I hope that you will one day be able to forgive my silence. I, too, have been a victim of Stefano’s evil ways. Last week, I discovered that he has kept a mistress for the past decade. Along with the urgency of my conscience, his infidelity was the impetus for this confessional. I fully expect the authorities to come knocking at our door and, though I do not seek vengeance, the scorned woman in me can’t help but anticipate the look of horror on your uncle’s face when he realizes the masquerade is finally over.
With deep remorse,
Helena
Tears streamed liberally down Gio’s contorted face as he set the letter down on the table. Wrenching sobs such as he had not known since 1966 formed in his chest, and he let them out in a torrent of release. To his astonishment, he felt no anger after reading Helena’s letter. The feelings that permeated him were relief, understanding, and pity. Now that he finally had the truth in his possession, in the form of a hand-written confessional, he was no longer a powerless victim of deception. He had it in his power to dash to the police right now with the letter in hand and start the process of indicting Cooper. Yet, Gio was not compelled to do anything but go to Sabrina and share with her the truth that she had helped to uncover. Roughly wiping his tears away with a paper towel, Gio darted out of his apartment to find her.
Parking crookedly in front of her house, Gio jerked himself out of the truck and rang the doorbell. Sabrina came to the door immediately, for once not surprised to see him. “I’ve gotten used to your unannounced visits, Mr. Salvatore.” She teased. Then, registering the redness of his face, she became concerned. “Gio, have you been crying?” She asked incredulously.
Without answering, he pushed his way through the door and yanked the letter from his pocket. “Read this.” Gio instructed, as she seized the letter from him and read it silently.
When she had finished, she took him wordlessly into her arms and held onto him with as much strength as she had in her delicate body. He eased into her embrace, feeling the warning sting of tears again on his eyelids and drawing strength from her to prevent him from dissolving in sobs.
“I finally have the truth, Sabrina. I finally have the truth.” He raved, grasping her even more tightly. Then, he pulled back so he could look her in the eyes.
“I’m so happy you have the truth.” She said simply, not wanting to bombard him with questions about what he intended to do with Helena’s confession.
“Believe it or not, I’m happy too. I never knew how I would react to witnessing the end of this deception. I thought that I would be angrier, but all I feel is pity. Most of that pity is directed at my aunt, who I learned yesterday is a widow. She called yesterday and said that Stefano had a heart attack and died before she could even call an ambulance. I guess she told him about the letter, and it was more than his heart could handle. I hope he felt remorse in those last moments.”
Gio paused as Sabrina cast her eyes downward, saddened by the news. Though Stefano had been a villain, she still had compassion and felt that his ending was tragic. Not wanting to discuss his uncle further, Gio resumed more firmly. “Still, justice has not been served. Justice is now able to be served because of Helena’s letter. But Cooper is out of the country, running like a headless chicken. Somehow I hold him more accountable than my uncle.”
Sabrina was astonished. “Why? Stefano was the one who set off the explosive, and he was also the one who concocted the horrible plan.”
“Stefano was just a pathetic excuse for a man. He never did any worthy deed in his life, and he didn’t hold down an honorable job. I should have known Stefano’s downfall would be greed. My father was always telling me how he would hoodwink his shoe customers into thinking they were getting wholesale price, when in fact they were paying twice as much. Stefano used to brag about the way he would deceive those customers. But now look what has happened. Now he’s the dupe who has been betrayed by his own wife and it caused his heart to fail him. The one who is the worse criminal is Cooper. He had a responsible job that society depended upon. He was in my line of work and allowed himself to be led astray by the temptation of wealth. As public servants, we’re called to operate under the highest level of integrity. So he did evil against an entire community as well as his own profession.” Gio spoke passionately, trying to buffer the now rising anger inside of him by projecting it out in the open.
“Do you want to go after Cooper?” Sabrina asked pointedly.
“Strangely, no. He may think that he’s untouchable in Mexico, but this will follow him for the rest of his life no matter where he goes. It’s not for me to judge or try to punish. Maybe the truth is all the justice I needed for my parents. But if he were still cowering in Vermont, I might feel differently.”
“But you harbored so much animosity towards him! You nearly decked him at the gallery, and that was before you even knew for certain that he was involved in the crime.” Sabrina reminded him.
“That’s all correct. But now I have accountability. Before Helena came forward, I felt like I was chasing ghosts. Today, I can finally put names and faces to those who caused the arson. There’s no point making myself sick trying to figure out where Cooper is.” Gio explained even-toned, and Sabrina was still shocked by the complete lack of resentment in his speech.
“I respect your opinion on this. If you truly feel that you can move forward without pursuing legal justice, then I understand.”
