Memories of a Life That Never Happened

Chapter 94 - The Cocoa Conspiracy

"Are you mad?" Ishikura scolded Escobar in a whisper.  

They were both standing near the window, their faces lit only by moonlight in the mansion's living room. 

"Thank God Nicholas is at the hospital with his family. What were you thinking?" 

Escobar raised his eyes to Ishikura. Despite the darkness, the pooling tears were quite noticeable. 

"He burned down my house, Ishikura. Someone could have died. We all could have died," he cried, waving an unsteady finger toward the door as if his family was standing behind it. "My children could have been in there. My sick wife could have been there."  

Escobar raised both hands to his hair, gripped it tight. Tears now gleamed down his cheeks.  

"Listen to me," Ishikura said, lowering Escobar's arms. "How do you even know it was Nicholas?" 

The look Escobar gave him was at once incredulous and accusatory. 

"You heard them. You were standing with me in the next room when that man threatened me." 

"Ubiratan?" 

Escobar gave him a court nod.  

"He told you to destroy the photos." 

Now Escobar glared at Ishikura.  

"He ordered me to do it. Then said if I failed, he would have someone do it in a surefire way. Surefire. Do you think it is a coincidence?" 

"You promised you would do it. Why would Nicholas burn down your house when you agreed to cooperate?" 

"Who knows?" Escobar threw his hands up in the air. "Maybe he did not trust my word. Maybe he panicked." 

Ishikura shook his head. 

"This sort of thing draws too much attention. Maybe it was the man in the woods, the one who tried to kill Mica." 

"Maybe that is exactly what Nicholas wants me to think." 

There was a rap on the doorjamb. It was Agnes. 

"The Chusters might be home anytime now. I believe they wouldn't be pleased to find you lurking in their living room. May I speak to both of you?" The men looked at her but stayed put. "In the kitchen?" 

Julian was savoring a generous glass of iced cocoa while Mica, sitting next to him, ran a smooth hand through his hair.  

"What-? I told you-. Argh." Escobar waved a hand through the air, dismissively. 

"Tell me, Julian, do you like cartoons?" Agnes asked. 

"Yes," the boy replied coyly, sporting a cute chocolaty mustache. 

"I thought so. There's a television on the back porch's table, if you would like to watch it." 

Julian put down his glass and blinked at his father. 

"It's ok. Go," said Escobar with a nod and a long blink.  

Julian climbed down the stool and stretched his hand to Mica.  

"Mica will join you soon. You go ahead," Agnes told the child and gave Mica a wink. 

Easily bribed with the perspective of late night cartoons, Julian left without complaining. 

"Now," Agnes started. "Escobar and Mica, this may come to you as a surprise but both Ishikura and I have been racking our brains to try and find a way to help you." She put a hand on her coworkers forearm.  

Ishikura acknowledged with his head. 

"And I think I found a way. However, it does not involve Nicholas. If we rattle his cage any further, the lion will jump down our throats. And God knows what kind of war we might be stirring up." 

"What do you suggest?" Escobar wanted to know. 

Agnes bent forward, steepled her fingers together.  

"I say we reach out to Carolina. Men's egos push them to war, while women, given the choice, are in favor of a diplomatic solution." 

"What makes you think Carolina will help us?" 

"Because the lioness will go to great lengths to protect her cubs," Mica chimed in. "I've seen it happen." 

Mica told those around the table what had happened that night at La Bodeguita, when she was trying to help Virginie. Then she explained how she was spared from Detective Wando's questioning. 

"He dropped the case at a snap of her fingers," she said in conclusion. 

"Why you did not tell me about all of this?" Escobar asked. He sounded more aggrieved by Mica's omission than relieved with her narrative.  

In a rebellious outburst that was very atypical of her, Mica replied, "Why didn't you tell me that you'd come to see Nicholas?" 

"Well, well," Agnes intervened with a conciliatory pat of Mica's hand. "There's no use crying over spilled milk. Or tea," she added as an amused afterthought, glancing at Ishikura. "Now, here's what I have to say." 

During the better part of one hour, Agnes shared her ideas and together, among sips of iced cocoa, the quartet plotted a solid plan.  

Whether Agnes and Ishikura were participating on this because they really cared or because they felt a certain gratification in this secret insurgence against their employers, Mica did not know. Either way, she accepted their help with gratitude.  

"Theo will never forgive me," Mica murmured to the empty glass in her hands.  

"Would you rather be forgiven or have your family be protected?" Ishikura asked sharply. 

"Mica." Agnes reached over and put a hand over hers. "It has to be you. Believe me, if I could do it-." She pointed around the table. "If anyone could do it, we would. However, this plan only stands a chance if it is you. And if you're unwilling to put your heart'n soul into this, we better forget it." 

"It's not just your life on the line. It's your mother's and your brother's too," Ishikura added. "If you won't do this to help them, who will?"  

Looking at the shifting bluish smears on the wall close to where Julian was watching cartoons, oblivious to the terrible things that were going on, she made her decision. 

"I can do this. I'll do it." Her hands spread flat on the counter. "When?" 

"Tomorrow morning," Agnes said.  

"Nicholas will be at the hospital getting ready for Nick's transfer." 

"Which means Carolina will be alone, packing to go back home." 

"Tomorrow it is," Escobar said. 

"Now you'd better go, before they're back," Ishikura said, rising up. 

At the same side door Mica had used before, they bade each other goodbye. 

"Sleep well, child," said Agnes, giving Mica a gentle slap on the cheek. "Rest. Gather your strength. You have a tough morning ahead of you." 

The old Beetle's headlights beamed solitary over the unpaved road when a harsh flash of light washed over the car.  

"Was that the aliens?" asked Julian sleepily. His cheek pressed against the window as he tried to spot a spaceship. 

"It was," replied Escobar, watching his son through the rear mirror while Mica turned back to watch the helicopter flying the Chusters back home.