A Fatality in Spain, page 18
He backed away, then pocketed her phone, ensuring she’d never be able to call the police. Luis said, “You’re insane. How’d you work that one out?”
Diana looked around, desperately, for Sean. But he was nowhere in sight. “I didn’t know it for sure. Not until I saw you jimmy that lock. That’s how you let El Gordo out. You knew Alfredo was being blackmailed. He told you as a warning, but you saw an opportunity. You wrote that letter, pretending to be his manager, saying that you wanted to meet him. You lured him out to Calle De Los Muertos. You let the bull loose and opened the barrier. Didn’t you?”
The indignation on his face melted away, leaving a smug smile. “Alfredo De Leon was a piece of garbage. Always bragging, always saying how much better he was than all of us. I was sick of it. Every other matador in town should be thanking me for what I did. They all wanted to do the same. I guarantee it.”
Diana gasped. “So you killed him?”
“Yes. I’ll admit it. I did, and I’d do it again.”
He advanced toward her. She braced herself against a wall, trying to get away from him, looking around frantically for escape. Maybe I should’ve planned this a little better, before I went around accusing him. Where was Sean? He reached a hand out to her, and she batted it away. “What are you doing? We need to go to the police—"
“Police? Are you kidding me? You don’t think I’m going to let you leave here, now,” he said, his hands out, ready to wrap around her neck.
She let out a squeal, and before she could, a dark blur descended upon them, knocking Luis off his feet. Diana had only a split second to process what was happening in front of her—Sean, coming to the rescue by shoving Luis to the floor—before he grabbed her arm and said, “Come on, let’s go!”
He tried to pull her toward the lobby doors, but Luis was in the way, and already climbing to his feet, a look of murder in his eyes. She let out a sharp cry as he dove for them, narrowly missing them as they charged into the darkness of the bullring.
Luis was at an advantage. As someone who considered the ring a second home, he knew all the hiding places. Sean, however, stumbled through the almost pitch-blackness of the hallway, reaching for doors and trying to pull them open. He stopped at one, yanking on it, the growled, “Locked.”
Diana, heart beating hard, looked behind her. She couldn’t see him, but she could hear the sound of footsteps coming closer. “Where do we—”
He dragged her to another door, then another, trying each one in vain. They were all locked. Finally, they came to a set of double doors that opened. “Thank God,” she breathed as Sean nudged her inside.
But as she looked around and saw the moonlight, reflecting off the risers, she realized she wasn’t inside. She was outside, in the giant ring. Above, the stars shone, but around her, everything was blackness. She took a few tentative steps, then broke into a run, toward the center of the ring, her feet sinking into the soft earth.
When she reached the place where the arena opened up into the vast oval-shaped field, she looked around, wondering what to do. Sean came up behind her. “Did you call the police?” she asked him.
He nodded. “Let’s go that way. We’ll hide in the bleachers until the police come.”
“Okay,” she said, following him toward the risers. He had a head start, so he made it there before she did, taking the steps two at a time. As she reached the bottom of the stairs and was about to climb, the door swung open, and Luis began to barrel straight for her.
Changing her direction, she ran out, into the middle of the ring, all the while, feeling the echoing sound of his footfalls in the earth, getting closer. Now, there was nowhere to hide. She was out in the open. She raced across, to the barrier on the opposite side, where she could go no farther.
When she spun around, she saw Sean, on the opposite side of the ring, waving and shouting, trying to get Luis’s attention. But Luis was focused on one thing. Her.
“You’re a meddling little witch, aren’t you? You and your little boyfriend?” he snarled, creeping toward her.
For a moment, she felt like she had when she’d been cornered by El Gordo. Luis had the same, rabid look in his eye, something that said there was no telling what he would to do her. All she knew was that he wouldn’t stop until she was dead.
In fact, strangely, he almost sounded like El Gordo. She could’ve sworn he let out an animal snort that sounded very much like the bull before he’d charged her.
