by David Sal
Alexis’ boat entered the shore at a dangerous speed. He tried to slow it down, but his drive to save himself would not allow it. He barely slipped by the other watercraft and was finally able to maneuver himself until he arrived at the front of the dock, crashing into it, but without causing any major damage to the ship. Alexis looked around frantically to check if anyone was watching him. He grabbed the wet suit and briefly analyzed the different options available for how to get rid of it.
Just then, he heard a Jet Ski quickly approaching him from the shore’s entrance. His legs went limp when he saw Lorenzo seated on the back, alive and kicking. He did not even have time to contemplate his desire that Lorenzo would have died. He had reached a new level. His own survival came first, no matter what the cost.
He hopped down from the prow’s upper deck, slipping on the wet surface and knocking his mouth against the floor’s wood finish, causing him to bleed profusely. He immediately stood up, jumped off the boat and ran along the pier toward the exit as fast as he could.
Lorenzo stood up on the Jet Ski’s seat as Alexis’ boat drew near. He leapt onto the platform of the boat’s stern, where he had been pushed off only moments earlier. He crossed the boat through the port side and from there jumped to the pier, running after Alexis. He focused all his energy on sending speed to his legs. He could not let him escape and destroy the evidence.
Alexis was only meters away from reaching his car when he saw agents Zayas and Gómez walking along the pier in his direction, effectively cutting off his path. Alexis came to a sudden halt, losing his balance but not falling. He turned his head to look back at Lorenzo, who was screaming and waving at the agents. He could not understand what Lorenzo was shouting because everything went silent around him. He could not hear anything. Not the shouts, not the footsteps on the wooden pier, not the music of a nearby boat, not the waves crashing against the other ships, not his heart beating in his chest. His world suddenly went dark. Nothing made sense to him, even his calculating thoughts failed to give him instructions on what to do in that moment. No excuses. Not even a single lie. It was all over. He fell to his knees without thinking about the pain the impact would cause him and lowered his head, defeated.
Lorenzo automatically slowed down his step when he saw Alexis’ collapse. He reached the defeated attorney at the same time as the agents. Lorenzo panted with his mouth wide open, exhausted from the race.
“What’s going on here?” asked Zayas with authority.
“He…did it. He killed…Pedroza…and he’s going to confess everything…right?” said Lorenzo as he involuntarily gasped for air.
The agents waited for Alexis’ reaction, who remained bent over, head down, a pool of blood spilling from his mouth onto the pier. Alexis did not utter a single word. He just clenched the wet suit tightly against his chest, as if trying to hide it within himself.
Zayas signaled to Gómez to lift him up. Gómez grabbed him by the arm and forcefully lifted him up, taking the wet suit from him. When he stood up, Alexis’ eyes fell upon Lorenzo. Lorenzo’s look was filled with many feelings, but Alexis could only clearly read one: deception. Lorenzo could not understand how Alexis could betray him and Doris like that, using Doris to commit such an atrocious act. And all for money…more money.
“Please, forgive me. You’ve got to understand. I never thought it would end like this. That wasn’t my intention,” Alexis tried to explain before he broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Of course not,” said Lorenzo as Alexis was handcuffed. “It never is.”
“Bring him to the car,” Zayas ordered Gómez.
“My pleasure,” said Gómez as he yanked Alexis by the arm with the delicacy that he deserved, practically dragging him to the police car.
“How did you figure it out?” Zayas asked Lorenzo curiously and shamelessly. As far as he could see, he had done everything he could with the information available. But he was truly happy to have been mistaken and that justice would prevail.
“I don’t know. I guess I was in the right place at the right time. And you guys?” asked Lorenzo in regard to the agents’ convenient arrival.
“We just found out ourselves right now. We only came here to speak with you about something that really isn’t important anymore. Congratulations,” said Zayas, extending his hand toward Lorenzo and giving him a firm handshake. Although what Lorenzo did to get the information from Irma’s office constituted a crime, Zayas understood the position that the Almeidas were in and that, in the long-run, it would not have any negative consequences.
“Do you need anything?” Zayas asked as he set out toward the police station.
