Chapter 5: The Ambassador’s Girl – Charles Fornau

Amanda jumped from the dock into the cockpit of the boat and jumped up onto her father’s chest in a huge hug. He was probably at risk of having his neck broken, but he didn’t seem to mind, too much. Carlotta and I watched the two of them hug, and cry, and cry and hug for about five minutes until finally, Thomas Birdweiler addressed me.

“You would be?” he asked in a venomous voice, staring directly into my eyes. He wasn’t a small man, probably six-two and about two hundred pounds, but even though he was an inch taller, we were about the same weight, and I had at least twenty-five years on him. I wasn’t worried about my physical being, but I really did want him to at least like me enough not to try to push his daughter away from me.

“Daddy, stop. This is Charlie. Charles Cochran. He is mine. He is everything Royce was not. And then some. Charlie, my father, Tom Birdweiler.”

I reached out for his hand. After a bit of a hesitation, he met my reach, and we shook. “Mr. Birdweiler, I love your daughter. I had the resources to help her meet with you, so I used them. I mean no ill will toward anyone, but at some point, if it is still determined apropos, I may be asking you for her in a more permanent manner.” The man smiled. He looked over at Amanda looking at me, also smiling. She picked up on that, I guess.

“Call me Tom, Charlie. OK, kids, we need to talk. Carlotta, join us please. Will you have Pedro make us some drinks, please. Anything you two want, just mention it and it will happen. We’re going to be talking about some pretty serious stuff, so we might as well get comfortable.”

“Carlotta, does Pedro have access to mangos?” Amanda asked. I laughed. Carlotta smiled and nodded. “Mango margarita? Frozen?” she asked, quite meekly and almost apologetically.

“Stop, Amanda, darling. You ask if you want something. You do not apologize. Your papa said anything. He means that.”

“OK, Carlotta, thank you.”

I asked for the same thing in a regular lime flavor and Carlotta was gone to get us taken care of.

We sat in the salon, arranged around a stout oval coffee table in some extremely comfortable chairs. Tom started out with a humdinger. “Amanda, as bad as things look, most of the things I did, I did against people who were on the wrong side of the law. They will say I did, but I did NOT steal from or cheat our government itself, but some of the crooked assed people in it. I will never be able to go home, since those people have access to power through corruption and such. If things were different, and I had been working for the government, I’d probably be considered a hero, but such is not the case. Some of the people who were at the wrong end of my schemes, certainly the last two, are now two of the four most powerful people in the world. I will be Jack B. Nimble for a long time.”

“Are you in danger, Daddy?”

“Yes, to a point, but we all are, to a point, baby. A car could run a traffic light and end any of us at any time. I have Celeste, Rosa, and Carlotta. I have Pedro and Martín; they tend my boat. I will be fine if I can stay out of the limelight and just enjoy my remaining years.”

“Daddy, that sounds so morbid.”

“Facts of life, dear. The next thing I want to mention is that I’d like you to stay in touch and remain my daughter. I love you, Amanda. I loved your mother. There is still a huge hole in my heart remaining. Only she will ever fill it. If I was to lose you, I would have nothing. No reason to carry on. Sounds bad, and it probably is, but none of the other people in my life has been able to come close, save two. Carlotta and Celeste. I love them both, and more every day. They say they love me as well and have shown me that for the last five months. We’re growing closer and closer, so maybe someday, I will have a true love again.”

“What about Elizabeth?”

“Beautiful woman and very, very vivacious in bed, sorry for my crudeness, but she was a gold digger and an accomplice more than an emotional tie. She said she loved me, but I know she was with at least two others during our time together. It’s possible her indiscretion caused my issues, as well as her own demise. Ah, here are the women we were talking about and the young man who makes us all happy we wake up in the morning. Pedro, this is my little girl and her boyfriend. Baby, Pedro is our cook, bartender, first mate, and often our entertainment. He is quite a funny fellow if left to his own devices. Thank you, Pedro.”

“You are welcome, sir. Nice to meet you, ma’am, sir. I must retreat now and scoop the bilge so that we do not sink into the bottom of the harbor.” He smiled and caused Tom to shake his head. “Please have Mr. Nimble call for me should you desire anything.” He made a light bow and left the room.

“He’s a card, for sure. Carlotta, I was about to tell Amanda about the proceeds so she can use them to come visit. Amanda, I have amassed a bit of a fortune during the time I was harassing the idiots I despise so much. That was the reason I did what I did. They are jackals. Like coyotes in the desert. They needed to be put down, or at least made less dangerous. I did a lot of that. I want to offer you an account, at a bank in the Caribbean, that you can use to purchase the means to come see me. You can use it for anything, but I wanted you to please not block me from your life.”

