Legal Thriller Book Series With Courtroom Drama
Daniel Mendoza Thrillers by Daniel Maldonado
Series Excerpt
After the two-hundred-plus crowd of family members and friends calmed down with Hector’s encouragement, the ballroom floor emptied. Stragglers sat down to watch with the rest of the crowd as Mr. Clifton confidently and resolutely walked to the head table. His smile beamed for all to see. When he reached the table, his right arm stretched out to summon his daughter, Alejandra, to dance the first dance of the evening.
The chair behind her was pushed back as Alejandra rose from the head table to meet her father in a traditional waltz which they had practiced many times before. The live Puerto Rican band began playing once Alejandra met her father’s hand with her outstretched arm. Mr. Clifton bowed to his daughter, his left arm neatly and respectfully tucked behind his back. After rising, he continually turned his body to the left, while Alejandra spun in a wide circle around him on the dance floor. Her outstretched arms seemed regal as she gazed into the crowd while her diamond-studded tiara glistened as she turned.
When Alejandra completed a full circle and was facing her father again, he twirled her once in a small, tight circle. The crowd whistled as Alejandra approached her father and they began to dance to the music. Just then, unbeknownst to both Alejandra and her father, the seven damas, led by Porsha, left their respective seats and encircled father and daughter while they danced. Each dama held a sparkler that glowed in the darkened ballroom. Alejandra’s event planner, Mariposa, was pleased that both parents and the Superstar of the show were pleasantly surprised by this added touch. Mariposa looked at both the photographer and videographer to ensure that they both captured the moment. Luckily, they did.
Occasionally looking down at his feet, Mr. Clifton focused on the box step that the choreographer taught him in the preceding months. He stepped forward and to the side and then backward, leading his daughter appropriately and effortlessly. Alejandra smiled. She appeared happy and radiant as the father and daughter danced together. Although she mainly looked at her father while dancing, she couldn’t help glancing at the audience at times; noticing that they were admiring her and taking pictures of their own. It was the spotlight that she waited for since she was a young child and attended other sweet sixteen parties waiting for her own someday.
Mr. Clifton stepped back and then pivoted as he led Alejandra in outside spins to the far left of the ballroom dance floor. When they reached that part of the dance floor, Mr. Clifton executed a series of lifts that twirled Alejandra back into the middle of the dance floor. The crowd was ecstatic. The two continued waltzing until Mr. Clifton stopped into a bended-knee position. Alejandra rested on his knee, one arm wrapped around her father. The left arm stretched out towards the crowd.
“Give them a round of applause,” Hector’s voice echoed from the speakers placed throughout the ballroom.
Father and daughter tightly embraced after they both stood up. The most anticipated moment of the evening ended in roaring applause with a few whistles and cheers from ardent supporters of the family.
After the father-daughter dance was over, Alejandra danced with her escort, Frank Colon. The young couple only started spending time together when Alejandra was in her freshman year. Frank was several years older and now a senior at Bishop Gorman High School. Alejandra was not allowed to date at her age, so they were not officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Frank was optimistic after being selected as her escort. He took that as a sign that he meant more to Alejandra than just a male friend. Now that she turned sixteen and could date, he hoped they could formally announce their relationship shortly thereafter.
Once Frank and Alejandra began dancing, the entire dance floor was opened for all to dance.
***
Anthony Clifton proudly walked to the table where his wife, Reyna, and their son, Ashton, were seated. Esperanza and Efron were also seated at that table, facing the dance floor.
“Honey, you did a great job. I’m so proud of you.” Reyna cordially kissed her husband on the cheek while he sat in the seat next to her.
“Yes, you did,” Esperanza added.
He grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow.
“I was nervous. A little. But Alejandra was perfect. She’s so beautiful in that dress.”
“I can’t wait to watch it on video.” Efron smiled as he spoke. “These will be memories that last a lifetime.” A deep sense of pride engulfed him as he spoke.
“Yes, they will. I am so thankful for all that you guys have done for us. We couldn’t do it without you and Esperanza.”
Anthony sipped some water to relieve his parched throat.
“Ash, why aren’t you asking one of these lovely girls to dance?” Esperanza nudged her nephew and stealthily pointed to several available girls his age throughout the ballroom.
“I don’t know any of them,” the young Ashton shyly responded.
“It’s okay. They will be eager to dance with you. Just approach any of them. They will say ‘yes’ to such a handsome young man.”
“Okay, Tía.” He reluctantly stood up and walked to a cute girl seated quietly in the back of the ballroom. Ashton had been eyeing her since she entered earlier with her parents and a few girlfriends.
Once he was not in earshot, Esperanza spoke again, “I’m surprised Dana and Doug aren’t here. They were supposed to fly into Arizona last night.”
Reyna’s ears perked up at the mention of Dana’s name, but she resisted the urge to say something smart at the time.
“She called me earlier. They will be here in a little bit. Their flight was delayed,” Anthony added awkwardly.
“I wonder why she didn’t call me rather than Anthony,” Reyna wondered. Instead, she said, “Well, that’s good. Ever since she was promoted at the newspaper, she no longer has time for anything. I’m surprised that she is coming at all. She doesn’t even have time for her kids.”
“It’s not like that. She was just telling me that they were watching Phillip’s track meet yesterday.”
“Oh really. You believed her?”
“Yes, I do. Dana and Doug are great parents. You can’t deny that.”
