Coffee was served, and a short lapse in their chatter gave Paris the opening she had been waiting for. “Ben, your father and I, Olivia too, feel that you should take some time away before you return to London.” She waited to see his initial reaction before continuing. “Spain is a beautiful country. Go and make some good memories.”
Hugh chimed in and said, “Ana, wasn’t your grandmother from Spain, somewhere in the south.”
Surprised, Ana said, “Andalusia… But how did you know that? I don’t remember mentioning it. Did Ben tell you?”
Ben looked at his father quizzically while Ana tried to remember if she had even told Ben that little detail of her background. She believed she had not. Of course Ben’s father knew everything about her roots. Interpol had done a background check on Ana, and Hugh had clearly put his foot in it with that comment. He looked at his wife, who just shook her head and stared at the ceiling, waiting to see how he would get out of it. He didn’t want to compound the situation with a lie so decided to come clean. Ana was seated beside him at the table, Ben between his mother and sister. Hugh took a deep breath and began to explain the protocol he had practiced during his career, which had included frequent collaboration with Interpol. While he spoke, Ana maintained a stoic expression but looked down at her empty plate. His tone seemed apologetic here and there, but he related what he felt had been his responsibility to his family.
Hugh gently placed his hand on Ana’s arm. She looked up, turned, and their eyes met. “Dear girl, we’ve all grown to like you very much, but at the beginning, as a result of the attacks on Ben, we had to explore every avenue to figure out what was going on.” Ana nodded in understanding and Hugh continued. “You were basically a stranger in our midst. I admit that all my years dealing with theft and violence has made me cynical—and, I’m sorry to say, rather suspicious.”
Ben jumped in and said, “Dad, what did you do?”
“I wasn’t aware at first, but Interpol had decided it was relevant to have Ana’s background investigated. Given the coincidence of your first meeting and the first attack, they had to verify her identity and be certain that she hadn’t led you into the dangerous situation you encountered in London. We had to be sure she wasn’t a part of some kind of larger scheme. At that time we didn’t know that Olivia was about to be kidnapped.”
“Dad, it was supposed to be me. You know that, don’t you?”
Hugh indicated in the affirmative and then returned his focus to Ana, who had been quiet throughout, and said, “With more time to observe you, and given the way you’ve supported Ben and the family, I would have concluded that no background check was necessary. I can only apologize with the excuse that Ben’s safety was our ultimate concern… until the situation escalated.”
Ana smiled at Ben’s father, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I understand, and it’s okay. I get it. And you probably saw my father having gone to prison as a red flag. Right?”
Ben frowned, looked at Ana, and said, “I didn’t know that. But why should I? It’s your business, not mine. But now I’m curious.”
Ana felt she should tell Ben the story of how her father had been framed, but later, in private. His parents already knew, and they could tell Olivia.
Paris soon decided that her daughter had had enough excitement for one day, so she urged her up from the table, excused them both and hurried Olivia to the elevators. She planned to escort her to her room and put her to bed. Hugh then begged off, citing fatigue as his reason. However, he felt that Ben and Ana should have time on their own. They went into the hotel bar and ordered snifters of brandy, which they took to one of the leather couches. Ana held the snifter to her lips, sipping slowly, and Ben was reminded of that first night, the warm brandy glistening on those lips. He imagined then how they would taste, how they would feel if he kissed her. Now he knew and wanted more. Returning to the present he asked if she had the energy to tell him about her father. She said yes, but only enough for a condensed version. Ana began to share the facts about her background, and once she had started, the words flowed freely.
“My father was in prison when I was born. I didn’t meet him until I was almost six years old. He had no idea he was working on the periphery of a group smuggling artifacts that had been altered to contain stolen gems. Holes were carefully drilled into the bottoms, the stones were dropped inside, and a master restorer patched the materials. My father was a courier for a legitimate collector and made trips to countries where desirable items were for sale, usually by another collector. It was a small community of interested parties. But nothing being purchased or sold was stolen or pilfered from governments; however, they did end up being defaced.”
Ben was quiet, waiting for her to continue. Ana sighed, obviously saddened by the recounting of what had happened, but she went on, explaining the course of events exactly as Hugh had related them to Paris.
“What did your mother do when he went to jail?”
“Well, she delivered me shortly after he went away. I can tell you, it had to have been a terrible time for her. She had no idea how to support me, or if she did find a job, how to arrange care for an infant.” Ben reached for her hand and held it while she told the rest of the story. “Mother had learned a lot from my Dad about antiquities and the like, and she was able to find a job in a curio shop. The owner was a family man and allowed her to have me with her in the shop—even when I was a tiny baby. He obviously felt sorry for her and took a chance.”
“She must have had a guardian angel—if one believes in such things.”
“Seems that way. Maybe it was the owner of the curio shop. I remember his kindness.”
“Could be,” said Ben, smiling at the thought.