“Tom,” I broke in, “I have the means to take care of her and bring her here in an unlimited fashion. The funds might be better used to purchase a new bilge pump before you wear out your help.”

Carlotta laughed. “How many pumps could you buy with ten million dollars, U.S., Tom. Several?”

Amanda gasped.

I continued. “Tell you what. I’ll buy you a new bilge pump and you can use the money for mangos. Your little girl, Mr. Nimble, has grown quite fond of them, especially when thrown in a blender with some ice, some tequila, and a bit of triple sec.”

“You know Pedro was jerking your chain, Charlie. This thing has more bilge pumps than you can shake a stick at, and I don’t think any but the one in the engine room ever runs except during tests. Amanda, the money is yours if you want it. If not, I’ll keep it for you, just in case. It’s invested in some very low risk international instruments, but it’s going to grow a bit just the same, and Carlotta was right. It’s at a little over ten million dollars now, five in gold, and the other five plus in the portfolio. There will always be one hundred thousand bucks, in cash, available through a card, the rest only taking phone calls with codes or in person visits to get to. I want you to have it, use it or not, it’s up to you, but it’s yours, nonetheless. Charlie, none of this money was taken from victims. Every dime I took was from a shark, a skunk, or a snake. Please remember that.”

I nodded. “I won’t stand in the way, as if I even had the right or the reason to. I’m not her owner, I’m her boyfriend. I don’t have, or want, that power. And, as we all know, a girl can always use a little shoe money.” Amanda and Carlotta laughed. Tom did the head-shake thing again.

We ate there on the ship, steaks, potatoes, and a mix of vegetables that were outstanding. Pedro may be a jack of all trades, but he was a true chef in the galley.

Carlotta asked me for my rental car keys, which she took and handed them to Pedro. He departed to go get our rental at the restaurant, then returned and parked it next to her car in the marina. Add chauffeur and valet man to his list of occupations. The place was emptying out as people came in from the sea and left for their homes or hotels. Tom told us there were very few people that lived full time on their boats. He was one of them that did. The boat was big enough for the four of them, so they stayed there. Martín lived in town and worked on the boat during the day and while it was out of port. He was the Captain of the vessel when Tom didn’t want to drive it himself.

We chatted more over dessert, and when Amanda asked, Tom admitted that he went to the place they vacationed in Switzerland in hopes Amanda would be there. She cried when she told him I tried to help with that, but she wanted to stay away in order to give him a chance without distractions.

“Amanda, that was the smartest thing anyone in this whole shitmess has done. I think I was followed for a bit there. I went in for a haircut and came out a different man. My eyebrows have grown back, but as you can see, I gave up most of my hair.”

“I like it. You looked like a used car salesman with your long hair slicked back.”

“Not the first woman to say that, doll. Carlotta?”

“Your father showed me the family and news pictures, Amanda. I like it short, too. You look nice with red hair, as well. You are a pretty girl. More in person than in pictures, too. Charlie is a lucky man. Your mother and father certainly made a beautiful child.”

Amanda got up and hugged her. They shared that hug, and felt a bond, I think, both of them caring so much for the man they knew.

Carlotta helped us with our things to the guest stateroom, then after taking our things down and looking around a bit, we went back up to the cockpit where everyone else seemed to be relaxing. We noticed another woman board the boat, a thirtyish woman with a short shorts outfit and high heels, just drop dead gorgeous and self-aware.

“Amanda, Charlie,” Carlotta said, “This is my cousin, Celeste. She lives in Valencia but spends time with us here as much as she can. She also is in love with your father, and we spend as much time with him and taking care of him as is possible. He takes care of us, as well, so it is a mutual relationship, but it is based on love and caring, not on material assets.”

“I would never accuse anyone of that, Carlotta. Celeste, it is nice to meet you. Thank you for helping us get to Daddy safely. Safe for him, anyway. Traffic in Spanish towns is worse than I thought it might be.” Amanda giggled, getting a similar response from both older women.

It was interesting listening to them talk for the next few hours, just sitting next to my little love and watching her be happy. Happy for her father’s safety, happy for his happiness, happy to have her life back, and happy for her happiness. Several times, sometimes during an appropriate point in a conversation when I was mentioned, and other times just at random, she would touch me affectionately or kiss my hand or arm. She was making sure I knew she was there. Something people need to do for each other to ensure their relationship thrived.