He parked the bold red car in front of the white doors of the five-car garage. He left it facing the road in case Terri needed him quickly.
Francisco climbed up out of the Ferrari and walked with a mild limp toward the front door of the house. He had strained in his hip the other day while helping the farrier examine one of the two-year-olds. "I need to call the chiropractor," he thought to himself, "after this problem gets settled."
He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket, unlocked the front door, and entered a code into the alarm system. He set his jacket down on a decorative wooden table and walked through the house to see if anything seemed out of place. The air smelled dusty, but the help had gone for the weekend. Francisco opened two windows and made a mental note to speak with the cleaning lady on Monday.
He followed the white plaster hallway toward the kitchen but stopped to use the toilet near the side coatroom. The smell of leather from his boots and work shoes permeate this shadowy end of the hallway. He dried his hands on a paper towel and closed the door gently. Francisco preferred paper towels; they left his hands feeling cleaner than cloth.
In the kitchen, he slid an unopened carton of lemonade out from the refrigerator and opened it. He poured a glass and drank it, then poured another. He placed the carton back into the refrigerator and walked toward the office. Pausing for a moment in the large front hall, he looked out over the rolling green hill that sloped gently toward that main road. It was a beautiful day. It was about to become a momentous day.
Francisco headed into the office and eased into the desk chair. He moved some loose mail off to the side of the desk: a bill, a glossy magazine, a community newsletter, and several fundraising requests. He reached downward toward his left and felt a twinge of pain. He swiveled until he found a more comfortable position.
Unlatching the wood cabinet, he exposed the door to a metal safe. He dialed the combination, opened the safe's door, and removed a gray folder and a somewhat out-of-date-looking mobile phone. He placed the folder on the desktop, reviewed the contents carefully, and dialed a number into the telephone. A woman's voice answered and asked for a customer ID.
Francisco replied: "Three - four - six - five - nine - zero"
The voice was cold and emotionless. "PIN Code?"
"Nine - three - nine - two - seven - one."
"One moment, please."
The voice was warmer when it returned a few seconds later. "He'll be right with you, Mr. Mela. Thank you for waiting."
"Thank you."
Francisco looked at his watch and checked the time against the clock on the wall. The wall clock was one minute behind. He stood and walked over to reset it.
A gentleman came onto the line. His voice was calm and stately with a breathy quality that suggested old age. "It's been a magnificent morning in Devonshire."
Francisco completed the cypher. "The valleys are fragrant with lilac."
"How may I help you today?"
"Did you receive my proposal?"
"We did! Most intriguing."
"Are you amenable to this transaction?"
"We have considered it carefully," the voice replied, "and we feel that it would be in our best interest to accept."
"Do you agree to the terms?"
"We are in full agreement."
"Excellent!" Francisco exclaimed, albeit in a restrained manner. "It's urgent that we move on this promptly."
"The necessary arrangements will be in place no later than tomorrow at noon your time."
"Thank you very much!"
"Do give our best wishes to your father."
"I shall."
"Cheers."
"Goodbye."
The stately voice dropped the line.
Francisco closed the file and placed it back into the safe along with the telephone. He stood and walked to the window again. All seemed calm.
Francisco pulled another phone from his pocket and dialed a pre-programmed number. When the person on the other side of the call answered, he simply said, "They're ready."
Francisco listened for a moment, then continued.
"Okay, but we need to do this soon, tomorrow or Sunday at the latest. I have bought us a couple of days, but I want this matter closed by Monday."
"That's fine."
"Sunday will work. Yes."
"Okay, call me as soon as you are ready."
"Right."
"Understood."
"Oh, and by the way, Francisco will be staying at the Parisienne for two nights."
"No, he didn't want to go to his mother. I had to come up with something else."
"Yes."
"Yes. Have someone look after him there, two men at all times."
"That's right."
"Well, if this pendejo shows up anywhere near the hotel, they'd better do what they're paid to do. Otherwise, I'm calling the old man."
"No. Nobody wants that."
"Okay. Give me a call."
"I'm ready. The car is ready."
"That sounds good."
"Bueno."
"Arrivederci."
In the kitchen, he slid an unopened carton of lemonade out from the refrigerator and opened it. He poured a glass and drank it, then poured another. He placed the carton back into the refrigerator and walked toward the office. Pausing for a moment in the large front hall, he looked out over the rolling green hill that sloped gently toward that main road. It was a beautiful day. It was about to become a momentous day.
Francisco headed into the office and eased into the desk chair. He moved some loose mail off to the side of the desk: a bill, a glossy magazine, a community newsletter, and several fundraising requests. He reached downward toward his left and felt a twinge of pain. He swiveled until he found a more comfortable position.
Unlatching the wood cabinet, he exposed the door to a metal safe. He dialed the combination, opened the safe's door, and removed a gray folder and a somewhat out-of-date-looking mobile phone. He placed the folder on the desktop, reviewed the contents carefully, and dialed a number into the telephone. A woman's voice answered and asked for a customer ID.
Francisco replied: "Three - four - six - five - nine - zero"
The voice was cold and emotionless. "PIN Code?"
"Nine - three - nine - two - seven - one."
"One moment, please."
The voice was warmer when it returned a few seconds later. "He'll be right with you, Mr. Mela. Thank you for waiting."
"Thank you."
Francisco looked at his watch and checked the time against the clock on the wall. The wall clock was one minute behind. He stood and walked over to reset it.
A gentleman came onto the line. His voice was calm and stately with a breathy quality that suggested old age. "It's been a magnificent morning in Devonshire."
Francisco completed the cypher. "The valleys are fragrant with lilac."
"How may I help you today?"
"Did you receive my proposal?"
"We did! Most intriguing."
"Are you amenable to this transaction?"
"We have considered it carefully," the voice replied, "and we feel that it would be in our best interest to accept."
"Do you agree to the terms?"
"We are in full agreement."
"Excellent!" Francisco exclaimed, albeit in a restrained manner. "It's urgent that we move on this promptly."
"The necessary arrangements will be in place no later than tomorrow at noon your time."
"Thank you very much!"
"Do give our best wishes to your father."
"I shall."
"Cheers."
"Goodbye."
The stately voice dropped the line.
Francisco closed the file and placed it back into the safe along with the telephone. He stood and walked to the window again. All seemed calm.
Francisco pulled another phone from his pocket and dialed a pre-programmed number. When the person on the other side of the call answered, he simply said, "They're ready."
Francisco listened for a moment, then continued.
"Okay, but we need to do this soon, tomorrow or Sunday at the latest. I have bought us a couple of days, but I want this matter closed by Monday."
"That's fine."
"Sunday will work. Yes."
"Okay, call me as soon as you are ready."
"Right."
"Understood."
"Oh, and by the way, Francisco will be staying at the Parisienne for two nights."
"No, he didn't want to go to his mother. I had to come up with something else."
"Yes."
"Yes. Have someone look after him there, two men at all times."
"That's right."
"Well, if this pendejo shows up anywhere near the hotel, they'd better do what they're paid to do. Otherwise, I'm calling the old man."
"No. Nobody wants that."
"Okay. Give me a call."
"I'm ready. The car is ready."
"That sounds good."
"Bueno."
"Arrivederci."
'The Horse Farm'
Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
