by Ted Clifton
Not only was Isabella drop dead gorgeous, and her family had money, but she was smart. Their letters became the focal point of Dick’s life. He’d been attracted to her because of her beauty, but now he fell in love with her mind. Her words were very formal, but revealed great insight.
Isabella was a much stronger person than she appeared. Her manner was subdued, but she was courageous and outspoken in her beliefs. She was totally committed to her family and their welfare. Her parents were central to her life, and her devotion to them was awe-inspiring, especially for someone like Dick, with his troubled family background.
They exchanged letters, often four or five times a week, for months before they met again. Dick had trouble concentrating on his school work as a result of his preoccupation with Isabella. He asked her to have coffee with him at the student union and set a time in the late afternoon. He wasn’t sure if it would be considered a date or not, but he’d framed his request in such a way that she could at least rationalize that it was only a casual meeting at school—in case she still didn’t date.
Dick was in the student union almost an hour before the time for their meeting, still unsure as to whether or not she’d show. They’d gotten to know one another over the months of letter-writing, but he was still unsure who she really was. Intellectually he understood her beliefs and ideas, but emotionally she was still a mystery.
He spotted her as soon as she entered the student union. He’d forgotten how striking she was—many eyes turned her way as she walked toward his booth.
“Isabella, I’m so glad you could make it.”
“Is Dick short for Richard?”
“Well, yes it is, although I have always gone by Dick.” He wasn’t real sure he understood the point of the oddball question.
“May I call you Richard?”
“Sure.”
“Richard, I have fallen in love with your letters. I still don’t know if they really represent you or not. I’d like for you to visit me in Tularosa this weekend if you can.”
This was said with no visible emotion at all—it sounded more like he was being asked to a job interview. Dick was uncertain whether things were going the way he wanted or not. Jeez, he was only looking to date this woman—but as a result he’d spent months pining over her and now she wanted him to meet her parents. And they had yet to have a single date! Was this some kind of seventeenth century courting?
“Sure, I can be there.”
“Good. I have written out the directions and the best time to arrive. I’ll see you then.” She turned and left.
What the hell? This whole experience was strange, as if they might be married within a few days but had yet to hold hands. Dick—or Richard—was going to have to give this some serious thought. Beautiful or not, weird was still weird.
Throughout time, beauty’s allure has conquered the warning flag of weird, and this time would be no exception. Dick pulled into the long drive of the Ortega’s house. As he followed it, a magnificent hacienda came into view. He’d seen houses like this in southern California, but none larger or more magnificent. Even without the many acres of land that made up the estate, the house alone must have been worth millions—even in Tularosa, New Mexico.
When he pulled up in front of the house, a man came out and opened his car door. He told Dick, in broken English, that he could leave the car there with the keys in—Dick was to go inside.
The entrance to the house took him through a large, walled courtyard. There was a fountain, and there were all kinds of exotic plants. At the end of the courtyard was a massive wooden door—obviously the main entrance. As he approached, the large door opened and there was Isabella. She looked like a character in a film.
“I’m glad you could make it Richard, please come in.”
He was still uncomfortable being called Richard, but it appeared that he’d endure almost anything to be near this woman.
“This is the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen. How long have your parents lived here?”
“A long time. My father’s family owned a great deal of the land that now makes up southern New Mexico for hundreds of years. Most of the land was unsettled, but the ownership was clear according to Spanish law. But the Mexican government wanted to sell the land to the United States. A dispute over what land belonged to our family and what they’d be paid in the deal with the US resulted in the Mexican government illegally confiscating the land.”
“Wow, international intrigue. When did this happen?”
“That was in the 1850s. Eventually my family received ownership rights for a substantial amount of land outside of the Mesilla Valley, where most of the original disputed land had been, and also received a substantial sum as consideration for all of the other land. As of today, the land this house is located on is all that remains.”
“It feels like I’m in another country. Have you always lived here?”
“Yes, I was born here. My parents didn’t have children until late in life and the birth was very difficult for my mother. I was born in, and have always lived in, this house. The only exception has been my time at the university. My parents will join us a little later—as I said, they are older than normal parents would be for someone my age, more like my grandparents, and they enjoy their afternoon siesta. We will see them later for dinner. Let me show you the hacienda.”
As they made their way into the interior of the house, it became much cooler. The walls were adobe and stucco, with a variety of tile floors. All of the ceilings were exquisitely detailed, with many features that were new to Dick. The overall effect was inviting and sophisticated. Most rooms contained what he guessed was very valuable original artwork—all of it seemed to be museum quality. Dick wasn’t very knowledgeable, but he could tell this had to be some very expensive stuff.
“The artwork is very impressive. Who’s the art collector in your family?”
“That would definitely be my mother. She was a world-famous artist before she married my father. Much of the artwork is hers, and she has very carefully selected the other art. It’s her great passion.”
Isabella showed him into an enclosed garden room full of bright red bougainvillea. The colors were almost overwhelming. Dick found himself smiling—the room seemed to radiate joy.
