Mystery by the Sea

by David Sal

  Her passion in life was not her work but the activities that she took part in after clocking out at the end of the day and leaving the office. Her career as a ballerina consumed a large part of her thoughts and energy. Her dream had been to be able to leave her position at the company and dedicate herself completely to dance. First as a ballerina, since she felt that she had reached her full potential, and then as an instructor. Owning a dance studio was her most prized dream, but years had gone by and she had never dared to make the crucial move. In spite of that, it was not her passion for dance that was worrying her that morning. It was something else, something that was eating away at her from the inside out and that she had to get off her chest before it was too late and the damage was irreversible.

  The newly minted and good-looking president, Javier Estrada, made his entrance into Jessica’s office, as was his custom every day, sitting on one of the armchairs facing the desk. He displayed a toothy grin that Jessica did not return.

  “I thought you’d be overflowing with happiness and drawing up your letter of resignation to boot. Last night’s show was a complete success, congratulations,” said Javier, beaming.

  “Was it? What was it that you liked most?”

  “Well, I should confess that I could only see half of it. But I loved what I saw, top notch,” answered Javier without going into details.

  “Well, the best part is the ending,” answered Jessica.

  “Oh, well, we actually only saw the first part. The missus didn’t feel well and we had to take off,” explained Javier apologetically.

  “Oh, don’t worry. They’re asking for additional performances now. You’ll have other opportunities to see what you missed out on, which, like I said, was the best part,” said Jessica, forcing a smile.

  “Yes, you can count on it. I’ll be there. I mean, we’ll be there. Listen, you look a little out of it. Do you feel all right?” asked Javier with concern.

  “Honestly, no. It’s this issue with Pedroza. I don’t know if I can stand the tension much longer,” she confessed nervously.

  “Sweetheart, don’t start with me now. We all agreed,” said Javier, annoyed.

  At that moment, Irma entered the office and shut the door. She immediately perceived, from Jessica’s depressed demeanor and Javier’s discomfort, that something wasn’t right.

  “What’s going on? Did Almeida’s questions make you nervous?” Irma asked Jessica.

  “No, it’s not that. It’s just that, I think we should confess.”

  “No, no, no. What’s wrong with you?” Javier asked vehemently, standing up and running his hand through his thick hair. “There’s nothing to confess here, period!”

  “Lorenzo’s going to figure something out and then…”

  “Nothing, like up until now,” Irma cut in. “My sources informed me that Almeida was at Pedroza’s house yesterday and that Aurora let him see anything he wanted. Even with all that, he still left empty-handed,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “See? He’s not going to stop. I can’t take it any longer. We need to clear this up,” begged Jessica, clasping her hands in the air.

  “Don’t you understand what’s at stake here?” asked Javier, pressing his finger to his temple. He had always thought that Jessica was not mentally strong enough to handle the pressure put forth in certain situations.

  “Doris Almeida killed Pedroza. Nothing’s going to change that. Lorenzo Almeida doesn’t have anything on us and Doris can’t even talk to say anything to the contrary,” contended Irma in an attempt to make Jessica see the bigger picture. She wanted to give Jessica a swift kick in the pants to convince her that staying quiet was not only the best move for all of them but the only move.

  “And you’re okay with that? How much more suffering can the poor woman take?” asked Jessica, lowering her head to hide her red eyes.

  “Don’t let that get to you. Remember, she brought it upon herself. Besides, everyone will soon forget about this and things will return to normal. That’s how it always is,” asserted Javier, sitting down. He insisted on following Irma’s lead and remaining calm and collected. From the beginning, he knew that, because she was so emotional, the weak link in this whole thing would be Jessica. He could not afford to frighten her any more by yelling or beating her over the head about it.

  “No one can say anything. He who speaks, speaks alone. Is that clear? Together is how we’ll best protect ourselves,” Irma gently but firmly assured her.