“Yes, a towel,” answered Lorenzo, who was still dripping water onto the pier.
Chapter 19
Heads rolled at Pedroza Enterprises. The remorse that had consumed Jessica’s conscience ended victoriously when she broke her silence. She had to speak. Especially when she found out about Alexis’ arrest. She and Javier knew about the dirty trick that Irma played on Doris at work. She, too, had felt animosity toward Doris’ lightning-fast rise in the company. She was one of the ones who thought that a humiliating lesson would not be so bad for her.
But what she had at first hoped would only be a simple reprimand had turned into her dismissal. And what she figured would be an uncomfortable and embarrassing snub at Pedroza’s mansion ended in a murder. The evil amusement ended suddenly, paving the way for an overwhelming sense of guilt. When she discovered that Alexis was actually responsible for the murder, Jessica breathed a slight sigh of relief. But the suffering imposed on Doris by her immature behavior could not go unpunished. Even if she herself would suffer, too.
Obviously, the idea did not please her colleagues. But when they were told that Jessica had come clean, it was already too late. The company would not tolerate that type of behavior and much less from employees in such high positions. The Board of Directors met, and in no time flat all three of them were out on the street with the prospect of a possible civil lawsuit pinned to their backs on behalf of Doris and Lorenzo.
Jessica found the calm she was looking for, however. Although she won the disdain and ill-will of Irma and Javier, she considered the mental peace and the opportunity to dedicate herself full-time to dance as the undeserved, but welcomed, product of her confession.
Javier was no longer the company’s next president; he was the dismissed executive with a tarnished image that would not be easy to clean. He would have to start from square one with a wife who was accustomed to a certain style of living. The years ahead would not be easy, to say the least.
Irma, for her part, was never again seen in Costa Linda or its surrounding area. She packed her bags and headed out to never again return. She did not want anything to ever remind her of that shameful side of herself that brought her to commit acts that resulted in bitter suffering for others. No, she did not want to remember even in passing what she was capable of when she let a feeling of envy take control of her actions and desires. She wanted to see herself as her children saw her: a heroine that was not capable of wickedness of any kind. A woman who only produced love, affection, and empathy. Someone with whom they would feel sure that nothing bad would ever happen to them. And although she enjoyed every second with her family, she longed for time to pass. Yes, enough time so that the bad memories would stay buried under the weight of the years. Nevertheless, she would later come to understand that it is not so simple to escape from something that is hidden within your very being.
Another employee who left the company was Edgar, but without shame and with his head held high. He did not even clear his desk until months later, when he received a good offer from another company. The pay, as well as the position and the work, were a step forward, so it was not at all difficult for him to abandon the sunken Pedroza Enterprises ship. Lorenzo could not find the words to express his gratitude for Edgar’s valuable help. Without his initial drive and the interest he had shown in clearing Doris’ name, Lorenzo woul
d not have had the push necessary to start moving, and he never would have been able to uncover the truth. Edgar assured him that no thanks were necessary. But he did accept an invitation to visit the Almeida’s beach house whenever he wanted and to enjoy a true friendship which, after all, was more valuable and long-lasting than any employment or business relationship.
Alexis was, obviously, worse off than anyone. The tears that he shed daily during the judicial process, both in public and in private, could not take him back in time. There was no way to pay for the lost life or the scars he had made.
Alexis’ father could not get over his shock and astonishment. He was a very good friend of Pedroza and it was because of his relationship with Pedroza that Alexis was put in charge of the legal aspects of his most recent housing project. But the irritation that Alexis had allowed to grow in his heart upon seeing that his brothers were amassing fortunes independent from their father, brought him to do whatever necessary to not be left behind and to stop feeling like the family’s black sheep. And whatever necessary included participating in a fraudulent scheme and money laundering during his legal practice.
Alexis admitted that he was involved in a mortgage fraud conspiracy that involved the use of phantom buyers, falsified mortgage applications, and falsified federal forms, in addition to falsely registering payment checks from buyers, making it appear that the mortgage lenders had issued an initial payment when, in reality, they had not, among other ‘minor’ legal sins. His illegal activity had caused millions of dollars in losses for the victims.