“I just can’t tell you how lovely your house is—it just seems full of happiness.”
“Thank you Richard. It has always been a special place for me—and this room was where I’d go anytime I was a little down. Just being in the room with the flowers would always cheer me up.”
She directed Dick toward a bench positioned at the side of the room. He was seeing her in a different way—she seemed more settled and mature here than she did at school.
“Richard, I’m twenty-one years old and according to my family traditions I should marry soon. My mother concentrated on her career as an artist and didn’t marry until she was much older and she feels it was the biggest mistake she made in life. She has told me I must return to our heritage and I should be married.”
Dick had nothing to say. He hoped his mouth wasn’t hanging open. Was she proposing to him?
“My mother wants me to return to Spain to find a husband—I have told her that I’m in love with you. She’s not overly happy about that, but will let me decide who I marry. Richard, would you like to marry me?”
Now his mouth was open. Jeez, what does he say? What I’d like to do is sleep with you—not real sure about marriage. His mind was racing—beautiful woman, very wealthy family—he could sure do a lot worse. He was in the process of a cost-benefit analysis when he realized she was waiting for an answer. He looked into those beautiful eyes.
“Of course I’ll marry you.”
That evening Richard met her parents. They were friendly, but somewhat distant. He had the feeling that he should never cross Isabella’s father. While he was every bit a gentleman, there was something very hard about the man that gave Dick the shudders.
Within days, wedding plans were b
eing developed for a very large ceremony to be held at the family hacienda in two months’ time. Dick talked to his parents, who were overjoyed and made plans to be there for the ceremony. He hadn’t seen Isabella since he returned to Albuquerque. He’d continued to write her letters, but she didn’t write to him, and he began to suspect that she hadn’t returned to school after they’d gotten engaged. He called her several times. Isabella’s mother had returned one call to Richard, saying that Isabella was out of town shopping for the wedding and honeymoon. She’d call him soon.
The whole effect was to make everything seem mysterious. Why had she not called him? Why did she ask him to marry her? Couldn’t she marry just about anybody? Why are her parents so weird? Why is she so weird? Dick was growing less sure about his decision each day. It was just not right—and he needed to find out why.
He headed out to Tularosa. Right or wrong he was going to confront Isabella, maybe even tell her that he’d changed his mind, that he couldn’t be treated like he had no say in the matter. He didn’t even know if she was there. When he pulled into the long driveway, he started having second thoughts about being there. What exactly was he being forced to do? If he didn’t want to marry Isabella, he could say no. It suddenly felt like he was whining about being ignored. Was he really that weak?
He parked the car, and immediately someone came out to meet him. While he was getting out of the car, he saw Isabella standing at the door. She was so incredibly beautiful. He felt foolish.
Without saying a word, Isabella came down and took his hand and guided him through the house toward a casita beside a beautiful pool. He started to ask her a question, but she placed her fingertip on his mouth and guided him into the luxurious casita. They made love. It was a passion Dick had never experienced.
Hours later, he realized that he’d do whatever Isabella asked him to do.
Back Home
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
Ray and Tyee made it to T or C just before sunset. While Ray loved his old beat-up Jeep, it wasn’t the most comfortable ride for long trips, and they both stretched and moaned a little as they climbed out of the vehicle. Happy came running, jumping around and madly wagging his tail as if he hadn’t seen them in years—dogs really know how to greet people. Ray gave Happy a good rub—he was glad to see the dog and glad to be home.
As Ray entered the cabin, he was greeted by Sue with a very aggressive kiss and hug. Not exactly on the dog level of jumping and tail wagging, but for a human it was a great start. Ray began to respond, when out of the corner of his eye he noticed a rather large woman staring at him. He pulled away.
“Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met.” Ray extended his hand toward Beverly.
“Oh, Ray. It’s so great to meet you. Sue has told me all about you—you being Sheriff, and your new business, and the fishing—just everything, and it’s so exciting. I just couldn’t wait to meet you. Your cabin is so wonderful and the business buildings—what a clever idea to have the business offices and computer centers right here by your cabin. It’s just so amazing.”
“Thanks.”
“Beverly, Ray’s just had a very long drive, so why don’t we give him a little time to unwind. Ray maybe you’d like to lie down for a little while. Beverly and I’ll get dinner started.”
Ray could tell Sue wanted him to leave so she could kill Beverly for being such a motor mouth. Ray said thank you and headed to his room. Sue came into the bedroom and shut the door.
“I’m so sorry about Beverly. She’s just so hyper all the time and will not shut up. I gave her a beer—that usually calms her down for a while. Her kids are the exact opposite. They’re so calm and polite and they help with fixing meals and cleaning up. Beverly doesn’t do jack shit. I’ve got to get her out of here before I go nuts. I’m starting to sound like her aren’t I?” Ray gave Sue a hug.
“Don’t worry about her. If she’s going to stay around for some time, just put her in that rental in town or put her in the extra bedrooms in the outbuildings. Don’t worry about disruption to the business—we’ll adapt. Just don’t let her upset you.”
