This chapter is based on episode 35, Gonzales in Love Again. I fully admit that I'm including this plotline entirely because the end of that episode made me feel so sorry for Gonzales and Emilia. I want to give them the happy ending they deserve.

This and the following chapter contain several scenes and dialogue/ideas straight from the episode. I wanted to be a little more thorough so that I could present Emilia and her story properly. However, I'm slowing down the events and character development because everything in the episode happened so fast that it would be beyond unrealistic here.

THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD

Chapter 29

"And now keep your eyes on my hand."

Bernard did just as the beautiful young woman said. He didn't even blink. He was sure that if he paid enough attention, he'd notice what the secret behind her trick was. It couldn't be that difficult. He knew some magic tricks, too, so he was sure he couldn't be as easily fooled as the other spectators who had gathered at the street corner.

But no, suddenly a red flower bouquet appeared in her hand, seemingly out of nowhere. And it didn't end there. The woman plucked a few petals, turned the bouquet into a blue scarf and used it to hide the petals from sight. And poof! When she lifted the scarf, she was suddenly holding a deck of cards.

Bernard suddenly felt a little foolish about his own simple card tricks. They were nothing like the magic of this woman. However, the excitement of witnessing such tricks quickly made him forget that, and he continued watching the woman's every move with intrigue.

The woman noticed him in the crowd and came closer.

"Hello, little one. You seem to like this. Now you get to pick four cards that you like," she said.

"This one, that one, and that one, and that one," Bernard said.

"Well done. You picked four aces," the woman said as she showed the cards to the people.

There were admiring gasps and cheers from the crowd as the little show came to an end. Bernard was glad he had stumbled upon it, but he wished Diego could have been there, too. Sadly, his friend had stayed home and pretended to read so that he could give his arm some much-needed rest.

It was a week since the incident at the barracks. Diego was healing well, but it would still take at least a month before he could use his arm without any difficulty. It worried Bernard somewhat. San Tasco couldn't go so long without Zorro, so Diego would no doubt ride into the night far too early for his own good. Then another accident could happen, or the injury might get worse.

"What's going on here?"

Bernard was brought back from his thoughts when Sergeant Gonzales made his way through the crowd. He walked straight to the young woman.

"What are you doing here? You need a permission for this sort of business," he said.

"I'm only showing the people a few magic tricks. That can't be forbidden."

"Magic tricks? What kind of magic tricks?" Gonzales asked.

"Like this, for example. Hopla!" the woman said. She reached out to give a gentle pat to the sergeant's chest.

At first nothing happened, but then Bernard spotted something moving under Gonzales' uniform. He and the others could only stare as one of the buttons popped out and a white dove poked its head from under the jacket. It took flight, pulling a string with playing cards along with it.

This trick charmed even the most devout sceptics in the crowd, and the young woman was showered with applause and cheers. Her face melted into a delighted smile as she thanked everyone for their kindness.

"You're such a lovely soldier!" she cooed at Gonzales.

Then, without any warning, she suddenly leapt at him and leant against him.

"What are you doing? This isn't done!" the baffled sergeant protested.

"Thank you for helping me!" the woman said. She gave him a small peck to the cheek, much to the amusement of the crowd.

Gonzales didn't seem to notice that everyone was now laughing at him. He stood frozen to the spot with a stunned expression on his face. If Bernard hadn't found it so funny, he might have felt a little sorry for him. The poor sergeant probably didn't get kisses from pretty women very often.

The show was over, so the people started going on with their business. Bernard hurried to help the woman with collecting her cards and other equipment from the ground.

"Thank you. That's very nice of you," she said.

"Your tricks were really great. Were did you learn all that?" Bernard asked.

"My grandfather taught me everything," the woman said. "My name is Emilia, by the way."

"I'm Bernard. Are you going to stay in town for long?"

"That depends on whether my grandfather takes the job that was offered to him." Emilia finished collecting her things into a small shoulder bag and turned to glance at the sky. "I think it's time for me to run some errands. It was nice to meet you."

"Bye!" Bernard said.

"And goodbye to you, too, Sergeant!" Emilia called out and waved at him.

When Bernard turned to look, he saw that Gonzales was still frozen on his spot, staring ahead with eyes that couldn't see a thing. The boy made a face and wondered what to do.

"Hey, Sergeant. You can breathe again. It's over," he said.

