Fifteen minutes later, a car pulled into the driveway. A young woman got out and opened the back door to take a child from a car seat. She unlocked the front door and went inside.
“Do you think that’s Javier’s wife?” I asked, excited to finally get something.
“Maybe,” Ramos said. “We’re going to have to wait until Javier shows up to know for sure.” He was thinking it looked good for this to be the right place, and it gave him hope that Javier would show up soon.
“Do you think you’ll recognize him?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure I will.”
We watched for another forty-five minutes, with no Javier in sight. “Maybe he’s at school?” I said. “If he works full-time at a bank, then he’d have to go to school at night.”
“Maybe, or he goes to school in the morning and works late,” Ramos sighed. “A lot of banks stay open until seven.” He checked his watch. “It’s just past six-thirty now. Let’s give him a little more time to get home.”
At this point we were both sweating a lot, so Ramos turned on the car and ran the air conditioning for a few minutes. I rummaged through my purse and found a granola bar, which we split. Too bad I didn’t have any vitamin water left.
“Are you okay?” Ramos asked.
“Just thirsty,” I admitted.
“If he’s not here by seven-thirty, we’ll go get something to eat and come back. Can you wait until then?”
“Sure.” I settled back in my seat to wait, but every time I looked at the clock, only about two minutes had passed, and I was getting cranky.
At about seven-twenty, a car passed us and pulled into the driveway. Ramos sat up and nervous tension spilled off him. The car door opened, and a younger version of Ramos got out. He was more slender and not as tall, but he had the same angular face, deep-set eyes, and wavy dark hair.
“It’s him,” Ramos said, his voice a harsh whisper. He didn’t take his eyes off Javier, watching with undisguised longing as he entered the house. “I wasn’t sure. I mean, I guess I didn’t really believe it until actually seeing him with my own eyes.”
“That is so great,” I said. “He looks a lot like you.”
“You think so?” Ramos said. “He was always more like my mother’s side.”
“What do you want to do now?”
“I want to go talk to him, but…I need to think about it first.” Ramos was thinking that actually seeing Javier made it all more real, and he had to be careful about his next move. He didn’t want to bring trouble into Javier’s life, especially not with a wife and child involved. But he wanted to do something for him. If he could do that, he could leave without any regrets.
“I want to give him some money,” Ramos said. “I have more than I know what to do with, and I want to help him out.”
“That’s a great idea,” I agreed.
“Maybe in the morning I can get a cashier’s check from the bank, and we could give it to his wife. Tell her it’s an inheritance from a dead relative of Javier’s or something. What do you think about that?”
“That could work,” I agreed. “So you want to remain anonymous?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet.”
“What if Javier won’t take it unless he knows who it’s from?”
He shook his head, unsure. “We’ll figure it out then. For now, let’s find a place to stay that’s not too far from here and work out a plan.”
We left, driving slowly by the house for one more look, but couldn’t see anyone inside. Now that he’d found Javier, Ramos was feeling optimistic and pleased about coming to Miami. Seeing Javier had lifted the darkness of the past and freed him from the guilt he’d carried for so long. By giving him some money, he could finally help his brother. He smiled, thinking this was the best thing he’d ever done.
Ramos turned on the GPS and asked for the nearest motels to our location. It directed us to a Hampton Inn, and we pulled up ten minutes later. Before we got out of the car Ramos glanced at me, his eyes shining with a glint of mischief. “It’s our last night together,” he began, lowering his voice and smiling seductively. “Want to tempt fate and share a room?”
I knew he was mostly kidding. “And if I said yes, what would you do?”
“Babe…you don’t want to say that.” This time he wasn’t kidding.
“You are so…” I glanced up, trying to get my composure back. “Fine,” I said. “The answer is no. I want my own room.”
“Okay, just checking.” He chuckled.
“That is so not funny,” I said, pushing thoughts of Ramos’ bare chest out of my mind and substituting them with thoughts of my husband. I loved my husband. Especially when I thought about being with him tomorrow. That wasn’t long. I could certainly wait until then.
“Shelby,” Ramos said. “Are you coming?”
“Yeah.” I got out of the car and followed him inside. He was thinking that maybe he’d pushed me a little too far that time and vowed to do better. I let out my breath, glad to hear that, and a little burst of anger came over me. He must have some idea how he affected women, right? He shouldn’t do that to me.
We checked in, and Ramos gave me the key to my room. Our rooms were right next to each other on the third floor, and both had two double beds. Nothing fancy like the last time, but I was okay with that. After getting settled inside, Ramos knocked on my door. “Let’s get some dinner and make plans,” he said.
The restaurant across the street looked good, and we settled in at a corner booth. “So how much money are you thinking of giving Javier?” I asked, after we placed our orders.
“I was thinking fifty grand. What do you think? Is it too much? Not enough?” He was struggling with this. He’d never had relatives to worry about before.
“Sounds all right to me,” I said. “He’d have a hard time saying no to that much money, plus I think he’d be pleased, especially if he thought it was an inheritance of some sort. It all depends on if you want to remain anonymous or not. You’re probably the only relative he has. Do you think he’d figure it out?”
