More than a Maid (28 page)

Tom picked up his shovel, skimming it across the ground and scattering some of the chunks containing pavement. "Looks like this was the top layer. Water must've gotten to it. Cracked just enough to loosen up. It was built to look like part of the ground."

Ramon shook his head, and in a somber tone, said, "Holy shit. I can't believe Henry did all this."

Tom gently cleared his throat. "I hate to ask this… it's the investigator in me." He paused, glancing between the brothers' faces. "If that really is a body, you got any idea who it is?"

"Yeah, unfortunately." Ramon gulped, his stomach clenching, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Armando said it for him, his tone sad. "I think it's Papa."

Henry and Elsa arrived at the ranch at eleven-thirty, a half hour earlier than Henry intended. He pulled his vehicle up in the driveway and took a deep, weary breath as he examined all the cars parked there. They were all waiting to talk to him. Shit, even Dwayne McCormack was there.

Henry turned off the ignition, squeezed Elsa's hand, and gave her the biggest grin he could muster. One that, hopefully, wouldn't give away his angst.

Now, more than ever, Henry was thankful to have Elsa around. Although he had an affinity for her, it was nothing like the love he would always feel for Valeria Barboza.

Elsa had no idea why Henry had asked her to skip town with him months earlier, but he was glad she said yes. She was a sweet, wholesome woman, with simple ways that masked her intelligence. She was perceptive enough not to pry about Henry's reasons for their abrupt departure, and he was thankful. There was no way in hell he wanted to get her caught up in this mess. The day he left he simply swept her into his arms and said, "
Ven conmigo
," or "Come with me." Elsa stared silently into his eyes, searching them for answers, then a wry grin crept across her lips and she whispered, "
Si, Señor
."

The very next day, Henry and Elsa and a few packed bags took off down the road to start their adventure.

It was the vacation Henry always wanted. Driving out on the open road, bound for nowhere. Seeing sights he'd always been too busy to see. The Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert. A Comanche museum in Oklahoma. At night, they parked at campgrounds. Sometimes they slept in a tent under the stars. And he had a soft, hearty woman there to keep him warm. The past nine months would've been the best months of his life if not for that dark cloud of dread stalking him all over creation.

Damn it, he had a feeling Ramon was lying to him about that pond all along. Not only that, but the boy must have convinced the ranch hands to lie to Henry as well. Every fuckin' one of 'em gave him the same load of bullshit when he called:
the pond is full of water
.

Henry's bottom lip quivered as he thought about it. Logically, he knew he had no right to be angry with the ranch hands for their loyalty to Ramon. They were just doing what their boss told them to do. But shit. He hated being lied to. Dreaded the hornet's nest he was about to walk into inside that house. He planned to tell everyone the truth when he returned anyway. He'd carried that secret with him for nearly three decades now, and it was time to put it to rest, no matter the consequences.

They'd sat in the driveway for approximately thirty seconds when the front door of the house flew open. Before Henry saw who opened it, he closed his eyes and leaned over to give Elsa a kiss.

His last hurrah was over.

When he pulled away from her, he turned to the windshield. Ramon stood in front of the car, his hand shielding his eyes from the sun. He gave Henry and Elsa a nod and a smirk, revealing a trace of sympathy. It almost made Henry breathe a sigh of relief.

Henry forced himself to reach for the door handle and step out into the steamy air. He adjusted his hat as he slammed the door shut. "Hey there," Henry said as he took one step toward Ramon, "S'pose the lynch mob's awaitin' me inside?"

Ramon calmly replied, "Yep."

"You call the cops?"

Shrugging, Ramon glanced around and said, "No. You see 'em anywhere?" Then he rushed over to Elsa, stopping her as she plodded toward the porch, and offered her help with her luggage. "
Hola. Qué bueno volverte a ver. Te puedo ayudar con el equipaje?
"

Elsa's smile brimmed with pride as she reached up to touch his cheek. "Yes. Is good to see you. You have eaten well in my…" she paused, searching for the English word for "absence" then said, "
ausencia
?"

As they went on, making small talk about Elsa's improved English, Henry went into the house. He assumed if Elsa hadn't been there, Ramon would have appeared angry. For a moment he was grateful for the reprieve, but he was anxious now to get it over with.

As soon as Henry opened the front door, he heard a swell of voices that instantly silenced. He took his hat off and placed it gently on a table, smoothed his thinning hair with his hand, then strolled into the living room.

There he saw a group of men including Dwayne, Armando, and a man he didn't recognize whom he assumed was Tom. But Henry's eyes flew to Armando's, and a tremor of guilt made his stomach churn.

Armando rose from his seat on the couch. "Hi Henry."

Henry nodded and inched toward him, stopping beside the recliner where Dwayne sat. "Armando," he said. "Congratulations." He wanted to say more but the words got lost in his throat. There were a million things Henry wanted to tell Armando but nothing could make up for what he and Katie had endured so many years earlier.

Besides, the men in that room weren't there to hear him apologize or give platitudes. They were there for answers.

Armando meekly said, "Thanks." Then he lifted his phone and set it on the coffee table. "Victor's on speaker."

"
Hi Henry
," Victor said.

"Victor," Henry replied. "Congratulations to you, too."

"
Thanks
."

Then the room went silent. All eyes were on Henry, but no one offered a word.

Henry dragged a wooden chair to the center of the room where he could clearly face each one of them. Then he took an envelope from his back pocket and sat down.

All of the men hunched forward at once, waiting.

Henry cleared his throat and looked at Tom, realizing they hadn't been introduced. "You must be the Yankee cop I've heard about."

