“What’s going on, Alejandro?” Williams demanded.
“Please, Señor Williams, do not let them arrest me,” Alejandro replied, not answering Williams’ question.
Before Williams could find out more, Johnson burst into the building, huffing. “There, there, officer, there is the man who I saw climbing out of my office window. Arrest him!”
Right after Johnson arrived Officer Creedy, the primary patrolman in the city. “Are you sure, Mr. Johnson?” he asked. Johnson had a history of wild accusations against individuals he did not like.
“I’m sure, I’m sure,” Johnson answered angrily. “I had just left for when lunch when I realized that I forgot something. When I got back to my office, I saw his head disappearing around the corner of the alley.” He gestured violently at Alejandro as he spoke.
“You said you saw the back of his head?” Creed asked. “You didn’t see his face? Or anything else identifiable?”
Johnson stared at Creedy as if Creedy had just asked him what color the sky was. “No, just the back of his head,” Johnson said, “but I’m sure that it was him. He was in my office earlier today with Colonel Williams looking for information on his wife and daughter. Naturally, I told them that such information was held…”
“In the strictest confidence,” Creedy interrupted. He had heard the speech too many times before. “So, you think that this man broke into your office to try to steal your files?”
“Yes, yes,” Johnson said, not sure if the policeman was pedantic or not, “that’s what I’m saying. Now, will you do your duty and arrest him?”
Creedy shook his head. “Hang on Mr. Johnson, let me talk to him first.”
Williams spoke up, “He won’t understand you, Office Creedy. He doesn’t speak English, only Spanish. He’s one of my servants.”
“Only Spanish, you say, Colonel?” Creedy echoed. He turned to Mr. Johnson and asked, “Mr. Johnson, why would a man who couldn’t your files break into your office?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care, Officer Creedy. I just want him arrested!” Johnson replied.
Creedy shook his head again. “I need something more definite to arrest a man for doing something that it doesn’t make sense for him to do. Now, are you sure that someone was in your office?”
“Of course I am! The window was open, and I always close it before I leave! Quit questioning me and arrest the man!”
“But was anything disturbed inside?” Creedy asked.
“Well,” Johnson answered hesitantly, “I don’t think so. I didn’t see anything that looked as if it had been bothered. Just the open window and the back of that man’s head disappearing around the corner.”
“Mr. Johnson,” Creedy began, using his “I’ve heard enough” tone.
“What? You’re not going to arrest him!” Johnson demanded.
“There’s no evidence that your office was broken into, Mr. Johnson, and even if it was, there is no evidence that it was this man who you saw. I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything.”
Johnson exploded into a tirade of profanity. “I can’t believe,” he added. “You disappoint me greatly, Officer Creedy.” With that, he stormed out of the building, muttering to himself.
Creedy shook his head in disbelief. “I’m sorry about that, Colonel. Mr. Johnson’s sort of the daily entertainment around the police department. Yesterday, he claimed a man purposefully sent his dog after him. It turned out that the dog was a stray who happened to come from that man’s direction. He’s notorious for his false reports.”
“It’s all right, Officer,” Williams replied. It’s not the first run-in I’ve had with Mr. Johnson.”
“Just wish that people like him could be run out of town,” Creedy said, shaking his head yet again as he walked back to his office.
Williams turned to Alejandro. “Now, Alejandro,” he said, “tell me exactly what happened.”
“Well,” Alejandro began slowly, “I was not quite sure what to do. I wanted to find out more information on Maria and Emilia, and when the judge said that he could not help us, I thought that my only chance was to try to see the records myself. So, I went to the slave market. I saw Mr. Johnson leave the market, and I tried to the front gate, but it was locked. I went around to the back, and I found the window to his office unlocked. I pushed it open and began to climb in. But before I could get through the window, I heard a key unlocking the front gate. I quickly jumped back to the street and ran back here. I did not realize that I had been seen. I am very sorry, Señor Williams, but I had to try something.”
“That was a very foolish thing to do, Alejandro,” Williams said. “You easily could have been charged with a crime if you had entered that office, and you should be glad that Officer Creedy did not believe Mr. Johnson’s report.”
“I know,” Alejandro replied, “but what else could I do?”
“You could have waited until I finished what I was doing. Then, we could have come up with some legal plan that would have allowed us to track down your family. Promise me that you won’t try anything that foolish again.”
“Okay,” Alejandro replied, “I promise.”
“Now, there may be a way,” Williams said thoughtfully. “Do you think you could recognize the face of the men who bought Maria and Emilia?”
“Yes, I think I could, but what good would that do?” Alejandro asked.
“If we come back on the next market day,” Williams answered, “we might be able to spot of the men who bought them. If we can talk with them, perhaps we can work out an arrangement to buy them just as I bought you from Mr. Andrews.”
Alejandro’s face lit up. “I like it! I should have waited for you. That is a great idea.”
Williams smiled. “Let’s go home, then, and come back on the next market day,” he said.
He and Alejandro walked back to his cart and rode back to Providence.
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