"I got it," he mumbled.
"Good. If you keep pushing back, I'll get angry. You won't like that. Now, we were talking about Dani Berger, remember?"
"Yeah."
"And the fact that she spent parts of her childhood in Espinosa's household."
"Yeah. I got that. But I still -- "
"She speaks Spanish, pinguero. And she's way smarter than you."
"So?"
"So, she now knows that you know who her father is."
"How?" Ortiz asked, frowning as he struggled to make the connection. "Because -- "
"Because you called her the béké's daughter. That means you know about her father, that he's from the French islands."
"Oh," he said. "Maybe I can -- "
"Maybe you can shut up and let me tell you how you're going to cover your ass."
"Okay, okay," he said, rising to his feet with care. "Can we walk again? I need to walk and breathe deep. You hurt me bad."
She nodded. "I meant to. At least now I know. I can tell the others, settle our bet."
"Know what? What bet?"
"Some people don't think you've still got your cojones. Rumor was some irate husband cut you. But I know better now. You're just a págaro."
"I don't have to take this from you."
"Yeah, actually you do have to. Now, here's how you're going to explain yourself to Dani Berger. You ready to listen?"
"Yeah."
"All right. You tell her that the call was from your sister, Lupita. Your mother's from Martinique originally. She's been visiting a friend of hers down there that everybody calls the béké's daughter. Your mother's had a stroke, and your sister had to see you to get money for an emergency trip to Martinique to take care of her. Got it?"
"Yeah, but I -- "
"Shut up. You're to call Dani and apologize for this evening; explain the whole thing to her like I just told you. Take her out to a fancy meal somewhere and work your magic on her. Think you can do that?"
"Yeah."
"Good," she said. "Repeat that cover story for me. Make like I'm her, and make me believe it's true, or else."
He rattled off the explanation with conviction. "Okay?" he asked, eyeing her with caution.
She smiled and flipped her long, curly black hair over her shoulder. "Good."
"Suppose she doesn't buy it?" he asked.
"Your mission is to make her buy it; you have to make her fall in love with you. Can you do that?"
"Yeah, sure. But then what?"
"One step at a time, David. I don't want to overload your cute little brain."
****
Chapter 2
"How'd you first meet Sharktooth?" Paul Russo asked Phillip Davis.
"We were in the jungle, and -- "
"Where?" Paul interrupted.
"Can't tell you that," Phillip said. "Not when, either. It's classified, kind of."
Paul nodded, looking perplexed. "Kind of?"
"Yeah," Phillip said. "Anyway, this guy had just dropped from a tree and landed on my back -- knocked the shit out of me. I was struggling to get enough air in my lungs to fight back when somebody pulled him off me. When I turned over, I found myself staring up into the biggest, blackest face I'd ever seen." He paused, smiling.
"And?" Paul prompted.
"He grinned at me and said 'Who d' hell are you, white boy?'"
"What did you tell him?"
"I can't remember exactly. I was too stunned. Whatever I said, I guess it was all right with him, because he pulled the knife away."
"The knife?"
"Yeah, I hadn't noticed it until then."
"Pulled it away from where?" Paul asked.
"My throat. He wasn't taking any chances on me, you know?" Phillip stared off at the boats in the anchorage to the north. They sat on the veranda of a rented mansion on Star Island in Biscayne Bay.
After a while, he said, "Anyway, I asked him, 'How come you saved my ass if you didn't know who I was?'"
"How'd he answer that?"
"He said, 'I knew who the other mon was. Bad mon. Figured you might be okay if he was gon' kill you.'"
"And I guess he decided you were okay, then?" Paul asked.
"I guess. I'm here."
"What about the other guy?" Paul asked.
"Broken neck," Phillip said. "Sharktooth palmed his head like a basketball when he pulled the guy off me."
"Jesus," Paul said. "That's hard to imagine. Did you see that happen? You said you were stunned."
"I was. He told me about it, but I didn't believe him until I saw him take out another one a little while later. He just grabs and twists. His hands are the size of baseball gloves."