Tom's expression conveyed a bit of amusement. "
Retired
Yankee cop. Heard a lot about you, too."

Henry almost laughed. "I figure you'll be askin' all the questions, then?"

Dwayne let out a loud sigh. "Get on with it, Henry. You already know what we're gonna ask."

Just then, Ramon came through the front door with Elsa.

Henry stood and called to Ramon, "Get her outta here. She don't need to be mixed up in this." Then Henry glanced around the room. "We alone here?"

Dwayne nodded. "Yeah. It's just us. The women left."

Elsa zipped down the hall and to the back door as Ramon came into the living room and plopped down on the sofa between Armando and Tom.

Henry took a deep breath as he lowered to his chair. "All right." He looked in both of the boys' eyes, then he stared down at the floor. "Sorry, boys. I'm sure you got your theories. I don't know if Ramon showed you those pictures—"

Ramon said, "I did."

"Good," Henry replied glumly without looking at Ramon. He had rehearsed this explanation for months, but of course, his mind was now blank. He stumbled for words for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry I turned tail and ran off like I did. Never been one to do a thing like that before."

Dwayne motioned at Henry's hand. "What's that you're holdin'? A letter?"

Nostrils flaring, Henry said, "Hold on, I'm gettin' to it."

Fidgeting with his tie, Dwayne sank against the back of his chair. "Well, hurry. 'Cause I got a feelin' it's gonna end up with you in prison and my name bein' dragged through the mud."

"Me too," Henry said.

Armando said, "Did you kill Papa? Are we gonna find him in the pond?"

Henry's eyes instantly went to Armando's. "I didn't kill him." Then his voice got shaky and he felt tears sting his eyes. "But yeah. That's who you're gonna find."

Everyone started talking at once, but Henry couldn't make sense of their words. His thoughts flashed back to that fateful night. He could still see the look of horror on Valeria's beautiful face as she stood at the top of the stairs, letting the rifle tremble out of her hands and drop to the floor.

Henry reached into his pocket for a handkerchief as Victor's voice pulled him back to the present.

"
Henry!
" Victor blared through the phone. "
Who killed him? What happened? Why have you hidden this for so long?
"

Henry dabbed his eyes then reached forward to hand the letter to Armando. "I just handed Armando a letter, Victor. Your Mama wrote it for you boys when she found out she was sick."

Confused, Armando took the unopened envelope, immediately examining it. "It's definitely her handwriting. Postmarked April 2002. Addressed to Henry."

Henry nodded. "I know. That was only to keep you boys from opening it when it came in the mail." Henry crooked a brow at Armando. "Go on. Open it. I already know what it says."

Armando tore it open with extreme care, as though he was both eager and terrified. He set the envelope in his lap and unfolded the letter. In a weak voice, he said, "I can't believe I'm holding a letter from Mama." Then he blew out an unsteady breath, his eyes glossy with tears as he silently read the first few sentences. Instantly, he extended it to Ramon, sniffling. "It needs to be read out loud. I can't do it."

Ramon hesitantly took the letter, fearing he couldn't do it either. He had already gotten emotional on his brothers once in recent days. No way he was suffering that kind of humiliation again. He took one look at the first line, then passed it to Tom like a hot potato. "You do it."

Tom gingerly slid the letter from Ramon's hand. "You're all too close to it but I'm an outsider. Shouldn't be too bad for me." He shifted his glasses and cleared his throat before starting.

To my precious boys. You are the reason I live. I could fill volumes of books with my love for you. When my time on Earth is over, know that I will always be somewhere, adoring you.

I received bad news from the doctor yesterday. I have cancer. With treatment there is only a small chance of survival.

I have never in my life cried as much as I've cried since I learned of my diagnosis. And I have repeatedly asked myself, why me? I can only pray that I will be with you somehow, in spirit, watching you mature into men. I've dreamed of that since the glorious moment I held my first born in my arms. And now my dreams are gone.

But today, I realized what should have been obvious all along. This cancer of mine is punishment. My life will be taken as a debt for the life that I took from you so many years ago.

It's because of me that you never knew your Papa, Eduardo. I let you believe lies about him. Victor says his earliest memories were the three of you playing with your Papa, but those memories were of someone else.

I hope the following will someday serve as my written confession.

Eduardo and I moved to Henry's ranch to work when Victor was almost three and Armando was one week old. Henry let us live in his house because he is very generous. He wanted us to have a nice place to raise our young children.

We eventually found a house of our own because Eduardo was jealous of Henry.

Months later, Eduardo started drinking. He would leave for days at a time and return to us angry, and stinking of alcohol. So we moved in with Henry again.

Eduardo came to the door drunk. He threatened Henry with a pistol and told him he wanted to take me home.

I was scared. I knew where Henry kept his guns. I only wanted to get Eduardo's attention. I hoped he would hear the gunshot and put his pistol away and stop fighting with Henry.

This part is the hardest to write.

I shot from the top of the stairs and killed your father. I do not remember the moment I pulled the trigger. I remember the sound of the gunshot and watching your father collapsing to the floor. Eduardo bled to death in minutes. Henry says I was in shock because I do not remember what happened the rest of that night.

I am haunted by my crime every day. You boys are all that keep me going. Otherwise I would die of guilt and despair.

I am sorry that you grew up without Eduardo. Please do not be angry with Henry. Be angry with me. I am being punished now for my sin.

I want with all my heart to stay with you and watch you grow but I must suffer the consequences of my actions.

Please forgive me.

I will love you, always.

Your Mama, Valeria