  Jessica wiped away the tears that had silently escaped from her eyes. She nodded her head, affirming that she would stay with the group. Irma and Javier exchanged glances. They would have to watch over Jessica carefully, letting everything get back to normal, as the whole affair was sorted out in court.

  When she left Jessica’s office, Irma was informed she had a phone call. Little did she know that that phone call would throw an unexpected kink into her life.

  Chapter 16

  Costa Linda’s downtown streets felt twice as hot during the summer. The perpetual traffic jam of cars maneuvering the narrow streets did not help. Irma Alfonso suffered through the stifling heat as she walked to attorney Alexis Mojica’s office, which was located only a few blocks from Pedroza’s offices. Irma picked up her pace to reach the office and step into the air conditioning for some needed relief from the heat. She could not imagine that what Lorenzo and Alexis had prepared for her would make her temperature rise to the point that no air conditioning system would be able to help.

  After finding his house vandalized, Lorenzo organized his findings and presented them to Alexis in such a way that he considered that, although they were not exactly conclusive and they did not necessarily exonerate Doris, they did introduce aggravating circumstances that could prove beneficial for his case. He thought it prudent, therefore, to interview Irma to confirm some of the details and listen to her side of the story. Alexis scheduled an appointment over the phone and Lorenzo appeared in person so he could witness the interview.

  Irma entered the small foyer where she was greeted by the receptionist Carmen, a woman in her fifties who conferred a certain degree of formality to the office. Without making her wait, Irma was instructed to proceed to Alexis’ office.

  Alexis’ office was not anything out of this world. It was decorated in good taste but without luxuries. It emphasized a style that was more modern than traditional. Little wood and more metal, plastic, and glass. Alexis preferred to think that this was his first office, the transition to something bigger and better in the not-so-distant future.

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Alfonso. We’ve been expecting you,” Alexis cordially greeted her, standing up.

  Irma looked behind him and saw Lorenzo sitting in a chair at the back of the office. She was clearly confused, even uncomfortable, by his presence.

  “Good afternoon,” she said, trying to hide her annoyance. “Mr. Almeida, I suppose this has to do with Doris’ case. I’ve already stated everything that I know, both to you and to the police,” declared Irma, crossing her arms and shooting looks at both the attorney and Lorenzo.

  “Yes, we know,” intervened Alexis. “But Mr. Almeida alleges that he has new information that could change the course of the case and we want to confirm it with you, to see if you can help us. Sit down, please,” Alexis insisted kindly.

  “If it’s to help Doris, that’s fine, but make it brief please. I have a really busy afternoon ahead of me,” she answered as she sat down in front of the desk and made herself comfortable, ensuring that she could make eye contact with both men.

  “It should only take a few minutes,” assured the attorney.

  “What is it about?” inquired Irma.

  “Right, it’s about the reason for Doris Almeida’s dismissal,” reported Alexis, clasping his hands together and tapping with his fingertips.

  “The report that Doris submitted with serious mistakes? I’ve already talked about that.”

  “Correct. But we have additional questions. Just to cl
arify the situation.”

  “All right. What would you like to know?”

  “Did she submit the report directly to Pedroza? In person?” questioned Alexis.

  “No, all reports for Pedroza were submitted through me,” clarified Irma.

  “You had the report in your hand and then you passed it along. In other words, you submitted it to Pedroza?” scrutinized Alexis, looking for more details.

  “You could say so,” answered Irma, her tone of voice changing slightly. She could see where the attorney’s line of questioning was headed.

  “Yes, but, did you physically have it in your hand, on paper?” Lorenzo added to the interrogation. Alexis put up his right hand to signal to Lorenzo not to interrupt him but to let him ask the questions.

  “No, she submitted it to me electronically,” stated Irma.

  “Why? Is that how you always did it?” asked Alexis.

  “No, but it was late and in order to move forward I asked her to do it that way, to speed up the review process. Besides, we’re trying to reduce our paper use, be greener, you know.”

  “You mean, your review process?” questioned Alexis.

