Twisted Lies

by Robin Patchen

  As soon as they sat, a server placed a large bowl of tortilla chips in the center of the table and small bowls of salsa and queso in front of each of them—perfect for little Ana, who dug right in. Marisa ordered a cheeseburger and fries and tried not to notice Nate's stare as she conversed with the waiter in Spanish.

  Most of the meal was spent laughing, catching up, and shooting pictures with their phones. Nate promised to get the photos printed for her, especially the ones of Leslie and Ana, if she could share her address.

  If only they could've been a real family. At least her sister'd had the opportunity to meet her daughter. It would have to be enough.

  Dinner was enjoyable, but beyond the laughter and stories, the seriousness of their visit hung over them like steam from the fajitas the servers carried by. They smelled so good, Marisa almost wanted to order some of those, too. When they got home, she would miss the variety of delicious food she'd sampled on her visit to Acapulco. It had taken her a long time to get accustomed to the local diet. Now she'd have to do it all over again. Totally worth it, she thought, as she bit into her cheeseburger. She ate every bite.

  Ana scarfed down her french fries. "These are yummy, Mama! We should make them every day!"

  "You know Carlita doesn't like to fry foods. It's not healthy."

  "Maybe we can make them at home. Miss Carlita won't even know!"

  Marisa giggled. "We'll see, pajarita."

  Ana pointed to the fountain. "Can I go play, please?"

  Marisa looked around and saw mostly families, tourists, wandering by. The fountain was only a few feet away, just beyond the half-wall between the restaurant and the market. And Ana was very well behaved. "Promise to stay where I can see you, okay?"

  "Sí, Mama."

  "Remember, if you can't see me—"

  "Then you can't see me. I know, I know."

  Sometimes, her daughter seemed four going on fourteen.

  "Okay. Be good."

  Ana skipped away, and Marisa turned back to Leslie, who was pulling out her credit card.

  The waitress cleared the table. "You want anything else?"

  "No, thanks," Leslie said.

  Nate had twisted in his seat to watch Ana, who'd climbed on the edge of the fountain and was walking around it as if it were an oversize balance beam.

  "Nate?"

  He turned to her. "You really think she's okay?"

  Marisa's seat faced her daughter, so she could keep her in view. "She's fine. Have you talked to Leslie about what you think she should do?"

  Leslie looked at Nate. "What?"

  He leaned forward and blew out a short breath. "You're not going to like it, but you don't have any choice. You're going to need to go to the police."

  Leslie pushed back in her chair, scraping it loudly against the tile. "No. No way. They said they'd kill me."

  Marisa leaned toward her. "But what choice do you have? The police can protect you."

  "Says the girl living in Mexico."

  Marisa sat back, kept her eyes on Ana. She hadn't trusted the police to protect her, true. "But they thought I stole the money, too. I was afraid they'd throw me in prison. Or, even if they did believe me, by the time I convinced them, Charles and his guys would have killed me."

  "I know. I understood at the time, anyway. But running made you look guilty. Maybe you should've stayed, proved—"

  "How could I prove it?" She glanced at Nate. "I had no alibi for that night. I hadn't left my hotel room."

  "You could have tried," Leslie said. "Instead, you ran away. And left me holding the bag."

  "What bag? How did it affect you at all?"

  "It's affecting me now!" Leslie's shout had heads turning from the surrounding tables.

  Nate leaned forward, between them. "Let's calm down. Arguing isn't going to help."

  Leslie crossed her arms. Marisa kept her focus on Ana, who was teetering as if about to fall into the water. Marisa started to get up, but Ana straightened and continued her stroll along the edge of the fountain. One wrong move and she'd go over. Marisa prayed she'd land softly in the water and not against the brick pavers on the other side.

  All she wanted was for her daughter to be safe. She looked back at Leslie's scowl. She wanted her sister to be safe, too.

  Marisa sighed. "I never meant for you to get hurt."

  "But here we are."

  "I don't know how to help you. I have no idea who took the money."

  "You must have some guesses," Leslie said. "You need to come back with us—"

  "Absolutely not." Marisa pushed back from the table, then made herself stay seated. "I can't."

