BLACK MONEY LOVE

Chapter 4

It was sundown when Romna Parked her bike under the lean-near her house. She was still laughing. However much trouble Zack had caused her, however much he had annoyed her in three brief meetings, she had his two hundred dollars. Now she was ready for an early evening, she thought.  And a rainy one if the clouds moving in from the East delivered. Roma let herself into the house, propping the door open to bring in the breeze that already tasted of rain. After the fans were whirling, she turned on the radio automatically.
In the bedroom she prepared to strip for the shower that would wash the day's sweat and sait from the skin. Because it was twilight, she was already reaching for the light switch when a stray thought stopped her. Hadn't she left the blinds up in the morning?Roma stared at them,odd, she was sure she'd left them up.  She hesitated, even after light spilled into the room. Then she shrugged. She must have been more distracted that morning than she'd realized. Zack Alpha, she decided, was taking up too much of her time, and too many of her thoughts. A man like him was bond to do so, even under different circumstances. But she'd long since passed the point in her life where a man could dominate her. He only worried her because he was interfering with her time, and her time was a precious commodity. Now that he'd had his way, and his talk, there should be no more visits. She remembered, uncomfortably, the way he'd smiled at her. It would be best, she decided if he went back to where he'd come from and she got on with her own routine.
To satisfy herself,Roma walked over to the first shade and secured the cord. From the other room, the radio announced an evening shower before music kicked in.  Humming along with it, she decided to toss together a chicken salad before she logged the days accounts.
As she straightened, the breath was knocked out of her by an arm closing tightly around her neck. Before she could react, she felt the quick prick of a knife blade at her throat.
" Where is it?"
The voice that hissed in her ears was Spanish. In reflex, she brought her hands to the arm around her neck. As her nails dug in, she felt hard flesh and a thin metal band. She gasped for air, but stopped struggling when the knife poked threatening at her throat.
" What do you want?" In terror her mind skimmed forward. She had less than fifty dollars cash and no jewelry of value." My purse is on the table. You can take it."
" Where did he put it?"
" Who? I don't know what you want."
"Alpha. Deals off lady. If you want to live, you tell me where he put the money."
" I don't know." The knife point pricked the vulnerable skin at her throat. She felt something warm trickle down her skin." I've never seen any money. You can look--- there's nothing here."
" I've already looked." He tightened his hold until until her vision grayed from lack of air. "Alpha died fast. You won't be so lucky. Tell me where it is and nothing happens."
He was going to kill her. The thought ran in her head. She was going to die for something she knew nothing about. Money... He wanted money and she only had fifty dollars. Faith. She taught of her daughter. Who would take care of her? Roma bit down her lip until the pain cleared her mind. She couldn't die.
" Please...." She let herself go limp in his arms. " I can't tell you anything if i can't breathe."
His hold loosened just slightly. Roma slumped against him and when he shifted, she brought her elbow back with all her strength. She didn't bother to turn around but ran blindly. A rug slid under her feet, but she stumbled ahead,too terrified to look back. She was already calling for help when she hit the front door. She stumbled up the steps,sobbing. Even as the door opened, she heard the sound of a car squealing tires on the rough gravel road behind her.
" He tried to kill," she managed then fainted.

* * *
" There is no information I can give you, Mr. Alpha." The files on his desk wasn't as thick as he would have liked. Nothing in his investigation had turned up a reason for Jerry Alpha's murder. "I wonder,Mr. Alpha if your brother's death was a result of something that happened before his coming to Cozumel."
" Jerry wasn't running when he came here. I told you what Miss Altergracie said. Jerry was cooking up a deal, and he was cooking it up in Cozumel."
" Yes, having to do with diving."Always patient, Morales drew out a thin cigar. " Though we've already spoken with Miss Altergracie,I appreciate you bringing me the information."
" But you don't know what the hell to do with it."
" Morales flicked on his lighter, smiling at Zack over the flame." Everyday grows colder. There were no fingerprints, no murder weapon, and no witnesses. He picked up the file, gesturing with it. That doesn't mean I intend to toss this in the drawer and forget about it. If there was a murder on my island,I intend to find him. At the moment I believe the murderer is miles away, perhaps in your own country. To be frank, Mr. Alpha, you're not doing yourself or me any good by being here."
" I'm not leaving."
" That's, of course your privilege--- unless you interfere with police procedure." At the sound of the buzzer on his desk, Morales tipped his Ash and picked up the phone.
" Morales." There was a pause." Yes put her own. Miss Altergracie, this is captain Morales."
Zack stopped in the act of lighting a cigarette and waited.Roma Altergracie was the key,he thought again. He only had to find out what lock she fit.
" When were you injured? No, please stay where you are,I'll come to you." Morales was rising as he hung up the phone.  "Miss.Altergracie was attacked."
Zack was at the door the first. "I'm coming with you." She'd been attacked. Why? Was it because she knew more than she's willing to tell him. He wondered if she was a liar, an opportunist or a coward. Then he wondered how badly she'd been hurt.
As they pulled down the narrow drive, Zack glanced towards Roma house. The door was open, the shades were drawn. She lived alone,he thought, vulnerable and unprotected. Zack stepped inside with Morales and saw her. She was sitting on a patched sofa, huddled forward with a glass of wine in both hands. Zack Saw how her hands trembled. She looked up slowly when they came in, her gaze passing over Morales to lock on Zack's. She stared, with no expression in those deep, dark eyes. Just as slowly, she looked back at her glass.
" Miss Altergracie." Morales sat down beside her." Can you tell me what happened, what did he say to you?"
" He said, where is it? I didn't know what he wanted. I told him he could take my purse. He was choking me and he said, where did he put it? He said Alpha." This time he looked at  Zack. When she lifted her head,he saw that bruises were already forming on her throat." He said the deal was off and he wanted the money. If I didn't tell him where it was he'd kill me, and I wouldn't die quickly, the way Jerry had. He didn't believe me when I said I didn't know anything." She spoke directly to Zack. As she started at him he felt the guilt rise.
Patient, Morales touched her arms to bring her attention back to him." He let you go?"
" No,he was going to kill me." She said it dully, without fear, without passion. "I knew he would whether I told him anything or not, and my daughter--- she needs me."
" Can you identify the man?"
" I never saw him. I never looked."
" His voice."
" He spoke Spanish. I think he was short because his voice was right in my ear. I don't know anything else.i don't know anything about the money or Jerry or anything else." She looked back into her glass, abruptly terrified she would cry.
" I want to go home."
" As soon as  my men make sure it's safe. You'll have police protection."
" It doesn't appear my brother's killer left the island."
Morales met Zack's gaze blandly. "Apparently whatever deal your brother was working on cost him his life. I don't intend for it to cost miss Altergracie hers .I'll drive you back to town.'
"No am staying, my brother involved her I can't leave her alone."
" As you wish." Morales turned to go when Zack stopped him.
" Captain, you don't still think the murderer's hundred of miles away."
Morales touched the gun that hung at his side. " No,Mr.Alpla,I don't."