"That was the first time a pretty girl like that kisses me," Gonzales muttered.

"I'm not sure I'd call it a kiss. And street performers like her probably kiss men all the time," Bernard said, but his words got no reaction out of Gonzales. Bernard could only shake his head. He had the gut feeling that this was the beginning of another awkward and embarrassing episode in the sergeant's love life.

Alejandro frowned as he looked out the window and saw Diego sitting under a tree and reading a book. On the surface, there was nothing wrong with the scene. It was what Diego did almost every day. However, Alejandro knew his son. The way Diego was sitting didn't look normal. Something was wrong with him.

He has been injured, he thought. Diego's right arm wasn't right.

About a week ago, Diego had spent two days in bed with fever and had refused help from everyone but Bernard. He had said he had fallen into the river and caught a cold, but Alejandro doubted that. He was starting to regret his promise to not interfere. This was more serious than he had expected.

On the other hand, he couldn't help but feel some relief, too. Whatever Diego was doing at night, it obviously involved fighting. That was normal for young men, as long as it didn't go too far. It put some of Alejandro's more ludicrous fears at ease.

He turned away from the window with a shake of his head and went downstairs to talk to Maria. Lolita and her parents would be coming over that evening. He had promised he'd take Maria to town to buy something she needed for dinner.

"Diego usually takes me to town. I hope he's not badly hurt," Maria told him moments later as they were on their way.

"I don't think so. He just needs a little rest, and knowing him, he's going to get more than enough of it," Alejandro said.

"Then it won't take much longer before I can try to kick some of his laziness out of him again," Maria said, and Alejandro couldn't help but chuckle.

Even though Maria was a servant, she had become more like a trusted friend over the years. Alejandro had more faith in her than any of the others who worked at the estate, and he didn't mind it that she spoke to him like an equal. His wife had died when Diego had been very small, so he enjoyed it that there was a dominant female presence at the house.

There had never been anything romantic between them, not even when they had been younger, which was one reason why Alejandro cherished their relationship so much. It was easy for a rich don, even at his age, to find a woman who was ready to marry him. Having someone who took care of the house and was always ready to listen was like finding a treasure.

"Diego will be fine," he said, but he wished he could have been more confident.

Gonzales was still feeling a little woozy as he entered the casino that had opened in San Tasco a few weeks earlier. The day had had such a wonderful start. He still couldn't believe it that someone as wonderful as Emilia could have kissed him. Him, the stupid, fat sergeant who was always being laughed and yelled at!

The owner of the casino, Dalton, noticed him arrive and came to greet him with a welcoming smile on his face.

"Oh, good day, Sergeant Gonzales. How are you?" he asked. "What happened to your cheek, Sergeant? That's lipstick, isn't it?"

Gonzales brought his hand up to his cheek. He hadn't even noticed!

"You're a real ladies' man," Dalton said with a chuckle.

Gonzales cleared his throat. "You're doing very good work here," he said to change the subject.

"Thank you. It's you who we all should be grateful for here," Dalton replied.

Gonzales turned to observe the casino and the people who were gathered around tables, playing cards and roulette. At first he had been very sceptical of a casino being opened in San Tasco, but he had warmed up to the idea. Dalton was always friendly with him, and the casino had brought some excitement to town. People from elsewhere came over to play, so San Tasco was seeing more traffic than usual.

"Why don't we go and drink something in my office?" Dalton suggested.

"I can't. I'm on duty," Gonzales said.

"Who cares about duty? I'm sure I have something little to eat as well."

Well, that was an offer Gonzales couldn't easily turn down. He was about to accept, but then two of Dalton's employees called out to him from the other side of the room. The man excused himself and disappeared into a backroom with the others.

Gonzales turned to look at his reflection on the surface of a large aquarium that stood by the door. Dalton was right. There was lipstick on his cheek. He felt his face go warm as he thought back to Emilia.

I need to calm down, he thought. He didn't even know her, so he shouldn't let himself grow excited just because she had given him one kiss. It had probably been part of the show. And yet... she had kissed him, not any of the other men in the crowd. Maybe it meant something. Maybe this time he had hope.

He briefly thought of Sella and how much it had hurt to let her go. He knew it had been the right thing to do, but that day he had been sure that he wouldn't let himself go through such an experience again.