  Nate faced Leslie. "How would that help?"

  "Maybe Marisa knows something she hasn't even thought of yet."

  "She and I went over all of it. Many times. I don't think—"

  "God forbid something happens to Marisa." She turned to her sister. "What? Are you afraid they'll find you, after all these years?"

  "I am, obviously, or I wouldn't still live here." She leaned toward her sister and held out her hand. "But I don't want anything to happen to you, either."

  Leslie slipped her hand into Marisa's and squeezed. Leslie had never been the touchy-feely type, and the gesture meant a lot to Marisa. "I'm sorry I'm being such a jerk," Leslie said. "I never understood before how you felt when you ran away. Now, I think I do, at least a little. It's hard believing people want to hurt you. And look at all you've done here. I so admire you for making a life like you have. And I miss you so much." She looked at the table, took a deep breath, and looked back up. "You know how I get when things are out of my control. I'm not mad at you. I'm just... I'm scared. Will you forgive me?"

  "Of course. Always." She checked on Ana, saw Nate was watching her daughter, and focused on Leslie. "I want to help. I just don't know how."

  "Help me figure out who stole the money."

  "They're not going to hurt you." Nate turned his attention to Leslie, so Marisa watched Ana.

  "You're the only chance they have at getting their money," Nate said. "As long as they think you can get them the money, you're safe. You have to go to the police before they realize you can't help them."

  Leslie pulled her hand out of Marisa's. "No way!"

  Marisa blew out an exasperated breath. Her sister was still stubborn as a jackass. Daddy had always said that, and now that Marisa had seen enough jackasses in Mexico to last a lifetime, she had to agree.

  "Please, Marisa." Leslie leaned across the table and took her hand again. Marisa could feel her sister shaking. "Please help me."

  Marisa squeezed. "If not for Ana, I would risk anything to protect you. Truly. But I can't take her out of the country. She's not legally my daughter." Marisa considered the situation. "Why don't you stay here with us?"

  Leslie yanked her hand back. "Right. And do what?"

  "I don't know. I could get you a job at the orphanage, or somewhere in Chilpancingo." Marisa loved this idea—to have her sister close by! "You could live with me until—"

  "I'm not moving to Mexico. Are you nuts? What about my business?"

  Marisa sat back. "I'm sorry. I'm just—"

  "Why can't you leave Ana at that orphanage you keep talking about?"

  "I'm not going to leave her. What kind of a mother—?"

  "You're not even her mother yet. And we're not talking about leaving her forever. Just until we figure this out."

  "It's been eight years, Leslie. After all this time, what do you think I can tell you that you don't already know? That Nate and the authorities don't already know?"

  Tears filled Leslie's eyes. "I don't know. It's just my life, but hey, don't worry about it. Your daughter's more important than your sister."

  "I never said that, just—"

  "Forget it." Leslie pushed her chair back and stormed around the corner toward the restrooms.

  Marisa sat back and sighed. "What am I supposed to do?"

  Nate's eyes softened. "It's an impossible choice."


  "If I thought I could help, I would. I'd try, anyway. But I have no idea who stole the money. Never did. Doesn't she think that if I knew, I would have told the FBI? I mean, I'm here because everyone thinks I took it."

  "I know. Your sister knows, too. She's just scared."

  Ana had stepped back onto the ground and was leaning over the edge of the fountain, her fingers dipping inside. She was probably trying to figure out how to get to the pennies below. Marisa looked back at Nate, who'd shifted his gaze to watch Ana, too.

  There was nothing else Marisa could do. They needed to return to Chilpancingo tomorrow and catch a ride home with the guys from her village. At least she and Ana would be safe. If Leslie didn't want to join her, that was her choice.

  Leslie returned from the restroom and approached Ana, and the two of them sat on the side of the fountain and talked.

  "I'm glad they got to meet," Marisa said. "I've talked about Leslie a lot, tried to tell her about the rest of our family."

