Living Without
Part Eleven
"Corruption and misunderstandings within the family will bring them down. There's no avoiding it. No one will see it coming," Ben spoke as he puffed on what remained of his Cuban cigar.
"This has conveniently worked out for us."
"Of course!" Ben exclaimed. "And it will continue to be that way. Michelle has unknowingly helped us with everything. She'll be dead by tomorrow. That's if Danny really is where you think he is."
"I'm sure he has Michelle somewhere. It can't be a coincidence that someone other than the Bauers shows up at the same exact time as my men. And to top it off, you suddenly have Danny and Juan Carlos 'reacquainting' themselves?? It's too perfect."
"Isn't this guy the son of that one legged mob boss from Gainesville?"
"Yeah, that's him. Juan Carlos Alvarez."
"He has a highly credible reputation for performing 'magic tricks'," Ben remarked.
"Yes," Dietz replied. "All the more reason why I believe he has something to do with Michelle's disappearance. And Danny is in on it. I know he is."
"Certainly he would be. Juan doesn't act without instruction."
"I see you've been doing your homework on this guy."
"A little," Ben said. "It helps to know who you're up against. According to what I found out about him, he has never been linked to any of his jobs. And he's quite the snoop."
"Problem?"
"Not one I can't handle," Ben replied. "It really doesn't matter who has Michelle now because the way I see it, if Danny has indeed seen her, his marriage to Alejandra is as good as canceled. With the Ramirez-Santos merger no longer happening, Escobar Ramirez will definitely be out for blood. The family will come after Danny, his children, and his beautiful mother. They will all be as good as dead."
"And that leaves the hierarchy of the Santos family-"
"Wide open," Ben completed. "And according to the police, we will have had nothing to do with it. This is a cause for celebration!" he remarked as he brought his feet down from atop his desk and went to get a bottle of champagne from out of the little fridge that was in his office. He brought over two glasses and sat one in front of Dietz.
"Don't you think it's a little too early to be throwing a party?" Dietz asked as Ben popped the cork and poured the drink into the glasses. "To our future," Ben said, holding his glass up in the air. "As the next leaders of the Santos empire."
**
Danny came back into the house and quietly shut the door behind himself. When he turned around, Juan had come out from wherever he had been and was staring at him.
"Where'd you go?" he asked as Danny unzipped his soaked jacket and proceeded to peel it from his body. "You weren't out in the rain all that time, were you?"
"Get Lis back here," Danny spoke, ignoring the man's inquires as he dumped his jacket on the floor by the door. He then walked past Juan and continued into the parlor.
"Now??" Juan was confused. "In this weather?? What the hell do you need her for?"
"Why must you always ask questions?!" Danny barked. "Just get her here. Tonight."
Juan remained perplexed by the request, but he went to fetch his phone to call the woman regardless. Just as he was doing that, Danny dug into the pocket of the jeans he had on and pulled out his cell.
"Here," Juan called at him and when Danny turned around, he was thrown a dry towel and Juan then disappeared again.
Danny simply draped the towel over his shoulder and examined his phone to make sure it still worked. He used the towel to dry it off as best he could, and then he turned it on and listened for a dial tone.
"Hello?"
"Yeah. It's me."
"Danny?" Pilar asked, straining to hear. "Where are you? We have all been worried sick!"
"I'm fine, Pilar," he replied as he held his temples. "Is that Michael and Danielle I'm hearing?" he asked while glancing up at a clock on the wall. "It's hours past their bed time."
"I know, but they wouldn't sleep. Alejandra and Mama tried everything, but they wouldn't even close their eyes. I attempted to give them a bed time tale, but they both demanded to get some story about a fairy princess and a bad man? Dani says that only you know it and that she will not settle for anything less. You know, you've got a very stubborn daughter, Danny."
"Tell me something I don't know," he remarked. "Could you put her on the phone?"
A second later: "Hi, Daddy!"
"Hey, baby. What are you still doing up?"
"Hi, Daddy!" Michael had run into Pilar's bathroom to use the phone there.
"Hey, man," Danny greeted, trying to sound as calm and collect as possible. Hearing their precious voices caused his eyes mist as he remembered what had transpired earlier that night.
It was the most uncomfortable of feelings. For the first time ever, Danny felt as if he had betrayed his children in some way. He felt as if he had denied them of something that was rightfully theirs. Something they had every right to know about.
Having been able to keep it together for the ten minutes that he spoke to Danielle and Michael, he managed to get them to agree to go to sleep without a bed time story from him. They were disappointed, but he promised to make it up to them. He gave them the choices of either getting one from their dear Mama or going to bed without one, and they chose to go with the latter. He didn't blame them for not wanting one of Carmen's stories which always ended with the big guy figuratively eating up the little one; stories of which almost always led to either one or both children waking up in the middle of the night.
