I WOKE IN the Americana suite bed for the last time. I had lain down to sleep, to grab a quick twenty-minute nap before our long trip down south. Marie sat on the edge of the bed with her hand resting on mine, patiently waiting for me to wake. She wore her best maternity clothes.
Everything else was ready and packed in two small wheeled bags. Now that we had to change our plans to take Stephanie along, we had to travel light. Marie left a great many things, mostly clothes, neatly folded in a stack over by the window with a note for the housekeepers to do with as they pleased, along with items we’d accumulated over the last two months: books, puzzles, games, and toys we had planned to bring home to the children but no longer had the room. On the nightstand sat a fat white envelope with the name “Megan,” our regular housekeeper from the hotel. There would be a nice thank-you note from Marie with a thick stack of U.S. currency. Marie always over-tipped.
The light from the sun had moved across the room’s floor, making it about three o’clock in the afternoon. I’d slept more than four hours while she’d gotten everything ready. I got up, kissed her on the cheek, and dressed in the clothes she’d laid out for me. I groaned with pain as I slipped my arm in the shirtsleeve. At the same time, I couldn’t help but look at the wall of photos she’d left up for housekeeping to take down. Hundreds of photos of the dual crime scenes: the one of Emily’s house, and the place where Lilian Morales’ body had been dumped on Skid Row. Marie had taken down the awful photos of Lilian’s body and destroyed them. All the rest were still up. Left there for a last-minute pondering while I slept.
“I’m sorry it turned out the way it did,” Marie said. This, the first time we’d spoken of what had happened since I’d come through the door eight hours earlier, along with Drago carrying a recovering Waldo.
“Hmm,” I replied.
“I don’t know if I like you saying that.” Her voice was low, almost inaudible.
She must’ve figured out where I’d gotten it from—Helen. “Sorry, I won’t use it again.”
“I’m so glad we are finally going home.” She squeezed my hand.
“Me too, babe.” I sat on the bed to put on my shoes.
“That’s it,” she said. “No more, right? We are going home this time and never coming back.”
I stuck my arm around her shoulders, pulled her in close, and kissed the top of her head. She smelled of lilac. I took in a large whiff, closed my eyes, and held her. “Never again.”
“No more of this,” she said. I couldn’t tell by the tone if it was a statement or a question.
“Bruno?”
“No. You’re right. We are putting that world behind us for good. No more. Never again.”
“Promise?”
I said nothing.
“Bruno?”
“Babe, I don’t want to lie to you. What if … what if a rabid dog goes after one of the kids. Rabies isn’t as controlled in Costa Rica as it is here.” I said it with a smile in my words. “Come on, let’s get on the road; we got a long trip ahead of us.” I took her by the hand and helped her up. She mumbled something I couldn’t hear. She hesitated and took one last look at the wall of photos. I watched her eyes take it all in one last time, not stopping on any one photo.
Chulack would be backtracking the entire investigation trying to find the path he’d missed, interviewing his daughter and son-in-law. Maybe he would find the answer, maybe he wouldn’t. Too much time had been spent on the false lead, the phony ransom request. Now the odds worked against him.
“Come on,” I said. I tugged her hand. “Let’s leave this all behind.”
I wheeled the two bags out into the living area. Helen sat on the big couch with Stephanie’s head resting on her lap. Stephanie was asleep while Helen gently stroked her blond hair. Helen looked up at us with pleading eyes. She didn’t want us to leave with Stephanie. The world just wasn’t fair. All the reckless and foolish rules that would separate loved ones who needed each other didn’t make any sense at all.
Drago sat over on the floor with his back against the wall, Waldo’s head in his lap as he gently stroked the big dog’s fur. Drago shouldn’t have been leaning against the wall with the sutures in his back. A twinge of guilt clouded the room; Waldo had been hurt protecting me, a debt I could never repay.
Over by the door to the second bedroom sat Mom in her wheelchair. She had wanted to continue with her ruse of being wheelchair-bound. She’d saved my life and I couldn’t go against her wish. If Marie ever suspected and asked, I’d tell her the truth, but for right now, I’d keep mum on Mom. I went over and extended my hand to her. She took it. I gently squeezed and smiled. “I forgot to tell you thank you.”
She smiled. “Well, that’s more like it. Give us a kiss.” I bent at the waist and kissed her wrinkled cheek. I whispered, “Dad really doesn’t know what he’s in for.”
“Son, you can just keep that little gem to yourself.”
She’d called me son.
She smelled of White Shoulders perfume, sparking an ancient memory that couldn’t really be there. I’d been far too young when she left to have a valid impression.
I let go, turned to Helen, and said, “You can come visit anytime you want. You’re always welcome.”
Helen nodded. Her chin quivered a little as she tried hard to hold in her feelings.
Drago grunted too loud.
“You too, big man. You can come visit anytime you want. As soon as you get taken off the no-fly list.” I smiled.
He frowned and then smiled at my joke. He struggled to his feet. “I’ll take the bags down to the minivan.”
Helen eased Stephanie’s head off her lap and stood. She hugged Marie and whispered to her, “Thank you so much for doing this. I promise I’ll send you money.”
Marie didn’t answer. Her eyes stared off into never-never land. Helen took a step back and looked at her. “Are you okay?” Helen looked to me for help.
“Babe?” I said, starting to get worried, moving toward her. The baby. Was the baby coming?
Still in a trance-like state, Marie turned and hurried back into the master bedroom. Everyone watched her go.
She came right back out seconds later. She held photos pulled down from the wall in both her hands. Her mouth sagged open; her eyes wide. “Bruno? Oh my God, Bruno!”