Chapter Three
Missing
"This is outrageous," Erich called as he grabbed the bars with his hands and stared at the guard. "Go and fetch somebody I can talk to."
"Erich," Carmen said softly. "We kidnapped a woman. You pulled a gun on Fernando and I-, for I while back there I was convinced Carolina had killed my sister. I was going to shoot her for it. It is only fair-"
"Fair?" he echoed as he shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe what I am hearing."
"Carolina had nothing to do with any of it, Erich, you were wrong," she reasoned in a subdued voice so as no one else heard. "It was that woman, Francisca, who finally confessed to murdering my sister."
Erich shook his head. "No, she didn't. She said she acted in self-defense since your sister pulled a gun on her. It's her word against a dead woman's. She will never be convicted, Carmen."
"I thought I knew my sister," she said dejectedly as she clasped her hands in front of her where she sat on the bunk in the small cell that they shared. "Rosa was going to elope with Fernando. What she did was wrong in so many ways."
Erich walked up to the troubled young woman and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "We'll get out of here soon, don't' you worry," he said reassuringly. "When we do we'll make that woman pay for what she did to Rosa."
OOOOOO
Captain Santiago Aguirre had a genuine smile on his lips, something he hadn't had since the last time he'd spoken with his wife before her tragic demise. He was standing on the bridge wing overlooking the busy harbor of Rio de Janeiro. The sun was setting in the distance, creating an almost eerie gloom over the cranes, houses and sailors on the deck below. Workers, businessmen and merchants milled the streets for as long as the eye could see.
Santiago had never been so happy to finally be in port again. It had been a trying journey to say the least and he'd been more than ready to sail into Barbara de Braganza's home port back in Spain instead of fulfilling the journey. He shook his head sadly, he'd even turned the ship into a storm while trying to save the passengers from the lunatic who roamed the corridors of his ship. He found it ironic that in his attempt to save the ship and its crew and passengers he'd done the opposite. He had endangered the lives of the passengers, he'd brought the ship into a full blown storm front and he'd shot his surrogate son and first officer. To him it was a miracle that he'd regained the trust of the owner and still was in command of the ship. To be honest it wasn't entirely his doing, Nicolás had convinced him he could still do his job and spoken to Mr. Fábregas about it after everything had settled down.
He sighed. What if he had actually killed Nicolás? It was a horrible thought that left him drained every time he dared to think about it. He couldn't lose him too, he couldn't bear the thought. Losing his wife was enough, he'd even thought it was for the best to follow her to the grave at one time in his deluded and drunken state. If it hadn't been for poor Nicolás he might have succeeded in joining her. He shuddered at the thought, he knew now that his life wasn't over, he still had things to do, things to finish, a purpose to stay amongst the living. Now that he no longer doubted himself and knew that he could still do his job he was looking forward to set sail again.
The captain shook his head and smiled enigmatically. He had to talk to Nicolás when he got back onboard and thank him properly. He only hoped the reunion went well, Chantal had always been a sweet and kind person. He was happy for Nicolás's sake even though the man himself seemed saddened by the news of her resurrection.
Santiago was just about to walk inside when the door swung open and a hastily dressed second officer stepped out. The younger man looked deeply troubled and seemed to be in great distress.
"Pierre? What is going on?" he called worriedly.
"I have to get Clara back," he mumbled as he was about to set off in a run.
The captain reached out for him in order to stop him from leaving so suddenly. "Please, you're not making any sense. Calm down."
"She wants to be cremated and have her ashes spread across the ocean. I didn't know,- I sent her away. Her casket left the ship several hours ago. I must get her back," he insisted.
Santiago narrowed his eyes at the anxious officer and slowly nodded. "I don't know how you got that information, son, but I know where they've taken her. Let me place a call to the funeral service and request that they bring her back to us."
Pierre nodded absentmindedly as he seemed to stare right through the older man.
"I know what you're going through," Santiago said kindly. "You're not alone, Pierre, please remember that. Now, I need you to go inside again. I know it's hard and that it's easier said than done but you should try and get some rest.
