by Dale Roberts
Samantha pulled her by the arm toward the empty booth. “Just don’t make eye contact, and it won’t bother you.”
They waited to sit, while a waitress wiped the table with a rag that was well on its way to having a life of its own. “You seem to have a bug up your ass. What’s up?” Samantha said as they sat.
“I don’t like people looking at me like I’m a freak.”
Samantha looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Well, I don’t think it’s fair to make a statement with your appearance, and not expect people to notice.” She reached toward Samuels to touch her hair. “I mean, look at this. You wear your hair like a marine drill sergeant. People are going to look at you.”
Samantha did not have the masculine appearance that Samuels chose to portray. She was indeed, quite feminine. Her light brown hair was long and luxurious. Her makeup was always impeccable, and she dressed to show off the curves of her slender, fit physique. And, in her job as a journalist, it had served her well. Her feminine charm had opened many otherwise, closed doors in the past.
“Coffee?” the waitress asked. They both nodded and flipped the cups that were upside down on the table. She took their food order and left.
“I’m sorry if I’m just not a pretty as you.” Samuels said after the waitress was out of earshot.
Samantha sat back in her seat. “But that’s not what’s bothering you, is it? You’re not that superficial.”
“No… Normally I wouldn’t even notice people looking.”
“Then what is it?”
“I guess it’s this new position. And that jerk they put me with. He’s supposed to be a mentor, but he’s just an asshole.”
“So, is it not all the glamour you thought it would be?”
“It’s just so frustrating.” Samuels said looking over her coffee cup. “He treats me like I’m some blithering idiot.”
“Sounds to me, like a typical male chauvinist attitude.” Samantha said.
“I don’t think it’s that. It’s more about me being just a beat cop, not a detective.” Samuels leaned forward and pounded the table with the side of her fist. “Whenever I have an idea about anything, he blows me off, like it’s a foregone conclusion that anything I say is stupid.”
“Could you do better on your own?”
“I could. I’m never allowed to follow up on my ideas. He treats me like a friggin’ child.” Samuels stared straight ahead. “How can I ever take off as a detective unless I’m allowed to spread my wings?”
“You need a springboard.” Samantha said with a sly smile.
“What do you mean?”
“You know, something to jump on that gives you a boost.”
Samuels stared at her blankly.
“Sometimes you have to step on people to climb your way up the ladder.”
“So, what are you suggesting?”
“Tell me about your detective.” Samantha took a sip of coffee.
“What do you want to know?”
“What’s his background? What does he do when he’s not… detecting?
“Well…I know he’s a single dad. His wife was murdered two years ago. It’s still unsolved. I think he still sees a shrink.”
Samantha’s smile faded as she took notes. “That’s what you call ironic. Did they have any suspects?”
“I’m not sure. He doesn’t talk about it. Why?”
“You’re a cop. You have access to the investigation, don’t you?”
“Sure, I guess.”
“Okay, let’s see. We’ve got a detective, whose wife was murdered and the case is unsolved, who is raising a kid by himself and he is under the care of a psychiatrist. Does that about sum him up?”
Samuels furrowed her brow, “What are you up to?”
“Don’t worry about me. You just be ready to jump when the time comes.”
“And, how will I know when that is?”
“Don’t worry.” Samantha said with a sinister, sideways grin, “You’ll know.”
Chapter Eleven
Tonight was Alex’s turn to cook. Chicken breasts in cream sauce with plantain dumplings, was an old family favorite. Alex’s mother had taught him to make it when he was a growing up in Puerto Rico. The recipe had been handed down for many generations.
Alex had always enjoyed cooking. Even when Allyson was alive, he spent more time in the kitchen than she did. It was the only household chore that gave him pleasure.
It served as a creative outlet, offering at least a temporary escape from the constant pressures of his life.
Carmen placed two glasses and two sets of silverware on the table and sat. She didn’t speak.
To Alex, she seemed distracted. “How many dumplings?”
“Three, I guess.”
Alex filled her plate and placed it in front of her. “You’re a million miles away. What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing.” With an elbow on the table, she rested her chin on her hand and picked through her food with a fork.
Alex prepared his plate and sat at the table. “Something’s up. What is it?”
“I already know the answer. Don’t worry about it.”
“What answer? What am I not supposed to worry about?”
Carmen stared at her food. “Some of my friends are going on a camping trip to Lake Kissimmee.”
Alex shook his head, “I don’t think so.”
“See, I told you.” Carmen rolled her eyes.
“Told me what?
“I knew you’d say no.”
“I can’t let you go off somewhere with people I don’t know, especially over night. Anything could happen.” Alex took a bite of his chicken.
“There will be parents there.”
“Who will be there?” Alex said as he chewed his food.
“Amanda Carter’s parents, Stacy Grimes’ parents.”
“I don’t know them.”
