Payroll by William James Johnson Chapter 38

As he had promised, Edurado located the ideal orchard for Francisco and Carmelita who were delighted to be returning to farm life, with Miguel and Pedro as part of their family. A small stream cut across the farm, with a stand of almond trees on each shore. Long even rows of orange surrounded the white adobe cottage. The kids were excited to be moving to a life which offered them the chance of participating in a family adventure.
Silky also wanted to do something special for Fernando. After much persuasion, he got him to accept the jeep he had bought when he first came to Tijuana. Unknown to his friend, he also made arrangements with Eduardo to deposit twenty five thousand dollars in trust to be used to help the former poor chicken farmer establish his new business.
Rona criticized him for being too generous but he felt these gifts were meagre payment for the unstinting generosity they had been given since coming to Mexico. These months had been the closest he had come to being part of a family. He would truly miss all of them. Now that the children were settled, Rona's main concern was safety, and the sooner they could get away from the present threat, the happier she would be.
Silky regretted the way Rona was thinking only of herself. He was sure Pedro could feel her rejection. Alone with the child he tried to reassure him of his intentions to send for him when they were safe again.
"Look after Sandy for me...real good."
"I will poppa. I promise."
"And I promise when we find a safe place to live, I'll send for you."
Pedro hugged him, and kissed him on each cheek.
"I love you poppa. I'll be waiting for you...me and Sandy."
"I love you too son. Help Francisco and Carmelita. They're very good people."
"I will...Oh poppa!...I wish I could come with you."
"I know, but it's too dangerous. Those men who killed Carlos are still on the loose."
The child bent down and hugged Sandy.
"If me and Sandy were with you, we would kill those men."
Silky hugged him. "Don't talk about killing little one. Life's too short as it is."
"What does that mean poppa?"
"Just don't talk about killing...I'll send for you as soon as I can...be a good boy Pedro."
Juarez had done a good job of keeping the visiting Mounties away from the two fugitives. He had proven himself to be a genuine friend when they needed it. It was he who arranged for them to get a quicky 'Mexican' divorce, followed by a quicky marriage. His lawyer friend Roberto Verez also registered a name change for them to make their flight out of Mexico easier. They had now become Mr. and Mrs, Stanley Howard, with legitimate passports to verify it.
Silky carried with him, five thousand dollars in US travellers cheques, and five bank drafts of five hundred thousand dollars each, It had all been completed in the two weeks since the arrival of Broom and Furthers.
Getting to Mexico City by air from Tijuana was nerve wracking. Eduardo had made all the arrangements. Beginning with a brief helicopter flight to Mexicali, they had to wait six hours for their twin engine Beech craft. The ancient machine sprung an oil leak in flight and had to land in Santa Barbara for repairs. Two days of trying to get an engine part tried their patience to the limit. Three days after their departure from Tijuana, they landed at the International Airport in Mexico City, a fifteen hundred mile trip they could've done on a bus in a day and a half. Stepping out of the small plane, they headed for the terminal. Silky was exhausted, and Rona relieved.
"Took long enough getting here."
"But...we're here...and soon we'll be heading west, for our island paradise," said Rona.
"Do you realize it's not even a year since we left Canada?"
"It's like we're two completely different people."
"We are Mrs. Howard...and I like the sound of it."
"Me too."
Silky checked his watch against the clock above the information desk. Studying the video screen he saw the Northwest Orient flight 270 for Honolulu was departing at 3 PM.
"Got a five hour wait. Let's get something to eat."
"American food for a change. I'd love a hamburger."
"Careful now...You're showing your greasy spoon background."
They both laughed as they walked towards the open cafeteria squeezed between a duty free perfume and liquor shop, and a car rental counter.
"Damn! No hamburgers...just those stupid egg salad sandwiches in plastic wrap."
"I'm going to have a slice of pie and a cup of coffee instead," said Rona.
"Me too. Not exactly a millionaire's lunch."
They took their food to a small booth, the only passengers in the place. A bus boy cleaned the table beside them.
"Where are all your customers?"