Paul shook his head. "He seems so gentle."
"He is. Wouldn't hurt a fly, as the saying goes. Unless ... " Phillip was looking past Paul, distracted.
Connie Barrera stepped out onto the veranda behind Paul. "There you are," she said, putting a hand on Paul's shoulder. "We've only been married for a year, and you're already sneaking off to have a beer with the boys. What's up?"
"Oh, not much. Just swapping war stories."
"You never tell me war stories," she said.
"I don't really have any. I was egging Phillip on, that's all. He was telling me about how he and Sharktooth met."
"Was Dani involved?" Connie asked.
"Ah, Dani was too young; she was still playing with dolls," Phillip said, a teasing grin on his face. He was watching Dani walk up behind Connie.
"She played with dolls?" Connie asked. "Our Dani?"
"Voodoo," Dani said. "I was trying to put a curse on Phillip, because he didn't let me go with them."
Connie turned, startled, taking in Dani's mud-encrusted cocktail dress. "What happened to you?"
"This jerk I met in a club had just asked me out to dinner, and then he got a phone call and ran out on me."
"Was that before or after your turn in the mud-wrestling pit?"
"Don't start something you aren't prepared to finish." Dani glared at Connie.
"I didn't mean to aggravate you," Connie said.
"I know. Sorry, I'm just generally pissed off right now. Did you and Paul just get here?"
"We've been back in the States for a few days. We cleared in at Key West and chilled out in the Keys for a while. We sailed up from Rodriguez Key this morning and got in a little while ago. How about you and Liz?"
"We came from the Bahamas a couple of days ago. Papa and Anne spent some time with us, poking around in the Exumas."
"We saw them a little while ago," Paul said. "Where's Liz?"
"On Vengeance, rinsing off the mud. When I saw Diamantista II rafted up to us, I decided to come find you and say hello."
"It's nice to see you again," Connie said. "I think the last time everybody was together was when Paul and I got married."
"Yes, that's right," Dani said. "I'm glad Papa thought of doing this."
"How is he going to get Mario here without tipping his hand?" Phillip asked.
Dani shrugged. "I don't think he's worked that out, yet. He'll think of something, though. Where's Sandrine?"
"Not here yet. She's still working, but she'll be here. Sharktooth's not here yet, either. It's still a few days until Mario's birthday."
"Right," Dani said. "Is he bringing Maureen?"
"Yes. No way she'd let him come to Miami without her."
Dani chuckled. "Guess I should go get cleaned up."
"You should check out the shower in the master suite," Connie said. "It's like being in the rain forest. How did J.-P. find a place like this to rent for the party?"
Dani grinned. "Who knows? For all I know, he might have bought it. You know Papa."
Connie nodded. "Every kind of toiletry you can imagine is in the linen closet in there; it's like a designer cosmetics store."
"I'll pass. All my stuff's on Vengeance. See you later."
****
"Did Liz say what she and Dani were up to earlier this evening?" Paul asked
. He and Connie were back aboard Diamantista II, turning down their bed.
"They were making the rounds of some of the clubs at South Beach," Connie said.
"How did they get all muddy?" Paul asked. "There's gotta be a story there."
"You heard Dani's response when I asked her?" Connie asked.
He chuckled. "Mud wrestling? You were poking at the hornets' nest, weren't you?"
"I really didn't mean to provoke her; she usually has a better sense of humor. Liz said she's going through a crisis about not being able to find a boyfriend. I guess I hit a nerve."
"I guess," Paul said, grinning. "Did Liz tell you what happened? I saw you two talking while Phillip finished telling me his Sharktooth story."
"Yes. This good-looking hunk hit on Dani, and Liz excused herself. She left them at the table and sat at the bar where she could keep an eye on them."
"Like Dani might need protection," Paul said, shaking his head. "Not that girl. Were they really in a club with a mud wrestling pit? I thought that was passé."
"No. That was just my smart-aleck remark. Dani and the guy were going through the pick-up ritual when he got a phone call and bailed out on her. He'd just asked her to go to dinner, and then he ran off."