Sue held on to Ray for some time. She knew everything would be better now that he and Tyee were home.
“Where are Beverly’s kids?”
“If you can believe this, they’re with Big Jack. It’s just amazing. Big Jack and Beverly seem to have a developing thing, and her kids just love him. I’m not sure if he’s given them beer and cigars, but I can’t imagine he’s the best influence on children. For reasons that probably defy logic, the kids like him and he likes the kids.”
Ray had a genuine laugh at that. Big Jack and Beverley would be a sight to behold—throw in some kids and it started to sound like entertainment.
“Can I help with dinner?”
“No, it’s stew and it’s almost ready. I’m going to warm some bread and we can eat. I’m going to see if Tyee wants to join us and of course, Big Jack and the kids. Definitely going to need plenty of beer.”
Ray chuckled at Sue and told her to call him when it was ready. Sue smiled and went back to the kitchen.
Dinner was actually very comfortable. Sue noticed that Big Jack seemed to have a calming influence on Beverly—or maybe it was the five beers. Everyone was on their best behavior and the food was delicious. Beverly’s children impressed Ray with their manners and willingness to jump in and help with any chore that needed to be done—plus they were very quiet. A good time was had by all.
The next morning Ray gathered Sue, Tyee, and Big Jack in the conference area in one of the outbuildings for an update on where they stood regarding the Ruidoso matter.
“First, we still don’t know who shot Marino. The possibilities are extensive, including people we don’t even know about. That’s something I’m becoming more and more concerned about. This could have been someone from Marino’s past that we’re completely unaware of, who shot him for reasons that have nothing to do with Ruidoso.”
“How would we investigate that?”
“Tyee, I think that’s the point—we couldn’t. It might be a crime that we can’t solve.”
“Well shit, that’s not very satisfying.”
“No it’s not. But it may be the reality. He obviously had a criminal past and had accumulated a lot of enemies. Based on what we’ve learned, this guy deserved to be shot, and we have lots of candidates who might have done it. While I think we have to consider that it wasn’t someone local, I’m still inclined to believe that’s the most likely possibility.”
“Sheriff Rodriquez’s killing seems like a professional hit. It could be what it looks like, or it could be someone trying to make it look that way. He was shot with a .22 as well, but that’s the only similarity to Marino. Now we have the shooting of the stable manager, Lewis Esparza. He was shot long distance with a .30-30 rifle, with no known motive. And there’s no question in my mind that all of these killings are connected.”
“No doubt the connection is the drug trafficking.” Tyee had said this from the beginning.
“Yes, it’s the only thing that might bring these killings together. We know that the Sheriff and Marino were doing something more than Marino’s strong-arm protection racket. There was some reason that the sheriff hired Marino, and the protection demands didn’t start until the Sheriff was hospitalized. So the sheriff hired Marino for some other reason. Best guess would be that he was somehow connected to the drug trafficking.”
“Someone we need to talk to is Tito. We had a little scene in his bar and his bartender was accidentally hurt by Tyee, so he may not be open to talking to us.”
Big Jack jumped in. “Accidently hurt by Tyee—what the hell does that mean.”
“He said very prejudicial things about Indians and I decided to correct his misunderstanding of Indian ways. In the process his shoulder became accidently dislocated.”
“Ray, what is this—you and Tyee fighting? My goodness, tell me you don’t do that sort of thing.”
“Sue, it
was Tyee not me.”
“Tyee, what the hell? My husband is too old to be getting into brawls.”
No one was happy with the way that came out, including Sue once she realized how it sounded.
“Sorry, you know what I mean.”
“Well, yeah, unfortunately I do know what you mean.” Ray smiled as he said this which made it okay.
“So here we are, we have three killings and no idea who might have done them. We have a list of prospects but no real evidence. Plus—and this is a big thing—we don’t have a client. Our first involvement, through the AG’s office, has been terminated. We have no one covering our fees or our costs. While I don’t like it, I think we should drop the matter. We can’t go off spending time and money just to uncover who shot this creep Marino. What do you all think?”
“Ray, the biggest issue I have with that, is that if we don’t keep looking into this nobody else will. It’ll be dropped. Three murders, and no one will be held responsible.”
“Yeah, you’re right Tyee. I don’t like it either—that’s why we went to Ruidoso. But from a practical point of view, I don’t see how we justify any more time on this without a client.”
“Well I agree,” Big Jack said. “We’re running a business. I think it’s for shit that people have been killed and we don’t have the authority to go at this full-bore and find out who did it, but keep in mind who was killed. I’m not saying anybody should get away with murder, but really, Marino—the list of people who wanted him dead looks like a phone book. The second victim is the probably crooked Sheriff, who it would appear was killed by his drug running business partners—how the stable manager fits in I don’t know. I’m just saying that these are more than likely not innocent people who need justice. It’s probable that all of this happened because of their criminal activities and selling illegal drugs, so there may not be too many people in Ruidoso who give a shit if we find the killer or killers. I vote we drop this and find some paying clients.” Everyone nodded in agreement—Tyee a little less than the others, but he still agreed.