Nevertheless, the party ended when he attempted to implement his plan in the Pedroza project. A slip-up with the paperwork caused a red flag to be raised and his activities were internally investigated, leaving his fraudulent scheme naked to Pedroza’s eyes. And Pedroza did not forgive. Alexis knew it. Everything was over…unless he took immediate and extreme measures.
At first, his plan was to raise suspicion around the three colleagues that had visited Pedroza that night and, above all, Pedroza’s wife, given that everyone always suspects the spouse. Nevertheless, the circumstances served him Doris on a silver platter. The fact that Lorenzo sought out his help to head the case made him feel that his victory was sealed. With privileged access to the case he could ensure that there would never be so much as a shadow of a doubt cast in his direction. Knowing, additionally, that the back of the Pedroza mansion would not have security cameras for a few days (thanks to the fact that the new system, which would be installed by his brother’s company, had not yet arrived from the supplier) emboldened him to take advantage of the opportunity that, as far as he could see, destiny had awarded him.
Lorenzo had reconstructed the scene of the crime very well. In his excitement and hurry to escape, Alexis did not notice the paint that had adhered to his wet suit. He hid it in his boat and wanted to forget everything that had happened that night and believe that he did not have anything to do with the crime. Everything had been going so well for him that he never would have thought such a small detail could ruin his entire grotesque party. Lorenzo’s discovery of the suit came as a genuine surprise for both crew members on board the boat that afternoon.
It was also a surprise for Alexis to find himself completely alone and forgotten, locked away as the years passed. Without the support of his family or friends, he was trapped behind bars, not only physically but also within a never-ending whirlwind of fear, doubt, and remorse that deprived him of finding the positive side in his reality.
•••••
Fortunately, the doctors could not see any problems resulting from the nervous breakdown Doris had suffered. She was finally discharged, along with the good news that the baby was okay. By the time Lorenzo brought her home from the hospital, it was already getting late. He helped her out of the car to climb the stairs to the house, bringing her inside little by little, step by step. Instead of taking her to the bedroom, though, Lorenzo brought her directly to the balcony. He knew that the last thing she needed at that moment was to be behind four walls. She needed fresh air, which she would get more than enough of from the balcony.
“Okay, look, I tidied up the house for you. Everything’s clean. You don’t have to worry about anything. We’re going out to the balcony to enjoy the sunset and the fresh air. It’ll do you good. It never fails,” explained Lorenzo in the most positive voice he could muster, although the prospect that Doris’ current condition could continue indefinitely terrified him.
Lorenzo carefully sat her down in one of the chairs on the balcony. She did not respond or react at all. Her gaze continued to be lost in space.
“Doris, love of my life, from now on everything’s going to change for the better. I found a job and your sister will be with you during the day until you are completely better. Okay? Listen, I’m going to be a better husband than I have been. I promise you, everything will turn out all right. I also want to be the best father that our baby could ever have. We’re going to be a happy family. I promise,” assured Lorenzo in a soft but firm voice, looking directly into her eyes and clasping one of her hands inside both of his.
When he saw that she did not react or respond, he carefully set her hand on her thigh and let his gaze look off toward the horizon, as if in search of strength to undertake the arduous path that lay ahead of them both. He inhaled deeply when he unexpectedly felt Doris’ hand grab his and slowly bring it to her pregnant belly. She closed her eyes, drawing on her lips what Lorenzo wanted to interpret as a slight smile.
“That’s it, Doris. That’s how it’ll be. You’ll see,” said Lorenzo, relieved, as a tear of happiness and hope rolled down his cheek.
They remained in quiet silence, as one, or better yet, as three. They felt closer in that moment than in all the time they had been married. They did not want even the slightest movement to break that. And as they sat there, the sun continued its persistent setting behind the horizon. A spectacle of different hues spanned from an intense red to a brilliant orange, decorating the clouds floating above them in the quiet night sky. An indescribable peace dominated the night, starting when the sun set completely, putting an end to the day.