"Okay. So what about the mud wrestling?"
"There was no mud wrestling, Paul. Forget that and listen to me, damn it. Dani overheard enough of the call to know that he'd agreed to meet this woman named Lupita on the beach east of the club in ten minutes. She grabbed Liz and they hid under the boardwalk to see what he was up to."
"That's a little odd, even for Dani," Paul said. "And I thought you were the suspicious type."
"Watch it, mister. This jerk spoke Spanish on the call, apparently thinking Dani was too white-bread to understand. She didn't catch everything, but she heard him say something about dinner with the béké's daughter, and Dani thought that he was describing her."
"Okay," Paul said, "but why follow him?"
"Because she hadn't told him enough about herself for him to know anything about her father."
"I see. So she thought this guy knew who she was before he moved in on her. That is a little suspicious."
"Yes," Connie said. "I guess it was. Following him might have been over the top, but this is Dani we're talking about."
"Right. So did they learn anything about the guy?"
"A woman met him right after he stepped onto the beach. Liz said from the way she greeted him, they looked to be friends rather than lovers. They walked off up the beach, talking, but they were out of earshot, so Dani was even more frustrated."
"What's she going to do about it?" Paul asked.
Connie shrugged. "Who knows? She's got his name and phone number. They swapped numbers early on, I guess. Liz told her to wait and see what happens. She figures he might call Dani, but she's not sure how Dani will react. Or how she should react."
"What's your take?" Paul asked.
"Mine?" Connie smiled. "I'm glad I'm married. I never did like that dating stuff. But I agree with Dani. From what I heard, this man's behavior's a bit off. I hope she steers clear of him."
"Will you tell her that?"
"Only if she asks for my opinion. It's not really any of my business," Connie said.
"Mm," Paul said. "I could make a call and check this guy out. Maybe you should make the offer; get his name and number."
"I don't think so, Paul. Not unless she asks. She knows your connections to the MPD, and she's not shy about asking if she wants help. Wait and see. She's sort of tense over this whole dating thing, from what Liz said. Let's leave her alone unless she brings it up, okay?"
"Yes ma'am. And for the record, I'm glad you're married, too."
****
"What do you think I should do about him, Liz?" Dani took a sip of wine. She and Liz were sitting at the table in Vengeance's main cabin having a nightcap.
"I thought we decided earlier that you should wait and see if he calls. Have you changed your mind?"
"Maybe. Whether he calls or not, I want to know why he knew about Papa."
"Is there any chance you misunderstood? He was speaking pretty softly, from what I could tell."
"I didn't catch everything," Dani said, frowning. "He definitely said something about eating with the béké's daughter, though. And he called that woman Lupita. The way he said her name, it didn't sound like they were strangers."
"No," Liz agreed. "It didn't look that way on the beach, either. But I don't think they're lovers."
"Why do you say that?" Dani raised her eyebrows.
"Two things. First, if they were lovers, she would have probably been angry with him for picking you up in the bar, don't you think?"
"I see. Yes, that makes sense. She didn't seem angry, did she?"
"No, she didn't, and the kiss on each cheek isn't the way I would have expected her to greet her lover. Especially not if he was trying to pick up a girl in a bar."
"Right," Dani said. "So, what do you think? Should I call him?"
"I think you should see if he calls you. Put aside your curiosity; think like a girl who was abandoned."
"So I should be pissed off? Is that what you're saying?"
"Not necessarily pissed off, but I don't think it would be normal for you to initiate contact with him so quickly. Forgetting the 'béké's daughter' comment for a moment, I think a normal reaction would be to wait and see. It's not like you had any kind of relationship with him."
"But I still want to know who he is, whether he calls or not. In fact, I'd like to know before he calls. It might be important."
"Why?" Liz asked.
"Because if he knew who I was before he hit on me, he was most likely looking for me."
"How would he have known where to find you?"
"Good question. Maybe he followed us. Or had someone follow us."
"That's a scary thought," Liz said. "Why would he do that?"
"Another good question," Dani said, draining her wine. "You're learning."