“You don’t know anyone if they don’t work with you.” Carmen still picked through her food. “You don’t even talk to anyone at my softball games. There are lots of parents there, but you always keep to yourself. People think you’re just stuck up. My friends ask me why you’re so anti-social.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“How can it not matter?” Carmen raised her voice now. “Don’t you care what people think of you? Or what they think of me?”
“I don’t know any of those people, so you’re not going.” He cut through his chicken with far greater force than was required. The knife and fork scraped on the plate making a sharp grating sound that sent chills through Carmen.
Alex looked down and let out a sigh.
Carmen sat quietly for a moment. “Mom would’ve let me.”
“You mother isn’t here!” Alex slammed his knife on the table.
They both sat, saying nothing for a very awkward minute. “I’m sorry.” Alex said finally, “I just can’t let anything happen to you. I couldn’t deal with that.”
“That’s a bit selfish. Don’t you think? I don’t get to experience life, just so you don’t have to worry.” Carmen calmly got up, placed her plate in the sink and went to her room.
“Don’t try to use guilt on me. I’ve become numb to it.” Alex sat silently for a moment then continued to eat.
_________
“It’s finished,” Liz said, when Alex answered the phone, “assuming there’s no further information.”
“That was fast.”
“When you have the right evidence you can move quickly. Besides, we don’t want to give this guy anymore time, especially now that my name is on the list.”
“When can we see it?”
“I’d like to come in the morning if possible.”
“How early can you be here? I have a press conference at ten.” Alex looked at his watch.
“When do you want me?”
“Actually, afternoon would be better. How ‘bout three o’clock?
“I may have to push back a couple of appointments but that should be fine. I�
��ll see you then.”
Alex hung up and dialed Rachel’s cell. “I want to do a DNA sweep at the dealership. Can we do it?”
“You can’t force anyone to submit samples without a warrant.” She said. “Do you have probable cause to get a warrant?”
“No, and I realize we can’t force them, but what if we ask for voluntary cooperation?”
Rachel laughed, “Good luck with that.”
“We can approach it as a way to narrow the field. I don’t really expect everyone to cooperate, but we may get a reaction. If anyone objects too strenuously, we know who to take a closer look at.”
“When do you want to do this?” she asked.
“Tomorrow, after lunch, around one. I’m holding a press conference at ten. Kind of a pre-emptive strike.”
“And you want me to be there, right?”
“I thought, maybe you could persuade more of them to cooperate.”
“And why would you think that?”
“Because, you’re not a cop. You’re with the DA’s office. It seems more official.”
“Well, I guess I don’t have anything more important to be doing. I’ll come by the station for lunch and we’ll go from there.”
“Sounds great. See you then.” Alex hung up the phone and smiled at himself. It actually felt like he may be making progress.
Chapter Twelve
The rain came sideways from the west in sheets so heavy that they sometimes completely obscured the building from view. The nearest parking space Alex could find was at least thirty yards from the door.
“This is crazy,” Carmen said. “You want to wait ‘till it lets up a little?”
“We could be here all night.” Alex said. “Let’s just go for it. Are you ready?”
“Not really, but okay.”
“Try to point your umbrella into the wind so it doesn’t turn inside-out.”
On a count of three, they deployed their umbrellas and ran toward the front door. Carmen squealed as she ran splashing through the two inches of water that covered the entire parking lot. “Oh my God!” she said when they finally made it to cover.
A young man held the door for them. “Welcome to Raphael’s.”
Alex wanted to cancel in light of the weather but, he had promised Carmen a dinner out of the house. Besides, it may be quite a while before he would get another chance.
The rain, although a nuisance now, could be something to laugh about later. This would be a chance to make up for at least some of the times that he couldn’t be there. An evening together, just the two of them.
They were led to a table in the middle of the room. “Actually, could we have a booth by the window?” Carmen asked. “I see several empty ones.”
“Of course.” said the young man. He led them to a corner booth that overlooked the water. “Your server will be with you shortly.” he said with a strong Cuban accent as he handed them two menus.
“You can’t see the water for the rain.” Alex joked, looking out the window.
Carmen smiled. It was nice to see her father show a sense of humor for a change.
Raphael’s was situated on the south shore of Lake Duval. It was owned by a second generation Cuban immigrant family. When it opened three years ago, it was operated and staffed only by family, but the popularity grew much faster than even they had hoped. It was now one of the most beloved restaurants in town, and employed almost thirty people. The authentic Cuban cuisine rivaled that of any Miami establishment. It offered the rich influences of Spanish, African and Caribbean flavors that gave Cuban food its unique flair.
Alex studied the menu. Although he knew he had no reason, Alex felt awkward. What would they talk about? What did they have in common? It was then that he realized just how much of Carmen’s life had passed him by. Even while living under the same roof, they had lost touch. The only communication they had was the handing down of rules and the passing of judgment on one another.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been a bigger part of your life.” He said finally, trying to break the ice.
“That was out of nowhere.”
“No, really. I feel like I’ve let you down in so many ways.”
