"This isn't your fault," J.J. told him. "Stop beating yourself up about it. And whatever you do, don't make any decisions about your candidacy tonight. If you think your supporters would want you to withdraw from the race to protect them, then you aren't thinking straight."
"You two go on to the hospital and find out how seriously ill the poison victims are," Dom said. "My guess is that the intent was not to kill anyone, only to make quite a few people sick. Enough to send a warning message."
J.J. hated the pained expression on Miguel's face. This was a man who cared for others, cared deeply. Right now, he was feeling guilty, taking the blame for what had happened upon himself. She couldn't let him do that. She wasn't sure why it was so important to her to support and encourage Miguel, but it was.
She slipped her arm through his. "I'll call down and have Carlos bring the car around, then we'll go straight to St. Augustine's. And once we find out that everyone is going to be all right, I'm taking you straight home." She turned to Dom. "You'll stay here and guard the food, especially the shrimp and sauce, until the proper person takes samples of everything."
"Yes, ma'am." Dom grinned.
"She is rather bossy, is she not?" Miguel said, then looked at J.J. appreciatively. "It is good for a man to have a fiancée who can take care of him when the situation calls for it. Feel free, querida, to continue issuing me orders tonight. I believe you know better than I do what is best for me."
Moisture glistened in J.J.'s eyes. Damn him! He'd done it again. Said just the right thing to touch her heart and make her want to wrap her arms around him.
* * *
Chapter 8
« ^ »
J.J. and Miguel waited at the hospital for news about the people who had taken ill at Anton's dinner party. When all was said and done there were fifteen altogether. Eight men and seven women. Within an hour after she and Miguel arrived at the hospital, both Emilio and Roberto appeared. Dom had telephoned Emilio and he in turn had contacted Roberto. The two men had approached Miguel with different opinions on what he should do and how he should handle the situation.
"You must make a statement to the press immediately," Roberto had said.
"No, no, that is the wrong thing to do," Emilio had told them. "Wait until Juan tells us what the situation is, if anyone has died or if everyone will survive."
"You must make it clear to the people of Mocorito tonight that you will not be intimidated, that nothing can convince you to remove yourself from the presidential race." Roberto had glowered at Emilio, as if daring Emilio to contradict him.
Without blinking an eye, Emilio had shot back, "He cannot do that. It would send the wrong message. What if the people believe Miguel is not concerned for the welfare of those closest to him, that he is willing to risk other people's lives?"
While the two had argued, J.J. had persuaded Miguel to walk to the chapel with her. She supposed that eventually Roberto and Emilio would realize Miguel wasn't still there listening to them squabble, but she really didn't care. All that mattered right now was helping Miguel, doing whatever she could to relieve the stress he felt and ease the guilt eating away at him.
Though the small hospital chapel was devoid of the niceties of a real church, the small statue of the Madonna on one side of the altar and the large painting of Jesus on the cross hanging behind the altar gave the sparsely decorated room a spiritual feel. She wasn't Catholic, but she had attended services several times with various Catholic friends. She had been raised a Protestant, her father Baptist, her mother Presbyterian. It had always seemed to her that there was something profoundly reverent about a church, no matter what the denomination.
She sat beside Miguel on the first bench in a single row of six wooden benches. After he had lit candles for Juan's patients, he had taken a seat and closed his eyes. J.J. knew he was praying and that fact touched her deeply. After quite some time, she reached over and clasped his hand. He opened his eyes and looked at her.
"What would you do?" he asked.
"What would I do if I were you? Is that what you are asking me?"
"Yes."
"I would wait. I would not make any hasty decisions. We don't have all the facts."
"And if the worst happens, if someone dies and we know for certain someone poisoned the shrimp or the sauce?" He took a deep breath, then released it slowly.
"If our worst fears are confirmed, then you must decide what you are most afraid of on a personal level—of innocent people being killed or of the Federalist Party maintaining power and slowing the progress of Mocorito, possibly even taking your country back in time instead of forward."
"The many or the few," he said sadly. "You do not mince words, do you, Jennifer?"
"One of my many faults," she admitted, then said in English, "I call 'em like I see 'em."
He frowned. "Do I have the right to sacrifice others for a cause I believe in with my whole heart?"
It was a difficult question. One to which she had no answer. What would she do, if she were in Miguel's shoes? What if a family member's life or the life of a friend hung in the balance, and she alone had the power to decide their fate?
"You can give the people the right to choose for themselves." She paused, then looked him right in the eye. "I would definitely wait until I had all the facts, then if what we suspect is true, I would take this information to the people it concerns the most. Put their fate in their own hands. Speak with your family, closest friends and most avid supporters first and ask them what they want you to do. Then, if and when circumstances warrant it, go directly to the people in a radio or television broadcast."
The corners of his lips lifted in a half-hearted smile. "You are a very wise woman for one so young."
"Thank you." Everything in her longed to comfort Miguel. It was all she could do to stop herself from wrapping her arms around him and telling him she would make everything all right for him.
When the closed chapel door opened, J.J. shifted in her seat so she could glance over her shoulder. She nudged Miguel. "It's Dr. Esteban."
