by Dawn Tamayo
***
Sergeant Romero Sanchez had been sitting in his hire car watching as Helen sat outside the Estepona police station. He hadn’t planned to sit and wait for her to be taken away by the man who was rightfully in her life, but now that the time had come, he couldn’t pull himself away. A part of him needed to see that Helen was going to be safe, and another part couldn’t resist the temptation to have another look at the man who was taking the love right out of his life. He knew he had no right to despise Oliver Chapman, but he did. He knew that it wasn’t Oliver Chapman’s fault he felt like his heart was being ripped out piece by piece, but then again he needed to blame someone other than himself, because right now he was in too much pain to inflict that on himself as well.
Romero watched as Helen sat on the bench looking at her hands as she played with the strap on her handbag. He wished he had had more time with her, so he could have bought her a present, something to remember him by and she could be sitting there right now playing with a beautiful bracelet or necklace from him. Romero saw the big black Lexus coming up the road in his rear view mirror and instinctively knew it was Oliver Chapman. He watched as the big car stopped in the no parking zone and the tall man got out of the car. Romero tutted to himself at the man’s flagrant disregard for the law, it was a no parking zone for a good reason, not private parking for the rich. Romero noted the police officer standing just inside the doorway - he suspected Oliver Chapman’s ‘friends’ in the police station were probably well looked after, especially if they ignored him breaking the law right under their noses. Romero watched as the man walked over to Helen and she stood up - he was secretly pleased she hadn’t run straight into his arms. But after a moment the tall man, wrapped his arms around her and Romero felt sick to his stomach as he watched Helen put her arms around him, letting him hold her close in an intimate embrace. Romero watched as Helen cried in the man’s arms - he wondered if, now that she had seen her fiancé in the flesh, her memory was coming back to her. Either that or she was relieved to be back where she belonged! Whichever it was Romero knew he had to go, and he had to let Helen go - she was no longer his, if ever she really was. He stayed a moment longer to watch Oliver escort Helen into his car, and then the car was gone. Romero hung his head, he needed a moment before he could drive back to the train station, and he swallowed back a lump in his throat as the palms of his hands hit out at the steering wheel several times. Taking a deep breath he looked up at the road ahead of him and turned on the ignition. He heard the car roar to life, and checking his mirrors he pulled out onto the road and drove off, Romero had a train to catch.
That night Romero reported for duty as normal and carried out his shift in his usual vigilant manner. For the first time in a very long time he wished there was more action going on to keep his mind occupied, and he hadn’t enjoyed the quiet moments in between the minor incidents he had to deal with. His mind had wandered back to Helen, wondering where she was and what she was doing, and it was driving him insane! Very rarely did he miss his old days in the Anti-Drugs and Organised Crime Unit of the Spanish National Police force, that was too adventurous for him now - Romero had his fair share of close shaves with dangerous armed criminals, and lost enough colleagues to know that it was a dangerous game and not one he wanted to be involved in anymore. However tonight he wished he had something more than a few speeding motorists and mischievous drunken teenagers to deal with.
Romero had planned to go straight back home after his shift, he didn’t think he could face going to Juan’s bar like he normally did, not just yet; the image of Helen laughing behind the bar was too fresh in his mind, and more than anything else he wanted to see that again. But the urge to go was overwhelming and he wondered if Cathy had heard from Helen - he was sure Helen wouldn’t just leave her new friend behind, like the way she had him. And besides the idea of going home to an empty house was even more unappealing, so he gave in and headed off along the coast.
Juan’s bar was just beginning to quieten down with the last handful of customers left for the night. Romero saw Juan wiping down the bar as he approached. His friend didn’t say a word as Romero took a seat on one of the high stools, he just put down his cloth and opened a beer silently placing it down in front of him. Romero nodded and took a mouthful, grateful for the unspoken understanding between them.
Just then Cathy came out of the back and smiled at him, “Hi Romero.”
Romero knew that smile, and he didn’t want it - he didn’t want sympathy. He gave Cathy a smile; yes he felt rubbish right now, but he had been fine before he met Helen and he would fine now she was gone! In fact he had a list of phone numbers as long as his arm of women who would like to go out with him, he made a mental note to call one of them tomorrow, that would soon kick him out of feeling sorry for himself.
“Cathy spoke to Helen earlier.” Juan volunteered breaking the silence.
“Oh?” Romero said trying to sound not too interested.
“Yes, she’s trying to settle back into her old routine but I don’t think it’s that easy.” Cathy volunteered.
“Well it’s early days. She has only just got there.” Romero shrugged.
“I guess so.” Cathy nodded.
“Did she sound happy?” Romero couldn’t resist asking. It was a bitter sweet question: of course he wanted her to be happy, but then again it would be like a knife stabbing at his heart to imagine her happy with another man.
“She was okay.” Cathy said honestly.
“Good.” He said taking a swig of his cold beer and preferring silent company for the time being.