"Too late for breakfast, and too early for lunch. They'll be here soon."
When he finished filling the sugar bowl with small packets, they were alone. Silky took out his wallet and pulled out the bank drafts made on the Banco del Mexico, signed by Eduardo Jiminez.
"Can you believe that?"
"What's wrong?"
"Jiminez...Eduardo's last name. All this time he's been working for us, and I didn't even know his last name."
"The cheques are okay aren't they?"
"They look okay to me...what the hell, a cheque's a cheque."
"It's such a large amount of money. Wouldn't we have been better to get settled then have it transferred?"
"We could've done that, but the way our luck has been going, I just as soon have it with us. Look how he's made it out...'Stanley and/or Rona Howard'. I asked him to do it that way so either of us could sign it, if anything should happen to one of us."
"And all you do is deposit it, and that's that..."
"That's about it. We show the banker our passports for identification. There shouldn't be any problem."
"He was a remarkable man."
"He sure was. Can you imagine what he could do if we stayed?"
"I don't even want to think about it. The sooner we get outa here and get settled, the happier I'll be. I'm looking forward to being plain Mrs. Stanley Howard, housewife."
"And mother."
"You still want to send for Pedro?"
"More than ever. That's one sweet kid. I never told you about what happened when we went to get Sandy..."
"Tell me about it."
His story was interrupted by the busboy.
"Pardon me Senor."
"Yes...what is it?"
"Are you Mr. Stan Howard?"
His question shocked Silky. Only his immediate friends knew about his name change,
"Why do you ask?"
"If you would please come with me sir, someone wants to talk to you."
Silky glanced around seeing no one.
"Who...What's his name?"
"He's across the hall in the immigration office. I don't know his name Senor."
Both Silky and Rona felt their pie and coffee exploding inside as they heard the word "immigration".
"What do we do now?" asked Silky.
"We could make a run for it, but that would be useless. We couldn't get away."
"Okay amigo...We'll go see the man."
His legs were changing to jelly as he approached the office of immigration. Opening the door he saw a counter with a customs officer in uniform, and several smaller private offices.
"Senor Howard?"
"That's right."
"Please go into office three."
"What's this all about?"
"Office three Senor, if you please."
Rona followed Silky past the counter to the office designated. As he reached out for the door knob, the door opened and he was suddenly confronted with a familiar face.
"Hi Silky!"
"Sergeant Broom."
"The one and only...I'd like you to meet my partner, Becky Furthers."
Silky extended his hand to the Constable. Both Mounties were in plain clothes.
"And this is Silky's wife Rona...I'm right am I not...you are married?"
"Yes...how the hell did you know we'd be here?"
"Your good friend Captain Juarez."
"Juarez told you?...that miserable sonofabitch."
'Hold it...Juarez is your friend.
"Some friend...turns us over to the goddamn Mounties."
"You'll understand better after it's all over. Come on along. We got a car waiting outside."
"Aren't you going to cuff us?"
"Not unless you insist."
They followed the police to the front of the terminal and got into an official limousine, bearing the Canadian flag.
"What the hell's going on?"
"Just be patient," said Furthers. "You'll know soon enough."
The driver obviously knew Mexico City very well. His diplomatic crest and flag worked like magic, clearing a route through the heavy morning traffic. They drove out of the city and up a winding road to an estate surrounded by high concrete walls and a wrought iron gate. On a flag pole in front of the building waved the red and white maple leaf flag.
"We're here."
"The Canadian Embassy?"
"You've got it. The Ambassador is waiting."
A uniformed army corporal saluted, and opened the front door. Standing in the foyer of this splendid building was a tall, grey haired man in a navy blue suit.
"Mr. And Mrs. Howard, I am honoured to present Ambassador Andre' Boulet."
"How do you do sir," replied Silky, reluctant to shake hands until the Ambassador made the first move.
"I'm very pleased to meet you. Please come with me. Thank you Sergeant Broom."
Silky and Rona followed Boulet into his private office.
"I suppose you're wondering why you're here?"
"That's putting it mildly," replied Silky.
