Chapter Nine

Hello, Goodbye

"Jean," Chantal protested as he locked the door behind him. "We can't leave him there. He needs a doctor."

"Listen, I need to find the gold. It's obvious your plan to make your husband talk didn't work. To be able to find the gold I obviously need the schematics of this vessel and I didn't get a chance to search the captain's cabin. I can't return there; it would make him suspicious. However, you know the man, he respects and loves you like his daughter."

"No," Chantal shook her head, knowing what he was about to suggest. "Jean, please, I can't deceive Santiago."

"You'll go knock on his cabin door and try to find the plans. If he's there then you try and reconnect with the old man. Talk about the ship, the weather. I don't care, as long as you return with the information we need."

"He's going to ask me where Nicolás is," she said seriously.

"And if you tell him that-," Jean replied coldly, "-his first officer will be dead when he finds him."

OOOOOO

Natalia felt cold inside as she packed her bags with the few things she'd taken with her to Brazil. She and Aníbal would have headed back to Vigo when Fernando had settled into his new mansion. However, she couldn't go back there now, she needed time to think, needed some time to put things into perspective. With a heavy heart she finished her packing and closed the suitcase, ready to leave. She walked down the stairs in silence and grabbed her scarf and coat as the front door opened to reveal her brother.

"Natalia?" he said. "Are you leaving?"

"I need some time alone," she replied dejectedly. "I thought you'd boarded the ship already?"

He studied his sister for a moment with concern. "I had but I forgot something. Natalia, are you all right?"

She hesitated and forced a smile to her lips that didn't reach her eyes. "Yes, Fernando. I just need to be alone for a while. I don't know where I'll go and I don't know when I'll be back."

"Are you sure you've thought this over?" he asked in genuine concern.

She nodded melancholically.

Fernando embraced her in a brotherly hug. "I am going to miss you," he said.

"I promise to stay in touch," she said and turned to get her bag.

OOOOOO

Having come from the funeral of their father Eva pulled off the black silky gloves and threw them on the wooden bench, then she grabbed the fabric of her dress and pulled it up a little so that she could walk unhindered out in the garden. She stomped over the green top-dressed grass and sat down next to the beautiful bed of roses.

"Eva!" Carolina called as she trailed after her and came to stand next to her. "Eva, what are you doing? You are going to ruin your dress."

She shrugged her shoulders, made a face, crinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes against the setting sun. "I've never liked black much anyway," she said as if it was no big deal. "I remember that mama used to spend hours in the garden, she said it brought so much joy and tranquility."

Carolina sighed and sat down on the grass next to her little sister. They sat next to each other in silence for a moment.

"I can't believe papá is gone, Carol," Eva whispered. "And I don't know if I hate him or love him. He did the most horrible things."

"He wasn't the only one, Eva," she replied darkly. "Uncle Pedro and Doctor Rojas tried to murder him."

"They saw it as the only way to stop the madness," Eva reasoned.

"It doesn't make it okay. Besides, I was right there in the middle of it. I let it happen. You might as well blame me too," Carolina whispered sadly.

Eva gently draped an arm around her sister's shoulder and hushed the now sobbing woman. "Never, Carol," she replied resolutely.

"Miss Villanueva," a kind voice called from behind.

Eva turned her head to see the gardener smile at them. "I am sorry for the interruption but there's a man, an officer, looking for you."

She froze for a moment, feeling a surge of both hope and despair as she thought about Nicolás. However, she wasn't so sure she wanted to meet him.

"He says his name is Pierre Laganza," the gardener added.

The two sisters looked at each other in confusion. Eva stood and offered Carolina a hand up.

"He's the ship's second officer. Why would Pierre come here?" Carolina asked.

"Something must have happened," Eva deduced as they followed the gardener back to the mansion.

The second officer of Barbara de Braganza looked relieved to see them but he also looked anxious as he stood waiting for them.

"I am sorry for coming here without an invitation, Mrs. Fábregas, Miss Villanueva," he began politely.

"No, no," Carolina said and waved off his apology. "You are welcome anytime you want."

He nodded solemnly and turned to look at her sister. "Miss Villanueva, please forgive me, I know it sounds silly but I thought maybe I'd find Nicolás here."

Eva managed to look both surprised and offended at the same time. "If it's Nicolás you're looking for I recommend that you look for his wife," she replied coldly and turned to leave.

"No," he said quickly. "You don't understand. I haven't seen him since we docked and we're leaving for Vigo early tomorrow morning. It's not like Nicolás to neglect his duties."

Eva turned around again to face the officer, her mood plummeted at the worry in his eyes. "Do you think something's happened?" she asked, not sure she wanted an answer to that question.

Pierre swallowed and briefly averted his eyes to look at his shoes. "I don't know what to believe, Miss Villanueva, but I need to find him otherwise we have to leave without him."

