It was already dark outside when De Soto and Señora Sienstra returned to the tavern for dinner. After about two hours spent talking in the taproom, the young widow placed a kiss on Ignacio's cheek and slowly headed upstairs while De Soto remained to watch her from downstairs.
"Alcalde," Victoria said as soon as the widow disappeared into her room, "there is something I need you to see." Pulling the letter from her sash, Victoria handed it to him.
De Soto glanced at her, but seemed unaware of her presence there. "Isn't she just wonderful?" he asked as he turned around, ignoring the innkeeper.
Victoria was left to look at him in dismay for a few seconds, before heading after him.
"Ignacio!" another voice was heard at that moment, and they both turned to see Señora Sinestra hurrying down the stairs and straight into the alcalde's arms. "I was feeling too alone in that room," she said. "May I stay with you tonight?"
Both De Soto and Victoria were dumbfounded at such a brazen proposition, but Ignacio was not foolish enough to refuse. "Of course," he said. "It will be my honor to host you at the cuartel," he assured her.
"But, Alcalde," the innkeeper tried to say, finding herself completely ignored by the man she was trying to talk to. Señora Sinestra, on the other hand, turned her head to look at her as soon as she and Ignacio reached the office, and Victoria noticed she was glancing at the paper she was still holding in her hand.
ZZZ
"I have brought you some food, as promised," Zorro said as he returned to the mill, a while later that night, finding Jacinto pacing the small room.
"Thank you, Señor Zorro!" the young man said absent-mindedly.
"Are you alright?" the masked man asked.
"Si… I was just thinking… My father is dead… I can't believe it. And as things stand, I won't even be able to attend his funeral! Who would have done such a thing, Señor? He never had enemies. He was a good man…"
Those words sounded more than a little familiar to the man behind the mask. "Perhaps he had an enemy he never knew having. In my own experience, the most dangerous people are those who smile to your face, only to plunge a knife in your back as soon as they get the chance to do it."
The young man remained pensive, yet his face made the outlaw wonder if there was a clue he was considering. One that would help prove his innocence. "Is there someone you are considering?"
Jacinto glanced at him and shook his head, then nodded. "Your words… They made me think of this young widow who came to San Diego a little over two weeks ago. She seemed very interested in my father, though he never gave her any hope… My father had loved my mother very much. After her passing, he could never even bring himself to consider another woman…"
"This widow you mention," Zorro said, "her name was not Señora Sinestra, by any chance?"
"It was… You know her?"
"Something like that."
"Something about that woman never sat right with me… It always seemed to me that she was attracted by my father's position and power, rather than by his personality."
"When did you last see her?"
"Ah…" the young man hesitated as he thought about his answer, "right after saying goodbye to my father; before I left San Diego. I was leaving and she was entering his office. We greeted each other at the door."
"I see. In this case, perhaps it's time I get to know Señora Sinestra a little better." The masked man uttered
ZZZ
Victoria closed the tavern just a little before midnight, as her last patron headed home, and started cleaning. She was just about to start washing dishes when she heard a noise behind her and turned to see the young widow, a knife in her hand, about to strike her.
All Victoria could do was take a step back, and raise her hands to protect herself. It was barely enough to avoid a knife in the heart, yet the blade cut deeply through her left forearm. She gave out a shout and retrieved more as she held her injured arm close, applying pressure to the wound.
"You are a nosy wench, aren't you?" Señora Sinestra said as she prepared to strike again.
Victoria glanced around and reached for a pan – the only thing within her grasp that could offer her some protection. "It was you, wasn't it?" she asked as the woman tried again to plant the knife into her heart. "It was you who killed the alcalde of San Diego!"
"That man… All he cared about was his dead wife," the widow hissed as she again stroked, managing to cut through Victoria's blouse. "All I did was help him meet her again sooner than he would have had otherwise."
"And De Soto? Did you kill him, as well?"
"Why would I? I made sure he was too exhausted to realize I had left him. Thanks to him, nobody will suspect me of having had anything to do with your death, tavern wench!" she said, attacking again, her strike causing Victoria to lose her pan and give out another cry of pain as her hand became injured. "And now, you die!" the widow threatened.
Victoria, undefended, her back against the wall, closed her eyes and raised as she awaited the killing blow.
