Luna Tango (37 page)

‘But he did?'

‘Sosa said Louisa wasn't there but I now believe she was. He said I needed to leave the country straight away and he would arrange for Louisa to meet me. I suggested Chapada do Russo and he said he would make sure she found me.' He shook his head. ‘All he did was ensure we were apart forever.'

‘Why?'

‘He loved her. I can see that now. Why did I not know that back then?' His glassy eyes pleaded with hers.

Roberto's revelation stunned Dani. This man held answers to a mystery Argentina had struggled to solve for decades. If she were a true journalist, she'd jump on this story but she couldn't. Not with his pain filling the cool night air. ‘So Louisa had three men in love with her?'

‘I guess she did and I can understand why. My Louisa had a heart of gold and a soul of beauty.'

Not in her wildest dreams could Dani imagine Stella as a sweet, gorgeous, charismatic woman who wooed every man in sight.

‘When Sosa moved toward me his jacket opened and I saw blood on his shirt. I was the one who shot Canziani but I am sure Sosa was the one who inflicted the injuries that would have killed Canziani in the end anyway.' Taking a deep breath, he said, ‘I lost everything that night—Louisa, my career, my mentor

‘What about the gun?'

‘I pulled the gun apart and put different pieces in trash around the city.' He shifted in his seat and rested his clenched fist against his heart.

‘Are you okay?' she asked and patted his hand. ‘Do you need to rest?'

‘Yes.' His hacking cough returned with force. ‘And no.' His eyes travelled from Dani to Carlos. ‘It is obvious I am sick, yes? In truth, I am not long for this world. I have cancer.'

‘But people survive that all the time!' Yet one more blow for this poor man and her grandma.

‘I am old. It is okay, Dani.' He coughed again. ‘The cancer, it has spread from my lungs into other parts of my body. The doctors said this would happen.'

Dani moved closer to Carlos, who grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight.

‘I have had a good life. Not the one I planned but I have done the best with what transpired.' Dani's lips quivered and Roberto placed his hand under her chin. ‘Please, do not be sad. I am going to finish my life the way I started: with honesty. Too many times I have succumbed to telling lies to protect myself. I am done with this. Truth is now my guide.' Satisfaction pushed his lips into a smile. He broke into a coughing fit and she rubbed his shoulders.

‘You've told us the truth, isn't that enough?'

‘No, I am afraid it is not. I do not expect you to understand but I cannot continue living this lie.'

‘What about Louisa? As soon as we get hold of her she can come here. She can be with you, just like you've both wanted.' Dani tried to keep the desperation out of her tone but couldn't. If she had to get down on her knees and beg, she would.

Roberto shook his head. ‘I am sorry, Dani, but I've made up my mind. Believe me, I want nothing more than to see my Louisa and spend my last days with her but I cannot, out of good conscience, have her under threat. It is my fault she is implicated and I will do everything in my power to ensure she is struck off the list as a suspect. Time is not a luxury I possess. I wish I did, but I don't.'

‘But doctors are always wrong! My friend was told she only had six months to live and that was three years ago. Miracles happen all the time!'

‘I am sorry but this is not so in my case. The cancer is everywhere. I can barely breathe. I have no energy. I am very, very sick and there is no chance for recovery. Please, accept this is my fate and allow me my final wish: to ensure my Louisa is safe.'

‘But it could take ages for the authorities to—'

‘This is my point. By the time they realise who I am I will be dead and cannot protect her. They will arrest her and she will suffer. I am doing what is right. Please understand.'

‘I can't.'

‘I do not expect you to. No one can understand unless they have lived a lie for many decades. No one should die with a secret as large as mine deep within their soul. It must be set free and I must endure the consequences.'

‘What about us? What if I'm your granddaughter?'

‘You are, I am sure of this.'

‘Me too, but where does that leave us? We spend one day together then you disappear behind bars? Is that what you want? To destroy our family?' A heavy hand pressed on her shoulder and she turned to face Carlos.

‘Daniela, please, respect Roberto's wishes.'