"I love you, Daddy."
"And Daddy loves you even more, sweetheart," Danny replied. "Please go to sleep, alright?"
"You'll be here tomorrow?"
"Yes, I'll be there. And don't cry when you hang up. You hear me?"
"Yes," Danielle replied and Danny could hear a quiver in her voice. "If you cry, there won't be a story tomorrow."
"I'm not crying!"
"Tell Mikey I said good night."
"Okay. Good night, Daddy."
"Good night. Sweet dreams."
"Hello?" Pilar was given the receiver.
"She's crying, isn't she?" Danny asked his sister.
"You know how Dani is," Pilar replied.
"They'll go to sleep now, so, um, let Alejandra know so she can get them out of your way."
"My way? Danny, I have no problem with my niece and nephew staying here with me," Pilar informed him. "And if you don't mind me asking, how is it that you call my line instead of the main one? Did you know the kids were here?"
"No. I just didn't want to deal with Mama or Alejandra."
Pilar laughed. "I don't blame you for that. They'd give you the third degree! They're going out of their minds trying to figure out where you are."
"I'm still with Juan. They can now rest in peace."
"When are you coming back?"
"I don't know. Sometime in the morning," he answered, and they exchanged a few more words before their conversation came to an end.
In the middle of the room, Danny just stood. His arms hung limp by his sides, one hand barely clutching onto his phone. He stared blankly at nothing in particular as his mind searched for an answer to the same question he had been asking himself for the past hour: what had he done?
It was as if his entire being had shut down after that shot was fired. What indeed had he done? His heart burned with pain he never imagined he could ever feel. His chest felt tight and the warm air he was inhaling seemed to be composed of toxins.
Danny brought his hand up to his chest at the unbearable pain that was torturing his soul and he staggered to a nearby seat and dropped himself into it. He was having a hard time breathing and the agony he was experiencing grew even more intense. He sat back against the seat and closed his eyes, willing it all to go away, but no matter what he did, it just got worse. He tried to breathe as calmly as he possibly could, trying to focus on anything but Michelle.
"Danny? Hey man, are you alright?" Juan questioned, coming up to his friend and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you hurt?"
Danny shook his head as he continued with his slow breathing. "Are you sure?" Juan asked, truly concerned. "You look like you're in pain."
"Please, Juan. Let this go," Danny begged. "What did Lis say?" he asked, changing the subject.
Juan took in a deep breath, not wanting to talk about anything else just yet, but he knew Danny wasn't going to utter a word more regarding whatever was bothering him. Juan also knew that whatever it was had Michelle written all over it.
"I need to go get her," he finally replied.
"Alright. Then go ahead," Danny said, opening his eyes and bringing himself to sit up.
"What about the body?" Juan motioned upward with his head and Danny glanced up.
"I'll take care of it," he replied.
"You don't have to do that, Danny. I said, I'd help you. That's what I'm here for."
"Just go and get Lis. And get back here as soon as you can," Danny told him as he got up from the seat and he went over to stand by the fireplace.
Juan wanted to say something more, but sighed instead. As he turned to leave the room, he said, "You never thought it would hurt this much, did you?"
Danny squeezed his eyes tightly shut and swallowed hard, not uttering a word in response to his friend's question.
**
As Pilar came into her mother's sanctuary, she found Carmen consoling Alejandra who appeared to be crying and nodding her head as Carmen spoke to her.
"When wasn't she ever crying?" Pilar thought to herself. "What's going on? What's the matter with her?" she asked in a clearly audible voice, making it known that she had come into the room. "Is something wrong?"
"Alejandra is upset. She's worried about your brother," Carmen replied as she continued to comfort the woman.
Given that excuse, Pilar burst into hysterical laughter and cleared her throat seconds later when Carmen and Alejandra both gave her sharp looks.
"Danny called my room a few minutes ago," she casually informed them as she strolled further into the room. "He's alright, so you have no reason to cry."
"Gracias, Dios!" Alejandra exclaimed in relief.
"I told you he was okay," Carmen said to her. "Did he tell you where he was?"
"Nope," Pilar replied nonchalantly. "He did say something about the storm being too much for him to drive back tonight, so he'll be home in the morning."
"And he's with Juan Carlos?"