“Maybe, but I’ve been out of the picture for so long, I doubt he even remembers me.” He shook his head. “Seriously, since I haven’t shown up in his life for fifteen years, he’s probably forgotten all about me.”
“Okay. I have an idea. Why don’t we go to the house in the morning with the check? I’ll pretend that the benefactor is my client, and I’m looking for Javier as the recipient of the money. To verify his identity I could ask a personal question, like something from his childhood that not everyone would know. When he answers correctly, I’ll present him with the check and my card to call if he has any questions. How does that sound?”
“That sounds really good,” he said.
“That way, he’ll have my number as a contact. Actually, you can use me to go through if you want to stay in touch. That would keep him safe and one step removed from you.”
“Yeah. I like that. Let’s do it that way,” he smiled. “It will also give me a little more time to decide whether I want to actually talk to him or not.” He was thinking that part of him was worried that Javier wouldn’t want anything to do with him. Did Javier know Ramos thought he was dead all these years? Or did he think Ramos had abandoned him? If Javier thought that, he probably wouldn’t want anything to do with him. Maybe it was better to let him think he was long gone. He just didn’t know.
“We’ll figure it out tomorrow,” I said, patting his arm. “I can talk to Javier without you there, and I’ll know what he’s thinking. If he wants to see you, maybe it will make a difference in your decision.”
“Yeah, okay. That could work.”
We got back to the hotel, and Ramos opened the door to his room. “Babe, I know you want to come in,” he teased. “But I’m beat.” He was thinking that after taking care of Carson last night, he’d only had two hours of sleep. “See you in the morning?”
“Sure,” I smiled. “Sleep well.” His door shut, but I wasn’t quite ready to call i
t a night. With him out of the way, I was free to head back down to the strip mall next to the hotel. I’d had enough of my jeans, and it was either get them cleaned or buy something new. I decided something new was the best way to go.
I found a nice department store and made my way to the women’s section. A quick browse turned up some tan capris in my size and a cute lemon-yellow cap-sleeve t-shirt to match. Gazing in the mirror, I was pleased to find the lemon-yellow color perfect for my skin tone.
Nearby, I caught sight of some nice, tan, three-inch high, wedge sandals and had to buy those too. Now when I talked to Javier tomorrow, I’d look more professional. In the jewelry department, they had the cutest gold earrings with yellow and turquoise cut glass squares and a matching necklace, so I got those too. Not only did they finish off the outfit, but I had a tradition of getting a pair of earrings from each new city I visited, and since I was in Miami for the first time, this definitely qualified.
I got back to my room, happy with my new purchases, and finally ready to go to bed. I had to set everything down to get the key card out of my pocket and open the door. A sinister sensation of being watched sizzled between my shoulder blades, and I quickly glanced behind me.
Seeing nothing, I shook my head at how silly I was, but it kind of creeped me out, and my heart raced. I quickly opened the door and practically threw myself inside, not wasting a moment after it shut before I slid the security chain home.
Lucky for me, I’d left the lights on in my room, and I glanced around to make sure everything was all right. Nothing seemed out of place, and I tried to relax. I was getting freaked out for nothing. What was up with that? It was probably everything I’d been through lately catching up with me. Still, I wondered if I should check on Ramos. Was he okay in there, or had someone gotten to him? No, that was silly. He was fine. It was probably just that this was the first time we’d been apart since he’d come to my rescue, and I was making a big deal out of it.
I got ready for bed and tried to sleep, but I was wide-awake, so I turned the lamp back on. I tried to think rationally about my fears. Was anyone after me? Did anyone know I was here that could be after me? No and no. I was perfectly safe. It was all in my head. I was an adult. I could be alone and be okay.
I fluffed up my pillow, and turned out the light. An hour later, I turned the light back on. This was ridiculous. What was wrong with me? I kept wondering if I’d made the right decision not to check on Ramos. What if I got up the next morning and he was gone? I’d seen movies where stuff like that happened.
Exhausted, I picked up my cell and called him. It rang five times before he answered. “Ramos, it’s me.” I said.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I can’t sleep,” I said. “I just wanted to check and make sure you’re okay.”
There was a long pause before he answered. “I’m fine.”
“Good. Then I’ll see you in the morning.” I hung up really fast, embarrassed that I’d woken him up. But seriously, what if something had happened?
My phone rang. It was Ramos, and I quickly picked it up. “Is your door locked and bolted?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Then you’re fine,” he sighed. “Go to sleep Shelby, I’m right next door. You can call if you need me, and I’ll be right there.”
“Okay, thanks Ramos.” We disconnected and I sighed, feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. After that I fell right to sleep.
***
The ringtone from my phone startled me awake. I cracked my eyes open to find light streaming through a gap in my curtains. What time was it? I scrambled to find my phone lying under the covers and quickly answered. “Hello?”
“Shelby,” Ramos said. “Did I wake you up?”
“Um…yeah.” I considered lying, but what was the point?
“I just wanted to let you know that I’m on my way to the bank for the cashier’s check. I thought when I got back we could go to Javier’s house. If you’re ready, that is.”