‘How can I?' Her voice rose an octave. ‘All my life I've wanted a grandfather and now I may have one he's ripped away?' Kicking the chair, she said, ‘Why can't I have my grandma
and
possible grandpa together? Why does there have to be a choice?' She bit her lip and her eyes welled with tears. ‘Life's bloody unfair.'

‘That it is.' Roberto patted her hand. ‘We will talk in the morning. Yes?'

She nodded and said, ‘Please, sleep on my bed.'

She guided him to the small room and he settled quickly, his snores punctuated by a crackly cough. Closing the door behind her, Dani stared down the dark hallway, her mind a mess of conflicting thoughts. Either way, she was about to lose a grandparent.

* * *

Dani gazed out the plane window. Cotton wool clouds floated below, framed by a bright blue sky stretching across the horizon. She glanced over at Roberto, who sat in the aisle seat, sleeping fitfully, his skin greyer than when they'd met the day before.

‘He is tired, yes?' Carlos asked, his arm bumping hers as he swirled ice and water in a plastic cup.

‘Yes. I worry about him,' she whispered.

‘He might be frail in body but he is strong in the mind, like his granddaughter.'

‘
If
I'm his granddaughter.'

‘Your grandmother can let you know when you speak with her, yes?'

Dani nodded. ‘At least he's arriving in Argentina using his Uruguayan name.'

‘You think you can still change his mind?'

‘I can't believe he killed someone, even if it was by accident. Look at him!' She leant over to study his sleeping form. He looked angelic.

‘Maybe he did the murder, not the manslaughter.'

‘You don't believe him?' she asked, hurt by his cynicism. ‘Perhaps he'll take a lie detector test and prove me right. Watch this space.' Carlos shrugged and his nonchalance sent a ripple of annoyance through her. ‘I still don't understand why he couldn't just stay in Brazil and meet Stella there. Then they wouldn't have to worry about any of this Canziani business.'

‘Even though you may have Argentine blood running through your veins, you still do not understand.'

She narrowed her eyes. ‘Yes, I do.'

‘A little, yes, but not all. We love with passion, we fight with passion, we uphold justice with passion. Your man Roberto is doing what any self-respecting Argentine would do—he is following his heart to protect the one he loves.'

‘He's done that for decades.'

‘But now she is threatened.'

‘Only if the authorities get off their fat arses. He could be handing himself over for no reason. Like I said, they could meet in Brazil and—'

‘And what? They spend a few days together then he dies and with him goes the only chance of your grandma clearing her name? He is right to come to Argentina. When he does pass, he can do so knowing he has integrity intact and that is the most important for an Argentine.'

It hadn't mattered how much she'd pleaded, Roberto had been determined to get to Argentina. She now saw why he and Stella were such a good match—they were as stubborn as each other.

The flight attendant arrived and handed them each a small bottle of wine, a plastic cup, and pretzels. They busied themselves opening, pouring and eating while the cabin filled with their uneasiness.

‘Why does bad stuff happen to good people?' she asked, instantly regretting breaking the silence.

‘Curses.'

‘What? Curses don't exist.'

‘In my culture, curses are very real. Look at your family. I cannot explain why, but they are affected by the curse of the tango.' He stared out the window as if mustering the strength to say something she wouldn't like. ‘Daniela, I can see the time has come to have the discussion.'

‘What discussion?' Dread coursed through her veins.

‘Look at what has happened.' He ticked off points with his fingers. ‘Your grandma is accused of murder and the man who is perhaps your grandfather will go to jail for a crime he committed many years ago. He says it is an accident but the authorities may not think so. Your mother, she deserted you to follow her passion with the tango, and me ...' He paused and took a gulp from the cup. ‘Look at my history. I ruined two careers—Cecilia's and mine.' In all the craziness they hadn't yet discussed this all-important subject.

‘But it wasn't your fault.'

‘You know about this?'

‘Iris told me.'

‘What did she say?'

‘She now knows you lied about the accident and that it was Cecilia's fault.'

