Forget to Remember

difficult.
    Rigo stood up and waved as he spotted his friend, Adam, walking around the bleachers. Adam, still dressed in business clothes, climbed up the wooden steps and joined them.
    Rigo introduced Adam and Carol to each other. “Carol, this is my friend, Adam. Adam, this is Carol.”
    Carol reached out and shook Adam’s hand. He had a large hand, but his fingers weren’t as long as Rigo’s. He was tall and handsome, with the blond hair and blue eyes of a Scandinavian.
    He gave Carol a sunny smile. “From Rigo’s description of how you looked when he found you, I thought you’d be a basket case, but I must say he’s been withholding evidence.” He sat down beside Carol, so she was between the two men.
    Rigo spoke quickly. “Adam is married and has two children.”
    Carol remembered what else Rigo had said about him. “I understand you two have been friends since elementary school. You were on the tennis team together, and you still play tennis with each other.”
    Adam had a mock sorrowful look. “We’re going to keep playing until I can beat him. That’s the only reason our friendship has continued this long. Plus the fact that his parents are among my best clients.”
    “You’re a financial advisor, aren’t you? Are you skipping out of work early? Rigo is going to start work late.”
    “Being a financial advisor is like having my own business. I set my own hours. My office is just a half mile from here.”
    “Did you walk here?”
    “No, I drove.”
    “Doesn’t anybody walk in Los Angeles?”
    Adam looked across at Rigo and spoke over the roar of the crowd as the Palos Verdes team made a long gain. “She obviously isn’t from here. We’d love to have you join us on the hill, however. We need some new blood. Your coloring is similar to Rigo’s. Maybe you’re Hispanic. I think Rigo and his family are the only Hispanics living in Palos Verdes who aren’t live-in caretakers and nannies. We could use a few more rich ones.”
    Carol was taken aback by this statement. It sounded racist to her. It didn’t seem to bother Rigo who responded in turn. “You’re about to be knocked off your pedestal, g ringo . The Asians are taking over the hill. Soon you’ll know what it’s like to be part of a minority.”
    “ Es verdad . Most of my clients are Asian. They have all the money.” Adam faked glumness but then brightened as he spoke to Carol. “I’d be happy to look after your investment needs.”
    “I don’t have any money.”
    “You and Rigo are singing the same song. A temporary situation, I assume, at least in your case. Beautiful women don’t have trouble attracting money. I’m not so sure about Rigo.”
    First Rigo and now Adam. If enough men implied she was beautiful, she might start believing it.
    ***
    Carol declined offers from both Rigo and Adam to drive her home. It almost seemed as if they were competing for her attention. She suspected competition formed a significant part of their relationship.
    She made it up the hill, puffing slightly less than she had several days before when she had started walking, and strolled the long driveway that went between two other houses, to where the Ramirez house was set near the edge of the cliff. Ernie and Tina weren’t home yet. She knew this because a FedEx package was sitting at the front door. They had given her a key. She unlocked the door and carried the flat cardboard container inside.
    Only then did she glance at the address on the package. She did a double take. Her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. The package was indeed addressed to Carol Golden. How could that be? She looked for the address of the shipper. It was Paul Vigiano’s law firm.
    Recovering from her initial shock, she wondered what Paul, as he wanted to be called, was sending her. She tore off a cardboard strip and flipped up the flap to get to the contents. There were several computer-printed pages and an envelope. She glanced at the first page; it was a letter from Paul. Without reading it, she looked at the second page and realized it was an airline E-ticket. The passenger’s name was…Cynthia Sakai. Was this some kind of a joke?
    She quickly tore open the envelope. The first thing she saw was a considerable quantity of bills—twenty-dollar bills. There was also a small plastic card. She pulled out the card. It was a driver’s license from the state of North Carolina. Her picture was on it—one of the pictures Rigo had taken of her, except her scars