Vlad

Chapter 6

In my dream someone had been in my bedroom but then that someone walked out of it. From then on, the bedroom was no longer mine. It became a strange room because someone had walked out.

I woke with a start from the nightmare. I looked at the clock with disbelief. It was noon. I touched my temples. I rubbed my eyes. I was overcome by a feeling of guilt. I was late for work. I had failed in my duty. I hadn’t even called in with an excuse.

I grabbed the phone and instead called Asunción at her office.

When I explained, she laughed in a singsong way and said, “Darling, I totally understand why you’re tired.”

“Aren’t you tired, too?” I said, trying to match her levity.

“Hmmm, you were the one who did all the heavy lifting last night. What on earth got into you? For now just take it easy. Try to get some rest. You deserve it, my love,” she said. “Oh and thanks for everything.”

“You want to know something?”

“What?”

“Last night, when we were making love, I had this feeling like someone was watching us.”

“Excellent,” she said, then explained. “It was so good, I hope they’re jealous.”

I asked about our daughter. Asunción told me that today was a holiday at the Catholic school. “The Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, her ascent to heaven just as she was in life: not a legal holiday. And since it’s the same day as Chepina’s birthday — you remember Chepina, Josefina Alcayaga, the daughter of Alcayaga the engineer and his wife María de Lourdes? — there’s a party for the kids, and I took Magdalena there early, so while I was there I collected the engineer’s invoices for the tunnel that he custom built at your client’s house, the Count. .”

Guilt had my tongue until I made the connection and announced, “Asunción. If today’s the Feast of the Assumption, then it’s your Saint’s Day.”

“Well, you and I don’t follow the religious calendar. .”

“Asunción, today’s your Saint’s Day.”

“Of course it is. Knock it off.”

“Sorry, love.”

“Yves, sorry for what?”

“I didn’t congratulate you in time.”

“Don’t be silly. Think about last night’s celebration. Listen, I was sure that that was your way of celebrating with me. And it was. And I thank you.”

I listened to her quiet laugh.

“Okay, darling. Everything’s in order,” Asunción concluded. “I’ll pick up our little girl this afternoon, and we’ll see each other at dinner. And if you want, later we can celebrate the Assumption of the Holy Mother, the Virgin Mary, again.”

She laughed again, flirtatiously this time, while preserving the professional tone of voice that she automatically adopts at the office.

“Get some rest. You deserve it. Bye.”

I had barely hung up when the phone rang. It was Zurinaga.

“You were on the phone for a long time, Navarro,” he said impatiently, not in keeping with his habitual courtesy. “I’ve been trying to reach you for hours.”

“Ten minutes at the most, Sir,” I replied firmly and without further explanation.

“I’m sorry, Yves,” he said returning to his normal tone. “It’s just that I need to ask you a favor.”

“My pleasure, Don Eloy.”

“It’s urgent. You must go to Count Vlad tonight.”

“Why doesn’t he call me himself?” I said, trying to imply to him that being an “errand boy” was in keeping neither with Don Eloy Zurinaga’s character nor my own.

“They still haven’t installed his phone.”

“And how did he get in touch with you?” I asked, now, a bit annoyed. I was still filthy and sticky from lovemaking. My cheeks were pocked with stubble. Sweat had collected uncomfortably in my armpits, and there was a tickling sensation on my curly-haired head.

“He sent his servant.”

“Borgo?” I asked.

“Yes — why, have you seen him?”

He did not say meet. He said see.

The famous Count did not have, not by a long shot, the charm and grace of the Gypsy. I reminded myself that I had sworn never to return to Count Vlad’s house. The business was settled. Besides, I needed to show my face at the office, if only to keep up appearances. The absence of Zurinaga, the senior partner, was bad enough. If I, the second in command, were absent too, it would be asking for trouble.

“I’m going to swing by the office, Don Eloy,” I said firmly, instead of answering his peculiar question about Borgo, “and later I’ll stop by to see the client.”

Without saying a word, Zurinaga hung up the phone.

I was on my way to work, driving on the Periférico, the ring road around Mexico City. I inched my BMW through traffic at the pace of a tortoise on a mission.

I was worried to death about Magdalena, who was over at the Alcayagas’ house. But I felt a little better when I remembered that Asunción had said, “Don’t worry, dear. I’ll pick her up, and we’ll see each other at dinner.”

“So what time are you picking her up?” I’d asked.

“You know how children’s parties are; they go on forever. And María de Lourdes has enough activities scheduled to go on for weeks. There’s tag, hide and seek, you’re it! And, let me tell you, María has an arsenal of piñatas and goody bags stuffed with whistles and flutes. And there’ll be enough punch and cake to feed an army of children.”

She’d laughed as she finished. “Don’t you remember? Even you were once a child.”