Miguel shot to his feet, still clasping her hand and inadvertently dragging her up with him. "Please, tell me you have good news."
"I have good news," Juan said. "Several of the patients are severely dehydrated and they will all be sore from the retching, but it appears all fifteen will recover completely. Probably by tomorrow morning."
"Thank God." Miguel grabbed J.J. and hugged her fiercely.
She threw her arms around his neck and laughed when he lifted her off her feet.
"Take him home, Señorita Blair," Juan said. "See to it that he gets a good night's rest."
"Yes, thank you, doctor, I'll do just that."
Juan nodded. "I must return to my patients."
"I will call first thing tomorrow to check on everyone," Miguel said as he set J.J. back on her feet.
"Come on, let's follow doctor's orders." J.J. tugged on Miguel's hand.
Just as they exited the chapel and had walked no more than ten feet, Dom came around the corner.
"Emilio told me he thought I could find you two in the chapel," Dom said.
"Have you heard the good news?" J.J. asked.
"Yes, just before I showed up, Dr. Esteban had informed Emilio and Roberto that everyone was going to live."
"Do you have any news for us about the food?" Miguel asked.
Dom shook his head. "It will be tomorrow sometime before we know anything for sure. Will Pierce will call me as soon as his people know anything. They took samples of all the food at Casimiro's buffet table before the police arrived."
"Good. Good." Miguel clenched his jaw.
"You don't trust the police?" J.J. asked.
"Some of them, I do. But many of the higher-ranking officials here in Nava are loyal to Padilla. They are, how do you say it in America? On his payroll."
"Then one of your first official acts as president should be to clean house in the police department here in the capital city." J.J. glanced
at Dom. "Are there any reporters downstairs?"
"Hordes," Dom replied. "That's why I had Carlos take the limo around to the back entrance to wait for us."
"Shouldn't I make some kind of statement tonight?" Miguel asked.
"Let Emilio or Roberto make it for you," J.J. said. "Have them say that you are well and greatly relieved that all those who got food poisoning at the dinner party are going to be all right. Leave it at that. For now."
Miguel put his arm around her shoulders. "You are quite adept at public relations, querida. You would make a most admirable first lady."
Dom lifted his eyebrows speculatively, the expression on his face clearly asking if there was something intimate going on between her and Miguel. She chose to pretend she hadn't noticed that inquiring look.
* * *
"What are you doing here?"
Diego was furious. She knew he would be, but she did not give a damn. Within a few minutes of learning that fifteen people had been poisoned at Anton Casimiro's dinner party, Gala had begun feeling guilty. Although she hadn't known that the vial hidden in her designer handbag had been filled with poison, she had suspected as much. What she hadn't suspected was that whoever had retrieved the vial from her purse had used it to doctor one of the food items at the buffet table. She had assumed it would be used in Miguel Ramirez's champagne. Not caring what political party ruled Mocorito, what did it matter to her if Diego and his friends eliminated the Nationalist Party's candidate? But poisoning fifteen people was something else. If they had died, it would have been mass murder.
"I came to tell you that I will not do any more of your dirty work." Gala glared at Diego. Even though she was still afraid of him and the power he held over her, the liquor she had consumed before coming to his home had infused her with false bravado.
"Lower your voice." He grabbed her arm and pulled her with him into the front parlor. After flipping on a lamp, he shoved her into the nearest chair and came down over her, bracing his hands on either armrest. "My mother and sister are upstairs asleep and several of the servants are still up and stirring in the back of the house."
"You should have told me that you planned to poison innocent people. I would never have helped you do such a despicable thing."
Diego laughed, then put his face up to hers. "No one died from the poison. Killing innocent people was not our goal. We simply wanted, once again, to show Miguel that he cannot protect his friends, family and supporters."
"And if convincing him that your people can harm those he cares about does not stop him, what will you do then?" she asked. "You should kill him. Hire another assassin. Don't harm innocent people."
"We do not want Ramirez dead," Diego told her. "Killing him would be a last resort. If he is killed, the people could turn him into a martyr and revolt. No, we cannot risk that. What we want is for Ramirez to withdraw from the presidential election."
"Why did you wait until only weeks before the election to—"
"Not until recently did we realize there was a chance he could win," Diego replied. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "Go home and sober up. And do not ever come back here telling me that you will no longer obey my orders. Have you forgotten that I could send you to prison, just like that?" He snapped his fingers.
"No, I have not forgotten." Tears sprang into her eyes.
He released his painful hold on her shoulders and yanked her to her feet. Their gazes connected for a brief moment and she thought she saw a hint of sympathy in his eyes. God, was she losing her mind? There was no sympathy, no compassion in Diego Fernandez. At least not for her.
He tickled her under her chin. She gasped.
"Be a good girl and do as you are told," Diego said. "I do not want to see you in prison. There are far better places for a beautiful woman such as you."
She shivered at his touch and hated herself for actually being aroused. There had been a time when she had thought herself in love with Diego. Years ago when she had been just a girl, she had admired her best friend's big brother from afar.
