Trust
MeChapter 12
One month later...
Dietz paced back in forth in front of the public telephone outside the motel. He was getting restless. He had learned to be patient through his long years of working in the organization. Sometimes it was best to wait for things to come to you. If things went well, Nino would have the information he needed and then he could move on. Carmen was ever present in his mind. He longed to prove to her his love and loyalty.
"Damn it Nino.", he muttered, blowing into his hands, trying to find some warmth. The weather had turned for the worse.
A car passed by slowly and Dietz hung his head into the lapel of his rain coat. He knew he had little time left. He had to move. He had no doubts Nino would come through for him. If he wanted to live, that phone would be ringing and soon.
The shrill ringing of the phone caused him to jump. He reached for the receiver and barked, "What do you have?"
"Dietz, anxious are we?" Nino was being cocky.
"Give me the information Nino.", he said curtly. At one point in time, Dietz had taken orders from Nino. He relished knowing that he was in control now and that Nino was simply his lackey.
"Dietz, rule number one, don't rush things."
"Nino, I got a little envelope here, ya know, it contains these great pictures of you and Mario Triconi doing some business. Now wouldn't your dear Papa love to see you and Triconi exchanging money? I think he'd love the picture of you carrying those bundles too. My personal favorite sequence of photographs are of you sticking your pinky in that bag, immediately followed by the one of you stickin' that finger in your nose...Give me the fuckin' information, now."
Nino brought his legs down from the top of his fathers desk. He licked at his lips and ran a hand through his hair. His father would never let the drug involvement go. Nino knew he'd be dead, if his father knew. It was an old family tradition; lie, cheat, steal, kill, but never bring drugs into the family. His Uncle Leo had been the first to break the family rule. He hadn't lived long enough to explain.
He hissed into the phone, "I've got what you wanted, but..."
"But nothin' Nino...", This kid was getting on his nerves.
"Dietz I want those pictures and the negatives."
"Come through for me and maybe we can work something out."
"Listen, the stuff I got came from one of our servants, Sofia. She's friends with Pura. According to Sofia, Pura is in love with Danny and she's always hanging around him..." Nino got a lot of his information from Sofia. She knew someone in every household. It had been a lucrative "relationship". Sofia willingly gave up what she knew every time Nino needed. In the process he got laid and Sofia thought of herself as the luckiest girl in the house.
"Get on with it." Damn! He could care less about the soap opera life of Pura Sanchez, one of the maids at the mansion.
"Anyway, Pura says Michelle is with Ray. Danny's been on a rampage. He's, in her words, "very angry." Pura over heard Danny talking to Father Ray about taking Michelle to Puerto Rico. Apparently Ray has some connections there through the Church.
"So they're in Puerto Rico in some convent or something?" Dietz questioned.
"No man! The idea is for them to stay in an apartment in Old San Juan. Ray is watching over her.
"You done good Nino.", He hung up the phone before Nino could respond.
"DIETZ!" He flung the phone across the room. Sweat covered his brow. He needed those pictures. "Think Nino, Think!" Suddenly he knew what to do. Two could play the same game.
Ray stared out the window into the deep dark blue of the ocean. He felt the warm tropical breeze settle around his body. The moonlit waters were calm.
Silence.
He exhaled deeply and wondered about Michelle. She had not uttered one word to him since their meeting in the car. They had rode in complete silence to the airport. She had boarded the private plane without questioning their destination. Upon arrival at the house she had stared at her new surroundings with a haunted look that had made him feel uncomfortable causing him look away.
On occasion he caught glimpses of Michelle walking through the house. If it hadn't been for the brief communications he had with Rosario, the young girl who cooked and cleaned, Ray would have believed he was alone. Rosario assured him that Michelle was eating, though not a lot. She told him, "Mrs. Santos seems very sad...she reads and writes in a book..." . If it weren't for those daily reports Ray would have broken the door down.
He had tried to get Michelle to open up to him. He'd begged through the closed door for her to let him explain. He eventually yelled at her for being so stubborn. And still there was nothing. Michelle had chosen to leave him out. He felt like a traitor. He knew she felt betrayed by him. What was he to do? How could he not do what his cousin requested? How could he not protect her?
There had been no communication from Danny either. The phone lines had remained quiet. Ray hadn't expected him to call. Those minutes in the car while Michelle pleaded for her husband to answer the phone without success had convinced Ray that Danny would not be in contact. Danny had shut him out as well.
"Maybe it's better that way. God give them the strength to find their way back to each other..."
The waves crashed against the shore.
Silence.
Danny walked through the garden of his home.