Liz chuckled. "I'm supposed to be teaching you, I thought."
"About dating, yes. But I don't need any help being ... um ... "
"Paranoid?" Liz prompted.
"It's not a sign of paranoia to be worried when someone's really after you," Dani said.
Liz grinned and shook her head. "Okay, but I still think you should wait and see if he calls before you call him. Maybe Mario can find out something about him for you in the meantime."
"I can't ask Mario, Liz. That would spoil the surprise. He doesn't know we're here."
"Oh, right," Liz said. "Well -- "
"Wait," Dani interrupted. "I can ask Paul. Thanks for the idea. I kind of forgot where we were."
"Uh-huh," Liz said. "I'm exhausted. Are you ready to go to sleep yet?"
"Sure. Thanks for listening, coach."
"My pleasure," Liz said, finishing her wine.
****
Chapter 3
Phillip Davis sat in the gazebo, sipping his first cup of coffee and watching the seagulls swooping over a school of baitfish near the shore. He dropped his gaze to admire Vengeance and Diamantista II, tied side by side at the dock. His thoughts were interrupted by the approach of a man in work clothes, his face shaded by a rough straw hat. Phillip had noticed him working in one of the flower beds near the gate when he brought his coffee out a few minutes earlier.
The man stopped a few paces from Phillip and removed his hat, mopping his forehead with a red bandana before he said, "Good morning, Señor Davis. Can you spare a moment?"
Surprised that the man addressed him by name, Phillip put his mug down on the table and turned to look at him. He couldn't place the man, but he knew the face from somewhere. "Good morning," Phillip said, as he searched his memory.
The man grinned, holding the hat by his side with his left hand. He gave Phillip a moment before he spoke. "You may not remember, but we -- "
"Martínez, right?" Phillip interrupted him. "Give me just a ... José Martínez, isn
't it?"
The man nodded, a pleased look on his dark face. "Yes, Colonel Davis. You have a good memory. It has been some years since you last saw me. You are looking as fit as always. You are retired, I hear."
"Yes." Phillip extended his hand, and the man took it. "I'm not Colonel Davis any longer. Phillip will do, if I can call you José. You haven't changed much, either."
"You are kind, señor," the man said, releasing Phillip's hand from his callused grip. "Of course, call me José, but I will call you Señor Davis. I must stay in character in case we are overheard. Please, will you walk with me while we talk? Pretend to be interested in the flowers; we may be watched."
Phillip nodded and stood up, picking up his coffee. Martínez turned and they strolled toward the flower bed where he had been working, walking side-by-side as Martínez gestured at the plants around the perimeter of the property.
"I take it that you are not retired, José?"
"Never, señor. If I stay in one place too long, my past will catch up to me, I fear."
"But you're not really a gardener, either, are you?"
Martínez put the hat back on and turned, pointing at the flower bed where Phillip had first seen him. "Only when it suits me. Perhaps in another life, I could be. But in this life, I have too much to do to spend my time on such things."
"I won't take up your time unnecessarily, then. I'm sure you came to me for a reason."
"Thank you, señor. Your manner has not changed any more than your appearance. I will cut to the chase, as they say. We may both be old soldiers, but me, I am still fighting the same war, you know?"
"Against the Castro regime?" Phillip asked.
Martínez shrugged.
"Then I don't understand your caution this morning. Surely, you must feel safe enough here in Miami."
Martínez dropped to one knee and poked at the loose, black soil in the flower bed with his right hand. "They are everywhere, the DGI. Even here in Miami. Especially here, because we are here, and they watch us. My people watch over us just now, but the younger ones, they are sometimes working both sides. So, we old soldiers, we are cautious. There are bold soldiers, and there are old soldiers, but not so many old, bold soldiers, yes?" Martínez smiled at Phillip.
"Yes. So you still hope to overthrow the Castro regime?"
Bluewater Revolution: The Twelfth Novel in the Bluewater Thriller Series - Mystery and Adventure in Florida, Cuba, and the Caribbean (Bluewater Thrillers Book 12) Page 2