"You've got a lot of very good friends here Silky...in Mexico that is. I hope you don't mind me calling you Silky."
"Of course not...everyone does."
"Captain Juarez told me all about your involvement in breaking up the child smuggling ring. It's hard to believe there are such despicable creatures doing these things to innocent children. What you and your wife did was very courageous. I know how much that little boy must mean to you. I have three grandchildren about that age, and if anything happened to them, I'd be crushed. So the first thing I want to do is compliment you on your outstanding achievement. The Captain told me how difficult it has been to stop the racket, and as he says, you've made it all happen."
"Thank you sir. Quite honestly, we had no idea what we were getting into when we started. But we got Pedro back. It was all worth it."
"It certainly was. And now you've had to leave the child again."
"There wasn't anything else we could do," said Rona.
"I'm not so sure about that," replied Boulet. "But before I explain what I mean, I want to talk to you about that other matter. I'm referring to the payroll robbery and your willingness to give back the money. The Captain told me he did everything he could to get the RCMP to accept your offer, but unfortunately he couldn't get Inspector Kelly to budge. Kelly insisted you return with the money yourselves, or there'd be no deal. Juarez was convinced that was too risky. He admitted he advised you to get away and told me about his part in your escape. The Captain thinks a great deal of you two. He took a great risk on your behalf telling me how he broke the law. I felt if he was willing to risk everything, the least I could do was try to talk to Kelly myself, but I had no more luck with your proposal than Juarez. I can't understand why the Inspector was so bullheaded, insisting on you returning with the money yourselves. Probably has to do with their tradition that the Mounties always get their man...and woman in this case.
"I said you had very good friends here, and I mean it. I also got a personal call from our mutual banker, Eduardo Jiminez, who gave me a glowing report about you. He and Juarez were so persuasive, I decided to go over Kelly's head and call Ottawa. I hope Kelly didn't have a cardiac arrest when the Solicitor General gave his decision. He was very interested in your part in capturing the smugglers and asked me to pass on his praise for your courage. I also spoke to the Minister of National Defence, and he assured me, all army charges would be dropped and you are now a legitimate civilian again."
"That's tremendous Mr. Ambassador. I hated that charge of desertion hanging over my head."
"Wait a minute Silky...Don't start celebrating yet. There's more."
"Why is it I've suddenly got the feeling you're going to drop the other shoe?"
"The Solicitor General was very interested in your willingness to return the stolen money, and he did not insist you return to Canada to do it. On his behalf I'm very pleased to say, that if you'll give me a cheque for six hundred and twenty thousand Canadian dollars as you agree, payable to the Receiver General of Canada, he has authorized me to issue you a complete pardon."
Silky and Rona were speechless.
"Well...I hope this is what you wanted."
Silky grabbed the Ambassador by the hand and began to pump it up and down.
"Holy mackerel...You mean it?... a complete pardon?"
"That's right. And if you like, you can return to your friends. Juarez captured those two murderers at the border. There's nothing to stop you now."
"Thank God. I mean it...thank God for everything."
Rona was weeping quietly as he hugged her. Their running was over. They could find a small place and have Pedro and Miguel as their sons. And they could have Sandy with them again.
Ambassador Boulet asked the two Mounties to come in .
"Silky and Rona have agreed to the terms. So it looks as if you two can go home now. Where is your station by the way?"
"You probably never heard of it sir. It's in Estevan...in southern Saskatchewan."
"My grandparents on my father's side had a small farm there at a place call Bienfait. Five miles from Estevan. I remember it well."
Everyone laughed at this strange coincidence.
"We're practically relatives," said the Ambassador. "And if you folks don't mind, I'd like to take all of you out for a fine Mexican feast this evening. At government expense of course. And if that isn't enough, we can close out the evening at the casino, that's of course if you don't mind taking a chance."

My sincere thanks for all those who persevered in the reading of my novel.

If you would prefer to send your comments to me personally, here is my E-mail address,wmjohnson@openweb.ca.

I'll see you all again when I publish my next book. Bill Johnson.