“By way of my heritage, my father’s Irish. My mother’s Spanish. Her family came from Andalusia. I always loved my grandfather’s name: Javier Alonso de Falla. It has a certain ‘ring’ to it. I always wondered if we were related somehow to Manuel de Falla. Silly I suppose. Anyway, my grandfather was a carpenter, and they moved to Seville to find work before coming to the United States. My grandmother was Sofia Cristina Jurado. I have her middle name.”
“Any family left in Spain?”
“Oh yes— my uncle, Juan Carlos de Falla. He spent most of his life as a Flamenco guitarist and vocalist. He’s getting up there in age but still tours with a dance company whose studio is in Seville. Most of the time he lives in Granada with his wife, Tereza.”
“You seem to do a good job of keeping up with everyone. Have you met all of them?”
“All but Carlos, his son. He owns a restaurant in Ronda. I think it’s called Alcazar— reminiscent of the Alhambra in Granada.”
“We could trace your family across a lot of Spain.”
Ana chuckled and nodded her head in agreement. My grandmother returned to Spain after my grandfather died and lived out her life in the town where she was born.”
“In Andalusia, right?”
“Yes, in Ronda.”
“Well, it’s clear we don’t know very much about each other—me more than you. My side of things has come at you full force.”
“That’s okay,” Ana assured him. “It will all balance out. We just need time to talk.”
“That’s quite a story about your father. What did he do when he got out?”
“The man who owned the curio shop decided to retire. He sold the shop to my parents and they still operate it.”
“Where?” Ben asked, obviously very interested in every fact concerning Ana.
“Cambridge… Massachusetts.”
“Wow…” he said, standing up and pulling her to her feet. “This gives me food for thought about a little respite before we go back to London. Let’s sleep on it and talk in the morning.” Ana was curious and preferred not to wait, but she nodded, stood up, and turned toward the elevators. Ben followed her.
Once they had entered Ben’s room, both seemed to deflate. Their fatigue was not yet assuaged and neither had slept well the prev
ious night. Ana asked Ben how he was feeling, whether he needed something for pain in order to get to sleep. He expressed that he was feeling better and didn’t need anything. She approached him and reached up to touch his shoulder, then his face, before asking if his ribs could take a gentle hug good night. He reached out, pulled her close and kissed her sweetly. One more night, he thought, then no more ‘adjoining’ rooms. His plan for their little respite would not include separate beds.
They hesitated to part for the night, but it was late. In spite of the hour and his discomfort, Ben asked Ana to wait, that he had something to say. She perked up and turned her attention to his expression. She couldn’t quite read it and hoped what he had to say wouldn’t be upsetting.
Ben sat down on the edge of his bed and said, “Ana, about these separate rooms. I know it has seemed silly to stay separate. My parents may have booked two rooms, but there was nothing keeping us from ‘sharing,’ if you know what I mean.”
“Yes, I know what you mean by ‘sharing,’” she said self-consciously. “But there were some rather good reasons to the contrary.”
Ben sighed, clearly being unsure how to explain why he hadn’t pushed for more togetherness. After a short pause he said, “Well, aside from the fact that I’ve been dealing with injuries, I was thinking about the ‘why’ of my parents making a two-room reservation.”
“It’s pretty clear to me, Ben,” she said, seeing that he needed a little help with his explanation. “Your parents didn’t know if we were in a relationship, or how far it had gone. But most of all, they didn’t know at that time whether or not I was to be trusted.”
Ben continued, shaking his head, admonishing himself. “ I have to admit, I’m almost forty years old and I still care what my parents think. I wasn’t comfortable with having them think we were ‘co-habiting’ in the midst of this family crisis.” He paused then added, “It seemed really inappropriate.”
Ana could tell he was struggling with his explanation in order not to have her feel she had been in any way undesirable, or that he was losing interest. That had gone through her mind, unbidden, but she pushed the thought away with logic and the reality of the situation. She decided to lighten the moment with a little humor and hoped he would take it that way.
“Ben, listen. First of all, I think your respect for your parents is lovely.” She waited a moment then looked him straight in the eyes and in a mock-serious tone added, “But aside from that, you wouldn’t really have been much good to me the last few days anyway!”
He took it the right way and said, “True… but I’m hoping to make up for that.”
Then came the smile, the one that made Ana blush and look away like an adolescent in the throws of first love. Ben stood up and walked to the chair where Ana had settled. “Get up, woman,” he said. She did as she was told and stood before him. He came close, lifted her chin to meet his gaze and said, “One more night—two at the most.”
She repeated his words back to him and he took her in his arms, kissing her in a way that did not say goodnight. They parted and Ana went through to her own room. She left the door ajar. Ben stood there, looking at the slightly open door, summoning his will power in order not to pass through it. He knew that in the morning he would wake feeling more like his old self. After pulling off his clothes he slid into bed, making the silent pronouncement that in the morning his aches would be gone and everything would be on the way to wonderful.
* * *
Ana’s eyes opened at dawn. The emotional roller coaster of the last few days had made for another restless night. Fed up with trying to get back to sleep she threw off the covers, got up and walked to the window. Street lamps still lit the plaza and whatever glow was rising in the east was out of her western view. This restlessness was about more than what had happened. The crisis was over, and now the reality of whatever was between them would be tested. No more adrenaline to fuel desire, she thought. Yet she scolded herself for doubting their connection. Regardless of how it started, they both had been swept along by circumstances— thrown together, really. Old hurts plied her doubts. She wondered if a broken heart was in her future.
