by Manolo Mario
“It would be vengeance, then.”
“Perhaps, but you must know that God works in strange ways.”
Galo stood to leave. As he reached the door, Elio called out. “Galo! Thank you for not saying I told you so.”
* * *
22 Very typical Cuban expression to get someone to shut up.
Chapter 23
Dr. Sanchez stared at the thermometer and shook it. “Take it, nurse.” Two days passed and Alonso had not awakened as yet. Elena looked at him with a hanging question that didn’t come out. He interrupted, “I’ve done all that I can. We pulled the leg into traction with that heavy sand bag to straighten it as best we could.” He pointed and Elena followed the rope around the pulley to the bag near the floor.
“It wasn’t easy, Sra. Velez. It took our own brute force and with a couple of assistants to force the bones to align themselves in a way we thought they should. I couldn’t make sure the floating pieces of the tibia rotated back into place correctly. We could not move him to take another x-ray in fear the bones would lose the setting. We did it all by feel.”
“Is he in pain, Doctor?” She whimpered.
“No. He’s asleep. In a way, it’s good that he hasn’t come to. Let his body rest and repair itself.”
“I don’t know what to think.”
He came close to her and spoke softly, “Look, he passed the worst time. His breathing has gotten better. Again, it’s good he continues to sleep. As a matter of fact, it would be good if he stayed like this for a week or so.”
Elena ran her eyes from the pulley to the top of Alonso’s head and followed the tube from his arm to the clear bag hanging from a bedpost. The doctor disturbed her focus once more.
“We are feeding him intravenously and there’s been no fever. I’ll come back later.” And with a tap on her back, he left the room.
Elena stayed in the room. Though Rona was busy with the baby and the other children, Carmen and a calm Nevy had been to the hospital often to give Elena breaks. Nevy, of course and unbeknownst to Elena, though one would be sure she would have appreciated it, took Father Tomas and prayed a rosary at Alonso’s bedside. Elio’s wife, Fiona, also spent time at the hospital. Elio kept her from learning what happened in order not to worry her. He finally relented knowing the other ladies would be talking soon. As usual, she forgave him for not speaking and moved on to help out where she could. As opposed to Nevy, Fiona did ask Elena if she could bring a priest to the bedside to pray for Alonso and Elena agreed. It was the same Father Tomas, who easily went with the flow.
~~~
On Friday, the slaughterhouse finished a strong week despite the disturbance. Everyone cleared out to get in some socializing before the Saturday shift came up quickly the next morning. Elio found himself alone in the office finalizing some paper work. Despite the last two days and his reassurances from Galo, he constantly replayed his decision to pay the cop the first time. His brain reverberated with the options at hand and reaffirmed his decision. In his economic mind, he could not come to terms as to why the deal had gone wrong. There shouldn’t be a reason for this cop to hurt Alonso. The deal was square and no one had concerns. At the same time, he knew Galo to be correct, there were too many issues to contemplate. Galo was also right that he would think as a legitimate businessman, not as a devil. His last act before heading downstairs and leaving was stuffing the fifty pesos in the envelope marked insurance.
With the envelope in hand, he opened the door to the street, stepped out quickly over the raised threshold, as was common in buildings of the time, and turned his back to close the door. He almost knocked over Santiesteban, who was about to knock on the door. The cop let out a loud sound.
“Whoa! Watch where you are stepping, man! What is the hurry?”
Elio caught himself and pulled his back to the closed door. He couldn’t breathe. He thought he was going to have a heart attack. He felt pale and weak; frozen with anger. Santiesteban busied dusting off. Elio coughed heavily into his left hand, which had formed into a fist. He felt the lieutenant’s slap at his back. “Are you all right man? Are you choking? Did you swallow something?”
Elio nodded his head so as to say no and forced a stronger cough to see if it would stop and it did. He stuck the hand out holding the officer away. He took a few breaths to calm his nerves and get his bearings. It took a few moments to settle down. “Oh officer, please forgive me. I startled myself into an asthmatic cough that wouldn’t quit. Here’s your envelope.”
