Once again she was correct. The recollection became an unexpected therapeutic secession. The more he talked about it, the easier it became and like down hill water the words flowed.
“Hell Kelly I’m not sure how I feel about this. It is just one of those things that happened and I can’t take it back.”
“So how do you know for sure that it wasn’t that Perez guy? What did you find out?”
“The answer sort of fell in my lap actually and it wasn’t the best situation. I was walking from the entrance of the mall in Spokane about a week after Dexter was murdered. The next day was my discharge date so I was purchasing some last minute travel stuff. I left the mall and while I walked toward my car, I had an odd feeling like I was being watched.
I have to admit that my nerves were a little rattled since Dexter was just murdered so I just tried to ignore the uneasiness. When I got to my car a hand grabbed my shoulder from behind. I turned to face two of the largest men I had ever seen. They stepped to the side and between them stood another man that I had never seen before.
He didn’t speak at first. He just stood looking me up and down as if he was trying to evaluate me or something. The thing that I remembered most was how I felt around him because his look was unnerving. You know like, he was not just trying to read me from within by trying to look into my soul. He had this darkness about him that was more then simple intimidation.”
“Darkness?” Kelly said. “Like how?”
“I don’t know. It’s kind of hard to explain.”
“What did he look like?”
“He stood a little taller then me, about 6’3” or so and had a natural tanned skin color. His confidence bordered on a wicked arrogance with jet black hair that was cut short.
He blew a trail of cigarette smoke that slid out of his mouth towards my face. He also had a goatee that he brushed with his thumb and finger stroking it slow like he was calculating my inner thoughts. That was the first time that I came face to face with Martin Garcia.”
“The guy you went after in VIP,” Kelly said in a dry acknowledgement.
“The very same one. That is one person that I could never forget no matter how long it had been. Even his voice has been locked inside my head. He had a slight Latin accent and had a way of speaking at you, instead of to you. His words were placed in low direct tones.
I’m thinking that you may have had something to do with the Perez incident. He said to me then studied me even harder. Yes, yes, I really think you do.
He paused between sentences and spaced his words carefully as if to gage a reaction. His words were umm, how do I say this? Rhetorical, yeah that’s it like the intention was to provoke thought and not a response. Does that make sense?”
“It does Mike. It really does,” Kelly said.
“Good because I was beginning to think that I was a little screwed up. He also said, Yesss, yesss I’m gonna to do a little more checking. Until then stay close, and I’m going to need you to come to my address around 7:00 pm tomorrow.
One of the large men handed me a card with a local address on it.”
Mike allowed the words flow as he told Kelly the rest of the story. It seemed to get even easier now since it was already all out there. The burden of carrying the heavy weights of guilt positioned across his shoulders had finally been placed aside. She felt honored that he was comfortable enough to share the story with her.
“That evening was already my last full day in the military. The next day was set for an early morning out-processing and an exit interview. I was discharged by noon then moved to Seattle for a while. About a year later I ended up in Dallas.”
Kelly pouted her lips. “Well, ok, but I may have missed something. What did Garcia have to do with Elvia Perez? Oh! Was Garcia working for Daniel Perez or were they friends or something?”
“No, not at all. As a matter of fact Daniel Perez and Garcia were anything but friends.
After I moved to Seattle as much as I tried to put everything behind me I couldn’t do it. I decided to track down Daniel Perez and confess everything. The guilt was killing me and I was getting a little tired of looking over my shoulders. At the time, I thought just like you are thinking now. I thought that Garcia worked for Daniel Perez.
I tried like hell to track him down. With the hundreds of calls I made I could never get a direct message to Daniel Perez. However I did get close enough for him to get word that I was looking for him.
One night I received a call from an unlisted number. It was none other then Daniel Perez. Although he made it clear that he wasn’t too pleased to hear that someone was trying to find him, we had a very informative conversation. He told me that not only were he and Garcia not working together but were sworn enemies. Daniel found out that Garcia was having an affair with his wife while he was away. After Elvia’s death, some incriminating letters were found to support that fact.”
“Did you tell Daniel Perez that it was you who was driving the car that night?”
“Yeah, I told him everything.”
“Affair or not, Daniel Perez must have been going through a lot and still pretty pissed at you,” Kelly said.
“Oh you don’t know the half of it. I mean not the being pissed at me part. See Daniel went in for a physical before all this happened. With the urging of his sister, he also decided to make a donation to the sperm bank. His sister had some sort of investment in the business and thought that her brother, who was mafia connected but still well respected, going there would be good for business.
Perez was later informed that he was actually sterile all those years.”
“Sterile!!!”
“Yes, sterile, Daniel Perez was not able to have children. Elvia was his actually his second wife, and he never had children with his first wife.”
Kelly placed her palms outward into the air. “Wait, wait, wait, you really have lost me now. I thought you said that there was a little boy who died in the car accident that was their child.” Kelly looked frustrated by still not being able to connect the dots.