“You’d better stop,” she said, her voice shaking. “The police are on their way.”
He shook his head. “And you’d better stop meddling where you don’t belong.”
He took a step forward.
There it was again. The snort of a bull. And then, the clanging of something hard, against metal. That wasn’t Luis. It was coming from somewhere beside her. Turning her head to the side, she saw it. That angry bull. El Gordo. He was there, in a cage, thrashing his horns about wildly.
That gave her an idea. “You’re in trouble. If you stop now, it won’t be so bad. It’s only going to get worse,” she said. Keeping her back against the wall, she inched sideways, toward the corral.
He laughed. “You don’t get it. He screwed with my life. He deserved to die. Everyone knows it.”
Sean had climbed down the steps and was now heading toward her. But he wouldn’t be there in time. She reached the side of the gate at glanced over at it. Sure enough, it wasn’t a padlock. All she needed to do was lift the lever, and the gate would open.
It all happened in a blur. He lunged forward. As he did, Diana tore off toward the side, releasing the lever on the gate. El Gordo exploded out like a rocket fired from a cannon, bucking and jumping wildly, throwing clouds of dust into the air.
For a split second, Diana felt sure that he’d attack her, his favorite target. But then he set his eyes on Luis Castrovilla, dressed all in red, and a new target was acquired. The bull charged at full speed.
Gone was the typical grandiose performer’s air that matadors usually displayed in the ring. At this unexpected development, Luis let out a yelp and turned on his heel, running for the exit.
Before he could reach it, though, the floodlights turned on, and security swarmed in through the doors. Luis hesitated, for the briefest of moments, but it was long enough for El Gordo to catch up with him. El Gordo bowed his head, digging at Luis with his horns, lifting him up, balancing him in mid-air like a skilled juggler while he wailed, before tossing him into the stands.
Behind her, loud clapping and cheers rang out. She turned, stunned, to find Sean and several members of the police force, applauding the show from the risers, where they’d gone to escape the mad bull. Sean wolf-whistled and shouted at her, “Olé! Take a bow! Should we cut off his ear?”
Her heart still beating hard in her chest, she managed a smile and a demure curtsey. “Honestly? Now, I think I really have had enough of this bull stuff.”
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
“I was always the best! Always! You should give me a medal for what I did!”
Those were the rantings of Luis Castrovilla as he was lifted off the floor, disheveled and beaten from his run-in with El Gordo, and placed under arrest.
Yawning, Diana leaned against Sean as they watched the former second-best matador in Pamplona escorted out of the ring, with both his ego and his body bruised. It felt nice to have a man’s arm around her, especially now, when she couldn’t stop shivering.
She’d said in her itinerary, On this trip, you will do one thing every day that scares you.
To that, she had to say, Just one? During these past few days, she’d experienced enough scares to last a lifetime. Now, she wouldn’t have minded a nice, easy lounge chair near a pool, with a tropical drink and a good book. Her heart probably couldn’t take much more of this.
“So,” Detective Carrera said, sidling over to her with a frown that almost, but not quite, seemed to be bordering on a smile. “You were wrong.”
“Hey,” Sean said in her defense. “She might have had the wrong bloke at first, but she got it right in the end. Near risked her life, trying to bring him to justice. I’d say you owe her a big debt of gratitude.”
Diana smiled gratefully at Sean, but the detective ignored him. “How did you work it out that Castrovilla was the real killer?”
“Well, the letter. I realized that if Luis had had something like that in his possession and De Leon had shown it to him as proof that he was being blackmailed, if Luis was truly innocent, he would’ve wanted the killer to be found and would’ve given it to you. But he hadn’t. I found that suspicious. And when we came back there, and he opened the lock on the ladies’ room with no trouble, I realized he’d have no trouble opening the lock on El Gordo’s pen.”
