and left me. He helped Papi and me get out of Havana.”
“Yeah? I heard he went back to your place in Vedado the next day with Ruby and they busted open your old man’s safe.”
I stared at him. Angel grinned at me, like I was the most stupid broad in the whole world for not figuring it out for myself. I just didn’t know whether I could believe him.
“So what’s he doing here?”
“What do you think he’s doing? This is Miami. You can’t move without tripping over a Fed or some Agency spook.”
“He said he was a security consultant.”
“Is that what he told you, baby? He was working for Howard Hughes in LA. Does that sound to you like he’s legitimate now? Anyway, it’s a lie. He’s working for us, him and Ruby and Winstone and the rest of his pals. They’re helping us get rid of Fidel.”
It sounded like it was just talk if you could forget who his father-in-law was, who his friends were.
“We got a guy, works on Castro’s staff, over there in Havana. We’re giving him fifty large to drop some pills in his drink. Reyes” pals at the Agency made them for us; they dissolve in water in seconds. We’re going to show this fuck he can’t screw with us.”
I didn’t know what to say. Angel only lied half of the time and left you to guess when he was telling the truth. Now he sat there, picking at smoked salmon and swilling champagne like it was beer.
I went out onto the balcony. It was getting on for evening. The lights on Collins twinkled on along the seafront.
“He said he’d been in prison over there. Was that a lie as well?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“Or maybe Fidel put him in Tricornia to keep an eye on Santo and the other guys, find out what they were planning. You never know with that guy who he’s working for. Don’t go pouring your heart out to him, baby. That would be a big mistake.”
“Don’t ever talk to me like that again, Angel. You don’t run my life.”
“You can always go back to work at the diner.”
“You know, I may have had sauce stains on my uniform but at least I felt clean.”
“Yeah? You won’t leave me, baby.”
“Don’t count on it,” I said and went into the bathroom to dress. Maybe he’d seen me naked enough for one lifetime.
Chapter 13
I was running along a beach in the fog. Someone was following me, coming up behind me fast, but the sand was crumbling away beneath my feet and I couldn’t get away. I stopped and looked behind me but all I could see was shadows.
I woke up covered in sweat, and sat up. I twisted my legs out of bed but the nightmare wouldn’t stop. I could still hear the sound of someone panting in the darkness.
“Papi?”
I switched on the bedside light. He lay there, eyes bulging and his chest heaving. I sat him up in the bed; his pyjamas were soaked with sweat, and he clung to me so tight it hurt. His lips were blue.
“I’ll get help,” I said but he would not let go. “Papi, please!” I had to pry his fingers loose. He put a hand out to me as I made for the door. “I’ll be right back,” I said and ran.
I hammered on Lena’s front door. Her bedroom curtains pulled aside and she peered out at me, terrified. When she saw it was me, she shouted “I’m coming, honey,” through the window, and I heard her running down the passage. She threw open the door.
“Miss Fuentes, what’s wrong?”
“Please, call an ambulance!”
“What’s happened?”
“It’s Papi, he’s sick, he’s really sick!”
I didn’t have time to say anymore. I ran back to our flat. Papi had bunched the sheets in his fists and he was making terrible noises in his throat. He shook his head at me. I think he knew.
I held him in my arms. Don’t die, Papi, don’t die. He kept writhing and twisting, his lungs sounded wet, I knew there was no air getting in.
The ambulance took forever to arrive, but perhaps it was just a few minutes. He was unconscious when the two medics ran in with the
“Yeah? I heard he went back to your place in Vedado the next day with Ruby and they busted open your old man’s safe.”
I stared at him. Angel grinned at me, like I was the most stupid broad in the whole world for not figuring it out for myself. I just didn’t know whether I could believe him.
“So what’s he doing here?”
“What do you think he’s doing? This is Miami. You can’t move without tripping over a Fed or some Agency spook.”
“He said he was a security consultant.”
“Is that what he told you, baby? He was working for Howard Hughes in LA. Does that sound to you like he’s legitimate now? Anyway, it’s a lie. He’s working for us, him and Ruby and Winstone and the rest of his pals. They’re helping us get rid of Fidel.”
It sounded like it was just talk if you could forget who his father-in-law was, who his friends were.
“We got a guy, works on Castro’s staff, over there in Havana. We’re giving him fifty large to drop some pills in his drink. Reyes” pals at the Agency made them for us; they dissolve in water in seconds. We’re going to show this fuck he can’t screw with us.”
I didn’t know what to say. Angel only lied half of the time and left you to guess when he was telling the truth. Now he sat there, picking at smoked salmon and swilling champagne like it was beer.
I went out onto the balcony. It was getting on for evening. The lights on Collins twinkled on along the seafront.
“He said he’d been in prison over there. Was that a lie as well?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“Or maybe Fidel put him in Tricornia to keep an eye on Santo and the other guys, find out what they were planning. You never know with that guy who he’s working for. Don’t go pouring your heart out to him, baby. That would be a big mistake.”
“Don’t ever talk to me like that again, Angel. You don’t run my life.”
“You can always go back to work at the diner.”
“You know, I may have had sauce stains on my uniform but at least I felt clean.”
“Yeah? You won’t leave me, baby.”
“Don’t count on it,” I said and went into the bathroom to dress. Maybe he’d seen me naked enough for one lifetime.
Chapter 13
I was running along a beach in the fog. Someone was following me, coming up behind me fast, but the sand was crumbling away beneath my feet and I couldn’t get away. I stopped and looked behind me but all I could see was shadows.
I woke up covered in sweat, and sat up. I twisted my legs out of bed but the nightmare wouldn’t stop. I could still hear the sound of someone panting in the darkness.
“Papi?”
I switched on the bedside light. He lay there, eyes bulging and his chest heaving. I sat him up in the bed; his pyjamas were soaked with sweat, and he clung to me so tight it hurt. His lips were blue.
“I’ll get help,” I said but he would not let go. “Papi, please!” I had to pry his fingers loose. He put a hand out to me as I made for the door. “I’ll be right back,” I said and ran.
I hammered on Lena’s front door. Her bedroom curtains pulled aside and she peered out at me, terrified. When she saw it was me, she shouted “I’m coming, honey,” through the window, and I heard her running down the passage. She threw open the door.
“Miss Fuentes, what’s wrong?”
“Please, call an ambulance!”
“What’s happened?”
“It’s Papi, he’s sick, he’s really sick!”
I didn’t have time to say anymore. I ran back to our flat. Papi had bunched the sheets in his fists and he was making terrible noises in his throat. He shook his head at me. I think he knew.
I held him in my arms. Don’t die, Papi, don’t die. He kept writhing and twisting, his lungs sounded wet, I knew there was no air getting in.
The ambulance took forever to arrive, but perhaps it was just a few minutes. He was unconscious when the two medics ran in with the
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