, we're those good guys," I told him. "Let's get rid of this box so we can move better" – I placed it atop a nearby trash can – "and let's head uphill. I bet we can make it to where that big cross is. Then we can call your dad and get a new pizza together with him, okay?"
"I wish I could jump buildings like Spider Man," Santiago said in a small voice.
I slung my purse mailman-style across my torso. "Let me carry your backpack," I offered. "That way you can move faster." I pulled it off his back-stretched arms and forced it over mine while we kept moving. "We don't need to be Spider Man," I said. "We're clever. We can sneak inbetween the houses so they can't see us from the street. Almost like we're invisible."
I wished we were, but taking a quick look back over my shoulder, I could see the two men rounding the edge of the cathedral. They weren't running yet, still looking around to see if we were hiding somewhere on the Plaza. One of them opened the heavy church door, but the other saw us before we disappeared too far up the street.
"They're not in there," I heard him shout. "Get the car. They're heading up the street."
Santiago also heard them, and his small hand flew back into mine. We had gotten a good head start, but running straight up the road wasn't really an option. There wasn't a single person as far as the eye could see and if we kept running in the center as we were, we might as well have flashing arrows over our heads announcing "victims here." Last night's chased-deer-feeling was back and stronger than ever. I wanted to throw up. It wouldn't be long before the one would be back with the car, but first I had to worry about the other who was quickly racing after us on foot.
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