by Carly Winter
"That doesn't mean I didn't love him!" she screamed as tears tracked down her cheeks.
"If he loved you, he would have treated you better and you wouldn't have ended up with a loser like José!"
I turned to face the kitchen. José stood by the counter, his gaze narrowed in fury.
"He's not a loser!" Sophia yelled. "I love him!"
"Even though he's been to prison?" Tony said, shaking his head. "Did he happen to mention to you that he's been to prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon?"
José came around the corner with flared nostrils and gritted teeth. "How did you know?"
Sophia stood in between them, glancing from one to the other while the two men stared each other down.
"I went to prison, José. Inmates talk because there's nothing else to do. I found out all about you. Brandishing a gun at a couple of old ladies out for a walk in Sacramento... what a manly thing to do. That's why you and Jake got along so well. You're both cut from the same cloth. Your heart is as ugly as his."
Sophia ran out the front door just as José body slammed Tony to the floor.
"Let's go," Derek said, grabbing my arm and pulling me around the melee. Some of the family stayed inside to try to break it up, while others filed out with us. I searched for Sophia. The dusty cloud down the driveway indicated she'd driven away in a hurry.
Derek pulled out his phone and dialed 911 as the fight spilled outside. Fists flew, blood spattered, and the air filled with ripe cursing and yells. I turned away and buried my head in Derek's chest while he put his arm around me.
The funeral for the man who had been so awful in life had turned uglier than I could have ever imagined. Even from the grave, Jake Martinez left a path of destruction.
Two hours later, the police had taken everyone's statement. I'd listened as Tony laid out how he'd killed his brother. He'd had lunch earlier in the day with Jake at his home and sprinkled some cyanide he'd made himself on Jake's turkey sandwich. It hadn't been enough though, which had led to Jake feeling as if he had the flu.
Jake had mentioned he had some paperwork to do after closing, and Tony had known he always had nachos covered in his own homemade seasoning when at the restaurant. He’d ground his own herbs and peppers to make the unique concoction he’d kept in a special bottle.
No store-bought seasoning for Jake.
After his meal with Jake, Tony had visited Martinez's Mexican Fiesta and added the ground up apple seeds to the spice bottle only Jake used just to make certain his brother would ingest enough to die. Tony knew Jake would add his herb blend to the nachos—he always piled it on—and he’d given himself plenty to finish off the job.
Tony confessed that if it had been discovered as a murder, he’d hoped José went down for it. The fact the police had screwed up so badly and arrested Carla mortified him.
José and Tony were cuffed and driven off to the sheriff's department. Byron had been one of the officers who responded to the call, and he said nothing to me, but tossed plenty of angry glares my way as I stood hand in hand with Derek.
At some point, he'd have to get over me and move on with his life.
"Let's swing by the restaurant," I said to Derek as we left. "I want to see if Sophia is there."
We found her car parked out back. "I'm going in," I said. "Would you mind waiting here just for a bit?"
Derek squeezed my palm and shook his head. "Only for you."
I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. "Thanks."
After lightly tapping on the door, I waited and hoped Sophia would answer. I knocked again, and after the third time, she finally did.
"What are you doing here?" she said with a harsh glare. "I want to be left alone!"
She may be angry at my intrusion, but she'd also been crying and probably needed a friend.
"I'm sure you do, but I wanted to talk to you for a minute. I have something to show you inside."
Her anger turned to confusion, and she motioned me to enter.
We sat in the first booth by the kitchen and she wiped her face with a napkin.
"I know today was hard," I said. "But I hope it can be the catalyst for you to make some changes in your life."
She stared at me for a long moment. "I liked my life just fine beforehand when I didn't know my boyfriend held up old women and my uncle wasn't a killer."
"Isn't it better to know the truth? What if José lost his temper and actually laid his hands on you?"
"I don't know," she whispered. "I feel like the rug has been pulled out from under me."
"It has, Sophia. Can I tell you a quick story?"
She nodded.
"My father wasn't a bad guy, but he wasn't a very nice person. He never had time for me. He died unexpectedly and I thought my world had ended. My mom promised me that things would only get better for us. We moved to Louisiana, and they did. They got a lot better. Maybe you just need to leave everything behind and start over."
"With what?" Sophia asked, throwing up her hands. "I'm the owner of this restaurant! We're finally starting to make money, but I don't have anything saved. I barely have two cents to rub together."
"What about all your new appliances?"
"Credit," she mumbled. "All of it was bought on my dad's credit."
"Come here," I said, standing. "Follow me."
It sounded like Sophia wasn't aware of the stack of cash hidden in the booth where her father died. If she was, I didn't know how I would explain my knowledge of it.
I led her over to the table where her father had been killed and yanked up the seat, then tossed it to the floor. Sophia gasped when I leaned over and began pulling out stacks of money and setting them on the table.
"How did you know about this?" she shrieked. I could hear it in her voice—she had no idea about the treasure.
"It doesn't matter," I replied. "But it's yours. It's your ticket out of here. It's a way for you to start a new life."
Behind me I could hear Sophia crying again. I continued to scoop out the bricks of money and set them on the table. When I got to the bottom, I found a few pictures.