Zack locked her door himself, then rechecked the windows before he went back to the kitchen.
" I thought you'd gone."
" No."
" Why are you here, I want to be alone."
He saw her hands tremble before she locked them tighter on the coffee cup she'd been drinking. "Yes can't always have what you want. I'll bunk in your daughter's room."
" No! After slamming the cup down, she folded her arms across her chest." I don't want you  here."
" I'm not leaving you alone. Not now, not until they find Jerry's killer. You're involved whether you like it or not. And so, damn it.
Her breath came quickly,too quickly, thought she fought to steady it." I wasn't involved until you came back and started hounding me. How do I know you didn't send him here to frighten me?"
His eyes stayed on hers," you don't. I could tell you that I don't hire men to kill women, but you wouldn't have to believe it. I could tell you am sorry." For the first time, his tone gentled." And that I wish I could walk away, leave you alone, let both of us go back to the way things were a few weeks ago. But I can't. We can't, so we might as well help each other out."
" I don't want your help, you can't stay here." Tears running unheeded down her face." I thought he'd kill me." Her voice broke as she pressed a hand to her face." I felt the knife against my throat and thought I was going to die. I'm so scared. Oh God,I'm so scared."
He drew her against him and let her cry out the fear . He wasn't used to comforting women. Those he knew well were too chic to shed a tear. But he held her close during a storm of weeping that shook her body and left her gasping.
Her skin was icy,as if to prove the fact that fear made the blood run cold. She couldn't summon the pride to draw herself away, to seek a private stop as she'd always done in times of crisis. He didn't speak to tell her everything would be fine; he didn't murmur quite words of comfort. He was simply there. When he was drained,he still held her.
When she shifted away, he rose.
" Thank you."
" Okay." Her eyes were swollen, making him uneasy. Her skin, with its ripe, warm honey glow was pale, making her skin seem delicate and defenseless. She was a woman, he realized that a man had to keep an emotional distance from. Get too close and you will be sucked right in.
" There's no reason for you to stay here."
" I'll stay anyway."
She curled her hands into a fist, then uncurled it slowly. It wasn't possible for her to admit she wanted him to,or that for the first time in years she was frightened of being alone.
" Alright, the rooms twenty a week in advance."
He grinned as he reached for his wallet." All business?"
" You'll have to see to your own food. Twenty doesn't include meals."
" I'll manage."
When she looked at him, her eyes were steady again. Some things inside him unknotted." Are you protecting me, Zack or just looking for revenge?"
" I do one, maybe I'll get the other." He twined the ends of her hair around his finger, watching the dark gold spread over his skin." You said it yourself I'm not a nice man."
" What are you?" She whispered.
" Just a man." With his gaze lifted to hers, she didn't believe him. He wasn't just a man, but a man with patience, power and violence." I've wondered the same about you. You've got secrets, Rosemary."
" They've got nothing to do with you."
" Maybe they don't. Maybe they do."
It happened very slowly, so slowly she should have stopped it. Yet she seemed unable to move.Roma watched, fascinated,as his mouth lowered to hers. She wasn't aware of how sweetly, how hesitantly her mouth answered his.
Whatever impulse had driven him to kiss her was lost in the reality of mouth against mouth. He'd expected her to resist,or to answer fire and passion. It was as though she'd never been kissed before, never been held close to explore what a man and a woman have for each other. Yet she had a daughter. Another man held her like this. Yet he felt like he was the first and had no choice but to treat her with care.
The more she gave, the more he wanted. The longer he held her, the longer she wanted to. He understood passion. But a part of himself he couldn't understand held back. She wanted him--- he could feel it. Even as his blood begun to swim, his hands,as if under their own power, eased her away.
As she stared back at him, Roma felt her emotions spring to life, with all their demands and risks. It wouldn't happen to her again. But even as she renewed the vow she felt the soft, fluttering longings waltz through her. It couldn't happen again. But the eyes that were wide and on him reflected confusion, hurt and hope. It was a combination that left Zack shaken.
" You should get some sleep," he told her, and took care not to touch her again.
So that was all,Roma thought as the flicker of hope died. It was foolish to believe, even for a moment, anything could change.Perhaps she'd lost control of many things, but she could still control her heart.
" I'll give you a receipt for the rent and the key in the morning. I get up at six." She took the twenty dollar bill she'd left on the counter and walked out.