"Not that it is any of your business, Mama, but yes," Pilar replied. "He's with Juan Carlos. Danny was able to put the children to sleep, so now you don't have to worry about spraining those brain cells of yours as you try to come up with a story, Ally. Oh!" Pilar suddenly exclaimed. "Look at the time. Don't we have the florals for the wedding to check out tomorrow? I'll be heading to bed and leave you and my mother to further bond. Though I don't think it is possible for you to bond any more than you already have."
"Pilar!" Carmen called for her, but she had already left the room. "Don't pay her any mind. That girl. I swear she must have a split personality."
"Pilar will never truly like me. I know and I've come to accept that," Alejandra said. "I just feel sorry for her because she's going to have me to deal with for the rest of her life."
"Lovely ladies," Ben bellowed as he ushered himself in. "What are we still conversing about at this time of night?"
"I can assure that it had nothing to do with you," Alejandra quipped.
"Ouch! That stung a little. Just a lil' bit," Ben remarked and then gave her one of his fictitious grins. "A beautiful woman such as yourself with such a nasty attitude is not at all attractive, Ally."
"If you haven't noticed, I'm already off the market. I'm engaged and I'm getting married!"
"Umm hmm," Ben murmured as he gulped down the burning liquid he had poured for himself.
"I'm going to bed," Alejandra said to Carmen as she stood from her seat and they exchanged kisses. "Good night, Mama."
"Night, sweetheart," Carmen replied.
Alejandra threw a disgusted look in Ben's direction before turning to leave, and he gave her another one of those grins she hated, raising his glass to her.
"Good night, sweetheart," he mimicked and when she was out, his eyes drifted to Carmen. "When you look at me that way, you completely turn me on."
"Go eat bricks, Ben!" Carmen spat out for lack of anything else better to say from off the top of her head. "Why do you insist on giving the girl a hard time? I wish you'd stop that."
"You just like sucking the fun out of my life, don't you?" Ben asked as he approached Carmen.
"What alternative hobby do I have?"
"I can think of one," Ben remarked and smiled slyly.
"Yes, I'm sure your dirty mind can," Carmen said as she circled her desk. "Isn't it time for you to retreat to the room?"
"I heard that Michelle is back in town," Ben mentioned out of the blue.
"It doesn't take two minutes for anything to fly around this house now, does it?"
"Weren't you going to tell me?"
"Of course, I was, Ben. I just can't stand to hear that name, let alone say it."
"Then don't. Come to bed with me."
Carmen looked at him incredulously. "I have a crisis on my hands and here you are offering to take me to bed!"
"It was an innocent request, Carmen."
"Just as innocent as your past attempts to seduce me were."
Ben stared at her momentarily before speaking up again. "Why are you letting this get to you? What is it that you always do when a problem arises? You eliminate it."
"Can't eliminate my problem if I don't know where it is," Carmen remarked. "If Danny knew she was in town, THEN I'd say they were both at their beloved Crystal Springs at this very moment. However, I doubt that is even possible. Danny hasn't been to that place in years."
"You really don't know your son, Carmen," Ben murmured under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Hmm? Oh, no. Nothing," he replied as then returned to the liquor.
"Ever consider joining Alcoholics Anonymous?" Carmen asked, getting tired of his imbibing of all her good drinks.
"Feeling lonely going to the meetings all by yourself?" Ben asked as he sipped on some whiskey. He looked over at Carmen and saw that she didn't like how he turned her insult around. "Bed time?"
"Go to hell, Ben!" Carmen snipped and she marched her way out of the room.
"Go to hell first," Ben sung with a smug grin and he brought his glass up to his lips for another sip.
**
"She didn't act like she knew anything."
"If you were her, would you mention it?" Dietz asked.
"What is she going to do now?"
"If I had the faintest clue, do you think I'd be standing here talking to you?"
"And what about Danny?" Alejandra asked. "Does he know?"
"Maybe," Dietz replied, not wanting to give her a straight answer. "With him, anything is possible-"
"No!!!" Alejandra yelled and Dietz took a step back. "He can't know!" she cried. "I've come too damned far for that Michelle to ruin everything for me!" she said, pacing from left to right. She then came to a stop and looked at Dietz. "Mama must be afraid that Danny knows about Michelle. That's probably why she wants me to hurry up!"
"Hurry up?" Dietz was lost. "Hurry up with what?"
"Do you have any kind of drugs?"
"Whoa, girl! Slow down. You're hyperactive enough as it is-"
"I need you to do me a really huge favor," Alejandra said, not bothering to respond to his comment. "My whole future is riding on this."
"I thought your whole future rode on Danny's prick."
"You know something? I don't even know why I bother with you, old man," Alejandra said as she started to leave.
"Hold on," Dietz grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. "If I do you this favor, what is it that I get in return?"