He pushed the envelope into the officer, who he saw looked around as he caught the paper in his hand and stuffed it in his pant pocket. “Hey, not so loud and in the open. What are you thinking?”
“As you can see, I am not thinking. I am still trying to catch my breath. And if I was not to give this to you here, why are you here?”
“Well, this is where I walk my beat and since it seemed things were running late I thought I would stop by. I also would like to discuss our arrangement with you. Could we step into your office and talk this through?”
Without showing the panic he felt, Elio sought a way to avoid going in the office. He feared this animal would beat him like Alonso, if in fact Galo and Rico were correct. So he looked down to his pocket watch and shook his head. “Officer, I am so sorry, but I am already late for an appointment that I cannot change. I truly cannot stay another minute.”
He turned and used the key to lock the door. He felt the Lieutenant’s growl in the back and feared a thud from his nightstick.
“What? You don’t have time? Where is your respect for authority?”
Elio peeked back to see a contorted look on the officer’s face as it looked up and down the street.
Elio finished with the locks. ‘I wonder if he is trying to find out what happened to Alonso. I bet he’s wondering if the man is dead, right? No one knows since we haven’t let the news out.’
“Is everything alright, Gomez?”
“Why, why yes, officer. Again, I apologize. Please, there is no disrespect intended, but I have to go. Perhaps another time.” Elio beamed a friendly smile.
Santiesteban removed his hand from the baton. “Perhaps another time, but you should know that my rate is going up.”
Elio took a step to his left, but stopped and turned. Despite looking down at his watch once more, he could not let this pass so easily. “Your rate? Why would it go up? We have a fair deal.” He spoke without arguing. His curiosity piqued anyway. Was this the reason for Alonso’s beating? Did Alonso tell him to shove it?
“Gomez, first, I set the rate and there doesn’t have to be a reason. Second, and purely for the fact you appear to be a decent and good company man, let’s say I have acquired some new Antillean tastes that are a little more expensive than I anticipated.” Santiesteban half smirked.
Elio looked around like the Lieutenant had earlier, “What rate are you proposing?”
Without hesitating one millisecond and with his eyes bearing down on Elio, Santiesteban pushed forward. “I’m doubling our current arrangement.”
Elio knew he needed to get away from this guy, but also couldn’t leave the rate hanging in the air for fear this cop would assume he would agree. “That is a steep price, officer, and I can’t imagine my partners would agree to it. I will have a conversation with them and get back to you as soon as possible. You are alright with that aren’t you?” Again he stated the question in a matter of fact way. Elio spoke although the last sentence he said loud enough for the people who were beginning to turn the corner across the street could hear.
The Lieutenant touched his nightstick once more. He looked in the direction Elio had spoken and saw a group coming around the corner within their earshot. “Very well.”
And before the cop could say anything else, Elio walked away and waved. “Good day to you, officer.”
It took him a few steps for Santiesteban to somewhat yell back. “It will be fine for you to get concurrence from your two partners or should I say partner? I
heard about the accident, and I am truly sorry for your loss.”
Elio stopped but did not turn around. “Thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate that.” Lifting an arm behind him, Elio continued to walk away. ‘That whoremonger thinks he killed Alonso. Galo and Rico were damned right. I have to get to the hospital. This cop can’t find out Alonso is alive.’
Chapter 24
Galo thought the worst when Elio and Rico entered his home breathing heavily. Without hesitation he yelled, “Ciro, get some water and coffee for two!” Elio relayed what he experienced with the cop. He spat out the details of his encounter with the lieutenant and as he neared the end of the tale, Rico and Galo shouted in unison, “I told you so!”
Elio shook his head quickly, “Yes, you both did and I am to be corrected. I am now convinced the cop is the animal that hurt Alonso. Since we are all convinced, it’s time to use our brains and make sure this guy disappears without repercussions to us. And, gentlemen, our biggest advantage is he thinks Alonso is dead.”
