Promise Me Forever

by Janelle Taylor

  “Where can we find him, señorita?” the first man asked, drawing her attention back to him. “Señor McCandless asked us to meet him here today. You have no reason to fear us. We are amigos. Friends,” he clarified for her.

  She realized her apprehensions were apparent. She tried to calm herself and clear her head to meet this challenge, as fear was not a weakness to expose to enemies who would pick at that raw spot.

  “You hesitate and seem afraid, señorita. Why?”

  “Phillip McCandless is dead. Didn’t anyone in town tell you that when you asked for directions to his home?” She noted a mixture of shock and dismay at her disclosure. She couldn’t help but release a sigh of relief that the client’s cohorts hadn’t known that fact, which meant they couldn’t have committed that evil deed. At least that much of this situation was good.

  “We did not need directions to his plantación, señorita. When did this happen? How? Who runs his … affairs?”

  Rachel was alarmed again. “You’ve been here before? When?”

  “Seven semanas… weeks ago. Who are you, señorita?”

  She didn’t know if she should believe him. “Phillip died seven weeks ago on Friday, March twenty-sixth. When did you see him?”

  “We visited him on Tuesday of that week.” As he repeated his earlier questions, his genial expression and tone vanished.

  Rachel decided to play ignorant for a while to glean clues. “He died of cholera. I’m Mrs. McCandless, his widow. How can I help you? What did you want with my husband?”

  “Our order, Señora McCandless.”

  She feigned confusion, but felt he had known from the start who she was. “I beg your pardon?” she said evocatively.

  “Are you his heredera, his heir?”

  She faked greater bewilderment. “Yes, of course. Why?”

  “You own his three companies?”

  “I inherited half of each one; Phillip had partners in all of them. Why are you asking me such private questions? Why should I answer you?”

  “Do you handle Señor McCandless’s shares?”

  She stared at him, for effect. “Yes,” she finally said. “But I shan’t tell you more, sir, until you explain what this is about. Who are you?”

  “Carlos Torres. This is mi amigo, Joaquin Chavous.”

  Rachel eyed the handsome man, then the churlish one to his right. “I don’t recall your names in my husband’s books or from his lips. I know nothing of your past visit to our home, which I find strange.”

  “Señora McCandless was in town that day. He would not speak of us or our visit; our business was secreto.”

  “Is this a personal or business matter?”

  “This is very serious!” the second man snapped at her. “We are no fools!”

  Rachel jumped, her eyes wide. She stared at him, but realized his voice discarded him as that suspect with an itchy blade.

  “Relax, amigo,” Carlos advised his foul-tempered friend. “Forgive Joaquin’s mood at your bad news, but our business is important.”

  “I don’t like his rudeness, Mr. Torres, as I know of no reason for it. If you’ll explain what kind of business you had with Phillip, perhaps I can help you; or perhaps I can send you to the right person. But if Mr. Chavous persists in behaving so badly, you must leave my home immediately.” Rachel knew she couldn’t play totally dumb, as too much money was involved for the matter to be dropped, especially by Joaquin Chavous. It was best to fake enlightenment when he clarified and to work on resolving the matter.

  “We paid Señor McCandless a lot of money for rifles and bullets. He was to deliver them to us mañana for shipment. Can you help us?”

  Rachel allowed her expression and response to reveal she might have known about that. “Was it a very large and confidential order? A secret one for ten thousand rifles, many cases of cartridges, and other goods?”

  “Sí, Señora McCandless. You do know of our bargain?”

  “A little, and it isn’t good news, I’m afraid.”

  “What do you mean?” Carlos asked, narrowing his dark gaze.

  “Since Phillip died, I’ve been trying to piece together this puzzle he left behind, but the clues have been confusing and scant. From what I’ve learned from his partners and from things my husband mumbled on his deathbed, after you gave Phillip the fivehundred-thousand-dollar advance on your contract, he hid it for safekeeping. At least his partners tell me they never received the money. You see, Phillip kept the deal a secret from all of us. I don’t know if that was by your order, but it left us in ignorance. We don’t even know who the client is, where the shipment is to go, or what your terms included.” Rachel saw how the man was staring at her oddly, and she tensed in panic. Yet he didn’t interrupt.