But now he was considering it. Maybe it would be different with Emilia. Maybe she would really –

I'm such an idiot. I don't even know her. I probably won't even see her again, he thought. Just one kiss, and he was running in circles. He had to get a hold of himself right now.

Thankfully, Dalton returned to save him from his confused thoughts. He repeated his offer, and this time Gonzales agreed. After all, he reasoned, the best way to overcome one's worries was to eat. He didn't even have any pressing duties to attend to. And some people had complained about the casino, so it was only right that he looked a little more into it, just to be sure.

Satisfied with these reasons, Gonzales let Dalton lead him into his office.

"It's always a pleasure to get a visit from you, Sergeant. After all the regrettable trouble our company has faced lately, we want to let the public know they can still trust us. What a better way to achieve that than the support of the army whose soldiers are forever loyal to the King?" Dalton spoke as he poured Gonzales some wine.

"Quite so," Gonzales said. "But you should know that there have been some complaints about you."

"There are always people who get too excited and take too many risks. They're bound to lose sometimes, but that is hardly our fault, is it?" Dalton said.

"Of course not," Gonzales said. He felt a little uncomfortable knowing that people were losing so much money, but Dalton had a point. They weren't forcing anyone into the casino; people chose to come themselves.

Dalton chuckled and flashed him his usual half-smile. Gonzales was briefly reminded of Commander Raymond and couldn't help but shift in discomfort. There were times when even the friendliest of people chilled him.

They spent a delightful afternoon talking about the casino and business in San Tasco. Gonzales appreciated it that someone as important as Dalton talked to him like an equal, was interested in his opinions and never laughed at him even when he said something a little foolish.

Suddenly, the door was opened and two men stepped in.

"Boss, we couldn't find him. He's probably -" one of them started, but he grew silent when he noticed Gonzales.

"How many times do I have to tell you idiots to knock?" Dalton asked.

"Sorry, boss."

Dalton sighed and shook his head. "Sergeant, it appears that I have some urgent business to attend to. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. I should be on my way, too," Gonzales said.

When he stepped outside, he noticed that the sky was starting to turn orange. He had stayed at the casino longer than he had planned. He hoped nobody had missed him.

He was about to drop by the station to see if anything was going on, but then he noticed someone leaning against a street corner. His heart skipped a beat. It was Emilia!

She hadn't noticed him yet, so Gonzales took the chance to have a closer look at her. She didn't look like a normal woman. Her brown hair was cut unusually short, and her clothes set her apart from the others. It was strange for a woman to wear a vest like she did, but Gonzales supposed it made travelling easier. And it looked good on her.

He suddenly felt like a thief as his eyes lingered on her. This wasn't at all appropriate.

"Oh, you're still here, miss," he said as he got closer.

"Good day, my dear Sergeant," Emilia said when she noticed him.

Was it just him, or did her face brighten up when she saw him?

"I wanted to meet my grandfather here, but something seems to be keeping him," Emilia explained.

"Where was he going?" Gonzales asked.

Emilia pointed behind him. "I think he wanted to visit that casino over there."

"What a coincidence. I just came from there. I'll go back and ask about him," Gonzales said. He was already turning around, so he didn't see how Emilia jumped at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"That's really friendly of you!" she exclaimed, and he nearly lost his balance out of surprise.

"Miss, please," he said, flustered and unable to turn to look at her. This just wasn't done! Didn't she realise how inappropriate it was to act that way around men she didn't even know?

"I'm sorry," Emilia said, but the smile on her face didn't fade. "I sometimes get excited too easily. It's just that we just arrived from Spain, and you're the first person who is ready to help us here in California."

"It's my duty," Gonzales said as officially as he could. And his pleasure, but that thought was only for him.

They went to the casino together. Emilia grabbed his hand and started pulling him from one table to another in search of her grandfather. Gonzales followed her obediently, gritting his teeth as he noticed familiar faces snicker at him.

"I don't see him anywhere," Emilia finally said.

"I'll go and talk to the owner. Maybe he knows something," Gonzales suggested.

He knocked on the door to Dalton's office. A sharp voice called him to enter. When he did, he noticed that the two men from earlier were still there and that Dalton had a very sour frown on his face. It quickly melted away when he noticed Gonzales.

"Ah, Sergeant. Did you forget something?"

"No, I just came to ask you for a favour. This young woman is looking for her grandfather who was supposed to have some business here," Gonzales said.