Cathy took that as her cue and left him alone. She watched him drink his beer and wished Helen could be there by his side, they made a great looking couple, but that looked unlikely now.
Romero drained his beer and headed off home. He didn’t really want to go, but right now that was his best option, and besides he needed to make a call early in the morning - he’d had a message from his old Captain in ADOCU earlier that night. Romero hadn’t heard from him since he left the Anti-Drug and Organised Crime Unit three years ago, and he wondered why his Captain would be phoning him now. He knew Captain Manesco wouldn’t be calling him just to say “hello”, something serious must be going on. He also reminded himself he had planned to make a phone call to one of the pretty women who dropped their phone number into his hand near the end of his evening shift. He didn’t really want to, but the idea of Helen being with another man, sleeping in his bed and in his arms, was driving him crazy, and he needed to take the taste and feel of her away, in any way he could.
CHAPTER TEN
Helen woke up with a start and nearly fell off the chaise-long.
“I would have slept in another room if you asked. You didn’t need to sleep there.” A deep voice came from across the room.
She looked across and saw Oliver sitting up in his bed, his chest was bare and she really hoped that he had a pair of boxers on under the covers! Guiltily she remembered she had planned to be back in his bed before he woke up in the morning, but he had beaten her to it and it was too late now. Slowly, holding the pillow in front of her tiny nightdress, trying to hide some of her naked skin, she walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge.
“Oliver, I am sorry but I couldn’t sleep. This is all so strange to me, I need a bit of time. I am trying, I promise.”
“I know Helen, don’t worry, you’ll get there. But in the meantime this may help.” He said as he reached across into the drawer next to the bed and produced a small black box. I kept your ring safe for you, maybe if you wore it you might feel a little bit more like your old self.”
Helen looked at the little black box as if a black widow spider was about to jump out of it at any moment, but when Oliver opened it up she gasped at the size of the yellow solitaire diamond inside. She couldn’t help herself and a little laugh escaped her.
“It is nice isn’t it? You loved it when I gave it to you.” Oliver said taking it out of its box.
“I am not surprised, it’s beautiful.” Helen couldn’t believe she actually walked around all day wearing something so stunning and valuable; she hoped she had been appropriately grateful when Oliver originally gave it to her because it was breath-taking, and she was obviously a very lucky woman.
He reached across the bed and took her hand. Gently he slid the ring onto her ring finger and smiled looking at it. “That’s better,” he said admiring the ring on her finger, “back where it belongs.”
Helen looked at it, she had to admit it did look beautiful on her finger. It felt strange and uncomfortable, but it certainly looked beautiful.
“Okay, enough of this, it’s time to get to work. Showers and breakfast, and then we will head off into the office.” Oliver said as he got up and walked towards the en-suite for his shower.
Helen sat still on the edge of the bed fiddling with the ring on her finger and watched as Oliver walked off. She couldn’t believe he wanted her to go back into work already, she had only got back home yesterday! She wondered if she should tell him she didn’t feel up to it, but on second thoughts she decided that it was probably for the best. After all what was she going to do all day - sit around the big house? She preferred to keep busy and being back at work might jog her memory a bit faster. She slid off the bed and grabbed her dressing gown heading to the bathroom up the hallway.
Helen hadn’t been sure what to wear for her first morning back in the office so she decided to play it safe and chose a pair of bright red trousers with a navy blue and white striped Ralph Lauren top. She looked at herself in the mirror and was happy with what she saw. She felt comfortable in her old clothes again and hoped that maybe it meant she would be able to lose the unsettling feeling she continuously had - it had come on the moment Romero had left her at the police station in Estepona. She had hoped it would be gone when she woke up this morning - after all she was waking up in her home with her fiancé, everything should have felt perfect. But it didn’t! The first thing Helen thought about this morning when she opened her eyes was Romero – where was he? She knew he had been scheduled to work last night so she assumed he would still be asleep, and she longed to be in that bed with him, curled up inside his arms and feeling his warm skin next to hers. A pang of longing engulfed her and she looked away from the mirror, not able to look at herself anymore. Helen took a deep breath and put a smile on her face composing herself. She looked back at her reflexion and was pleased to see that no one would guess how she felt inside - she looked smart, elegant, and happy. Helen laughed to herself sadly as she reached for her handbag, looks could be very deceiving!
Helen surprised herself, and she actually enjoyed her first day back at work, and her second day, and third. She supposed her life was returning to some sort of normality. She didn’t remember her office, or her job, but she threw herself into her work wholeheartedly and it seemed she was doing everything as well as she had done before. At least everything apart from actually going near any of the large yachts! Oliver decided it would best if Helen didn’t go near the yachts for the time being, considering her recent near death experience, and Helen had readily agreed. For the first few days she even stayed away from the marina, working mainly in her office or at their boatyard, where she supervised the repair plans and chose the new décors for the older yachts which would soon be renovated.
After a few days Helen felt she was ready to push herself a little more, and take on more of her previous responsibilities, so she asked Oliver to take her to see one or two of his most popular yachts which he rented out.