One was of Carla kissing a man I didn't recognize... a man who wasn't her husband, Mac. I pulled it out and stuffed it in the front of my pants, hoping Sophia didn't see me doing so.
I stood upright and turned to the young woman. "You've been surrounded by bad men your entire life. You loved your father, but he hurt a lot of people and wasn't a good role model for you. José is trash. Your uncle... he's a killer. Run, Sophia." I pointed at the table. "Take all this money and run. Start a new life. Travel. Go play in the ocean. See the pyramids. Your life doesn't have to be a string of horrible events any longer. Find out who you are, who you want to be. The restaurant will be here if you ever want to come back."
She stared at me wide-eyed, and my sympathies for her rose. Sophia had had it rough—her mother dying, her father instigating horrible acts against others, being in love with a criminal, her father's murder. She deserved a break.
The tears started again and she threw her arms around me. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for everything."
"Leave soon," I replied, patting her back. "Don't let anyone convince you to stay. Do this for yourself."
"I will."
22
The next two weeks passed in a blur. Sophia did leave town and Martinez's Mexican Restaurant was left locked up. Maybe one day she'd return, or maybe not. I just hoped she straightened out her life.
Sheriff Connor released Carla without an apology and defended his actions by saying he simply went where the evidence took him. It was very difficult for me to write the article without insinuating that he was an incompetent boob who cared nothing about the case, only his reelection.
When Carla no longer had a job, Debbie convinced her to join her at the bakery since the second person she'd hired had quit. Carla finally acquiesced, and things seemed to be going well. Debbie stuck to the baking while Carla took over the business side. Debbie was thril
led with the arrangement, especially when Carla announced she'd found ways to help her save about a thousand dollars every month without cutting the quality of her products.
The picture I'd found of Carla and the mystery man burned in my purse. I wanted to confront her and find out the story behind it, but I also realized it wasn't any of my business. I didn't even discuss it with Derek.
But the afternoon of the Halloween dance, I stopped at the bakery for a coffee and realized Carla and I were alone. I pulled out the picture and set it down on the table between us. She gasped and stared at it for a moment, then crinkled it up in her palm. She wouldn't meet my gaze.
"That was at the very bottom of the booth with the money at Martinez's Mexican Restaurant," I said quietly. Carla never would have seen it unless she emptied all the money like I had. "Why did Jake have that picture?
Carla sighed and shook her head. "It was taken when I first started working at the restaurant. Mac was out of town and... and we weren't getting along. We were actually talking about divorcing. That guy... I don't even remember his name. He was a server at the restaurant. We flirted. He made me feel everything Mac didn't at that time. Then, one day, he kissed me."
Her story caused me to squirm in my chair because I had an idea of where it was going and I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the rest.
"I don't need to know the details, Carla. I just wanted you to have this."
"No, I want to tell someone because it's weighed so heavily on my heart."
"Are you sure?"
Carla nodded. "That was taken one night after closing. Jake saw him kiss me, then told him to do it again. We were all laughing. It was a silly thing, but that kiss touched a place in me that Mac hadn't reached in a long time."
"So you kissed him again?"
"Yes. That's when Jake snapped the picture."
"Then what happened? Why did Jake keep it?"
Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head. "About a year later, I'd asked for a raise. Mac and I had worked through our problems. Jake told me I wouldn't get what I asked for, and he added that if I ever tried to leave the restaurant, he'd show the picture to Mac."
As her tears slid down her cheeks, I closed my eyes. The depths of Jake Martinez's depravity never failed to surprise me.
Mac worshipped the ground Carla walked on, and he would be devastated to see the picture.
"I tried everything to either get him to give me a raise or let me go. I got his costs down and his profits up. I wanted out of there so badly, but he threatened me time and time again, reminding me he would make sure Mac saw the picture if I tried to leave."
"He extorted you," I whispered as I clenched my fists.
"He did. Please don't tell Mac."
"I won't, Carla. That picture isn't any of my business. You keep it, and I promise you, my lips are sealed.”
Our gazes locked for a moment and Carla smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate that. I always wondered where he kept the picture and if it would turn up again. I'm so glad you're the one who found it."
"Me, too. And I promise I won't say a word about it to anyone. Your relationship with Mac is your business."
Carla nodded. "We were going through a really bad time, but things are good now. I can't imagine my life without him. The whole thing was just stupid, and if he ever saw the picture, it would destroy him. I never want to hurt him like that, and that’s why I stayed at the restaurant.”
"I understand. No one is perfect. We all do dumb things."
"You're right," she said with a sigh. "I really feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders now that I have this." She glanced down at her fist. "I think I need to burn it."
She stood and went in back, then returned with a bowl and some matches. As the picture burned, I couldn't help but wonder if the smoke and fumes contained cyanide.
"How are things going here?" I asked, glancing around. "You haven't killed each other, so I assume Debbie isn't driving you completely crazy."
"Debbie isn't as bad as a boss as I thought she'd be," Carla said with a laugh. "At least she’s nothing like Jake."