"Well, hello, my dear. What's your grandfather's name?" Dalton asked.

"It's Benito Lapenti," Emilia said.

Dalton exchanged quick glances with his employees.

"I'm sorry, but I've never heard that name. Everyone who plays here needs an account, so I don't think your grandfather has ever been here."

"But... Where could he be, then? He said he had business here."

"I wish I could help, but I know all my customers. And he certainly didn't have an appointment with me."

"There has probably been some misunderstanding," Gonzales said. He touched Emilia's arm. "Let's go. I'm sure we'll find him."

Emilia let out a hopeless sigh when they were back outside. "I don't know what to do."

"Everything will be fine. Something probably just came up and he didn't go to the casino after all," Gonzales said.

"You're probably right, but it's not like my grandfather to disappear like this. He would never leave me alone. The two of us have only each other," Emilia said. She bit her lip and fidgeted with her hands. "Besides, he has all of our money. I don't know anyone here, so I have no place to stay for the night."

"Oh, you poor thing," Gonzales said, feeling his heart break. How terrible it had to be; all alone in a strange country with no friends to turn to. He knew then and there that he had to help her, not just as a sergeant but as a man of honour, too.

"I've got an idea. I have some friends, and I'm sure they'd love to let you stay with them for as long as you need," he said.

"But I couldn't impose," Emilia said.

"It's not imposing at all. The de la Vegas are very hospitable people. You don't have to worry about anything for as long as you're with them," Gonzales said. "Besides, I simply can't let you alone in the streets. It's not suitable for a lady."

Emilia giggled. "Not many would call me a lady. But thank you! This is the third time you help me today. I think you're my knight in shining armour!"

"Well, now, that is exaggerating a little..." Gonzales said with a nervous laugh, hoping that the warm feeling that spread from his stomach to his head didn't show on his face.

The next morning, Gonzales got up earlier than was usual for him and hurried to town. He wanted to visit the casino once more to ask if Emilia's grandfather had shown up. He hadn't slept very well the previous night; his mind had been consumed by worry for Emilia and whether she was feeling lonely at the de la Vegas. It was as if her happiness had suddenly become the most important thing in his life.

"Oh, Sergeant. How nice to see you. I was actually hoping you'd drop by," Dalton said when Gonzales entered his office.

"Really? Then you have news of Mr. Lapenti?" Gonzales asked.

"I do," Dalton said.

"Great! Can you tell me where he is? Emilia is staying with the de la Vegas, so -" Gonzales started, but Dalton cut him off.

"That man was at the casino yesterday, but he wasn't here to play or have an appointment with me. He came here and stole a considerable sum of money!"

"What?" Gonzales blurted out. "That can't be!"

"It's true. My men discovered our secret safe broken and most of our money gone. We will be in considerable trouble without it," Dalton said.

"Have you already reported the crime to the army?" Gonzales asked.

"Of course not. If the people found out we can't pay their winnings, they would stop coming. It would ruin us! No, this has to be dealt with discreetly," Dalton said. A calculating gleam entered his eyes. "This Emilia surely knows where her grandfather is. Did you say that she's staying with the de la Vegas?"

"Oh, no! No, I didn't –!"

"I'll gather my men. We'll go to her and make her tell where her grandfather is hiding. Will you be joining us, Sergeant?" Dalton asked.

"What? I? Uh... Yes, of course! I'll go ahead and... clear the route! They won't suspect me," Gonzales blabbered, his mind racing. Whether Emilia's grandfather was guilty or not didn't matter that much; all he cared about was that these men were going after her. She couldn't have anything to do with the crime. She was too pure and innocent for that.

And he would not let anyone harass her, not even someone as friendly and honest as Dalton. This misunderstanding had to be solved without giving Emilia a scare.

"Good idea. It'll intimidate her more if someone from the army is with us," Dalton said.

The ride to the de la Vega estate was full of conflicting thoughts for Gonzales. Could it really be that Emilia's grandfather was a criminal? If it was true, this probably wasn't the first time he stole something. Maybe that was why he had left Spain. But... Emilia was so sweet. Surely she couldn't be related to someone like that.

And yet Gonzales couldn't that easily believe that Dalton would be mistaken. He was an honest businessman and a respected citizen. Emilia's grandfather was just a travelling entertainer.

But so is she, he mused guiltily.