Anthony looked away towards the dance floor to watch Alejandra as she danced with another boy from her high school who also flew in from Vegas. He was a little overprotective as fathers normally are. Luckily, the boy was respectful in how he danced with Alejandra. He was a good distance away from her. Confident that his daughter was in good hands, Anthony then turned his attention back to his wife.
“You’re always defending her,” Reyna voiced her opinion indignantly.
“What? I do no such thing. You’re cra—” Anthony stopped himself before completing the obvious denigrating comment.
“Yes, you do. Everyone knows it. Don’t you see it, Esperanza? Efron?” She looked at her sister and brother-in-law for tacit approval.
Efron placed his hand on Esperanza’s thigh, non-verbally signaling her not to get involved in the budding argument.
“Let’s not think about that right now. It’s a beautiful party and you guys are great parents,” Esperanza cajoled.
“I’m starving. Do you want to go with me to the buffet line?” Efron asked Anthony.
“Of course.”
When Anthony stood up simultaneously with Efron, Reyna gave him a dirty stare, but she refrained from saying anything to stop him from leaving.
After the two men walked away, Esperanza spoke up. “You don’t need to be jealous of Dana. She’s in love with Doug. They’ve been together forever.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I notice how clingy she is with Anthony. She talks to him all the time and rarely speaks to me. I know she blames me. She doesn’t say it to my face, but I can see it in her eyes. I’m so glad that she’s in Chicago. It took me forever to convince Anthony to move from Chicago to Las Vegas. He gave me every excuse in the book.”
“I don’t want you arguing with Anthony today. It’s Alejandra’s birthday. She needs her parents to behave in front of all of her friends.”
Esperanza grabbed her sister’s hand tightly.
“Anthony loves you. He always has. He’ll never forget how you were there for him after his father died.”
“I’m not sure anymore.” Esperanza showed a rare display of weakness. “He hasn’t touched me in a long time. We rarely see each other.”
“Men do that. They throw themselves into work. Efron does the same thing. But that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love you.”
“I know that I’m not perfect. I’m a hard woman to live with. I’ll accept my part in it. Now that the kids are grown up and are so busy with stuff, I don’t have any free time. Do you think he resents me for not working like Dana?”
“Anthony’s never been a traditional husband. He believes in equality. But that means that he supports your decision not to work.”
Esperanza was aware that her sister always secretly compared herself to Dana. They were complete opposites. At least, that’s how Reyna felt at times.
“He’s never said anything about me not working all this time. I just have my doubts. I don’t know why. It’s because we are so distant now. I think he’s going through a mid-life crisis of sorts.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, he seems to want to spend time away from me. He is talking about going on vacations separately.”
“Are you serious?” Esperanza was aghast.
“Yes. He’s never said that before.”
“Why is that? You guys have a family. It makes no sense to vacation without the kids. Or his wife!”
“It’s so frustrating. I have doubts about him. He says that he’s not cheating and there is no other woman. He just feels like he can’t do anything that he wants to do while we are on vacation because it's all about the kids. He just wants time alone to take care of himself and his happiness.”
The exasperation in Reyna’s voice was clear in the last statement.
“You guys need to go on a vacation together, just you and Anthony. Did you suggest that to him?”
“Not really. I can’t go without Ash and Alejandra. They are my heart. I would feel so guilty leaving them behind.”
“They are grown. Look at your daughter.” Esperanza turned towards the dance floor. “She’s grown now. She doesn’t need you to be with her 24-7. She’ll want her freedom now that she is a woman. Alejandra and Ash won’t mind if their parents go on a much-needed vacation alone together. They will be happy for the two of you.”
“I’m not ready to let go yet. They still need me.”
“I know, Reyna. I struggle with the same thing with Clarice and Elisa. But we have to let go. We asked our parents to let go too when we were their age. So, we know what they feel. You have to trust that you raised them right, that you taught them right from wrong, that they have grown in the Church and that the Holy Spirit will show them the way. Just like He did for us.”
“I’m trying to, but I can’t. Not right now. Not when they still need me.”
Esperanza knew that her older sister could be stubborn and unrelenting.
“So is Anthony really going to go on a vacation by himself?”
“He said that he’s not going by himself. Some guys from his job are going too.”
“Are they married too? Or are they single?” Esperanza became even more skeptical as she broached the question.
“I have no idea. He hasn’t told me who is going. Just that he hasn’t made up his mind on who to invite to the Caymans.”
Reyna paused and look down at the table for a long time. She did not want her sister to see her this way, especially in public. She grabbed a napkin on the table and held it tightly in her hand as if to tunnel her anger and angst through it. Esperanza looked helplessly at her sister. After she gathered herself, Reyna looked up again and continued.
“That was our spot. We went to the Caymans several times before the kids were born. Anthony loved Stingray City. We would take the boat to the cove and swim with the stingrays every summer. I can’t imagine him going there and doing that with another woman.”
“You don’t really think that he is taking Dana with him to the Caymans? Do you?
“I really don’t know. But I’m sure she is up to something. I just don’t know what.”
While seated at the table, Reyna looked around the ballroom to find Anthony, and remembered that her husband accompanied Efron to the buffet. She saw her husband in line talking to some of the guests. Just then, Dana Jones entered the ballroom with her husband and her two teenage children in tow. As she surveyed the room, Dana noticed Efron and Anthony at the buffet and made a beeline towards them.
“See. I told you,” Reyna dejectedly exclaimed to her sister.
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