  “That’s right,” answered Irma.

  “That is to say that you reviewed and signed a report with serious errors,” added Lorenzo, standing up to stress his point.

  “I called them serious errors so that it wouldn’t cause a panic, but we’re talking about something very severe that was discovered by Quality Control. My responsibility, as always, is simply to report those types of inconsistencies. Pedroza was notified and he decided to fire Doris rather than press formal criminal charges or anything like that,” explained Irma calmly, although she did not like Lorenzo’s tone.

  Lorenzo held up some papers that were resting on the desk. He glanced at Alexis briefly, but Alexis did not stop him.

  “Do you recognize this?” asked Lorenzo as he handed the papers over to Irma.

  Irma easily identified them as official company documents. The sheer fact that Lorenzo had gotten his hands on that type of document made her blood boil. Someone had given him information and that was not good.

  “Where did you get those from? Those documents contain confidential company information.” said Irma, infuriated but still keeping herself in check.

  “Do you know what it is?” Lorenzo asked her.

  “It’s the report that Doris submitted,” she answered without wavering.

  “And this one?” asked Lorenzo as he handed her a similar document. She barely glanced at it, feigning little interest.

  “A copy of the same report. Why are you wasting my time with these games?” said Irma, abruptly lowering the papers to rest on her skirt.

  “Because it’s not a copy of the same report. They’re very similar, almost identical,” clarified Lorenzo. “One was created by Doris, the other was what you submitted to Pedroza.”

  Irma had never been slapped in the face, but that moment was as close as she had ever come to it. All she could do was throw her hands up in the air.

  “Mr. Mojica, what is all this nonsense about?” she asked, irate.

  Lorenzo could smell blood and would not let Alexis get a word in edgewise.

  “Look at it carefully,” Lorenzo pressed on, referring to the document, “and explain to us how it’s possible that both versions were on your computer. The correct version originating from Doris’ computer and the second, incorrect version with serious errors, from yours—at a later date.”

  “My computer?” asked Irma, her voice cracking as her cheeks blushed from the blood rushing to her head. “Who gave you permission to look through my things? That’s a crime,” she added threateningly, yet maintaining her composure to be able to defend herself.

  “I’m sure it is. But that doesn’t excuse your even larger crime,” said Lorenzo in an accusing tone.

  Irma remained silent. She was clearly cornered, trembling, and sweating. She was trapped.

  “Okay. You caught me,” bewailed Irma to Alexis and Lorenzo’s astonishment. Irma lowered her head and hid it between her hands while sucking in large lungs-full of air. Lorenzo saw his opportunity to get what he was looking for but that he had thought, up until now, was impossible to obtain: a confession.

  “Irma…why?” asked Lorenzo, lowering his voice to an understanding, almost affectionate, tone. At that fragile moment he thought it better to tone down his strength and use empathy. Irma raised her head out of her hands, revealing a facial expression that neither one of them, or maybe anyone, had ever seen on her. It was as if she had been stripped naked. She wore her heart on her sleeve; her face could not hide anything. Strangely, she also appeared calmer, as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and her conscience.

  “You want me to tell you why? Where do I start?” said Irma before taking in a large gulp of air. Then she let it all off her chest. “Because of the way she talked, the way she walked, her stupid ideas, her ridiculous smile. From the moment she started at the office, her guile, she was always trying to impress Pedroza and the idiot completely fell for it. In less than a year she had earned privileges that even I hadn’t. And I was the one who held the position. It was always Doris this and Doris that. I was fed up with it and wanted to teach her a lesson so she would know her place,” unloaded Irma, spitting flames with each word that spewed from her mouth.

  Lorenzo saw tears in Irma’s eyes. But they were not tears of sadness or guilt. They were something else. They were tears that stayed welled-up in her eyes, refusing to spill over and roll down her cheeks. They were tears of hatred. A very deep and basic hatred. Lorenzo had lived, in his own flesh and blood, a range of feelings throughout his life, especially love. He had lived it with passion and had seen it in others. But he had never been so close to the other side of the spectrum.