He arrived at the estate. The house seemed asleep. Gonzales crept to the garden, trying to recall where Diego's window was. He had already picked a little stone and thrown it at the window when it crossed his mind that Don Alejandro would be able to do much more to help than Diego.

He considered it, but then he decided that after sneaking into the garden uninvited and throwing stones at the windows, he'd rather face Diego than his father.

Just when Gonzales was starting to think that he'd have to break the glass to wake Diego up, the young man pushed the window open and peered out.

"Uh, good morning," he said. "What's going on?"

Gonzales gestured for Diego to come to the garden. He then explained to him what he had heard at the casino and that he had accidentally told Dalton where Emilia was.

"They're coming to get her because they think she knows where her grandfather is," Gonzales said. Just as he finished saying this, he and Diego heard horses down the road.

"They're here!" he yelped and caught Diego by the front of his shirt. "What are we going to do?"

"Don't worry. Let me handle this," Diego said.

"But what can we do?" Gonzales asked.

"First of all, they have no right to burst into our house uninvited. But just in case they're rude enough to do that, I'll have Bernard take Emilia away. She's already awake and helping him in the kitchen," Diego said.

"Good, but hurry. They can't have her," Gonzales said firmly.

Diego ran back inside, but it didn't do much to help Gonzales calm down. He didn't even know why he was so worried. It wasn't like Dalton would hurt her. He'd just ask her about her grandfather, which he had every right to do.

He went to the front door just as Dalton's men arrived.

"Where is she?" one of them asked.

"She should be inside. I'll take a look," Gonzales said.

He knocked on the door, and it was almost immediately opened by Diego. He yawned and asked what was going on, but before Gonzales could utter a reply, Dalton's men had pushed their way past him and rushed into the house.

"What's this? This isn't how we -" Gonzales started, but he grew silent when he saw the knowing smirk on Diego's face.

Emilia is safe, he realised, and that was all that mattered.

Diego went upstairs to see what Dalton's men were up to, but that was unnecessary. The horrible screaming and noise could be heard all the way down to the front door. Gonzales winced as he realised that the men must have ran into Maria's bedroom.

Don Alejandro was attracted by the chaos and came to see what was going on. Gonzales gulped when he saw the furious look on the don's face.

"Sergeant, what is the meaning of this?" Alejandro asked.

"I... well," Gonzales stuttered, but Diego came to his rescue.

"He knows as little as we do. The sergeant came to see how Ms. Lapenti is doing, and these two men used the chance to get in," he called out from upstairs.

"Outrageous! It's one thing for bandits to strike at night, but at dawn?" Alejandro said. He marched upstairs to help Maria, but his work had been done for him. The housekeeper had knocked some sense into both men, and they now looked tame as kittens.

"I don't think they're bandits, father," Diego said.

"What else could they be? Only criminals enter other people's homes in this fashion," Alejandro said.

"We're no bandits, really!" one of the men said. "We're only here for the woman. She -"

Unfortunately, that only increased Alejandro's anger. "What could you possibly want from her? You should be arrested for breaking into my home!" he snarled.

This got the men moving, and they ran downstairs and past Gonzales. The sergeant only stared as they mounted their horses and rode away.

"Sergeant, I would think it was your duty to arrest those men," Alejandro pointed out.

"It's not that simple father. There are more important matters to worry about," Diego said.

"That's right! Emilia is in trouble," Gonzales said. He proceeded to tell Alejandro about the accusations against her grandfather and how Dalton was convinced she knew of his whereabouts. Diego added to the story by saying how he had sent Bernard and Emilia away to Lolita's home where she would be safe for now.

"That was good thinking," Alejandro said. "But it won't solve the problem. Sergeant, do you think Mr. Lapenti is guilty?"

Gonzales shifted his weight from one foot to another. "I'm not sure," he said. He trusted Dalton and couldn't imagine that he would lie to him. At the same time, he wanted nothing more than for Emilia's grandfather to be innocent.

"His disappearance certainly doesn't speak well for him," Alejandro muttered.

"I don't think we'll find out before we find him," Diego commented. He glanced down at his pyjama. "I had better go and get dressed."

Gonzales and Alejandro were left alone. The sergeant did his best to find something to talk about, but he was still a little unnerved by how angry Alejandro had been only a moment ago.