Sean nodded. “Right brilliant, I’d say. If you didn’t have her, you’d still be fishing around the festival for clues.”
Diana blushed. His effusive praise was going to swell her ego. She held up a hand to tell him to cut it out. “You’re going to let Juan Perez out, right?”
“He still has to answer for the blackmailing he was doing,” Carrera said, running a hand coolly through his salt and pepper hair. “A few more matadors came forward and said he’s been doing it to them, too. So we’re not done with him.”
“But you’re done with me, right?” she asked hopefully.
He nodded. “Truthfully, I don’t mind if I never see you again.”
She shook his hand. “I’d be insulted, but the feeling is mutual. I’m going to have bull nightmares for a long time after this, I’m sure.”
“Goodbye, Ms. St. James,” he said, nodding at her and Sean, and heading off to join the other officers.
“Goodbye,” she said, and turned to Sean. “Ready to leave this place?”
“More than ready. I think we have a date with the Way of St. James, tomorrow.”
*
Early that morning, Diana and Sean headed out to the closest shopping district and found backpacks and hiking boots for their trip. They easily transferred all of their luggage into the bags, strapped on their heavy-duty hiking boots, and got ready for the first leg of the trip, hiking out of Pamplona.
“I can’t wait,” Diana said, and for the first time, she really meant it. During this trip, there’d been a lot of nervous apprehension. But now, she was full of excited anticipation. Maybe it was having Sean with her, or maybe it was just that she was on The Way of St. James, knowing exactly where she needed to go.
“Me neither, love,” he said, as the two of them headed down the stairs to say goodbye to Enrique. They found him behind the cash register. He filled jugs of fresh water for them to sip along the route.
Then he came around the counter and gave Sean a big hug. “I hope that you enjoy your pilgrimage, but you do not stay away too long,” he said, then looked at Diana. “I will leave you with the immortal words of Rumi: ‘It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk with you, but no one can walk it for you.’ Enjoy!”
She hugged him, too. “Thank you. I will remember that.”
When they stepped outside, it was late in the morning, and it was warm, but not hot, with a slight cool breeze in the air. Diana took a deep breath as she dug her thumbs under the straps of her backpack. It was perfect hiking weather.
They took a single step—just one—and Sean’s phone began to ring.
Stopping, he lifted it out of his pocket and checked the display, his brow tenting. “It’s my son in Kilkenny.” He held up a finger and answered. “Hello, Colin, my boy, how are you?”
Diana meandered a bit away, not wanting to intrude on the conversation. She stepped forward, wondering where they’d stop for the first night. Where the adventure would lead them. What things they would see and experience. A thrill overcame her, and she shivered in the shade of the market.
“All right, see you then,” Sean said, ending the call. When he turned around, he was frowning.
She could tell from the look in his eyes that something was wrong. “Is everything okay?”
He shook his head. “Turns out, my boy Colin’s wife, Angela, was in a car accident.”
Diana gasped. “Is she okay?”
“Yes, fine, really. Minor injuries. But she has a bit of whiplash, and he really could use me to come and help with the triplets while he goes off on his business trip.” He looked at his backpack and sighed. “I’m afraid I have to catch a flight back to Dublin right away.”
“Oh, of course,” she said, sympathetic. “I understand completely.”
He smiled sadly. “Do you? I know how much this trip meant to you.”
She nodded. “Please, don’t worry about me. I have family, too, remember? If it was me, I’d be taking the first flight back home, no questions. You should go.”
He took her hand and patted it. “You’re very understanding.”
She forced a smile. The last thing he needed to see was how disappointed she truly was. She was right here, and the beginning of the path she felt she was made to take, and now, she could go no further. Or could she?
It is my road, and my road alone.
“I’m only sorry you won’t be able to make the voyage with me. It would have been fun. I’ve enjoyed being with you. I just didn’t want it to end. But I do understand, Sean. Really.”
He studied her. “You’re going to go it alone, then?”