  He knew that hatred, like love, could awaken very strong emotions and passions, and the proof was sitting right in front of him, inhaling scorn and exhaling contempt. To think that Doris, the person he loved and valued most, could evoke that type of extreme feeling in another person made Lorenzo feel very uncomfortable. He felt fear, even a lack of safety, when faced with the reality that such a powerful force could push someone to commit such despicable acts against another human being. Someone who, in fact, had a family that loved her and needed her. That was a contrast for which Lorenzo could not find any reasonable explanation. It was abnormal and Lorenzo resolved to see it that way forever.

  “You wanted to teach her a lesson by getting her fired? Putting the livelihood of others at stake?” asked Lorenzo with the purpose of making her see what her revenge had achieved. He wanted her to be very aware that her vengeance affected others as well.

  “No, I only wanted to humiliate her,” clarified Irma, a little more calm.

  “Only humiliate her?” asked Lorenzo with disgust.

  “Yes, I swear. I never thought Pedroza would fire her. I just wanted to watch Doris struggle through one of Pedroza’s attacks, to embarrass her or something. I wanted to get her out of her comfort zone,” explained Irma.

  “No, you were counting on the fact that Pedroza would fire her,” exclaimed Lorenzo, raising his tone of voice, “so that you could then give her the final blow and make her think that Pedroza invited her to his house, giving her false hope and making her go through an embarrassing scene in front of her ex-colleagues.”

  “What are you talking about? I don’t understand. Invited?” asked Irma, confused and ignorant.

  “Irma, I think it’s time to stop pretending. We know everything,” said an over-confident Lorenzo as he handed her a copy of the invitation. She looked at it carefully. Then she raised her eyes without looking at anyone in particular. “The invitation was sealed with the rubber seal that you and only you use for documents that require Pedroza’s signature and which he authorized you to stamp. But he never delegated the preparation or signing of these invitations to you. That was a personal matter, separate from official company matters. Therefo
re, Pedroza was thrown off when he saw Doris arrive at his house that night.”

  Irma’s eyes filled with tears, tears that did spill over and run down her cheeks this time. Her heart started to beat too quickly from the sobs that she tried unsuccessfully to repress.

  “Your objective was no longer to just humiliate her,” Lorenzo continued his attack, perceiving that his victim was wounded and defenseless. “You wanted to destroy her, eliminate her from the map. That’s why you invited her on the night that Pedroza would be murdered.”

  “Oh my God,” exclaimed Irma, opening her eyes wide and grabbing her head with both hands. “I’m responsible. He’s dead, dead,” said Irma before bursting into a bitter sob.

  Lorenzo locked eyes with Alexis, shocked by the clear confession. He let out a sigh of relief realizing that, finally, it was all over. Doris would come home and they could rebuild their family. Well, start building it, actually. Alexis scribbled something down in his notepad, which Lorenzo saw as some sort of “validation.” It’s all done, he thought. Seeing Irma shattered and exposed, he felt compelled to console her. It was time to make amends.

  “It’s best to admit to everything. Let it all out,” whispered Lorenzo. He drew nearer to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “What I don’t understand is…why Pedroza? It wasn’t enough to embarrass Doris by getting her fired? You hated her that much? Enough to sacrifice the life of an innocent man to see her go to jail?”

  Lorenzo’s words made Irma raise her swollen make-up stained face to make eye contact with Lorenzo.

  “Innocent? What do you mean?” she asked in a weak, barely audible voice.

  “Pedroza. You’re guilty. You arranged everything to trap Doris,” reviewed Lorenzo.

  “Oh no, just a minute…”

  “You just confessed. You can’t take it back now. The attorney heard it. It’s all over,” indicated Lorenzo, pointing to Alexis.

  “I never once said I was guilty,” Irma firmly denied, emphatically wagging her index finger. “I said I’m responsible.”