A shout was heard at that point, and the innkeeper opened her eyes to see one of her guests, a pistol in his hand, tackling Señora Sinestra. They fought on the floor for a few moments before a shot resounded and the young man became inert.
Moments later, as Victoria screamed, the widow got back to her feet and turned towards her, discarding the empty, and reaching for the knife she had lost when the young man had attacked her.
"Now, where were we?" she asked. "Right, I was about to kill you."
"I don't think so, Señora!" Zorro said as he landed between her and the innkeeper, then hurriedly grabbed Alberta Sinestra's hand, holding her in place.
"Zorro," she said as she glanced admiringly at him. "It's you! I'd hoped I'd see you again. Let me end this wench, and we can leave this place together! We can build a good life for ourselves. I have money. More money than you can imagine."
"I very much doubt that Señora," he said mockingly.
"I swear. My late husband left me rich. Love me, and I would do anything for you! I will kill De Soto if you want me to. Him and anyone else you consider an enemy."
"You have a very distorted understanding of love, Señora. I pity you," the masked man told her. "I will not allow you to hurt Victoria or anyone else! And I'll make sure you pay for your crimes."
"Then you, too, will die!" Señora Sinestra said as, using all her strength, freed herself from his grip, then hurried towards the tavern's main entrance. "Lancers! Lancers," she shouted. "It's Zorro!"
Certain the lacers would come armed, the masked outlaw tried to exit to confront them in the plaza before making his escape. Yet, Señora Sinestra stopped him in his tracks. "What do you think they'll do when they capture you?" she asked.
"Move away, Señora!" he ordered.
She shook her head.
"I will not hit a woman!" he uttered, and she smiled victorious at that, noticing the lancers were almost there.
"I have no such scruples," Victoria said at that point, punching the widow so hard that she left her unconscious.
A bit dumbfounded, Zorro looked admiringly at her. "Feeling better?" he asked and the innkeeper nodded, rather proud of herself before fainting.
The masked man caught her and then left her on the floor as he prepared to deal with the lancers. Two of the men discharged their muskets as soon as they got him in sight. The bullets whistled past his ears, and he only avoided being injured or even killed by hurriedly ducking behind the bar. As the other lancers also arrived, he reached for some wine bottles and threw them in their direction, knocking them unconscious on the spot, then hurried out from his hiding place and grabbed the two lancers who were recharging their muskets, causing them to bump heads. Mendoza got there next. "Zorro!" the sergeant uttered, hesitantly at noticing all his men unconscious. "I… I place you under arrest!"
"It's not me you should arrest, Sergeant, but that woman there," he replied, pointing at Señora Sienstra. "She just shot a man, tried to kill Victoria, and might very well be responsible for the death of the alcalde of San Diego."
"Señora Sienstra?" Mendoza inquired as he glanced around to see Victoria on the floor, covered in blood. Next, as Zorro headed to check on Teodoro, for it had been the young servant to have tried to save the innkeeper, Mendoza also spotted the man, lying on the kitchen floor. "Madre de Dios! She killed him?"
"No, Sergeant," Zorro answered, relieved, as he started working on stopping the man's bleeding. "but she did injure him rather badly."
Just moments later, the young man slowly regained his consciousness and stared at the masked man trying to help him.
"It's not that bad, Señor Zorro," he said. "I'll be alright. Please, just make sure the Señorita makes it."
The masked man smiled and nodded. "You were very brave, my friend. I am in your debt!" he said, then turned towards the sergeant. "Have one of your men bring Doctor Hernandez here! I will take care of Victoria. Her wound is not as bad but can easily get infected and that could even endanger her life. I'd better take her with me and make sure that doesn't happen."
"Take her with you? Are you sure?"
"Doctor Hernandez will have enough on his hands with the señor here."
"Alright…" the Sergeant conceded. "I will arrest Señora Sinestra and get Doctor Henandez. We'll take care of Señor Teodoro. You just make sure the Señorita is alright! And if anything happens to her…"
"I'll make sure nothing will, Sergeant," Zorro said as he lifted the young woman into his arms. "God willing, she'll soon be able to testify against that woman. Justice will be served."
"Justice… Si…" Mendoza replied. "But what about my favorite tamales? Nobody makes them like Señorita Victoria…"
"She'll cook them for you again, Mendoza. I'll make sure of that!" the masked man replied, unable to stop a slight smile from creeping onto his face as he hurried away with Victoria.