The Consummata Read Online Free PDF Page A

glances.
    Saladar said, “You are quite astute, señor .”
    “Pedro mentioned him earlier. How much did the bastard get?”
    Saladar sighed. “Seventy-five thousand dollars.”
    I raised one eyebrow. It wasn’t enough dough to raise them both.
    “That’s not a fortune,” I said. “But it’s a lot to be collected in an impoverished area like this.”
    Saladar folded his hands on his flat belly and leaned back. There was sadness in his eyes.
    “ Señor Morgan, you are correct. That figure represents very many pennies and nickels, carefully saved from meager earnings. It represents hours of extra work for the privilege of contributing to the fund. For many, it means that clothes must be mended some more, and the table spread with a little less. Yet it was money cheerfully given so that others could escape the oppression they now face.” He shook his head. “This was more than simple thievery, señor . It was a tragedy.”
    “Sorry, amigo .” I didn’t let him off the hook. “You shouldn’t have picked such a lousy, lowlife character to handle your cash.”
    “In hindsight, this is obvious. But at the time...who was to know?”
    I shook my head at him, still not letting him off. “You’ve been to the rodeo plenty of times, Luis. Okay if I call you ‘Luis’? I mean no disrespect.”
    He lowered his head, held up his hand, granting permission.
    “It’s not like you haven’t had experience in such things,” Isaid. “I mean, I figure you must have known this Halaquez guy pretty well. And nobody made him for a stinker?”
    Saladar’s smile had a grim twist to it. “We thought we knew him well, and we detected no...unfortunate fragrance.” The knuckles of his fingers were white.
    “ Señor Morgan,” Pedro said, sitting forward, “Jaimie Halaquez...our ‘ amigo ’ as you call him...was working for the present Cuban government. It was Jaimie’s job to keep his masters informed of our movements. But...he came here and he told us of this.”
    “A double agent,” I said.
    Pedro nodded. “He would inform us of their plans—the Castro people do carry out activities in Miami, señor , in particular trying to...what is the word? Infiltrate our ranks.”
    “Not surprising,” I said.
    “Ever since the takeover,” Pedro continued, “he has been one of us. It was through Halaquez that we were able to make contact with our families and sympathizers, back home...because he had access to Cuba. Until now, the information he brought to us appeared true, and whatever he gave to his Cuban masters about us was either false or distorted. His work on our behalf, it was always done well.”
    “Until now,” I said.
    Something desperate came into Pedro’s tone as he gestured with two open palms. “We thought him trustworthy.”
    I slowly scanned their faces, then nodded. “You’ve been gathering money for a long time, taking precautions. Everybody in your circle knew about it, and since you admit you may have infiltrators, you were careful.”
    Pedro sighed. “But not careful enough. It is difficult when one you trust betrays you.”
    I’d been there. “You’ve had your treasury heisted before, haven’t you?”
    “Unfortunately, yes.”
    “By these infiltrators you mentioned?”
    “In one case, yes. In the two other instances, they were simply greedy fools. This is the fourth...what is the word... setback? Setback in as many years.”
    “What happened to the others who stole from you, Pedro?”
    “They were caught by our people. Their captors had a hot-blooded temperament, señor , and while one despairs of such things...the traitors’ deaths were justified.”
    “And the money they stole?”
    “Always there was enough time for them to spend it or...”
    Pedro searched for the word.
    “Transfer,” Saladar offered.
    “Transfer it,” Pedro said, with a nod of thanks to his friend. “However, the amounts that were stolen before— and the need for funds—were as nothing compared to this.”
    I