Galo pinched at his own cheek. “So the piece of shit thinks he’s dead? That’s good for us. We need to work quickly. Rico, I need you to go and talk to the line supervisors to make sure they understand that Alonso is dead. If anyone asks any of the workers, Alonso is dead. Make sure Fefo understands, especially. If the cop corners him, I want him to sound sure that Alonso is dead.”
The door to the room creaked and Rona stuck her head in, “Is everything all right?” Elio stood quickly and Rico stiffened. Galo answered, “As well as it can be. Please give us some privacy. I’ll come back to you when we are done.”
Rona grimaced, “Ah, the shit smells here! I’ll let you alone!” She closed the door firmly.
Rico sat uncomfortably in his seat. “But Galo isn’t the plan a bit morbid? What would Elena say?”
“She’ll say nothing. Elio is going to the hospital right away to make sure they keep Alonso’s condition quiet and restrict those attending him. The hard part will be convincing Elena to go home and hang a black wreath on her door, which he will also take care of.”
Elio nodded his head quietly.
Galo took a long drag from his cigarette. “Now, where do we make the cop disappear?”
Elio cleared his throat and looked around the room. “That is a timely question, Galo, and this is where you’re the expert.”
The door opened once more and Ciro entered with a tray of coffee and water. Each man thanked him as they took the glass and the cup. Ciro met eye to eye with Galo. Galo blinked once, and Ciro left without a word.
Galo put out the butt and dug around for another cigarette. “So, you want me to kill the dickless turd?”
Rico jumped out of his chair. “Now wait a minute Elio, I said I wanted to cut his throat.”
With a befuddled look on his face, Elio waved Rico back to his chair. “Settle down. Something he said is leading me to think Galo can uncover something that may be helpful. He said he was doubling our rate.”
Galo shuffled, “Hell, I’ll go kill him right now!”
Elio cut him off. “A rate we’ll never pay! Well, perhaps once. But when I asked him why, he said he had grown certain Antillean tastes.”
Galo’s eyes lit up. “Well, if I know Spaniards that sounds like mulatas to me! What do you think Rico?”
“I don’t know of any other Antillean taste that would drive a Spaniard to a habit needing more money.” Rico smiled.
Galo nodded his understanding. “Very well, Elio, I think I can check with my sources and see if a certain cop frequents any of the usual houses.”
Elio waived a finger. “Galo remember, he has never seen you. He doesn’t know who you are, and he doesn’t know that there is another partner. You don’t know him either and you have never seen him. You could not miss him. He is nearly twice your size with a dark brown beard that covers from his collar to his cheekbones. Despite the size, he is a petty man, be careful.”
Galo smirked. “Hell, the way you describe him, I wonder where the animal keeps his tail. It sounds like he’s a monkey of sorts.”
“Look, it would be best if he didn’t see you at all. If you did see him, you should avoid engaging him. You should leave if that happens, right?”
Galo knew his friend to be right and nodded in agreement.
Rico remained calm, but had an intense look in is eye. “Elio, Galo when do I get to carve this animal?”
Galo held a hand out for Elio to sit still. “Perhaps soon enough Rico, but I have to think it through and make sure there is an exit to this that makes sense and doesn’t backfire. I’m hoping to find something that would give us an opportunity. We need to be patient, but cannot let this cop see Alonso is alive. Do we agree?”
The men nodded their approval. Galo pointed at his partners. “The more time we wait, the greater the danger we face. I’ll move quickly!”
***
While Rico went off to the slaughterhouse and Elio made his way to the hospital to get the plan moving, Galo stepped back to where his wife and kids sat. Rona breastfed the baby, Galito, as he immediately and familiarly became called. The girls were all surrounding Rona, watching in awe. The noise of the door moved Iris and Mandy to run to their dad, but Cari stayed behind stroking Galito’s hair.
He entered the room and hugged his girls before he gave Rona a kiss on her forehead. He caressed the baby’s face. She looked up at him. “What cojones is going on? Carmen and Nevy left this morning and they haven’t come back. That poor man and Elena; what is going to happen?”