“I do feel that I can move forward, Sabrina. Stefano has perished, and Helena has expressed profound remorse. No drawn out legal procedure or courtroom fiasco can bring back my family. My parents would have told me that it’s all in God’s hands.” Gio said conclusively, and Sabrina knew that it was a closed subject. If Gio could live with Cooper as a fugitive, then so must she. “Let’s talk about something else. How has work been?”
“Work has been good. This morning, I drove south and took pictures of some turn-of-the-century red barns. It’s for an article we’re working on about rural America. I started taking pictures for the issue when I was in Maine.” Sabrina said, and Gio noted how her face lit up.
“You love your work so much.” He mused. Then, off-handedly, he remarked, “Seems like they’ve been keeping your assignments local. Have they asked you to go anywhere more exotic than a red barn?” He smirked as Sabrina’s expression became inexplicably grave.
“Sure they have, but I’m not interested in international travel right now.” Sabrina replied, hoping that he wouldn’t press the issue. She had never told him about Martinique, and now that they were back together, she did not want to sabotage their budding relationship by spending eight weeks on a Caribbean island.
“Has your boss offered you an international assignment?” Gio asked plainly.
“Oh, maybe. Why don’t we stop talking about work? You can come into the kitchen and I’ll fix you something to eat.” Sabrina evaded.
“Sabrina, why aren’t you answering my question? Tell me if you’ve been offered an international assignment. I think I have the right to know if you’re going somewhere.” Gio was becoming aggravated.
“But that’s just it, I’m not going anywhere.” Sabrina saw that he was looking at her impatiently, knowing she had more to tell. “Alright, my boss did offer me an eight week assignment in the Caribbean, but I’m not going to take it.” She sighed heavily.
“When does this eight week assignment start?”
“It would be starting next week, but I’m not going, so there’s no point discussing it.” Sabrina insisted, getting up from the couch and entering the kitchen.
She opened the refrigerator and searched for ingredients to prepare a meal for Gio. To her dismay, he appeared behind her, put his hands on her shoulders and told her, “I’m not hungry right now. But I do want to hear about this assignment. Don’t try to change the subject because I won’t back off until you’ve told me everything.”
Sabrina sighed heavily and explained. “Earlier in the spring, Darlene offered me two assignments. The first one was
in New York City. As you’ll remember, that was just for ten days and it overlapped with Stefano’s party. The second opportunity was to be for the whole summer in Martinique. At the time, we hadn’t been seeing each other for very long, so I didn’t feel obligated to tell you. I wasn’t even sure if I would actually take the assignment. But now I’ve made my final decision not to go.”
Gio’s face became very sullen as he asked quietly, “Do you want to go?”
“I did want to go when she first told me about it. It was the most exciting professional opportunity I’d ever been offered.” Sabrina stopped, observing the increasing graveness of Gio’s expression. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she said, “But I don’t want to be apart from you for that long. I won’t let my career take precedence over this relationship.”
“But you can’t stay here just for me! I see the way your face glows whenever you talk about your job. It’s more than just a job for you. I can understand that because I see my job as a duty and privilege, not a way to pay the bills. Sabrina, I won’t let you stay just for me.” He resolved, physically pushing her away from him.
“Why are you trying to get rid of me?” She cried. “I thought that we had finally come to a point where we both admit that we want to be together.” She stood there, hands on hips, waiting for his explanation. In her eyes, this was just a convenient way to escape commitment once again.
“This is not about wanting to be together. You would be coming back in eight weeks. I could wait for you.”
“You could wait for me or you would? Those are two very different statements, Gio.” Sabrina spat accusingly.
“Don’t overanalyze my words, Sabrina. If you don’t trust that I would wait for you until you got back, then this relationship is paper thin.” He glowered darkly at her, insulted by her doubting him.
“Now you’re twisting my words around! I never said I didn’t trust you!”
Sabrina was on the brink of tears, more from frustration than sadness, but she refused to shed them in front of him. If he wanted her to go to Martinique, then she would go. The truth was that she had never stopped desiring to take the trip, but hadn’t wanted to go if it meant jeopardizing her relationship with Gio. Now, after being literally pushed away from him, she felt a resurgence of her independent spirit.
In a mounting wave, the dream that had invaded her sleep in Paris came crashing over her. Dizzily, she remembered the ballroom setting of the dream. Flashbulb images of the unidentified man holding her at arm’s length on the dance floor infiltrated her mind. It was as though the dream had been a foreshadowing to this whole convoluted liaison she had formed with Gio. Without a breath of hesitation, Sabrina said levelly, “I’m going to Martinique. Thank you for helping me to see things more clearly.”
“I think you’ve made a good decision.” Gio offered indifferently.
“Thank you.” Her entire demeanor had turned to stone, and she led him stiff-backed to the front door. Affixing her hand to the doorknob, she said “I think you should leave now.”