  “While Phillip was dying, he mumbled something about money and guns, but he was too delirious to make sense. That’s the first I knew about your secret deal, which wasn’t much. I went to see his partners— here, in Augusta, and in Athens—but they claim they don’t know more than that, either. All they know is how much ammunition and dynamite and how many guns you ordered, and that they were to be ready for shipment tomorrow, with the destination recorded as Haiti. Phillip wrote down two sets of initials in his shipping ledger: C. T. and J. C.; so that must be you two. His partners said he accepted the five-hundred-thousand-dollar advance, but he never gave it to them. I’ve searched everywhere, but I can’t find where he hid the money. Is it true? Did you give him a big advance?”

  “You lie!” Joaquin shouted at her, his features and tone harsh.

  Rachel glared at the belligerent man. “I don’t know whose idea it was to keep your bargain a secret, but Phillip died without exposing it to me or to his partners. I have no reason to suspect them of deceiving me. In fact, they’re all very upset about this predicament and about losing such a big order. I’ve tried to unravel this mystery, but how could I with so few clues? I was waiting until the client realized his shipment was late and came to me to resolve matters. I didn’t know you were coming to get it. We are talking about the same contract, aren’t we?”

  “It is the same. But a… predicamento?” Carlos echoed skeptically, after his hand grasping Joaquin’s arm firmly stayed the man’s hot retort.

  Rachel looked at him as if he must not understand that English word. “Of course, for all of us. You want arms and we need profits. Our companies can’t fill your order without payment, and the advance can’t be found.”

  “Advance?” Carlos echoed. His gaze locked onto hers in a piercing manner.

  “You did pay him an advance, didn’t you? Phillip hinted at receiving and hiding one while he was delirious; and his partners told me he had accepted one, but he never turned the money over to them. I told you, I searched for it many times and I can’t find it.”

  “No, Señora Rachel, we paid him no avance.” He paused when she gave a loud sigh and smile of relief. He destroyed that happy reaction when he corrected, “We paid him todo, everything, un millόn de dólares.”

  “Please tell me that doesn’t mean one million dollars,” she urged.

  “One million American dólares. We demand our arms immediately.”

  Rachel paled and trembled. “One million… Phillip had a million dollars of your money, not five hundred thousand?” Dread washed over her.

  “Sí, Señora Rachel. We paid, so you owe us our guns and bullets. It would be dangerous to keep our dinero, our money, and refuse to deliver our arms.”

  Rachel absorbed three points: he was using her first name now without having been told it, he was threatening her with a surly look and tone, and he never mentioned wanting the money returned. “I don’t have your money, sir,” she said, “and Phillip’s partners won’t comply without payment. I’m sorry my husband kept this deal a secret and hid your money, but that isn’t my fault, nor that of his partners. Actually, I only have your explanation of the bargain, so I have no way of knowing if you’re telling the truth. All of us were kept in the dark, so we’re at a di
sadvantage. It’s unfortunate that your payment is missing, but you can’t expect us to hand over goods we don’t have the resources to pay for. The orders are being made with hopes this deal can be saved with new terms. In fact, the ammunition should arrive soon. But the rifles won’t be sent until Harrison Clements gets paid.”

  Carlos’s voice and eyes were hostile as he said, “He has been paid.”

  “You mean, you gave the money to Phillip and him? But he told me—”

  “We paid Señor McCandless; they are partners. Señor Clements is in our deal; he gave his word. It would be unwise for him to betray our trust. You must convince him to… comply.”

  “I’ve attempted to work it out several times. I tried to get them to agree to lowering our profit if you would accept less arms and cartridges than you ordered. To save this deal, we all have to be understanding and we have to cooperate. So far, he refuses to yield even a little.”

  “That is your problema.”

  “Why is it mine? I didn’t know about this deal until recently, and then only by chance. If Phillip had died sooner, I wouldn’t know anything.”