“It was a child in the car. You see I not only killed Elvia but also the love child she had with Martin Garcia. I killed their son.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
By the end of the story Mike felt as if he had just run a marathon. He leaned forward with a sweat soaked shirt but the air conditioned temperature was far from hot. A combination of physical as well as mental exhaustion consumed him to near depletion.
“Mike,” Kelly said. “You don’t look like you are in any condition to drive right now. Come on up and get some rest ok? Please?”
Kelly made every effort to maintain a pleasant persona but Mike knew better. Inside he was certain that she felt a certain degree of sadness and he now regretted telling her the entire story. He should have just kept it to himself instead of bringing her down.
“You know that I’m ok to drive home Kelly. I do this all the time.”
Kelly didn’t answer.
“Hello?”
“I hear you Mike. Just do it for me ok?” she said.
He reluctantly got out of the car.
“I’ll just say one more thing than I’ll drop the subject. I find it so heartbreaking that you held so much pain inside for all those years. But I really do appreciate that you were able to share that with me.”
“So we are done with that topic now right?”
“Yes,” she smiled.
After walking up a flight of stairs they arrived at Kelly’s door. Mike followed her inside and took in the brightly decorated arrangement of Kelly apartment. He had been there when she first moved in but that was months ago. She completed a lot of decorating since then so the appearance was totally different.
“This place is a lot bigger then I remembered,” he said.
“Really?” she glowed with pride. “Good because that was exactly the look that I was going for. I tried to spread the furniture out as neat as I could, didn’t want the cluttered look.”
&n
bsp; Mike moved around the apartment admiring the pure white walls fixed with a few abstract paintings. Everything in the apartment had some variation of bright yellow in the design. There were yellow vases, a yellow and cream rug under the glass coffee table, and yellow throw pillars on the cream couch.
She laughed. “Ok I know what you are thinking but keep it to yourself ok?”
“Damn Kelly, you’re making me wonder if I have too many dark colors in my home,” he said.
Kelly laughed hard. Mike was positive that it had a lot to do with him even more then the observation. He noticed many times before how she obtained a certain pleasure with being able to set his as other’s poignant moods aside. He admittedly also took enjoyment with the mental but far too short break from reality.
Mike scrutinized the apartment’s interior even more. Three artistic multi colored designed plates hung neatly spaced on the mantle above the fire place.
“Everything in this place screams that is was hand picked by you,” he smiled. “The decorations are all bright and…too damn bubbly.”
“Too bubbly? You say that like it’s a bad thing,” she said.
“No, not saying that but good lord,” he laughed. “I guess its ok, your apartment just reflects your personality you know bright, perfectly organized, and animated. No wonder you are the optimistic heartbeat of Memphis. I thought that it was an act but now I see that you really are that damn cheerful.”
“O…K, once again you are saying that like it’s a bad thing.”
Mike gave the comment a long thought. “Hell Kelly,” he grinned. “Look over me. I’m just jealous I guess. I just never had that effortless positive demeanor about me. But you seem like you were born with it. I bet if the average positive person called a glass half full, then you would swear that it was about for overflow.”
Kelly’s actions were not random. Her invitation to come up to her place was not just for him to rest, it was an attempt to cheer him up. Her efforts to lift Mike’s spirits began the moment they stepped into her apartment, her inner sanctum to blissville.
As transparent as her efforts were, Mike had very little faith that she could pull it off. He played along to honor her endeavors but had to admit that her constant desire to make the world smile was normally successful and wearing on him. Like anyone he was the sincerity in her efforts.
“Soooo, Michael Andrews,” Kelly began as she stood in front of Mike with her arms folded. She tapped her foot against the floor dramatically. “You do realize that this is the first time I have ever had a man alone in my apartment.”
“Oh I wouldn’t worry about that too much Kelly. Besides, I trust you,” Mike winked.
“Famous! Trust me, you trust me? Whatever!” She laughed.
“Anyway I have some coffee, want some?” She moved out of the room then into the kitchen yelling the offer over her shoulder.
“Yeah, I could use a strong cup of coffee!” Mike yelled back. His body was now really feeling the effects of the extended night.
Kelly re-entered the living room just as Mike ease on to the sofa. He moved slow now and could her hear her behind him sliding the glass doors together that led to the small balcony. He rotated his body in her direction just as she opened the horizontal blinds.
The view outside of the window captured Mike’s attention. The dark morning sky invaded the living room inviting him to look closer. He walked over and peered into the dense night across her balcony that overlooked a landscaped courtyard located in the center of the complex.
The European designed courtyard contained small Greek statues, a manmade pond, and small sections of evenly cut patches of grass. Two stone wall fountains depicting the heads of lions spewed out a flowing stream of water.
Kelly stood next to Mike. “It’s my favorite spot and the main reason I picked this apartment,” she said. “I always had this thing about Europe and am addicted to its rich history.
The balcony is my little sanctuary where I relax, read romance novels, and escape to the places that most hopeless romantics do.”
“It’s the perfect spot for all of that,” Mike said.
