Shadows of the Past

6. FRIENDSHIP

Chapter 3

FRIENDSHIP

Daniela sat with her hands clasped in her lap, watching people enter the restaurant. Sunlight streamed through the wide bay windows, illuminating paintings of famous artists and celebrities on the walls. Rough-timber tables came with matching chairs. She took a deep breath on seeing a towering man whose eyes briefly bore into hers. Wearing a well-pressed suit, he strutted to the counter. The man reminded her of her father. She didn’t need to dwell on such reminders and shook those thoughts away to concentrate on the menu.

It had been a week since the police had told her about her father’s death under suspicious circumstances, but she still awaited the autopsy results. She had to keep living her life and not think about a man who had abandoned them six years ago. Leaving without a word. Without a note. Without an explanation.

Over the years, she had racked her brain to figure out what had caused him to leave, but she couldn’t think of anything. It had been unlike him to leave like that, especially after he’d quit drinking alcohol. He’d changed.

She pressed a finger to her temple to soothe the tension in her head as Blanca and another friend, Kim, headed towards her. She rose to hug them both.

“I want to say again, Daniela, how sorry I am about your father,” Kim said. “Are you okay?” Kim sat across the table, her dark brown eyes and full, pouting lips displaying a sweet and innocent attractiveness. Her family was Chinese and had arrived in Madrid when she was a young child. Jet black hair draped neatly down her shoulders.

Blanca’s green eyes burned into Daniela’s. “I wish I could do more for you.”

Daniela gave her a reassuring smile, a warmth penetrating her chest. She didn’t know what she’d do without her friends. They had both endured their own traumas. “I am meeting with my sister and mum later tonight, having a few friends and family over to give their condolences.” She rubbed her hands together and fought the sharp pain in her back. “I still can’t believe it. After all these years, he dares to come back into our lives only to crush us again.

Kim leaned forward, her dainty fingers resting underneath her chin. “The autopsy results will give you answers.”

Blanca squared her shoulders. “I am sorry about that article by my colleague, Rafael. If I had known what he was writing, I would have put a stop to it. But the information checks out, Daniela.”

A slim waitress approached. Blanca ordered hot chocolate, and the others ordered coffee and sweets to share.

Daniela turned to Blanca. “It’s not your fault, but the jerk could have waited until we had a bit of time to grieve. It was out there straight off the bat, him embezzling money and getting away with it for all these years. I hate not only my father, but that damn reporter, too. I hate him with a passion.” Bile rose in her throat. “If I never meet that jerk you work with, it’ll be too soon.” She didn’t want to be associated with a man who supposedly embezzled money. Shame overwhelmed her as she thought about her father possibly committing a crime. She clenched her fists and briefly closed her eyes to shut off the burning pain in her chest.

Kim shook her head. “This will die down, Daniela. Give it time.” She caressed her friend’s hand, offering a reassuring smile.

She bowed, staring into her hands. “What I don’t get is that my father put money into our accounts a couple of years back, with strict instructions to a lawyer that it not be returned. We didn’t know how to find him anyway. I deposited the money into an investment account, and it’s earned some interest. I felt guilty about the money, but then I thought, hell, he abandoned us for no reason. Why shouldn’t he have contributed and helped us succeed in life?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand why he would embezzle money when he made a good living in his profession.”

Blanca nodded. “I hear you, Dani, but I am sure you’ll eventually get answers.”

Daniela tried to make sense of that article, ignoring the chills in her spine. “You mentioned your colleague had a source, but how reliable is it?”

“It was backed up by your father’s employer, who did their own investigating, not to mention the proof in the paperwork. I am sorry.”

Daniela frowned, her eyes darkening. She was about to speak up when the waitress brought over their hot drinks and churros. When she had walked away, Daniela leaned forward. “I just have to put it out of my mind. Clear my head and think about other things. Tonight, I’ll be there for my family. Then when we have the funeral, we’ll give him a proper send-off. In spite of what he did, he was still my father.”

Blanca nodded. “As Kim said, give yourself the time to grieve, and know that we’re here for you.” Her eyes focused on Kim for a moment as if they were hiding a secret.

Daniela stared. “What’s going on?”

Blanca glanced nervously at her before refocusing on Kim. “I spoke to Rafael, and he wants to apologise for writing that article so soon.”

Daniela ignored the tightness in her chest and quivering hands. “I don’t need an apology. What’s done is done, and I just need to move on.”

Blanca’s eyes turned a shade darker. “He insists on meeting you to apologise.”

Daniela sipped her drink, thinking about the other articles this reporter had written. He was a gifted writer, but that didn’t mean she had to like him for aggravating their grief. “Fine. I’ll give him a damn piece of my mind, then hopefully he’ll stay out of my way and not write anything else about my father.”

Blanca smiled. “I will set a time for him to come over. Thanks, Daniela. He’s not a bad guy. A bit ambitious, but he’s been nice to me since I’ve known him.”

Kim shifted. “Listen, why don’t you start back at my yoga studio? I have the perfect class for you next week. You need to destress. What do you think?”

Daniela smiled. “Maybe. We’ll see.” She needed the distraction. But she wasn’t looking forward to meeting this reporter, Rafael. He sounded t too ambitious and cut-throat for her liking.