  “You are the trusted wife and heir of Señor McCandless. We know of the rumors about you, señora. Do not try to dupe us and steal our money. That would be foolish and deadly; your bite has less power than ours. The same is true for your partners. All of you are in this bargain. All of you are responsible, and must honor it. If you wish to live, Señora Raquel, to protect your family and holdings, do not betray us. Warn your partners of the recklessness of their decision. I will give you and them una semana, one week, until next Friday, to have our cargo loaded for shipment home. It better be good news I hear when next we meet, or all of you will suffer for your treachery, and so will those you love.”

  Rachel was terrified of his warnings, but she asked, “Why are you threatening me? Is this what you did when my husband backed out of your deal in February? Harry told me Phillip was going to cancel the contract, but changed his mind the day before he became ill and died. Did you commit those vicious crimes to scare him into changing his mind again?” Rachel listed the lethal and destructive incidents before she challenged, “Do you need arms so much you’d do such wicked things to get them? Is that why Phillip backed out, because he realized what kind of men you are?”

  Carlos stared at her oddly, then said, “We did not know such things. When we came three times, it was to make our deal, to pay our advance, and to deliver the balance. We came, we did so, and we left. No one here was threatened or harmed by us.”

  She had an instinct Carlos was telling the truth. “If you didn’t try to frighten and coerce Phillip, then who did?” Harry? she mused.

  “I do not have answers for what I do not know.”

  With boldness and courage she had to force out, she asked, “Can you prove to me you paid Phillip? Do you have a signed contract or a receipt?”

  “You have my word. It is true; you must accept it.”

  “I’m to accept your word, but you don’t have to believe mine?”

  “Si, because you do not have much money at stake.”

  “You, not someone else, brought the money and made the deal?”

  “Sí. We made no contract for the Spanish spies to find. We trusted your husband. He dared not trick us. The same is true for you.”

  Rachel tested his wickedness. “What if I go to the authorities and report this misunderstanding and your threats? What if you’re arrested?”

  Unaffected by her words, he said, “We have muchos amigos, Señora Raquel; that would be estupido and costly to you and the others. Even if we are murdered, others will take our places. They will not believe you, either.”

  “But I’m telling the truth!”

  “Are you, Señora Raquel? It is mucho dinero and the temptation to keep it is great. Resist, or you will not live to spend it.”

  “That’s what his partners think, too; that’s why they’re refusing to help me resolve your deal. I swear to you, as I’ve sworn to them, I don’t have it and can’t find it. If you wish, search for it yourselves.”

  “No importa, the bargain stands and must be honored, or—”

  He didn’t have to finish or translate for her to grasp his meaning. Still, she tried to bluff him. “What if I disappear so you can’t harm me?”

  “Will all you own and love disappear for protection from us? Will your family and friends, and companies be safe if you betray us? We know many things about you and the others; we learned before we made our deal with your husband. Your mother’s name is Catherine Starger; your casa was White Cloud. You do not care if we slay your stepfather. Your servants are Lula Mae and Burke. Many others live and work your lands. Your husband had no family, but he was an hombre who cared for others. Many men work for your companies. We know about the other partners, too. If you escape with our money, we will not need to hunt you down to punish you; I promise that others will suffer for your treachery. Is this what you wish, for others to pay for your greed?”

  “No, please don’t harm any of them because of what you think about me. I don’t have your money and I don’t know how I can raise it to cover our expenses, but I’ll try.” She related all she knew and all the two partners claimed they knew about the mystery, but it seemed to have no favorable effect on the two Cubans. “To solve it, I have to know more. Maybe that will give us a clue to where the money is hidden; that’s what’s holding up the deal. Who is the buyer, the man who sent you to get arms? May I speak with him to try to reach a solution?”

  “No. The deal stands as agreed, no changes or refusals.”

  “When was this deal made? And for what reason? How was it made? If you want me to solve this riddle, you have to fill in some pieces.”

  “As you wish, Señora Raquel. We met in January and made a bargain. The advance money was paid. The order was to be shipped mañana. In February, Señor McCandless insisted on the balance. We brought it to him seven weeks ago. The rebellion grows worse every month. We need those arms pronto. We are to escort the shipment to a…rendezvous point.”

  “Where? Why did Phillip record Haiti when Cuba is actually the destination?”