He looked at her in angry disbelief. “Are you saying good-bye to me?”
“What are my other options?” She asked sourly, as he glared more venomously at her.
“I thought I had given you another option, but since you don’t trust me, you’re right. Good-bye. Have fun on your little island. Maybe another ship will sail in and dock on your shore.”
With those last clipping words, he bolted out of her house and slammed the front door with obnoxious force. Instead of crumpling into a ball and weeping on the sofa, as she was inclined to do, Sabrina marched over to her hall closet and yanked out a suitcase. Her trip to Martinique was one week away, and it was not too soon to start packing.
Chapter 17
“I cannot believe you’re doing this, Sabrina. Have you lost your mind?” Cara squealed from behind the steering wheel as she tried in vain to remain calm while weaving through the congested Manhattan avenues.
“Cara, please, I can’t handle your judgmental attitude right now. Just focus on getting me to JFK on time so I won’t miss my flight. We’re not even in Queens yet, and already we’re running late.”
Sabrina brushed aside her sister’s concerns with a running stream of words. In the week that had elapsed since her clash with Gio, neither one had made an effort to contact the other. Sabrina had half-expected Gio to surprise her at her doorstep, as he had done so many times before. But her doorbell had remained heartbreakingly mute, and this time there were no flowers or maple candies or any other romantic presents from the man she still loved.
The lack of contact was made even more devastating by the fact that her twenty eighth birthday had come and gone. If Gio had remembered that her birthday was in early July, he certainly did not let on. Declining an invitation from Cara, Sabrina had spent her birthday in solitude at her house. She had been too depressed to prepare a special meal or go to the bakery for a cake, so she just spent the night reading a travel guide on the Caribbean. But her concentration had been compromised, as she found herself lapsing into haunting memories of Gio.
As though reading her thoughts, Cara said, “You know that you love Gio, and he loves you. Max and I can’t figure out why you two can’t realize that yourselves, you dopes!”
“We’re not dopes, Cara. It’s not as black and white as you would believe. I have tried too many times with that man, and he has proven himself time and again to be incapable of commitment. I should have seen the warning signs from the very beginning. I probably did see, but chose to ignore the signs. I wanted him so much, and I let myself fall in love, knowing full well the cruel consequences. But am I going to stay in Vermont and sulk? No. I’m going to Martinique to enhance my career and begin anew. Why can’t you just be happy for me?”
Cara looked sadly at her sister. “I would be happy for you, Sabrina, if I believed that you truly were happy. But I see a woman who is deluding herself. You can have your dazzling career and Gio. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Look at Max and me. We’ve come so far together in such a short time. He respects my education and goals. In turn, I respect the fact that he needs to travel for his job. It hasn’t put a strain on our relationship at all, and it doesn’t have to hang a dark cloud over yours either.”
“Enough, Cara!” Sabrina spat, her temper flaring. “You cannot compare your relationship with Max to what I had with Gio. They are very different men. The fact remains that I can’t have both Gio and my career because he won’t let me! In truth, I can’t have Gio, period. Even if I were unemployed, he’d still be shaking in his shoes afraid to unlatch his heart. Nothing I do or refrain from doing can alter that fact.” Sabrina closed her eyes on a heavy exhalation. “Cara, I’m going to be out of the country for eight weeks. Do you really want to spend the last few minutes before you drop me off at the airport bickering like this?”
Cara relented and said in spite of herself, “No, of course I don’t. I just want my sister to be happy. And if Martinique will make you happy, then let’s get you to that airport so you can hop on that flight.”
Sabrina looked at her gratefully. “Thank you. I appreciate that more than you know.”
From the backseat, Softy stirred in his cat carrier, scraping claws against the barrier and mewling for attention. “Poor baby,” Sabrina coddled. “You don’t like car rides, do you? Oh, I know.” She pet the cat through the bars of the carrier, then turned to Cara and said, “It’s a good thing you’re taking him to Mom and Dad’s. Softy would have withered away from loneliness otherwise. Plus, I didn’t want to have Mrs. Benjamin snooping around my house for the whole summer.”
“You’re welcome. Let’s just hope I’m not allergic because my nose has felt a little ticklish since that fur ball got into the car.” Cara snipped as Sabrina laughed.
The sisters rode on in silence with Cara honking at some reckless cabs while trying not to drive maniacally herself. Sabrina watched the sidewalks whiz by, feeling a nervous tremor in her belly as she thought abou
t being away from home for so long. She had never been out of the country for more than two weeks, and here she was going away for two months to an island she knew little about. From an artistic perspective, she knew that the crystalline waters of the Caribbean Sea were ripe for photographing, but what about the lifestyle? What was the food like? Was it a safe place for an unescorted woman? She would no doubt experience a sharp injection of culture shock upon arrival.
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