  Now that Ana was safe with Leslie, Marisa could focus on Nate. His warm brown eyes held hers, and he reached out and took her hand. "You're a wonderful mother. I'm proud of what you're doing here in Mexico. Your sister would be, too, if she weren't so scared."

  Poor Leslie. Marisa knew exactly how it felt to be targeted, threatened, given impossible choices. Leslie had been her rock after their mother died. They were both orphans then, since Daddy'd already been gone a year at that point. But Leslie'd been older, established. Aside from her father's family in Puerto Rico, whom Marisa had never met, Leslie was Marisa's only relative.

  She'd do anything to help her sister, except abandon her daughter. Tears stung her eyes.

  "Hey," Nate said. "It's going to be okay."

  Marisa wiped them away with her free hand, the other still gripped in Nate's. She felt safe when he was with her, always had. Hadn't he kept her safe in New York all those years ago? Maybe he could do the same for Leslie. "How is it going to be okay?"

  His gaze dipped to the table. "I don't know."

  "You'll help her, though?"

  He looked up with a sad expression she couldn't identify. "A lot of stuff has happened. I don't know how much help I could be, honestly. She needs to go to the police."

  Marisa was about to ask about that stuff when she spotted Leslie and Ana walking toward her, holding hands.

  "We're going for a walk," Leslie said. "She wants to show me a toy store she saw yesterday."

  Marisa stood. "Okay. Sounds good."

  "We thought we'd go alone, if that's all right with you."

  "I'd rather stay with her."

  "Don't you trust me?"

  "It's not that, Leslie." She stifled the irritation. "I just don't usually leave her."

  "I'm her aunt." Leslie squeezed Ana's hand. "We'll be fine. We want to get to know each other a little."

  Marisa looked from one to the other. "Okay. I guess. We'll meet you back here in... How long?"

  "An hour. Okay?"

  Marisa nodded and sat back down and watched them leave. As soon as they were out of sight, she stood. "Let's go."

  "We could stay. You want to get a drink?"

  "I don't drink."

  "Still?"

  "I need to stay on my toes. Always. Alcohol makes you vulnerable." She took in Nate's tall, strong frame. "Well, maybe not you, but it makes me vulnerable."

  Nate gave her a look she couldn't quite decipher. "I understand being vulnerable." He stood, and they walked to the entrance of the restaurant. "Where are we going?"

  "I never leave Ana anywhere alone but the neighbor's and the orphanage, and even then, I'm always close by."

  "You left her with me yesterday."

  She had, hadn't she? "Well, that was different. There are too many people around here. I'm just being paranoid, I know, but we're going to follow them."

  "Let's go."

  THE SHOPPING PLAZA had filled with tourists while they'd been at dinner. Now, with the evening coming, tiny lights lit up the trees and bushes that dotted the outdoor market. American music Marisa didn't recognize was piped through hidden speakers, just loud enough to make the atmosphere festive. Laughter filtered from the many restaurants they passed, as did the scent of every kind of food imaginable. Marisa was full, but if she spotted an ice cream place, she might have to force down a scoop. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had ice cream.

  Marisa and Nate followed Leslie and Ana, who held hands and window-shopped. After about ten minutes, they ducked into the toy store. Marisa leaned against a large planter a couple of stores down to wait.

  Nate perched beside her. "If your sister knew you were following her, would she be annoyed?"

  Marisa shrugged. "She wouldn't understand. If she were annoyed, I'd probably deserve it. Leslie was a good big sister. I'm sure she'll be a fine aunt."

  "But you're worried."

  "Not about Leslie's ability to watch her. It's just... There are people who want me dead. That's not a fear you get over."

  Nate stared toward the store's front door and nodded. "I know what you mean."

  Seemed he did, too. Interesting.

  "It's been a while," Marisa said. "Maybe we should go in and check on them."

  Nate checked his watch. "It's been three minutes."

  "Oh." She tapped her foot. "It feels longer."

  Nate nodded. "So tell me what your life is like."

  "We get up, dress, and walk to the orphanage for breakfast. We stay there until late afternoon, after siesta. Most everybody rests."

  "Not you?"