  “You do not need that information. It does not change or affect your problema. What you do not know, you cannot reveal to spies if captured and questioned. We are at war. Freedom fighters protect their lives and cause and their amigos. Never trick or betray desperate hombres, Señora Raquel.”

  She did not refute his last statement, but registered it. “How did you choose Phillip? Maybe the man who got you together is holding the money for him. With his name, I can recover it and settle this quickly and safely.”

  “Ricardo does not have it; he is in Santiago de Cuba. Our amigo told us of weapons and ammunition companies here. We learned your husband owned both, and a shipping firm. He was the perfect choice. We talked and made a deal. We honored our part. Whatever it takes, you and the others will honor his. As a father is responsible for the actions of his child, you and the others are responsible for the actions of Señor McCandless.”

  It was futile to argue. “Can you give me a little more time to persuade his partners to agree, and time to get the arms here from the other two towns?” she asked. “I’m not trying to dupe you, but I can’t work this problem out alone, or quickly. We have to figure out where to get the money to pay for supplies and shipping. We aren’t rich people, Mr. Torres, and it’s a lot of money.”

  Carlos studied her muted eyes for a moment, then spoke with his friend in Spanish, but the pugnacious Joaquin seemed to disagree strongly with him. Even so, he told her, “Una semana, one week, Señora Raquel. If you fail or if you go to the authorities, we will be forced to… persuade you and your amigos how unwise and dangerous that is. Comprende?”

  “I understand. I’ll try to do my best to—”

  “Do not try, Señora Raquel, do it. Many lives depend upon you, here and in my country. We have been taught cruelty by our rulers; we will not hesitate to use it to win our fre
edom from oppression.”

  “I’m sorry about your country’s sufferings, Mr. Torres, but I’m not to blame for them. I know what war is like, what it is to lose loved ones; I felt those sacrifices many years ago. I know about the battle you’ve been fighting since ‘68, and, believe it or not, I hope you win. I wish my country didn’t have to remain neutral…May I ask one more question?”

  “Sí,” he replied, and smiled.

  “Is this deal legal? If we find a way to honor our part, can we get into serious trouble with the authorities here for selling to you?”

  “If that is what frightens and stalls you, there is no American law against it. Your husband had a letter of clearance to ship us the arms.”

  “His partner told me he has a letter of clearance for customs, but I have to be certain it isn’t illegal. If it is, you can threaten me all you want and I won’t try to help you get your arms. I have enough troubles of my own without adding another one.”

  “It is legal. But it must be done… privately. Comprende?”

  “Yes. A friend explained your fight for independence to me. He also told me about the ship Spain sank and the American sailors murdered. Can you assure us that won’t happen again? I don’t want to endanger my crew.”

  “It will not; you have my word. Answer me a question, Señora Raquel: What other troubles do you have, and will they interfere with our business?”

  She knew they might hear the gossip in town, so it was best to try to ward off potential damage. “You said you knew of the rumors about me.”

  Carlos nodded, and she continued. “They aren’t true. But the local authorities are investigating and watching me again. They aren’t convinced Phillip died of cholera; they suspect me of killing him. They can’t prove it, because I didn’t. But that’s partly why I couldn’t go around asking questions about Phillip’s mysterious deal and a lot of missing money; something like that would give them a motive they don’t have. Comprende?”

  “Sí, señora, but guilty or not is no importa to us, only the arms.”

  “It matters to me. I didn’t kill him, and I don’t have your money. If he hadn’t died close to bankrupt, I would pay back your money and let his partners finish this deal with you. Right now, I’m in two predicaments, and I want out of both. Phillip left me almost penniless, so I can’t repay you; and I can’t allow that condition to give a false suspicion that I have your money. His desperate need for money must have been why he made a bargain with you. I didn’t know he was facing financial ruin until I tried to straighten out his affairs, and it came as quite a shock. By then, if you care to check out my story, I had already been to see his partners about this mystery and the missing money. I know you’ll kill me and destroy what little I have left if I don’t help you. I would be a fool or crazy to want your money badly enough to steal it. I’m neither insane nor an idiot.”