Chapter 28
October 2003
"P...Penelope." Garcia managed to stammer out. Okay, this was an Unsub. He killed people, he killed men quickly and brutally and he killed women slowly and horribly and he was an awful, awful person. But in that moment she could see how he managed to get woman after woman to his side. For a woman like her this could be a dream come true, easy.
"Penelope. A lovely name for a lovely woman," Salazar cooed. "Come, join us for brunch. You are a friend of my niece, yes?"
Lucero had been standing there, staring out to sea. Now she turned with a sharp, knowing smile. "She's my doula."
"Your what?"
"My nurse." She turned back out to gaze at the ocean. "For la cuarentena."
Salazar stopped and stared at his niece, his jaw dropping. He took a deep breath as his eyes went wide. "Ayyyyy!" A smile of pure joy lit his face as he went to pull Lucero into his arms. "A baby! There is a baby on the way! I'm going to be el abuelito!" The other men murmured their congratulations.
She pushed him away again. "If you think I'm going to be separated from the father of my child..."
"No! No, of course not. Not unless he refuses to see reason. He cannot protect you or the child as frail as he is, you know that. And how can he afford a child on his salary, hey? We must make him see reason, and stop being a stubborn child! But look at you," He stepped back and looked over her too slender frame. "Are you strong enough for this?"
All of a sudden Penelope knew what she had to do. "No. No, her pregnancy is very fragile right now." She said, stepping to her friend's side. "She needs special care, no stress, bland diet, lots of rest, the works."
"Ahhh, of course. Of course." He held up a finger and turned to the staff, shouting orders at them to go do...something, she didn't know what.
"How am I doing?" She murmured as she tucked her arm into Lucero's and they moved away.
"So far so good," Lucero replied. "This ought to keep him under some control. I hope."
"There now," Salazar said as he returned to them. "I ordered you a very bland breakfast. Now you must eat, stop being so stubborn. You have to take care of the baby after all. And you..." He turned to Penelope and offered his arm again with a charming smile. "Please, join me."
Thankfully the kiss did not last long. Ernesto stepped back and looked over Spencer, still holding his chin. "No?" Spencer shook his head. "Damn." He let go and stepped away. "I was hoping you married her for...how do you say... conveniencia?"
"Convenience? No, we have an honest marriage, I actually do love her." Spencer considered this a long moment. "Eduardo only goes after women, how come..."
Ernesto threw open his arms. "Have you ever looked at gay men?"
"Um, not really..."
"They are like peacocks! They are perfect, flawless! They shape their bodies into perfection! Your uncle feeds me up like a pig for the slaughter; I have no hope of keeping any man like this. If I could just get rid of that sick freak I'd cut until I lost a hundred pounds and then put fifty of it back on in muscle, first thing! In six months I could have any man in Vegas I wanted."
"I'll send you diet tips." Spencer said. "Would you be willing to help us?"
"To get rid of that freak? What can I do?"
Spencer took a deep breath.
There was no way around it; they were going to have to eat something.
The table under the awning was groaning with food, platters and bowls and baskets of it. And Penelope knew that if she started eating any of it she was going to end up in the Unsub's crosshairs. But she couldn't think of any way out of it. "Please." Salazar said as he started building her a plate. "Nothing but the finest for the woman to help my niece through her time of blessing. Gabi," He turned to his niece as a waiter came out with a smaller tray. "Start with some chocolate de leche and some pan dulce, very easy on the stomach, yes? And stop rolling your eyes, you need to grow up and be a proper woman. I don't know what happened, you were turning into such a beauty and now look at you."
"My husband loves me the way I am." She replied.
"Because he is a fool. He spent too much time on his own after Diana got too sick to look after him, he picked up all sorts of bad thoughts. Look at him, going to work for the government with a mind like that, just for rebellion. But he will learn, now that he has a baby on the way. He will learn."
"What? What will he learn?" Penelope stammered out. "I mean, I know why you want your niece back but what do you want with Spencer?"
Salazar looked at her, then at Lucero and laughed. "Did you not tell her about him?' He turned back to Penelope. "My late wife's nephew is a genius, just like me. He is much like the son I never had. Who better to take over when I decide to retire?"
Penelope took a deep breath. Oh boy.