"If you please me, I will see that you become the mistress of someone very rich and powerful, perhaps one of Hector's ministers."
His words were like a slap in the face. What had she expected? Diego would never see her as she had once been—an innocent. A virgin, like Seina. No, he knew about her drug addiction years ago and about the men she had given herself to in order to support her habit.
"I am willing to do almost anything you ask," Gala said. "But please, Diego, don't make me a part of harming innocent people. Even I must draw the line somewhere."
He grabbed her arm and escorted her out into the foyer and through the front door. When they stood on the portico, he forced her to face him.
"Did you have any luck with enticing Ramirez? Perhaps you will be of more use to us if you can become his lover."
She started to tell Diego that there was no chance of Miguel Ramirez being unfaithful to his fiancée, that the man seemed hopelessly in love with the American woman.
"We spoke tonight at the party," Gala said. "And flirted a little." She had flirted; he had not. "A second meeting might prove more productive. A meeting where there are no snakes and no poison."
Diego laughed. "Go home, Gala, and tomorrow we will figure out a way for you to come in contact with Ramirez again."
A true friend would not have allowed her to drive herself home. After all, she had had much too much to drink. She wasn't exactly falling-down drunk, but she was far from sober. However, Diego wasn't a true friend. He wasn't a friend at all. He was a master manipulator who had no qualms about using her.
Gala managed to open her car door and get inside, but it took her several tries to stick the key into the ignition switch. Finally, she got the car started, then pulled out of the driveway and into the street. Less than two blocks from the Fernandez mansion, she heard the screeching of brakes and horns honking. Her last coherent thought was, "Did I run through that stop sign?" Then suddenly she felt a jarring impact as another vehicle broadsided her.
* * *
Seina Fernandez hid in the dark, in a secluded nook at the back of the entrance hall. Trembling, her heart hammering inside her ears, she held her breath as Diego closed the front door and locked it. After he walked up the stairs, she crept out from her hiding place just enough to look up so that she could see if he had gone to his room. Then and only then did she release her breath.
Only a few minutes ago, she had come downstairs to ask Conchita to prepare her some warm milk because she had found it impossible to fall asleep tonight. After an argument with her mother over her upcoming engagement party, she had been heartsick and longed to go to Juan for comfort. But what excuse could she have given for leaving the house so late in the evening? Slipping away to see Juan was much easier during the day. Since neither her mother nor Diego suspected she was seeing another man, they did not keep close tabs on her during the daytime.
Her life was already plagued by problems she could not solve alone. And now? Dear God in heaven, what would she do now that she had heard what her brother had done? What he had forced poor Gala to do? She had never meant to eavesdrop, had had no idea to whom Diego was speaking so harshly when she passed by the front parlor.
Why, oh why, had she not gone on to the kitchen instead of stopping to listen, wondering who Diego's late-night visitor was? How could she deal with this information, with the knowledge that her brother was involved in the plot to destroy Miguel? She had known, since their father's death, that Diego despised their half-brother, but she had never dreamed he was capable of such despicable acts. This was not the Diego she knew and had loved all her life. Yes, he could be domineering and controlling, as their father had been, but never cruel, never dangerous.
How could Diego have involved her best friend Gala in his murderous plots? He was actually blackmailing Gala, using her past drug use against her. There had to be some way she could help her friend, some way she could stop Diego. If she went to him an
d talked to him? No, that would accomplish nothing. If Diego's hatred had taken him over the edge into obsession, talk would not be enough to convince him how very wrong he was.
And speaking to their mother would be useless. She adored Diego so much that she would support him in whatever he chose to do, even if he killed Miguel with his bare hands. Perhaps she could not blame her mother for hating her husband's illegitimate son. Perhaps she would feel the same if her husband had betrayed her. But try as she might, she could not hate Miguel. In truth, she admired him.
Should she go to Juan and tell him what she knew? He could then go to Miguel and warn him. But if she did that, would she not be betraying Diego? Would she not be choosing one brother over the other?
Dear God, what must I do? Please, help me make the right decision. I do not want to betray those I love, but how can I stand by and do nothing?
* * *
Miguel, J.J. and Dom arrived at Miguel's home in the early-morning hours. Ramona met them at the door, concern in her weary, dark eyes. Miguel did his best to reassure his housekeeper that all was well, but knowing him as she did, she saw through his false optimism. He wanted to believe that today's three incidents were the beginning and the end of his enemy's scare tactics, but he knew better. Hector Padilla and his corrupt Federalist Party were running scared. Since all the independent polls showed Miguel winning the election by a wide margin, the opposition party had only one choice—either kill him or force him to drop out of the race. If they killed him, the people might turn him into a martyr and rebel against Padilla and his kind. The more Miguel thought about it—and he had been thinking of little else these past few hours—the more he realized that the best course of action for his enemies was to force him to withdraw his candidacy.
"Good night," Dom said as he paused outside his bedroom door. "Try to get some rest. Both of you."
"Good night." J.J. looked at Dom. "If you hear anything—"
"I will let you know the minute I get a call about the lab results."
RAMIREZ'S WOMAN Page 11