OOOOOO
In the early morning Fernando Fábregas put his arm on the railing to the gangway and stared up on the large ship with a faint smile on his lips. Only two years ago she looked like crap being hauled up in a dry dock for repairs. Her name had been Codonga and her owner was on the verge of bankruptcy yet Juan Marín didn't want to sell the ship to him. It had taken Fernando several meetings with Marín's oldest daughter Rosa before they finally came to an agreement. During those meetings he had come to appreciate Rosa for her character, her businesslike manner and her intellect. She would have been the perfect match to him both privately and as a business partner. They understood each other and shared the same ideas for a possible fusion of the two companies within a few years when Rosa was ready to take over the business from her father.
He appreciated and loved Carolina Villanueva, he really did, but Rosa Marín sparked something in him, intrigued him and spurred him in ways that Carolina couldn't. He had wondered what became of Rosa that day when she hadn't turned up, she wasn't known for her indecisiveness and perhaps that was why Fernando hadn't questioned her disappearance. He had simply assumed that she'd thought better of his offer to marry him and decided to travel abroad alone instead. Never in his wildest dreams had he considered that she might have gotten murdered after pulling a gun on his fiancée's maid. What troubled him was that she hadn't hesitated to kill Francesca to be with him and while he should be flattered he felt only disgust, perhaps he hadn't known Rosa as well as he thought he had.
He sighed and shook his head about the whole thing, everything seemed so surreal. He began to walk across the gangway until he reached the newly polished deck of the ship and quickly headed up to the room he'd used as an office during the journey. He carefully unlocked the room and walked over to his desk to retrieve a set of papers. His sister's husband Aníbal de Souza had invested a great deal of money in the company lately and Fernando knew that Aníbal had been up to something, only, he wasn't sure exactly what it was. He had seen him one dark night when Aníbal had thought he had left the harbor. The man was loading something onboard the ship, something packed in wooden crates that now seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth. He rummaged through the drawers until he found a set of blueprints for the Codonga and a set of blueprints for Barbara de Braganza. Aníbal had hidden the goods away somewhere and he intended to find it.
OOOOOO
Eva Villanueva walked up to stand at the mirror, looking like a woman on a mission. She straightened her jacket and adjusted her black hat so that it sat a little to the left. She smiled smartly at herself as she added another layer of the bright red lipstick, gently scraped a little excess color away from the corner of her mouth and then gently detangled a curl from behind her ear so that a strand of hair fell down toward her shoulder. She looked stunning in her suit, dressed to kill, and more than ready to meet with the publisher.
Eva wasn't the type to daydream but she found herself smiling for no apparent reason as she thought back upon the day when she'd met Nicolás outside on the deck having come from the bridge looking for him. She wasn't going to admit it at first but he'd seen right through her and chuckled at her, saying that she had appeared a bit nervous.
Her eyes sparkled for a moment as she slowly shook her head in front of the mirror, her mind miles away, out on the high seas with Nicolás sweet smile directed towards her. "I am never nervous," she whispered.
The truth was that she was nervous at the moment but she would never admit such a thing, not even to her sister. As for the last word; yes she enjoyed having the last word, she always had.
There was a knock on her door, forcing her back to the present, and her smile became bittersweet as she walked across the room to answer.
Carolina beamed brightly at her, wringing her hands like she always did when she was nervous. "Are you ready to go meet the publisher?" she asked hopefully.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Eva replied confidently.
Carolina smiled. "Good, and with everything that's been going on lately you must have a million ideas ready to write down on paper."
Eva's smile didn't quite reach her eyes as she looked at her sister this time. "It's been a very interesting journey indeed," she replied cryptically.
Carolina suddenly understood and her expression changed from jovial and hopeful to sad and apologetic at the same time. "Eva, I know that you're missing Nicolás but, honey, you need to let him go now."
A defiant and stubborn look crossed Eva's beautiful face for an instant before the plastered smile was back in place. "Has Fernando been back onboard yet?" she asked curiously.