  "I never got into the habit. I read or prepare lesson plans. It's a quiet time in our village. My least favorite time of the day. My thoughts sometimes drift to New York and what the streets would look like. To how many people would be out at that time." She forced a smile. "But there's no place I'd rather be than with Ana."

  "You really miss New York."

  "Yes. And no. I miss America. I miss warm showers and soft sheets and all the luxuries that seem like necessities. I miss tall trees and snow and warm boots and..." She watched the store front. Even this place seemed a million miles from her little village. "I'm not sure I could go back to the city now that I've become accustomed to rural life. Even here in Acapulco, all the noises and all the people—strange faces I don't recognize. It makes me nervous."

  "You could probably get used to it again."

  She could get used to this. To Nate, to the feeling of safety she had when she was with him. To those warm brown eyes peering at her so intently. She'd missed those eyes. Even when she was still grieving Vinnie, she'd known Nate was special. He'd changed since then. She suddenly really wanted to know why. "What about you? I saw you quit—"

  "There they are." Nate nodded to the store's entrance, where Leslie and Ana stepped out, hand-in-hand. Ana swung a plastic bag in her other hand and filled the air with her chatter. They turned in the opposite direction from where Nate and Marisa sat and continued their stroll. "They still have forty-five minutes."

  "I wonder if Leslie will get tired of her?"

  "How could she?" Nate asked. "Ana's delightful. I'm more worried about Ana getting tired of Leslie."

  Marisa batted his arm. "Stop. That's not nice."

  "Sorry." His smile said he wasn't, but she didn't push it. Leslie hadn't been herself on this trip. She'd been argumentative and short-tempered, unusual for Marisa's big sister. But after what she'd gone through, it was understandable.

  They passed a jewelry store, and Nate paused. Marisa peered over his shoulder to see the display of watches. "Nice. You going to get one?"

  "Those are Rolexes." He pointed to a gold one. "That's probably fifteen, maybe twenty grand."

  She stuck her nose in the air. "Cheap junk. I much prefer a Timex."

  As he chuckled, a local came out of the store and approached. "You would like to look, maybe for the lady?"

  She giggled. "Go ahead. I'm going to keep following."

  "Um..."

&
nbsp; She walked away before he could say anything else. She didn't want to lose Leslie and Ana, but Nate didn't have to share her paranoia. If he couldn't find her, they'd all just meet at the restaurant. Though she'd prefer to spend the hour with Nate, maybe she'd be better off walking away. Everything about him was magnetic. She couldn't get pulled in.

  And she didn't need him to walk with her. She could do this alone. The thought had her checking over her shoulders. Shoppers, tourists, employees. She was safe here.

  She peered ahead, through the throng of people who suddenly seemed to be moving at the speed of cold honey. Leslie and Ana had to be just ahead. After a minute, Marisa still didn't see them. "¡Perdóneme! Excuse me," she muttered as she pressed through the crowd. Her stomach filled with panic. Foolish. Her daughter was with her sister. And Leslie would take good care of Ana.

  Tell that to Marisa's racing heart.

  She reached the stairs that led to the road at the entrance to the shopping plaza and looked down. There they were, crossing the street toward the bay. The traffic had stopped for the light, but one car whizzed from far down the street in the empty right lane, gunning straight toward them. Marisa opened her mouth to shout a warning, but there was no way Leslie could hear her. The car approached faster, and Marisa had a flash of insight, what life would be like without the two people she loved most in the world. The thought stole her hope.

  At the last second, the car screeched on its brakes and slid toward them.

  Leslie yanked Ana forward, and the two bolted to the far side. They'd barely touched the sidewalk when the car sped by.

  Marisa leaned against the stair rail, breathing as if she'd just run a marathon, and watched as Leslie and Ana made their way to the water, untouched.

  Marisa sat on the top step away from the crowds and watched them walk in the gentle waves. Ana was diligent to keep her dress lifted high, so it didn't get wet. She was careful with her things, the few she had. Her daughter had learned to appreciate possessions like most American kids never would. Not that Marisa wanted that for her. She wished she could spoil Ana like Daddy had spoiled her.