“Yeah, you hit the worst of the worst with him as a boss.” I grinned and reached across the table to squeeze her hand. "I'm glad to hear everything is going well, and I'm so happy you're out of that horrible situation."
"So am I. Frankly, I'm glad Sophia left town and it's shuttered. It was a toxic place to be."
We sipped our coffee in silence for a moment as the flames completely died down and ashes were all that was left.
"Are you and Mac going to the dance tonight?" I asked.
"We are. Will we see you there?"
"Yes. Derek and I will be attending together."
"We're going to have so much fun!" Carla said with a squeal.
I had to admit, I was pretty excited about the Halloween dance as well.
The community center had been decorated in black and orange with strobe lights that cast shadows in every dark corner. Balloons floated at the ceiling while streamers hung at the entrance and around the walls. The town had pulled together a potluck, and the tables lined with food all set my stomach growling. Up on the stage, a DJ played music.
Derek and I had decided to go as Gomez and Morticia Addams, the parents from the Addams Family. I have to admit, we looked really good. Derek had greased back his black hair and wore a fake mustache. I found a long black wig and dress. Even though I wasn't as thin as Morticia, I still felt darn sexy.
We arrived to find Mac, Carla, and Debbie saving us seats at a table. Carla and Mac were dressed as salt and pepper shakers, while Debbie wore a chef's hat and apron. Derek brought over two cups of juice, and I quickly drank mine, then snuck in some of Mac's hard cider. I rarely consumed alcohol, so it went directly to my head, giving me the giggles.
Derek and I danced a bit, but not too much because my costume and wig made me hot and sweaty.
About halfway through, the lights came up, the music stopped, and I turned to find the mayor at the microphone dressed as the Hulk ready to give a speech.
"Welcome, Tri-Towns!" he began. "It's so great to have everyone here!"
People applauded and hooted, and I had a feeling there was more than one flask of an adult beverage going around.
"This year, we've decided to do something different. I've appointed a secret judging committee whose members have been walking around looking at all your costumes, and we've come up with three finalists. The rest of you will decide the winner!"
Thunderous applause and squeals of delight filled the air.
"Our first finalists for the couple's competition are... Derek York and Tilly Bordeaux!"
I gasped as hoots and hollers filled the air. Derek grabbed my hand and we walked to the stage as the other two finalists were announced. My palms became sweaty and my body trembled when Burt Reynolds and Pamela Anderson walked up to the stage, followed by Han Solo and Princess Leia.
"We've got our three couples up here," the mayor continued, "and I must say, you all look fantastic. If it were up to me, I wouldn't be able to judge, so that's why I'm going to ask the audience. By a show of applause, which couple has your favorite costume? Is it Burt Reynolds and Pamela Anderson?"
Screams and yells echoed around the space as I stared out at the sea of faces. Some I recognized, others I didn't either because I didn't know them, or I couldn't place them through their masks and makeup.
I really wanted to win. A silly costume contest? Yes. But as I stood up on that stage with my boyfriend, a fierce sense of competitiveness took over my being.
When the applause died down, the mayor asked, "What about Han Solo and Princess Leia?"
My heart sank when the cheers became so loud, it was almost deafening. We'd never beat that.
"And finally, we have Gomez and Morticia Addams!" the mayor yelled.
I almost covered my ears, the noise becoming so thunderous as I began jumping up and down. We'd won!
Derek swept me up into his arms and spun me a
round while both of us laughed. When he set me down, I looked out into the audience to see Carla and Debbie standing on the table waving and screaming. Mac sat beneath them smiling, but shaking his head, as if he couldn't believe the shenanigans going on above him.
"Congratulations, Tilly and Derek!" the mayor said when the room quieted down. "You guys look amazing! Unfortunately, we don't have a prize for you except the bragging rights."
The audience laughed, but the prize was enough for me.
"I was wondering if I could say something," Derek said.
The mayor handed him the microphone and nodded but seemed just as puzzled as me. "Go right ahead."
"Thanks," Derek said, and then he cleared his throat. Beads of sweat formed on his brow as he turned to me. "Tilly, from the moment I saw you standing in my front yard holding a baseball bat over your shoulder while threatening to beat me with it, I've been attracted to you."
When he dropped to one knee, I gasped and took a step back. "What are you doing?" I hissed.
"You're the first person I think about when I wake up every day. I can't wait to see your smile, to hear your laughter, to hold you in my arms. You bring out a joy in me that I never imagined could be possible."
I glanced out at Carla and Debbie, who still stood on the table. They both held their hands up to their mouths in surprise.
At least they weren't in on it.
"We’ve only been dating for a short period of time, but I’ve also learned that life goes by really fast and it’s important to live each day to its fullest. I’m in love with you and want to spend the rest of my days with you. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”
The crowd cheered while tears welled in my eyes. Derek pulled a little black box out of his pocket. When he opened it, a gold ring with a small diamond gleamed under the stage lights.
I knew what was coming, and I suddenly felt very sick. Darkness encroached on my peripheral vision, the room began to spin, and my knees weakened. My stomach rolled, and I realized all that cider I had drunk was about to make a reappearance in front of the Tri-Town people and all over the man professing his love to me.