Carmen studied the menu. “It’s okay Dad, really. I think it’s helped me be more independent.” She looked up at her father. “You know, making small decisions for myself. I don’t think I’m turning out too bad.”
“No, you seem to be doing just fine.” Alex looked over his menu. “So, what’s new in your life?” he asked, without looking up.
“Are you sure you really want to know?”
“Of course I do.”
“Well, don’t get upset, but Janet, my nurse, came to take me to lunch the other day.”
Alex sat silent for a moment, determined to keep his thoughts to himself. He realized Carmen needed an adult companion, someone to look to for advice or just to listen to her feelings, but he was not comfortable with Janet being that person. But, he needed to trust Carmen to make the right choices. She was growing into a responsible young woman. “So, she took you to lunch? What did you talk about?” he asked as calmly as he could.
“We talked about a lot of things. Don’t worry. I didn’t give away any family secrets, if that’s what you mean.”
“What kind of things?”
“We talked about what it was like to grow up without parents being involved in our lives. We talked about growing up without a mother, and how much we have in common. She actually makes me feel better about my own life, for how lucky I am to have a father who truly loves me.” She looked up from the menu to meet her father’s eyes.
“I do love you, you know.” Maybe he had rushed to judgment about Janet. Carmen certainly seemed to like her.
“What are you doing?” he asked, as Carmen raised her hand and waived in the air.
“Rachel just came in. She’s over there. Here she comes.”
“Huh, I wonder what she’s doing here.”
“I invited her.” Carmen said. “I thought you too should have a chance to visit and talk outside the office. You know, something other than business.”
“You invited her? Why? Don’t you think you should have consulted with me before…”
“Sorry I’m late.” Rachel said with a smile, as she approached them. “The rain slowed me down a bit.”
With a look of surprise, Alex stood and extended his hand and glanced at Carmen, who had a broad smile, like she had just done something to be proud of.
“Oh God,” Rachel blushed, “You weren’t expecting me.”
“I wasn’t made aware that you would be coming,” he said as he shot Carmen another look, “but, here you are. Have a seat.” He forced a smile and motioned for her to sit next to Carmen.
“Well, this is awkward. Maybe I should go.”
“Don’t be silly. It’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting you, that’s all.”
She looked at Carmen, who had made room for her to sit. “If you’re sure it’s okay.”
“Sit.” Carmen demanded. She slapped her hand down on the seat.
“I can put your umbrella over her with ours.” Alex offered, “I have plenty of room.”
Rachel removed her windbreaker and handed it, along with the wet umbrella, to Alex and sat beside Carmen as the waiter approached.
“Would you like a menu?” he asked her.
“Yes, thank you.”
“My name is Raul,” the young man said, “Could I start you off with something from the bar?”
“I would like a Patron Margarita, rocks with salt.”
“Very good.” The waiter said. He turned his attention toward Alex. “And for you sir?”
“I wasn’t planning to drink when it was just me and my daughter.”
Rachel cocked her head to the side, as if to say come on, have a drink.
“Okay, I’ll have the same.”
“And for the young lady?” he said looking at Carmen.
“I’ll have a Dr. Pepper.”
“Ver
y good. I’ll return shortly.” The young man turned to leave.
“So how are you two?” Rachel asked.
“Fine.” Alex said. “I have a press conference to get ready for in the morning.”
“I remember. You told me about that when you asked about the DNA sweep.” Rachel said. “What are you going to say?”
“No shop talk tonight. Please?” Carmen said.
“Sorry.” They both said together.
Now Alex really did feel uncomfortable. In the months after Allyson’s death, he and Rachel had consoled each other, in a strictly non-physical way, until his guilt forced him to distance himself from her. Now, it felt strangely like a blind date, where he knew nothing about the person across the table. He sat quietly for a moment, smiling, waiting for someone to speak.
Rachel must have sensed Alex’s discomfort. She turned her attention to Carmen. “So, how is school?”
“It’s okay, I guess. I have a test in American History Monday, over the Civil War.”
“Well, you know, I was a history major in college. If you need help getting ready, let me know.” Rachel said. “I’m sort of a Civil War buff.”
“Really? I hate it. All the dates and places. We have to learn about events, but they never tell us how they tie together, like Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. We read it, but what‘s it all about? All the teacher says is that it was his ‘greatest speech’.”
“Did you talk about the battle of Gettysburg?”
“Yeah. It was some battle in Pennsylvania.”
“Gettysburg was the bloodiest three days in American history. Did you know there were more casualties in that three day battle than in the entire Vietnam war?”
“See, that’s what I mean. They teach us these little chunks of history but they don’t really go into what it all means.”
“There are some inconsistencies but the estimated losses for both sides totaled between forty-six and fifty-one thousand. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was given at the dedication ceremony of the national cemetery that was made in Gettysburg after the battle.” Rachel explained. “If you know the battle and the significance of the losses for both sides, his speech is actually very touching. It was about remembering the sacrifices men made for a cause that was greater than themselves.”