"We were talking about the casino yesterday. They've made a lot of money in a short time. I hate to say it, but in San Tasco that means that they've grown powerful," Alejandro said.

"What do you mean?" Gonzales asked.

"I mean that if Dalton is determined to find Emilia, he probably will," Alejandro said. Then he snorted. "Unless Zorro shows up to help her, of course."

"I'm not sure how likely that is," Gonzales said.

"Why is that?"

"I probably shouldn't spread this information, but Zorro attacked the barracks about a week ago. Lieutenant Placid was able to shoot him in the arm. Zorro escaped, of course, but I'm sure he's still suffering from the injury," Gonzales said.

"Is that so?" Alejandro asked. An intrigued expression crossed his face, but he never got the chance to ask for more information.

"I'm ready!" Diego called out and joined them.

"What are we going to do now?" Gonzales asked.

"We should try to find Mr. Lapenti before anyone else does. Only that way can we find out if he's innocent or not," Diego said.

"Are you sure? That's awfully active for you. Wouldn't you rather stay home and read something?" Alejandro asked.

Gonzales suddenly got the feeling that he was standing on the edge of a cliff with fire blocking his way; no matter what he did or said, he was doomed. He looked from father to son and tried to guess which one of them would speak first. Alejandro was glaring at Diego with an expectant look on his face while Diego looked... awfully guilty.

Well, he should be, Gonzales mused. His father had every reason to complain.

"It's more like a refreshing morning walk, father. We'll just have a look around the countryside. And what could happen? Sergeant Gonzales is there to protect me," Diego said. He came to give Gonzales a pat to the back. "Isn't that right? You'll save me if those men come back, right?"

"I'll come with you. I'm not sitting home and waiting for something to happen," Alejandro decided.

"Shouldn't you stay home in case they really do come back? Maria might need your help," Diego suggested.

"I think she can take care of herself," Alejandro said. "But if you have something against me coming, that's a different matter."

"Of course not, father."

"I'll wait for you outside," Gonzales said, hoping that the two dons would be in a better mood when they joined him. He didn't know whose side to take if it came to an argument, and the last thing he needed was another problem to worry about.

Just as he exited the house, he saw Bernard returning with the carriage. He hurried to greet him, and the boy had to pull at the reins to stop the horses from trampling the sergeant.

"How is Emilia? Is she alright?" Gonzales asked.

"She's staying with Lolita."

"Good," Gonzales said with a sigh. "That gives us some time to find her grandfather and see if he really is guilty."

Bernard nodded eagerly. "But where's Diego? Isn't he coming?"

"He and his father are both coming. Be a little careful around them. I think they're in a bad mood today," Gonzales said, leaning closer to whisper to Bernard like a conspirator.

"Did something happen?" Bernard asked, casting a worried look towards the house.

"I don't know, and I'm not sure if I want to."

Emilia looked up from the table when she heard her name being called. She saw Lolita looking at her with a gentle smile on her face.

"I'm sorry. Did you say something?" Emilia asked.

"I only said that I'm sure everything will turn out alright. Don't worry."

"I can't help it. I don't know what I'll do if something has happened to my grandfather," Emilia said. She shuddered to think about it, but if he didn't come back, she would be all alone in a strange country with no family or friends.

There was always the friendly sergeant, but she knew she couldn't keep relying on him. He was just doing his duty by protecting her. If she kept asking for help, he'd grow annoyed with her in no time. Maybe he already was after the way she had been jumping on him. He probably thought she was an annoying little girl who didn't know how to behave.

"I know it must be difficult. But since the men came looking for you today, that means they don't know where your grandfather is either," Lolita said.

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing. He would have never left me alone. Maybe he's in trouble."

Lolita hummed in thought and tapped her finger on the table. They were in the middle of having breakfast, but Emilia didn't feel like eating anything. Just sitting still was enough of a struggle.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure your grandfather is innocent?"

"Of course he's innocent!" Emilia said at once. "He has never stolen in his life, not even when we were starving. He's the most honest person I know.

"Alright, I believe you. I just had to ask. I don't know him."

Emilia sighed. "I'm sorry," she said. Here she was again, letting her emotions get the better of her. She had no right to get snappy at Lolita, not after she had taken her in even though it put her and her family in danger. Would she never learn how to behave?

"Don't be. I'd be throwing a tantrum if I were in your place," Lolita said with a laugh.