She shrugged. “Well, I don’t have any other plans.”
He pulled off his backpack and set it down on the sidewalk. She could see from the way his brow furrowed that there were so many new thoughts churning in his head—likely, all the plans he needed to change in order to catch that flight to Dublin.
So he surprised her when he grabbed her hand, and said, “Then come with me.”
“What?” Her mouth hung open.
“You heard me. I have enjoyed being with you, too. More than I thought possible. And I don’t want it to end, either. So why don’t you come with me, love? We can visit my family in Kilkenny, tool around Ballygangargin, and I’ll show you the sights of my little village.”
She would’ve thought it was a joke, since Sean was given to joking. But his eyes glimmered with complete sincerity, so much so that it knocked the breath right out of her. She swallowed. “I’m sorry. You just shocked me. This is so sudden.”
“I know it is. I know it is, dear. You told me you didn’t want any more surprises on your vacation, and here I’ve gone and popped another one on you.” He shrugged. “But what can I say. It’s one of the good kinds of surprises, right?”
She nodded. “Oh, yes.”
“And the truth is, I don’t understand it. But I’ve been around the block quite a few times and I’ve never felt like this. Like I don’t want to give things up with you, right now. I know in my bones when things feel right. And this feels right.”
It did feel right. And it felt wrong to just separate, so easily, after what they had shared. But she’d spent so many sleepless nights, thinking about this European trip. And jetting off to live with a romantic interest while he took care of his grandkids wasn’t on her itinerary.
No, she hadn’t been following her itinerary very well at all, but it was supposed to include seeing new places. Enjoying new cultures and food and landmarks. Not this.
“I . . . I can’t,” she finally announced. “I’m sorry.”
His smile fell. “Oh. Why not?”
“I have a list, I’ve created,” she said, pulling out her itinerary. “It used to be filled with landmarks and places I needed to go. But now it’s my bucket list of things I want to do.”
He looked at it as she flipped the pages. There were dozens of things she’d done: unexpected things, like be moved to tears by beautiful music, which had happened unexpectedly at the train station in Austria, when a little boy played his violin for her on the platform. Wonderful things, like Fall in love with Italy. And then of course, there was her pledge to Do something that scares you, once a day.
But so many pages that had been unfilled, so many pages needed to have adventures written upon them, accounts of new bucket list items to cross off. The more she looked at those empty pages, the sadder she felt. It felt like her journey was only half-done.
“And I haven’t done nearly enough. I’m only a couple months into my year-long trip. I have so many things I need to--”
“But you have time, love. You’re young. You have years ahead of you.”
She shook her head. “I may have thought that once. But things have changed, and now . . .”
“Life is about taking advantage of the opportunities that are presented to you. Not about marking things off on a silly list—”
“It’s not silly,” she snapped, defensive.
He seemed to recoil, realizing that he’d said something wrong. “I didn’t mean that. What I meant is . . .” He trailed off, then lifted his phone. “It’s all right love. I’m sorry that I sprang that on you like that. You shouldn’t have to change everything for me. It’s not fair for me to expect you to.”
She nodded with relief.
“But I’d love it if you did.” He winked. “I’ll just call the airline and see how quick I can get a flight back.”
He turned away from her and made the phone call, while she stood there, alternating between gazing wistfully at the path on the Way of St. James, and watching his back. She had a feeling whatever she chose in the next few moments would affect her life forever.
I hate choices like this, she thought bitterly to herself.
But she’d made the life-changing decision to quit her job, to take this flight, even though everyone in her life had told her it was madness. And yet, she was still here. She hadn’t returned home in shame, ruing the day she ever made that choice. Sure, crazy things had happened, but she was better off, now. She wouldn’t have changed it for the world.
No matter what she chose, she would be okay.
He turned to her, suddenly, still speaking into the phone. “The earliest flight you can get me is tonight? All right. If that’s the best you can do, fine. Book me on it.”
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