The early dawn emerged to succumb to the sun’s arrival. The red and orange glow barely peeked into the horizon with the announcement that its grand entrance was about to occur. While the sun refused to delay its arrival, the ridged night tried to hold its ground.
Kelly returned to the kitchen and continued to fix the coffee. Mike pulled away from the view and returned to the couch. A couple of minutes later, Kelly brought out the two hot cups of coffee and sat next to Mike.
He took the ceramic cup then eyed the painted white and yellow circle designs on the outside before taking a sip.
“Mmmmm, thank you Kelly, this is not too bad. It’s actually pretty good.”
“You act surprised. So you think that blondes can’t make a cup of coffee?”
“I’m not touching that one,” he smiled.
“Good idea, I would hate to have to throw this hot coffee on my boss.”
Mike laughed. He stretched and stood then sipped on the coffee as he made his way around the room. When he sat down again it was on the matching chair across from the couch instead on next to Kelly. He actually didn’t realize it till after it was done and wondered if she took notice.
“Mike, any idea how Garcia ended up at the bar last night? How do you think he found you here in Dallas after all that time?”
“Those are the million dollar questions. To be honest I never expected this to totally go away. No matter how you look at it, I killed two people. It’s not like I deserve a carefree life. Anyway I had heard rumors that Garcia had ties in Dallas.
Through the years I would occasionally do some searching to get the latest information on Garcia. Finding information on him was about as difficult as it was for finding info on Perez. It took me years to even find out anything about his past and the little that I could find out about him was never good.”
“Since you know who he is now can’t you get the police to go after him?”
“I wish it was that easy. From what I discovered, Garcia is powerful and has deep connections with even deeper pockets. A lot of key people are in those deep pockets. Policemen, judges, politicians…you name it. On top of that, officially he doesn’t even exist. See he had his identity erased.”
“Identity erased? Come on now Mike, how in the world did he do that?”
“Oh it can be done. You know Sgt. Franz, the one I told you about who was my superior in the Air Force? Well, he also helped me dig up information on Garcia. Sgt. Franz later changed his career field in the Air Force and worked in intelligence. Once he was there he was able to get a lot of information on Garcia.
He found out that Garcia went to Moscow and paid an underground organization to remove his identity. The organization is very effective and good in what they do. They use a process of scrapping off all your fingertips to remove your fingerprints. After that you are issued a new ID and passport. It is a very costly and very painful process, but it does work.
Also Sgt. Franz found out that Garcia was initially brought to the US at a young age so he has no official birth certificate. With no official identification he is always able to stay a few steps ahead of authorities.”
“You know Mike, I was just thinking. What happened back in Spokane on the day you got out of the Air force, you know when you went to the address Garcia gave to you at the mall?”
“I never went. I left, drove to Seattle and thought all of that was behind me. That was the last time I saw Garcia till-”
“Till tonight,” Kelly finished.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Outside beyond the glass divider of the sliding balcony door, the chronic struggle of the darkness against the morning’s arrival continued its battle. The mêlée persisted every day, 365 days a year. This evening proved to be no different.
The morning breeze skimmed across the landscape laying a resisting blanket of coolness across ever
ything in its path. By the time daylight arrived the sun’s rays would eradicate any chill left by the night. The battle of balance touched everything in its unavoidable path.
Kelly stared down at another peaceful night time view of her apartment complex courtyard. A soft breeze skated across the man-made pond pushing across the surface with just enough force to create ripples of tiny waves. The miniature impressions danced along the water making small splashes beneath one of the tiny ducks that inhabited the pond. Like the emotions of the entire night, the duck fought against the current.
Kelly moved away from the glass then into the living area hallway. She entered her bedroom then after a secession of wide yarns, she decided to get more comfortable. Her eyes grew heavy.
“Hey Mike!” She called out from the bedroom. “I’m gonna jump in the shower and change right quick. Help yourself to another cup of coffee if you want ok?” He did not respond.
She returned to the living room wrapped inside her thick terry cloth white robe. Her wet hair dangled her golden curls that fell down her back. She patted her face with a yellow towel while smiling at Mike.
Mike’s body leaned to one side as he remained passed out on her couch with his body awkwardly against the side arm. She stood and watched for a moment as his large chest rose and descended laboring with the heavy breaths of life’s issues. His body had finally closed for the night even when his apprehension refused to rest. She retrieved a blanket and draped it across him.
She switched off the lights then made her way to the opened blinds of the balcony. Just before pulling them close, she took a little time to look down into the landscaped square once again. The view remained as timeless as the stars.
Since she removed her contact her vision was limited but she could still enjoy the view through the blurriness. Two decorative large tan boulders gleamed from the bright outdoor lighting. The wooden bridge across the pond also managed to appear through her limited vision but for without her contacts, everything else was just a haze of obscure shadows.
She pulled the blinds close then made her way back to the hallway. Before leaving she stopped at the hallway’s entrance and placed her hand on the last remaining light switch, took one last look at Mike, and then turned off the switch. She smiled as she retired to her bedroom.