“Not yet Helen. Remember what the doctor said.” He referred to his private doctor who had examined Helen the day after she returned.
“I know, but I think it would be fine. I certainly don’t want to go out on one of them, I’m not sure I even want to set foot on one yet. But it would be good to go and see them.”
Oliver still refused, “Be patient Helen. The doctor said to take it slowly – the brain is a strange thing and we don’t want to overload it. You have done so well in these last few days, and I know you want to remember everything as quickly as possible, but this isn’t the way to do it. Give it a little more time. If I can be patient then you can too.”
Helen looked at Oliver’s face, worry clear in his eyes and she nodded.
He took her hands in his and bent slightly to look directly into her eyes, “I know this is all frustrating for you Helen, but it is for me too. I nearly lost the woman I love, and I want you to get back to being the happy Helen I know and love. It’s hard for me too.”
A pang of guilt swept through her and she knew Oliver was right. It wasn’t only her who had been affected by all this, Oliver had his life turned upside down too and she was going to be sure to try and be more sensitive to that in the future. Helen smiled reassuringly – she would get back to the yachts at some point soon, until then she was busy enough with the smaller boats at the marina and the boatyard..
However, after that conversation with Oliver, Helen had night after night of harrowing dreams - nothing made any sense, but she decided that maybe she was pushing herself a bit too fast and she needed to take baby steps for the moment. Just trying to live in the same house as someone she hardly knew was hard enough, so getting more involved with the huge yachts and the other parts of Oliver’s business were going to have to wait for a while. There was no rush, she had all the time in the world - Oliver made it clear he still loved her with or without her memories – she was still the same Helen to him. And as for the sea, she still loved to look at it from afar, but she had no desire to visit it close-up just yet.
So now that work was falling into place Helen wished that other things would too. When she looked at Oliver she wished she could feel something for him. Anything more than just a friendly feeling would be good, but it just wasn’t coming. After the first night of not being able to sleep in the same bed as him, she was relieved that he hadn’t brought it up any further and he had even moved into the bedroom opposite, giving her some breathing space. Oliver had, however, insisted that they both slept with their doors open.
“Well Helen, if you are adamant that you wouldn’t have taken a boat out to sea late at night, then I still can’t rule out the chance that you were sleep walking that night when you disappeared.” Oliver said stroking her shoulder as he kissed her goodnight. It was a direct kiss on her lips, just briefly, but it took Helen by surprise - she still hadn’t kissed Oliver properly yet, and she didn’t have the desire or urge to do so!
“Sleep walk? Seriously? That would be a long sleep walk from the house down the road to your boatyard. I hardly think that’s likely Oliver.” Helen said thinking he was being just a bit too paranoid now.
“Really Helen? Then tell me exactly how you disappeared that night. How did you get wet and hurt your head? How did you get so far away from here? How did you do it?”
Helen stood quietly, she couldn’t answer him because she really didn’t know.
“Exactly. So until we know what did happen, I would rather know where you are, and whilst you are sleeping that you are safe. So, it’s either you sleep in that bedroom and I will sleep in this one with both doors open, or we both sleep in there together. Your choice.” Oliver said firmly, he wasn’t budging.
Helen nodded and purposefully pushed the door open a little further just to show him that he had won the argument.
“Goodnight.” Oliver said and went across the hall to what was now his temporary bedroom, leaving Helen to sleep alone again for the night.
***
Romero had agreed to meet with his old Captain the following week at the police station in Villajoyosa. That morning he woke up and went for his usual morning run along the sea front to clear his head, and then showered and shaved dressing casually in jeans and a white t-shirt before heading off to the police station.
When Romero walked into the police station he was surprised to see Carlos and Miguel sitting on a couple of chairs in their plain clothe
s too. He nodded to say hello and wondered what they were doing there when they both worked at the Benidorm police station. His instincts were ringing alarm bells, he was right, something was definitely going on. Carlos and Miguel stood up as they saw him, and they all walked into a small meeting room, closing the door behind them.
Romero sat silently listening to his old boss Captain Fernando Manesco and wondered when he was going to be introduced to the man who was sitting at the side of the room with a large folder of information in his hands. He watched the white screen as faces were displayed of three men, and he made a mental note of their names. The first was Omar Mustafa - black caucasian, black hair, thirty-five years old, five foot ten and skinny build. He was a known drug distributor in Morocco who was now becoming an interest to the Spanish police. The second photograph was of a Spanish man called Marcus Martinez - twenty-eight years old, brown hair with green eyes, and five foot seven inches. The third and final person on the white screen was an English male with grey hair and blue eyes, between fifty and sixty years old and approximately five foot eleven inches.
Romero took the printed out photographs of the three men on the whiteboard and started to memorise every tiny mark and distinctive feature of their faces, in particular their eyes. He always thought that people could disguise their appearance, but they could never really hide their eyes and he had caught many people in the past just by recognising them by their eyes. He focused again on Captain Manesco.