She recalled what Paris had said— that Ben should get away and see Spain. Her name wasn’t mentioned. Was that an oversight, or was it a subtle message? It didn’t really matter in the end. Walking away from Ben wasn’t an option. Ana wanted him too badly, and if it were to be only an affair, she would have to take that and make the most of it. She continued to ponder the direction her life could be taking, and as she jumped from thought to thought her heart began to pound. Finally she returned to the bed and tried to quiet her brain. The only conclusion she could draw was that since the future was out of her control, she should live for the moment. This relinquishment brought her peace and she dozed off again.
After an hour or so Ana was awakened by the familiar knock on the adjoining door. She told Ben to come through then sat up in bed, unconcerned with her appearance as she applied the new ‘what will be will be’ attitude.
“I like you all tousled and with a sleepy-looking face,” Ben said, walking toward the bed. He put his hands on his hips and stared down at her.
Ana slid down and pulled the covers up around her neck. “Not too much of a shock I hope,” she said, using one hand to push the hair away from her face.
“You’re adorable,” he said, and proceeded to fling himself onto the bed, grab her and pull her over on top of him.
He held the sides of her face and began to pull her down for a kiss. She resisted and said, “Ben, we can’t! Remember… we have a little charade to maintain, and your parents could be at the door any minute.”
Ben groaned with frustration and conceded that she was right. He slid out from under her and off the bed. He had left the adjoining door ajar and heard a faint knocking coming from his room. He went through, pulling that door closed then answering the other. It was his father, who walked quickly into the room. Ben realized it was another close call, and he’d had enough of the pretense.
“Do you know when Valerie’s parents will get here?” Ben asked.
“They’re on the way from the airport as we speak. I imagine they will go straight to the hospital, but I’ve booked a room for them here.”
“That’s a relief. I don’t see how I could keep up this charade with Valerie for another day.” His father nodded in agreement, and Ben added, “Dad, I’ve got to get out of this town. So does Ana, but me especially. When do you think we could leave?”
“Well, I’m hoping they can consult with a psychiatrist, maybe a neurologist, shortly after they arrive at the hospital. They will ease her into the present— tell her that the two of you are divorced. Then we’ll see how she takes it and what’s to come after.”
“Should I be there?”
“My opinion is no. Your absence may help her to face reality. And for God’s sake, son, you’ve done enough!”
Ana hadn’t come through to Ben’s room to see who had knocked, and taking advantage of her absence he had the opportunity to talk with his father about his intentions upon leaving Pamplona. Ben made it clear that Ana had no idea what he was planning, but he hoped she would agree and even be excited at the prospect. He had put out a ‘feeler’ the night before, hoping to stir her interest. Hugh agreed wholeheartedly that it was a perfect idea and offered to do whatever he could to get things underway. Ben definitely needed some help in order to put things together in such a short time.
Hugh said, “I’d like to tell your mother, but that’s up to you, Ben.”
“Actually I’d like to wait until I’ve told Ana.”
“That’s fine,” his father answered. “But I’m sure she will be in favor of the two of you getting off by yourselves. This has been a crazy way for two people to get to know each other.”
“We really don’t know each other very well. I hope this time I’m planning will take care of that. I have to see what we’re like together when there’s no crisis and no one is trying to kill me.
”
“Smart move, son. You know we want you to be happy… and to put it in your mother’s words, ‘settled.’”
Hugh opened the door to leave, and as he stepped out into the hall, Ben said, “I wonder if she still wants to interview me…” His father laughed as he walked away down the hall.
He was emboldened by his father’s offer of help and hurried back to Ana’s room, stopping to knock lightly before slowly opening the door. Wrapped in the robe provided by the hotel, Ana was standing in front of the window. Ben walked over to her and put his arm around her shoulder. She was still tousled and as he turned to kiss her forehead he could detect a sweet and feminine morning scent that was new to him. He led her to a chair and told her to sit, that he wanted to share an idea with her— an idea for their ‘respite.’
She folded her hands in her lap, looked up at him and said, “I’m all ears.”
“First, I really need you to be sure about the name of your grandmother’s town. If you can remember anything specific about the place, maybe I could help.”
“I am sure. It’s Ronda. There’s a bridge, a really tall bridge. It’s just been too long to remember details from my parents. I remember saying goodbye to her though. I was a kid and didn’t realize I wouldn’t see her again.”
“Aha! The bridge. It must be Ronda. What I’m remembering is from university. We would-be writers take a lot of literature classes. Hemingway… ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls.’ It’s a favorite of mine. But never mind that now.
“It’s built on high cliffs and there’s a river running through the middle of town. I remember hearing that,” Ana said, sounding enthusiastic.
Ben got up and said, “Sounds spectacular. Let’s go down to the lobby and use one of the guest computers to get some details.”
Good Deed Bad Deed : A Novel Mystery Page 34