Saffire by Sigmund Brouwer

Author:Sigmund Brouwer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2016-08-16T04:00:00+00:00

Warm, humid air and the scent of jasmine embraced me as I walked across the plaza. It was quiet, and when I reached the other side, I stayed in the center of the street. When I rounded the next corner, grateful for moonlight with enough intensity to throw shadows, a small figure stepped out of the alley.

“Señor Vaquero Americano!”

Odalis Corillo, the candidate for mayor. While I recognized him, I did not relax. Was anyone in Panama who they appeared to be?

I stopped and waited, maintaining my position in the center of the street.

Odalis hurried to me. “Come, come.” He took me by the elbow, leading me back toward the alley. “I’d rather we were not seen together.”

“I’m happy here.” I removed his hand from my elbow. “How about telling me why our conversation can’t wait until morning?”

“You leave in the morning. When would we have the opportunity?”

I could have pursued how he knew my travel plans, but webs are essentially strands of a connected labyrinth. Learning how he knew still might not get me to the center—discovering who really plucked at all the webs.

“Odalis, I’m tired and I need my sleep. Give me a reason why I shouldn’t turn around instead of going to the sea wall.”

“First, let me thank you for saving me from a beating. You are a wonderful man and will always have my gratitude.”

An idle part of my brain recalled Waldschmidt’s words: “Watch the mayoral candidate closely and see if you can figure out his secret. He is not much of a man. Some secrets are delicious, and it is all I can do to keep that one to myself.”

“Odalis, if you truly are grateful, find Saffire and donate some money to her efforts to feed the street children.”

“Yes! Yes!” He tried to pull me toward the alley again.

“I’m tired and I need my sleep. Why shouldn’t I just go back to the hotel?”

“First—”

“You already said that.”

“This first is in regard to the note,” he said with some dignity. “The sea wall is not our destination. That was only for anyone else who might read it and try to spy on you.”

“Or in case I wanted to send others to follow me?”

“Of course, of course. Now you are thinking like one of us.”

I suspect it was intended as a compliment, but I didn’t take it as such. “Odalis, I’ll say this for the third time. I’m tired and need my sleep—”

“It’s Raquel Sandoval. She wishes to meet with you.”

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