To Angelica’s amazement, the place was full. It was a Wednesday night, but it proved that people either didn’t have time to or preferred not to cook. Angelica faked a smile when Aunt Maria hugged her and Uncle Jorge showed all thirty-two pieces of porcelain in his mouth. They seemed to be a nice couple, and it was quite obvious they adored their handsome nephew.
“Whatever the lady wants,” Santiago said, placing a juicy kiss on Aunt Maria’s cheek. “She needs some cheering up…hasn’t gotten used to the Hamptons.”
“We got what she needs,” Aunt Maria said. Angelica’s eyes bulged.
Aunt Maria continued with an accent, “Girl, what’s not to love in the Hamptons? I go over once a week and clean the house for Roberto, and then I go out and sit on the deck, if the weather permits, and catch the sun. Sometimes I stay over if I drink too much tequila and can’t make it back to town. When Roberto is gone, Jorge and me housesit for him; and we have the run of the house. That’s the only time the oven gets turned on, except when we’ve catered a party or two.”
Angelica listened intently. It explained why she hadn’t seen any domestics at the place, although she hadn’t seen Uncle Jorge or Aunt Maria either. Santiago always brought food home or took her out. She pondered this. Santiago relied on them for a lot of things, but she’d bet her last dollar they relied on him as well. There was nothing thicker than blood.
“His place is beautiful,” Angelica said. “I love the view of the ocean and the spaciousness of it all, but lately I’ve been missing my family, and I’m feeling lonely.”
“Her cousin was murdered a month ago, and she’s been under the weather,” Santiago said, watching Angelica out of the corner of his eye. “I’m going to see to it that she gets what she needs to make her happy again.”
“Well, let me take your order,” Aunt Maria said with a wide smile. Uncle Jorge tapped his finger like Angelica had seen Santiago do earlier, and then he disappeared.
Santiago took the liberty to order their food and then excused himself. Angelica watched him go through a door off the kitchen-the same one Uncle Jorge had disappeared through. She played with a book of matches that had El Conuco written on it, tossed it in her purse, and gazed around the room.
There were two waitresses who saw to it that everyone was taken care of. People chatted around Angelica as if they had no cares in the world. A snappy number rolled over the loudspeaker, and several couples hopped on the floor in the rear of the restaurant. Their bodies were engaged in a salsa dance that included smooth fancy footwork. Other patrons joined in, clapping their hands to the spicy Latin beat.
Angelica was sipping on a Margarita when she noticed a black man in braids dart into the restaurant and out the back where the others had gone. There was something different…strange, like he didn’t belong there, yet familiar. She sat up straight and searched her brain for why he aroused her curiosity. Sitting back in her chair, Angelica caught her breath. He wore an old Army field jacket that was too big-it was the man who got on the bus outside of Central Prison.
What would he possibly be doing at Santiago’s family’s restaurant, of all places? Was he working for Santiago? Maybe he was following her, but why?
Angelica felt sick. Her food had not come yet, but she had to get out of that place. She didn’t know what was going on at El Conuco, but she was getting the hell out of there.
She scrambled from her seat, went to the counter and asked the waitress to get Aunt Maria. Aunt Maria was flying from the kitchen uttering something in Spanish when she saw Angelica. “What is it, Angel?” Aunt Maria asked.
“Would you please let Santiago know that I’m sick and that I need to go home now, please?”
Maria looked at Angelica as if she were a nurse, trying to determine the cause of her illness. “Wait a minute, Angel. I don’t think he can come right now. Diego,” Maria called to the cook and then uttered something in Spanish. Maria turned to Angelica, “I’ll be right back.”
Maria returned and told her the driver would meet her outside in five minutes. Angelica thanked Maria and offered her apologies about dinner. She went to the table, grabbed her things, and headed out the door.
Headlights blinded her as she stood near the curb, but the car stopped and Niko got out and opened the door for her. They road back to the Hamptons in silence. All the while, Angelica’s brain processed what she had observed. Something was not right, but her mind wouldn’t let her find any order to her mishmash of discoveries.
34
Angelica sat on the couch, toying with her cell phone and feeling glad Santiago had left. He was in an ill mood, partly because he didn’t take kindly to her leaving the restaurant last night and because something hadn’t gone according to plan. He was shouting obscenities at Sammy and Dominic when she waltzed into the kitchen to find something to eat. Santiago sneered at her and then announced that the three of them were leaving. It didn’t matter to him that she didn’t feel well last night; he didn’t ask how she was doing or even bother to check on her. Angelica didn’t care. It was time for her to make her break.
Lifting her cell phone, Angelica dialed Ari’s number. She felt awkward but hoped he would answer. Weeks had passed, in fact, it was a month to the day since she had seen or spoken to him even if the moment was brief at Donna’s funeral.
Thinking back to the day she left Ari made her realize what had probably caused him to wash his hands of her. She didn’t want to go with Santiago, but she knew the power he wielded and that her death warrant would probably be imminent if she didn’t go. It was Ari’s look of disgust that had hurt her the most. He was a good lover, and she was beginning to feel more for him than she had planned to.
The phone continued to ring until Angelica ended the call. She threw it down on the couch and grabbed her sides, contemplating what she would do next. She didn’t know how long it would be before Santiago returned, and she had to activate a plan before it was too late. She picked up the phone and dialed again. This time, Ari answered, obviously annoyed.
“What is it, Angelica? I thought I told you not to call me again. I’m busy.”
“Ari, when I get an opportunity, I’d like to explain all of this.”
“Don’t bother. I don’t care what you’ve done, whom you’ve been with, or any sordid story of your life. I don’t give a damn. Got it?”
There was a moment of silence. “Ari, I need your help.”
“I’m done helping, Angelica. Helping you has caused me nothing but heartache and grief. I can’t believe that one woman can wreak so much havoc in a person’s life. And to think, I really felt something for you. How could I have been so blind? A fool I was, but not any longer. Good-bye.”
“Ari, please don’t hang up. I really need you. I’m in trouble.”
“You’re always in trouble. What’s new? You were in trouble the moment you set foot in New York, and you’re not going to drag me down into any more of your desperate situations. Donna would probably be alive if you hadn’t shown up.”
“Don’t blame Donna’s death on me, Ari. I appreciated her giving me an opportunity. She may not have been my best friend, but I would never have killed her.”
“So what is it you want, that you had to call me to help you? Where is that big, bad boyfriend of yours?”
“I promise to explain all of that to you, but right now I’ve got to get out of New York.”
“Leave New York? Where are you going? What’s so urgent that you have to leave now? What if the police come to question you again?”
“Settle down, Ari. I don’t have much time. My ex-husband was murdered, and I need to get to North Carolina. I need you to rent a car for me. It would be much cheaper than trying to get a plane ticket. I don’t have any transportation to get around, and Santiago has made it next to impossible for me to leave his place without him. Please, Ari, I need you to do this for me.”
“Why should I do this for you, Angelica? I can’t get involved in your mess. You didn’t hear me when I said I hated being used.”
