"Where is that boy of mine?" Alejandro sighed, as he walked through the hacienda once more looking for Diego. He was bumping into the boy less and less these days, and sometimes Diego worked in his newspaper office far into the night, not even returning home for dinner. Sometimes his bed was not slept in. He knew, because he checked.
Sometimes he heard his son creep through the hacienda at all hours of the night, but he was too sleepy to confront him then. He hoped that Diego would soon be his normal self again, but he considered it unlikely for now.
Isabella and her family had left Los Angeles to travel to her sister's house in San Francisco, and Alejandro's hopes decidedly slipped. He was aware that the two people communicated almost daily with letters updating their daily lives, but it was not the same as talking and being with someone, and slowly falling in love.
Stefano glanced up at the older man from his bookwork, and shrugged.
"I haven't seen Diego since rather early this morning, Don Alejandro. He set me some work and left the hacienda. He said he was going to check a few leads for his lead story today, so he must be out and about in the pueblo."
Felipe was sitting next to his new friend, and smiled. He gestured a little, but it was mostly backing up what the other teenager had already told him.
Alejandro sighed and wandered back through the hacienda as if he would find his son if he tried one more time. After that failed, he left the hacienda entirely, banging the door behind him as he strode towards the stables. Stefano laughed, and Felipe smiled, and returned their attention to their studies. Diego had promised horse riding practice if they completed enough work, and that was always worth it.
Zzz
Alejandro rode out to the pueblo, and tethered Dulcinea to the post outside the newspaper office. He swung through the door, but the office was empty. Scrappy notes written in Diego's unique short hand were scattered on the top of the desk, but were completely unreadable. No clue to where he was heading, or what sort of story he was covering. Alejandro paused at the desk, glancing at the drawers. Maybe there was a clue in the drawers, he thought.
He tugged the top one open gently, and maps and documents were contained within. A map with a red line traversing up and down the coast of Alta California was a little concerning, and another piece of documentation filled in the blanks. The map concerned the career of a group of bank robbers, possibly involved in the death of Francisco Azarola. Diego was writing a story on the bank robbers? Or possibly not…possibly the man was investigating the robberies on his own with some sense of vengeance throbbing through his veins? Alejandro shook his head with a laugh, and put the papers back in the drawer.
It was extremely unlikely that Diego would even consider anything of the sort. He was far too careful a man to court danger in any way. He would not be entertaining any thought of vengeance. Certainly not.
Francisco had been a great friend, however. One of Diego's greatest friends – one he seemed to love as a brother. If anyone would be considered worth avenging, it would be him, Alejandro thought. Oh, Diego. What are you doing, my son? Where on earth are you? Talk to me for once in your stubborn life…
Alejandro made his way to the tavern. It was just possible that the man would be seating inside drinking lemonade and chatting to soldiers as he seemed to do a lot of these days. In the past it had been a waste of time, in Alejandro's opinion, but perhaps not so much now. If he was planning to track down the murderers of his friend, they may have valuable information for him. Plied with enough alcohol, Sergeant Mendoza had very loose lips.
"Have you seen Diego, Victoria?" Alejandro said, coming close to the bar. "I've been looking for him all day."
"He was in here earlier, but he only stayed for some coffee and a roll. I'm a little worried about him. He looks thinner than usual."
"I haven't even seen him for a few days. I won't even know what he looks like if he keeps this up."
"Maybe he's gone to visit Isabella and the children?"
"That's a trip that could take days to organise," Alejandro said thoughtfully. "Not to mention the actual time it would take to get there. I think I saw the buggy around the back of the newspaper office, as a matter of fact, I'm sure of it."
"He's riding out somewhere then. I thought I saw Esperanza earlier. I hope his ankle can cope with the strain…" Victoria said. "Excuse me, Don Alejandro, customers…"
He watched her attend to her work as tavern keeper, his eyes filled with admiration at her hard work as usual. A woman who fought valiantly against the trials of her young life, and would stand up to any man for the rights of the poor and downtrodden. She was lucky that Zorro seemed to take such an interest in her. It prevented many repercussions to her actions.
Zzz
Alejandro made his way back home, a little angry and more than a little frustrated.
Dulcinea stopped, and he was brought back to the present. He had been daydreaming and running over scenarios in his head, but getting nowhere really. He glanced up at the road, thinking to see a snake or other sort of threat in the way. Dulcinea was calm under his hands, but with any other she would have been lunging.
Zorro sat on his jet black stallion, and was pausing in front of him.
"Have you seen my son lately, El Zorro?" Alejandro said softly, thinking he may as well ask.
Zorro smiled a little, and nodded. "If you see him again, tell him his father wants a word, senor."
"Of course, Don Alejandro," he murmured.
"You know my name?"
"Yes. I know many names, senor."
"We don't see you often in the pueblo these days," Alejandro tried. Zorro seemed edgy in the saddle, and Alejandro sighed. "I don't mean to pry, but Victoria, she worries."
"I'm not needed in the plaza much these days. I have other concerns at the moment," Zorro said, and the stallion pranced a little. Alejandro knew that the horse was reacting to the nerves of his rider.
"Such as?"
"Such as…things that others don't need to be concerned about," Zorro said with a grin. He saluted with two fingers touching his broad brimmed hat, and urged the stallion into a gallop.
Alejandro smiled, and turned to watch the young man and the horse. The pair were well suited to each other. The element of unpredictability of the stallion must be very entertaining for such a high spirited young man. He could remember his own youth. He was much like that himself.
Zzz
Diego accompanied his father to the tavern the next day. Alejandro had not spoken about the map and the ideas that were spinning quietly in his head. He just wanted to spend some time with his son without any conflict.
Drinking lemonade together was a start. Diego smiled, and placed his cup on the table in front of him. "Father, you seem troubled," he murmured.
"Troubled? Why do you ask that?"
Diego paused, and glanced over the heads of the people in the tavern. "You seem a little thoughtful."
"Diego, you need to stop obsessing with the newspaper for a while. Take a break, court Isabella properly, plan a marriage, a life together…Diego are you even listening to me?"
"Yes…hmm?" Diego said, startled. "There's some disturbance in the plaza. Excuse me while I see what's happening. Maybe you should stay here."
"Stay here? Diego?" Alejandro followed his son out to the doors of the tavern.
Several soldiers had entered the pueblo, and the alcalde seemed to view them with distrust and disdain. There was a commander of some sort with five underlings.
"I'm sure that is Destara, Max Destara," Diego murmured. There was a stern look in his eyes, which Alejandro had never seen before. "Destara…What on earth is he doing here?"
Alejandro touched Diego's arm to attract his attention, but Diego shrugged him off roughly and strode out into the plaza.
"Diego de la Vega! Well, well. Are you here to welcome me to the pueblo of Los Angeles?"
"Get out of here, Destara," Diego said softly, so only Destara could hear. "Right now."
"Sorry. My orders are to track down the bank robbers that have traversed the coast of California, robbing, pillaging and murdering innocents. I intend to fulfil my mission. If you will excuse me, I need to speak with the alcalde of this pueblo, Don Diego."
Diego grimaced, and stepped back. He took several deep breaths to steady a strange feeling of uncontrollable rage that had welled up inside him. This man was the worst person to have walked back into his life. Why did these things happen to him?
Alejandro watched his son go white and then stiffen, and then relax slowly. He had no idea of what his son had said, but the other man had merely laughed at him. Diego had reacted with well suppressed rage, but Alejandro had seen the spark of red hot de la Vega passion come into his blue eyes, and the way his fists had clenched tightly.
He watched his son stride off in the direction of the newspaper office, and he realised he had seen the last of his son for the day.