"But what about the captain?" Eva reasoned. "Nicolás grew up with him, surely he must know-,"

"The captain is as troubled as I am by his disappearance," Pierre replied. "I am sorry for troubling you."

Eva stared after the man as he turned to leave and began to walk down the driveway again. "Carolina, he's right. Something is wrong," she said seriously.

"Look, Eva. He's not your concern anymore, you don't,-"

"Carolina," she interrupted, clearly in disagreement with her sister. "Nicolás saved my life when he rescued me from that burning cabin and he helped me investigate onboard the ship. If it hadn't been for our combined efforts, you'd still be in that awful trunk in the hands of Carmen Marín and her goons."

"There is nothing you can do about it. What did you have in mind anyway?" Carolina asked. "You can't just knock on the door to Chantal's house and ask to see if her husband is all right."

"Why not?" Eva replied defiantly.

"Okay, here's what we'll do. I'll place a call to Fernando and see if Officer Laganza isn't overreacting. Perhaps Nicolás has returned already?"

OOOOOO

Sofía glanced up from the flowerbed as Alberto came walking toward her.

"I would have thought a woman such as you didn't want to dirty your hands," he said charmingly.

"I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty, Alberto," she replied with a cunning smirk. "I thought you knew that by now?"

He nodded with a wry grin on his lips. "We might have a bit of a problem," he said without preamble.

She frowned. "I see. You'd better enlighten me because the ship is about to leave for Spain, Varela is off my back, Carlos is dead and the gold is in the safe."

He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her get up and brush off her skirt. "Do you remember that man who drove one of the trucks back from Germany?"

"I think you'll have to be a bit more specific," she replied sarcastically.

"The one you accused of stealing?" Alberto offered, trying to jog her memory. "His name was Jean Fonte."

Sofía balled her hands into fists at the mention of the name. "What about him?" she asked bitterly.

"He's here," Cardoso deadpanned. "I saw him in the harbor."

"Impossible," she muttered.

OOOOOO

Chantal's mood plummeted as she saw the kind old man sitting behind his desk with the door to his cabin slightly ajar. She considered turning back and tell Jean she didn't find what they were looking for. However, the man she'd come to love deeply over last couple of years had become more and more unpredictable and volatile and she feared he'd do something to Nicolás if he found out she'd lied to him.

She took a deep breath and forced a smile on her lips as she stepped forward and gently knocked on the door to the captain's cabin.

"Come in," he said lightly.

"Hello, Santiago," she said softly.

He stared at her for a moment then broke into a genuine grin. "Chantal," he boomed brightly.

She cringed at the joy it brought him to see her.

The captain got out of his chair and quickly walked up to stand opposite her then he embraced her in a bearhug. "My goodness, dear, I never thought I'd see you again," he said. "Welcome back."

"Santiago," she said kindly, as she fought to keep up the happy appearance. She desperately wanted to tell him where Nicolás was; that he needed to hurry. She desperately wanted to say how sorry she was for everything that had happened but she couldn't bring herself to do it out of fear for what Jean might do.

"Chantal, I can't believe you're standing here," he said happily. "What do you think of my new little boat?"

She chuckled and crinkled her nose. Santiago had always had a knack for giving understatements. "I always knew you would find yourself a fine ship one day," she replied. "Did you expect anyone to believe you'd wanted an early retirement?"

He fixed his eyes on a nondescript point at the furthest wall as he spoke up again. "You know, I was lost when my wife died. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't cope with her loss. I didn't handle it very well," he turned to look at her once again, sadness in his eyes. "If it weren't for Nicolás I'd probably done something stupid."

She grew cold at the mention of her husband's name and she suddenly felt ashamed of herself and the actions she'd taken recently. "You know, I can't stay long. I just wanted to see you and make sure you were faring well," she said, trying to keep up appearances.

"I am better now seeing you're alive and well," he replied sweetly. "Is Nicolás with you? We've been worried about him. I fear something's happened to him."

She shook her head. "We went separate ways earlier. He said there was something he needed to do before he returned to the ship but he didn't say what it was. I didn't want to push it but I know your birthday is coming up," she hinted.

Santiago shook his head. "I'll read him the riot for it when he turns up," he said fondly. "He knows how much we have to do before we leave port."

"Then I better be going," she replied. "I don't want to leave Brazil just yet. I am not ready."

He frowned in surprise. "I thought you two would be inseparable now that you'd been given a second chance?"

"Life is complicated, Santiago," she let on sadly as she turned to leave.

Chantal couldn't bear it any longer, she practically rushed through the corridors and out on deck to get some air. "Damn you Jean," she whispered as tears threatened to spring from her eyes. She gripped the railing and let out a quivering breath as she overlooked the harbor. She felt a sudden hope raising within her as she spotted a man dressed in back, carrying what looked like a medical bag in his hand. She ran off down the length of the deck, desperate to catch up with him before she lost sight of him below.

OOOOOO

To be continued