"Yes, he has. But before you ask - No, Nicolás wasn't there. He should be with his wife, Eva, that's where he belongs now."
"But the ship should return to Spain with all the merchandize Fernando and Aníbal ordered, should it not?"
Carolina sighed wearily. "I am not that involved with ship's business, Eva, it's been Fernando's company. However, you should know that the Brazilian police knocked on our door last night and demanded that Natalia accompanied them to the station."
Eva's interested peaked. "Natalia? Did she really murder Anibál then?" she asked.
"Don't get any ideas, Eva," Carolina cautioned. "Natalia is Fernando's sister after all."
"Carol, he was awful to her. I don't understand why she stayed with him," she reasoned.
Carolina's eyes darkened for a moment. "Money," she whispered.
"I would never accept such a thing – ever," Eva said resolutely.
Carolina smiled and gently squeezed her little sister's shoulder. "No, you wouldn't. Tell me, because I am awfully curious – what did happen on the ship? You don't normally fall in love with someone the way you did with Nicolás," she teased.
Eva fixed her with a defiant glare and Carolina wisely put her hands up in the air but the smile never disappeared from her face.
"Tall, dark, handsome guy in a crisp uniform," Carolina drawled. "I can definitely understand what you saw in him."
"There is more to Nicolás than that," Eva replied smartly. "If you must know."
"Eva, honey, I am so sorry," Carolina said regretfully.
"Don't be," Eva replied confidently. "I'll get over him."
Carolina nodded to keep up appearances but she knew that Eva was building walls all around her at the moment. Nicolás had managed to break her barriers and not many people did, Carolina knew that. She also knew that it would take a long time before Eva would be able to finally let go of Nicolás.
"Come on, Eva, the car is ready to take us to the publisher," she said brightly.
OOOOOO
"You know," Verónica said sourly with a glare directed at Dimás who sat opposite her at
the large breakfast table. "You don't really have to follow me everywhere."
"I am not," he tried kindly. "I hadn't planned on having breakfast at all but I met Fernando earlier before he left and he insisted."
She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at him disbelievingly. "Of course," she mumbled.
"Verónica, please. You don't have to go through all this alone," he began seriously, his voice soft and caring. "I know you're a strong and independent woman but I am here for you."
To his surprise she nodded and broke into the faintest of smiles. "I know Dimas and I am sorry for the way I have behaved."
He brightened and leaned forward. "How about the two of us going over to the hospital and visit your mother when we've finished this?" he suggested.
"Sounds good," she replied.
OOOOOO
"Captain," Pierre called seriously as he stepped onto the bridge.
"Laganza," he acknowledged kindly as he walked across the room to stand opposite the younger man. "How are you holding up?"
The second officer gave a faint smile and nodded. "I don't think I ever thanked you properly for what you did for me back there when Clara,-" he trailed of unable to finish the sentence. "You and Nicolás both and your call earlier."
Santiago gently squeezed his shoulder and returned the smile. "Anytime, son," he replied. "I'll do everything for my crew, you know that."
Pierre nodded. "Yes," he said in appreciation. "There is something else."
The captain frowned as he clasped his hands behind his back and waited for his second officer to continue.
"I can't find Nicolás anywhere. It might be silly but I am worried. I've looked everywhere I can think off and he's nowhere to be found. He knows how much there is to do before we leave port," Pierre reasoned.
"He followed Chantal home last night, did he not?" Santiago asked curiously. "I imagine they must have a lot to talk about. Everyone thought she was dead. I would do anything just to speak to my wife one last time."
Pierre swallowed. "Nicolás was torn, sir. He didn't know what to do or what to feel. I think he loves Miss Villanueva."
"Nicolás loves Chantal. You should have seen them at the wedding," Santiago said fondly as he reminisced.
"People change," Pierre reasoned cautiously. "Who is she really?"
"Enough of that," the captain admonished. "She's a wonderful person."
"The fact remains – I can't find him. What if something has happened?"
OOOOOO
To be continued
A/N: Thank you for the feedback on the previous chapters, wonderful people! I am amazed and glad there are more out there who loves this show.