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“What happened?” Charlie prodded.
Carlos’s smile spread and softened. “I fell in love. I’d never met anyone like Emilia. She was all fire, passion, and drive. No one could stand in this woman’s way. She’d lost her sister and brother-in-law to the dictatorship and was determined to find out what happened to them as well as her unborn niece. After meeting Emilia, nothing else mattered. Her cause became my cause. I put all my energy behind the groups determined to find all the missing people and children.”
Charlie shifted on his perch, leaning forward a bit. “That makes sense, but where does Yusuf Badem come into the picture?”
Carlos chuckled softly, but it fell into a cough. Will slipped out of Charlie’s grasp and picked up a glass of water. He helped Carlos get a drink and resettled him against his pillows. He didn’t want to keep pulling information out of him, but he had a feeling Carlos wanted to tell his story as much as Charlie was dying to hear it.
“Yusuf was a devilishly smart man. Will told me he passed away recently. Damn shame. We got to meet only a couple of times, but we corresponded for years,” Carlos murmured, seeming to talk mostly to himself before finally lifting his eyes to Charlie. “I started painting again, but under my new name. They were selling, but nothing like what I saw as Thiago. That was fine. It was enough that I could give any profits over to the organizations that Emilia supported. But somewhere along the way, Yusuf Badem saw my work and he was convinced that it was the same style as Thiago Vergara. He sent me letters, but I ignored him. Next thing I know, the sneaky bastard is standing on my doorstep, demanding to talk to Thiago Vergara.”
“No shit!” Charlie exhaled.
Carlos laughed, but it was light and breathless. “He knew from just the brushstrokes who I was. Only one ever to put it together. He stayed in Buenos Aires for two weeks. We talked art constantly. We also talked about Los Desaparecidos. He got it. His home country had seen more than its share of turmoil over the years. He worked out a plan to help get my Carlos work in front of more people. The price of my work went up, and I could pour more money into the cause. Yusuf and I got to be good friends over the years.”
Will picked up the glass and offered Carlos another sip of water. “And the paintings in his collection?”
“A gift,” he said between sips. When he was done, he motioned for Will to put the glass on the table. “The ones I made for him were in my old Thiago Vergara style. I knew if he ever needed money, he’d be able to sell them for a fortune. But he was also a big fan of my old work. I knew he’d appreciate them.”
“I think he did. He had six pieces of your work and he never showed them to anyone. His nephew said that he thinks they were precious to him.” Charlie paused and winced. “We had them authenticated. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before it circulates around the art world that lost Thiago Vergara paintings were found.”
Carlos closed his eyes and smiled. “I’m glad. I’m glad he had a chance to enjoy them. His nephew can do whatever he likes with them. As long as they gave Yusuf joy, that’s all that matters to me.”
“I believe he’s planning to loan them to a museum so the world can enjoy them now.”
“Good…good…”
They didn’t stay much longer after Carlos told his story. A nurse came in to check on him and they left. Will swallowed hard, knowing he would never see Carlos again, but there was also a sense of joy in his heart. He’d managed to give Carlos the answers he’d been seeking as well as allow him a final chance to share his story. Carlos knew that his work was going to continue to give the world happiness. That was a good life.
As they stepped outside the hospice, Charlie wrapped an around Will’s shoulders, pulling him in close. “You knew. You knew Carlos was Thiago.”
Will leaned his head on Charlie, cringing just a little. “Sorry. I couldn’t—”
“I know. I’m just teasing. I’m not angry.” Will looked up at him, his skepticism clear on his face. “I’m serious! I’m not angry. You protected his secret and his life. I respect that.”
“The rest of the guys know?”
Charlie smirked and nodded. “They overheard enough. I’ll fill in the rest of the details when I get back. We’ve got to finish packing and find out what flights Kairo has booked for us.”
Will moved ahead of Charlie and leaned against the driver’s side door. He tilted his head up and grinned like the utter fool that he was. Unexpected joy was bubbling up inside of his chest like fizz from a shaken soda can. He grabbed both sides of Charlie’s jacket and pulled him in between his legs.