Galo looked at her with a confident look. “Rona, don’t worry. I’m sure he will be fine after some time, as will Elena. Give me a moment and let me go clean up.” He faced the girls. “You girls will need to go outside because I need to talk to your mom.”
Among a lot of ‘oh’s’ and aah’s and the like, Mandy smiled the broadest. “Yeah! I knew you would let us out! Come on girls, let’s go play outside!”
After washing, he came back to Rona and sat beside her. She finished the feeding and pulled the baby down to her lap after burping him. “Rona, I have to tell you that what happened to Alonso was not an accident.”
Rona looked surprised. “No shit? You guys have been acting like a secret society. What in the world happened?”
“Well, you see I can’t get into it and I need you to trust me on this. As a matter of fact, I need you to play along and fake his death.”
Rona made the sign of the cross and gasped. “Galo! May God not hear you! I thought you said he would be fine?”
Galo spoke with a serious tone. “He will be fine. We need to act as though he died, though. Look, there is a bad man and a bad piece of business that needs to be handled carefully without anyone else getting hurt. As we try to work through this, you need to understand that I will be away more often, but hopefully just for a few days. It’ll be all over and we can be back to normal.”
Rona turned quiet. He saw and felt the weight of her deep stare. “Galo are women involved with this time you need?”
“I don’t lie. Yes, Rona, but it’s not what you may think. I need to find out about the person who did this to Alonso and he frequents certain houses.”
“Right, it’s not what I’m thinking. Galo, I may not know how to read and write, but I’m not stupid. I’m aware you men have your needs and perhaps I’m not up to it, but don’t take me for a fool!”
“Rona, you are not a fool and I’m not treating you like one. If I were, why would I mention this to you? When don’t I ever come home to you?”
He saw that she wasn’t convinced by the look on her face and the tilt of her head. “Whatever time you need, Galo. Please be careful and do come home. I’ve learned to live with the smell of cattle, but I never want to smell a whore on you! Now, what about my sisters? They’ve been at the hospital, you know.”
“Yes, they’re at the hospital. Elio is there, talking to all of them to make sure they know the same thing and they will act the same.”
***
Santiesteban made his rounds and collected his dues for the week. He was pleased as a greater percentage of his ‘patrons’ automatically agreed to his new rates. He didn’t pass along the increase to Pablo and Leo, but they didn’t need to know. They were getting more anyway because of the expanded territory.
Despite the good monetary situation, there were many concerns. First, Esperanza was nowhere to be seen. He noticed she returned and collected her things and the girl’s things. Despite his subtle inquiries with the neighbors, no one had seen her. Second, at the station the men continued smirking behind his back. The two idiots with him the day in the alley focused on the part where the girl wasn’t his, luckily. They completely missed the story of the bad cop in Barcelona. What fools! In the context of a missing wife, he didn’t want the news to reach the station. If Esperanza was hiding, he needed to make rounds to assure whoever helped her kept her out of sight until the station calmed down. He felt the men were jealous of his performance and the mockery may not stop until he smacked one in the mouth.
His third concern abated before the evening set in. Despite not seeing anything relative to an incident in El Mundo, he visited several hospitals in the area checking on an injured fellow brought in over the last day or two. One hospital clerk mentioned there had been somebody brought in the previous Wednesday, but the person had died shortly thereafter. Santiesteban asked for a description and the name. The clerk volunteered a description and looking through a chart, told him Alonso Velez died from injuries suffered in a bad fall. Without giving away too much joy, he thanked the clerk and left. He was happy because dead men did not speak. One less item to worry about, one item was gone from his mind. He could pursue the higher rate with the beef people without issue.
Chapter 25
“Dear friends,” Father Tomas began, “we are gathered here today to honor our lost friend, Alonso Velez.”
Elio nudged Galo, “I can’t believe you talked him into it.”
Galo shrugged. He couldn’t believe it either.