‘How—It does not matter how she knows. She is right.'

‘So why did you say you did it? Chivalry should only go so far,' said Dani.

‘Cecilia was strong when she tangoed but frail off the dance floor. She could never have coped with the anger from the Argentines and the media if they knew she caused an accident out of stupidity. And you know what they did to me.'

‘Yes, and on behalf of my profession, I apologise.'

‘Thank you, but it is not necessary. I did what any man would do. I protected the person I loved but it was for nothing. And this is because we met through tango, just like you and me. The curse, it will destroy any relationship it chooses.'

‘But we're different. I'm not a professional and you don't dance any more.' She tilted her head in the direction of his leg. When she looked at his face, Carlos's determined expression scared her.

‘I still teach, and you have tango running through your blood.'

‘But we don't know if Roberto is—'

‘I am aware of this, yes? But our lives are tangled with tango, no matter how we try to change it. I cannot see how we can make us work.'

‘We could be the ones who break the curse.'

‘It is not possible,' he said with certainty.

‘Anything is possible if you want it badly enough. Think about it, Carlos. My mother and grandma were burdened with guilt of their own doing. They've had to lie and betray for most of their lives. Even Cecilia lied by letting you take the blame then not telling you about your baby until she skipped town. Tango isn't the problem. The lies and betrayal are.'

‘You lied.'

‘You're right, but I've been truthful with you ever since. If we embrace the lessons we learn from tango and apply them to life, just like you've been telling me, then maybe tango can save us all.'

‘It is cursed. We are cursed.' He stared at the headrest in front of him.

She wanted to plead but didn't want to appear desperate. Then anger pulled her neck muscles taut. ‘Is it because Roberto might be my grandfather? In the past you've been adamant about seeing justice done for Canziani's killer.'

‘Things change, Daniela. I can see the remorse in Roberto's eyes. He's carried this burden for many years. Jail is nothing compared to what he has already suffered.'

Well, that was a surprise. ‘Then what?'

‘Daniela, it is many things but none are your fault. I am sorry. I wanted to wait until everything settled but the problems between us grew so I needed to say something now.'

‘It didn't seem to bother you when you were in my bed. You didn't mind dragging me along and letting me fall in love with you, but now you're happy to dump me mid-flight.'

He rubbed his forehead. When he looked at her again, his eyes were full of sadness. ‘You are in love with me?'

‘Yes!' She wanted to punch him in the arm. Hard. ‘You don't feel the same way?'

‘Yes.' His voice sounded small.

‘So why are you breaking this off?'

‘This curse, and you, and my life, and ... it is all too difficult.'

‘They're all excuses and if you loved me you would find a way to get around them.'
Especially if you didn't walk away every time the going got too hard
.

‘I—'

‘Well, this explains the hot and cold since we arrived in Brazil.' Dani puffed out her cheeks. ‘You're always referring to the tango, yet you think it's a curse. I don't get it. One of the first things you ever said to me is that tango, like love, is complicated.'

‘Daniela, even tango has steps that take a lifetime to learn but are never mastered. There are no guarantees in tango, much like life and love.' He paused for a moment, then said, ‘Please, respect my wishes. Know I will help you with Roberto and Stella but once this is finished, it will be the end of us.'

‘I think you've helped enough, thank you.' She placed her drink on the tray, crossed her arms and stared out the window.

‘I'm sorry,' he said quietly.

Hot tears pricked her eyes but she refused to give in to them. She clenched her jaw, every muscle in her body tense. What a sucker she'd been. She'd gotten carried away with the romance of Argentina and fallen for someone even though she'd wanted to take a break from men. She'd let Carlos Escudero dance into her life and into her heart.
Dani McKenna, you're nothing but a sentimental fool
.

Carlos put down his drink and checked his phone yet again, the same thing he'd been doing since the early morning.

‘You can't receive messages up here.' She picked up the cup and sipped more wine.

‘I am aware of this, Daniela.' He stared at the phone.

‘Are you waiting for something?'