“Oh sure, I’ll get ready while you’re gone.” We disconnected, and I was shocked to find it was already eight-thirty. I hurried to take a quick shower and got dressed in my new clothes just in case Ramos showed up before I had time to put on my makeup and do my hair.
It was a good thing, because he knocked before I got my hair done. I opened the door and let him in. “I’m almost done getting ready, but you can come in and wait if you want.”
“Okay,” he said. His brows pulled together in confusion before putting it together that I had on new clothes.
“I got them at the strip mall next door after you went to bed last night,” I explained, walking back into the bathroom to dry my hair.
“Oh,” he said, thinking they were nice, but he kind of liked the Lady Gaga tee I had on yesterday. It reminded him of the night I picked it up and sang, “Ale-Alejandro, Ale-Alejandro. He smiled just thinking about it.
I quickly turned on the hairdryer and got busy with my hair, a catch in my chest to think he felt the same way I did about that shirt. A few minutes later, I finished up with a little hairspray and put my earrings and necklace on, then came out into the room. Ramos was looking out the window.
“How did it go at the bank?” I asked, gathering all my things and stuffing them into my carry-on bag.
“Good,” he said. “I’ve got the check right here.” He patted the envelope in his inside jacket pocket. Now that the time had come, he was a little nervous. What if Javier was angry that Ramos had left him and didn’t want anything to do with him? Maybe it was better to remain anonymous.
“You’ll do the right thing,” I said, sending him an encouraging smile. I sure didn’t have the answer to that one. “Let’s just play it by ear and see how it goes.” I went through the bathroom and bedroom one more time to make sure I had everything. “Okay, I’m ready to go.”
Ramos took a deep breath and nodded. He held the door open for me, and we hurried down the hall to the elevator. Checking out of the motel was a breeze, and soon we were headed back to Javier’s house. Ramos left the top up on the car on account of my newly fixed hair, and I appreciated that he noticed.
We drove by the house, parking two doors down. With one car in the driveway, it was a pretty good bet that someone was home. “Is that the car his wife drove yesterday?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Ramos answered.
“Then this is perfect,” I said. “We can talk to her first to get her reaction. For fifty grand, I imagine she’ll call Javier to come home from wherever he is, and you can give him the check yourself.”
“I think you should take the check, since you’ll be doing most of the talking. I mean, you are the one with the consulting agency.” He handed it to me. “Just tell her you’re there on behalf of your anonymous client. Then we’ll see how it goes.”
“Okay,” I agreed, putting the check into my purse. “What personal question should I ask him? I was thinking of your mother’s maiden name. Is that all right, or is there something else that’s better?”
“No, that should work. Her name was Rosa Anna-Maria Mendez. She never married.” He was thinking that she came to the U.S. from Cuba with his father, but they didn’t marry because she could get more government assistance as a single mother. Then his father went to work one day and never came back. They never knew what happened to him, but she believed that only death would have kept him away from his family. Ramos was too young to remember much, and Javier was just a baby, but his mother was never the same after that. She used to smile and sing, but not after his father left.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
Ramos shook his head. “Don’t be. It was a long time ago.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “Let’s go.”
We walked up the stairs onto the wide covered porch, and I rang the doorbell. From the way my heart was pounding, it felt like it was my long lost brother we were looking for instead of his. I figured I was picking up on some of Ramos’ nervous energy. I’d never se
en him so unsettled before, but it made perfect sense. I just hoped it worked out. I couldn’t bear the thought of it all going wrong.
A beautiful young woman opened the door. Her hair was long and wavy, framing big brown eyes and slanting brows that drew together, questioning our presence at her doorstep.
“Hi,” I said with a friendly smile. “I’m Shelby Nichols, and this is my assistant, Ramos.” I waved in his direction, hoping he was okay with being relegated to assistant status. “I have a consulting agency, and I’m representing a client who I believe left some money for your husband. It’s quite a lot of money, and it’s been my job to find the person it belongs to. I’m hoping it’s your husband. The name I have is Javier Moreno. Is he here?”
“Not at the moment,” she said, opening the door and coming out onto the porch. “How much money is it?”
“It’s fifty thousand dollars, but I need to verify his identity before I can give it to him. I can’t just hand it over without making sure he’s the right person,” I said.
“Of course,” she agreed. Her mind was racing, thinking how wonderful all that money would be. At the same time, she couldn’t think of anyone they knew who would give them that much money. It was hard to believe Javier was the right person, but if he was…it took her breath away. “He’s at school, but I’m sure he’d come home if you can wait to talk to him. Just let me call him.”
“Sure,” I said. “Here’s my card.”
She opened the door and took it. “Thanks. I’ll be right back.” She went inside and I heard her excited chatter through the screen door. She came back a few minutes later, opening the door wide. “He’ll be here in about twenty-five minutes. Do you mind waiting?”
“Not at all,” I said.
“Please come in and have a seat.” She ushered us into a small living room with a worn-out couch and loveseat. There were a few toys on the rug, which she quickly picked up. “Sorry for the mess. We have a little boy, and I let him play in here.” The baby chose that moment to cry from the other room. “Excuse me, he just woke up.”
“That’s fine. Go take care of him,” I said.