"I've only caused problems to all of you ever since I arrived in this town. I can never thank you enough for helping me."

"It's nothing. The people here are used to helping each other out. There's always someone who is in trouble because of the army. This is far from the worst situation I've been in," Lolita said.

"The army? Why?" Emilia asked. If everyone in the army was even half as nice and helpful as Gonzales, she couldn't imagine how anyone would ever have difficulties with them.

"The army is vastly misusing its power here, but don't worry about that now. It's not your problem," Lolita replied.

"The sergeant was very helpful," Emilia pointed out.

Lolita chuckled. "Gonzales is different. He's a little... buffoonish sometimes, but he means well."

"He has done so much for me, and I don't even know him yet. I thought he was just doing his duty as a sergeant, but if the army is that terrible, it must mean he's a good man," Emilia said.

She saw Lolita try to hide her smile by leaning her chin on her hand.

"What?" Emilia asked in confusion.

"I'm sorry. It's just not very often that anyone praises Gonzales for anything. He's not the kind of man who fits the role of a hero," Lolita said in amusement.

Emilia frowned, feeling a defensive stab. She didn't like to hear such dismissive comments about someone who had been so nice to her. As far as she was concerned, Gonzales was a hero.

"It's not very usual for civilians to help the army look for wanted men," Don Alejandro commented.

"Gonzales is a good friend of mine, not just anyone. And we're dealing with a frail, old man, not a dangerous criminal," Diego said.

"Ah, I see. You have the energy to help your drinking buddies, but when it comes to giving your father a hand with the work, you're too tired," Alejandro said.

"Father, please," Diego said in exasperation.

Gonzales and Bernard kept away from the two dons who had been exchanging snippy comments ever since they had left the estate. Gonzales couldn't understand what had got to them. It wasn't befitting for either man to act so childish.

They were being led by Tackle and Figaro, though Gonzales couldn't say if the dogs could help at all. They didn't have Lapenti's scent to follow, so they could only hope that they'd stumble upon something interesting.

"This would be a lot more effective if I went to get more men to help," Gonzales said.

"But surely the army is on Dalton's side. They'd arrest Emilia's grandfather right away," Bernard said.

Gonzales only grunted in indecision. The situation was so complicated, and he hated having to make such difficult decisions. He wanted to believe that Mr. Lapenti was innocent, but he had every reason to arrest him on the spot. If he didn't, he'd be abandoning his duty... and for a woman, no less. It just wasn't right, and yet all the other options felt equally wrong.

"It doesn't matter if he's arrested. If he's innocent, he'll be let go right away," he said.

"If anyone believes him and if the army even gives him the chance to talk," Bernard said.

"You're talking like we were corrupt criminals!" Gonzales snapped. He would have given the boy a piece of his mind if he hadn't been distracted by the sudden barking of Diego's dog, Tackle.

"He found something!" Bernard called out.

They hurried to catch up with the dog. Lying under a bush was the form of an old man. The ground beneath him was red with blood, but his shivering revealed that he was still alive. Diego and Alejandro knelt by his side to examine his injuries.

"He has been shot, but he was lucky. It only scraped him in the arm," Alejandro said.

"But he has lost a lot of blood. We need to have him treated right away," Diego said.

"He can be treated at the barracks. And when he wakes up, he'll be interrogated so that we can finally learn more about this mess," Gonzales decided.

Alejandro shot a disapproving glare to his direction. "It would be idiocy to take him to the army. It would take too long."

"Lolita's home is the closest one, and I'm sure Emilia would like to see her grandfather as soon as possible," Diego added.

"Well..." Gonzales muttered and turned to look at the unconscious man. He supposed it would have been inhuman to keep him from having the help he needed. And he was Emilia's grandfather. He didn't like it, but maybe he should make an exception this time.

"Alright," he decided. "But I'll be keeping an eye on him all the time. We still don't know if he's guilty or not, and I don't want him to try any tricks."

Alejandro and Diego lifted Lapenti on his feet and threw his arms over their shoulders so that they could carry him to their carriage. Diego let out a groan and stumbled when the old man's weight was placed on his right arm.

"What's wrong?" Alejandro asked.

"Nothing," Diego said through gritted teeth. "I think I just sprained my ankle by accident."

"I can carry him," Gonzales offered, but Diego declined with a laugh, saying that he was fine.