He stared at the pile of leaves on the ground. He thought about his sister. Closing his eyes he could see her playing on the swings that had stood in this spot years ago. Pilar, lost to the senseless violence his family name represented...
"Danny, higher! Push me higher!" , she squealed with glee.
Moving on, he caught a glimpse of his brother Mick running through the trees...
"Bang! Bang! I got you Danny. I got you!"
A fitting memory...
Reaching the rose garden he remembered...
Music played softly and his parents danced in the moonlight. It was late. He was supposed to be in bed, but he was mesmerized watching his mother and father move together. His mothers smile...Happiness.
He found himself by the pool. He stood on the terrace and smiled. Michelle wrapped in his arms after a midnight swim...
"Danny, I love you. I'll always love you."
The memory of her soft touch was vivid. It amazed him that four weeks had passed without seeing her, or hearing her voice. Danny had not dared call Ray. The one thing keeping him from placing the phone call was the knowledge that in a heartbeat he would go to her. He couldn't face her now. The look of disappointment on her face was far more painful than any look of anger she could cast his way. Dealing with Michelle's anger was easier.
Michelle would never trust him again. She would never again willingly place her life in his hands. The decision to do so had come easy when he thought of her alive and well. Safe. That was all that mattered. His wife, his love, his Michelle would not be harmed by anything having to do with his familial connections.
Who are you kidding? She's been done far more damage by you. You violated her trust. She believed in you. Michelle believed in you...
He stood up and walked back to the house. John rushed to meet him.
"Nino's here. He says he has information. I think you'd better talk to him."
Danny walked into his office and faced the man who had almost killed them all.
"Nino. What do you know?"
"Danny, Danny, always so straight forward. Hello", he reached out his hand.
"Nino. I don't have time for this." , Danny ignored the outstretched hand.
"Santos, you better watch your back . Actually you better watch your wife's back.", said with contempt. He spat the words at Danny. Hating Danny's condescending behavior.
Danny had felt his blood boil. Finding it difficult to hold back his anger, he flung Nino across the room and pinned him against the wall, "What do you know about my wife?"
"Let's just say that a certain someone, knows about the island retreat. He's headed that way." He laughed then.
"Where is he Nino?"
Nino smirked.
"I'm gonna kill you." Then he punched Nino in the stomach.
Crumbling to the floor, clutching his gut, Nino tried fighting back. Danny continued his assault. His fists flew in fury. In a fog, he heard the yells of John and the others.
John was finally able to intervene and separate them. Helping Nino to his feet he said, "Nino, Danny's obviously not in the mood for your little game. What do you want?"
"Fuck you! Your wife's as good as dead Santos.", said through a mouth full of blood and chipped teeth.
"You're dead!" Danny rushed him again.
A voice thundered through the room.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"
"Mama stay out of this! Jimmy give me your gun."
Jimmy hesitated.
"Danny, come on. You don't want to do that. Let me take care of this...", John tried bargaining with him. In his mind he remembered his promise to Danny's father...I won't let him do this.
"Daniel, I demand to know what he is doing here!, Carmen shouted.
"Jimmy give me the GUN!", he strode towards Jimmy who held the weapon in his hands.
"Carmen...help me.", Nino pleaded.
"Danny stop this!", she stood in front of Nino blocking Danny's aim. "Put down that gun! Put it down!"
"Get out of my way mother!", his hand remained steady. If the gun was fired, the resulting bullet would strike Carmen directly in the face.
"Put it down, Daniel. You can't do this...I don't want you..."
Danny began to laugh.
"This is just perfect...ha ha...You--You.." he waved the gun at his mother, "You don't want me to shoot."
"Danny-I...", Danny turned away from her. "Nino speak.", she composed herself.
"Carmen, I'm here to help. I know where Dietz is."
"So he says...", Danny interjected.
"No Daniel, let him speak. I want to hear this."
Nino then explained all he knew. "...Dietz is going to kill Michelle. Then he's going to come after Danny...All for you Carmen. It's all for you..."
On that note Danny stared at his mother. His eyes bore into her soul. Carmen turned her eyes downward unable to meet his gaze. She looked up only when she heard the door to the room close.
Danny was gone.
She walked to Nino. "You're father will be told of this. Out of respect for him, I'm going to allow him to deal with you. I can't offer you protection. I won't." Turning to John she said, "Get him out of my house."
On a plane headed for the Caribbean, Dietz sat in seat 24B, sandwiched between an old lady who had not stopped praying since lift-off and a young woman with a screaming baby on her lap. He thought of his plans. Here I come Michelle...Here I come.
