I just stared at her.
She smiled. “We took him home. He wanted a ride in Christian’s new BMW. You still want me to wait until the morning?”
“What is it you want, Sophia?” I asked, holding my breath.
“Why would you be bringing his mother a letter?” she asked. Something in her tone of voice told me she didn’t know. “Well? Were you giving her money in an envelope? Money you took from us? Were you?”
“Didn’t I specifically tell you not to mention the Davila family or have anything more to do with them?” I asked. “Did I not tell you that?”
“If you or Fani show any of those pictures to anyone, my mother will go to the police for sure. Fani will be in big trouble, despite her father’s money, and you, you will be deported or something. Christian told me to call your bluff.”
I shrugged. “I’ll let Fani know tomorrow. She doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to do herself, and she doesn’t frighten too easily. We’ll see.”
She stared at me. “I bet that’s what you were doing, right? You were giving them money. How much have you given them?”
I just stared at her.
“I’ll find out eventually, you know, so you might as well tell me now. Maybe I won’t tell my mother.”
“You’re like Fani, Sophia. You will do what you want to do, no matter what I tell you, and if you think going to the police afterward is enough, then that’s it.”
Now she was the one staring. “I’m not saying I’m going to my mother for sure. Look, I’m just trying to be friendlier.”
I started to laugh.
“I am! I came here to give you advice, not to threaten you.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. You should stop giving them money. Eventually, it will get out, and not because of me. Someone else will talk, maybe Santos when he gets drunker or something, a
nd my mother will find out that way, so for your own good, stop going there. That’s my advice.”
“Gracias, Sophia.”
She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “You’re an idiot, Delia. I don’t have to do anything to you. You’ll do it to yourself. I’m sure of it. All I have to do is be patient and wait,” she said gleefully. She turned and walked out of my room.
I felt my body slip out of the grip of terror that had seized it despite the act I had put on for her. I was safe for now.
But Santos had slipped dangerously near the edge of the cliff over which he would go and pull his family and me and Ignacio down into the depths of more pain and agony than he could ever imagine.
I closed my eyes and said a prayer before I rushed into sleep like someone who had stepped onto a train that would take her to freedom.
14
Change in Plan
Tía Isabela predicted well when she predicted we would meet at a late breakfast the following morning. I slept so deeply and was so tired, but I was still shocked at how late it was when my eyes finally were nudged open by the bright sunshine that had been pouring vainly through my windows until that moment. I glanced at the clock and saw it was already after ten. By the time I drifted down to breakfast, it was nearly eleven, and she appeared only moments after I did.
“Well, I can tell from the way you look this morning that you had a full day. Tell me about it,” she said, sitting. She didn’t ask about Sophia, where she was, whether she had eaten breakfast, anything.
“His boat is beautiful, and I had a wonderful time in Catalina. We had lunch on the boat.”
“Yes, that’s smart. And you went swimming?”
“A little.”
“What did he think of your bathing suit?”