48 Hours a Day

Not too long after that, a riot erupted at Malcolm’s Terrance Manor. It was a rough night to say the least. The plantations around the mansion sent their men as well, hoping to assist Malcolm in dealing with the dissent. Some slaves were killed in the battle, and a few were recaptured. Just when speculations about Terrance Manor suffering great losses began to gain traction, news of Malcolm framing Normand started spreading throughout the entire island.

After three years, Eugene finally mustered enough courage to tell everyone that Malcolm made him frame Normand. He admitted working with a few captains to accuse Normand of taking bribes, the main reason why the first black-market alliance was disbanded. After that, Normand left Nassau quietly. Eugene even made public the letters between him and Malcolm.

This shocking news impacted the black-market merchants of Nassau significantly. Though Normand had left Nassau for a couple of years, he was still quite influential amongst the merchants, with more than half of the alliance attending his funeral when he died. However, once Malcolm’s secret was exposed, enormous pressure fell upon his shoulders. The next afternoon, Redmond made an official announcement on behalf of the black-market alliance. On the surface, it seemed as if he was trying to calm everyone down, but whether he wanted it or not, his true intentions were soon revealed. He told everyone that he was going to investigate this incident.

Of course, Malcolm knew Redmond’s ultimate goal, and if he was the one investigating this incident, he already had the outcome in mind. However, Malcolm made no excuses to stop Redmond from immersing himself into this matter; his influence helping him to open up a desirable path. Considering the fact that Redmond was Normand’s close friend and leader of the black-market alliance, he was the best person to dig into this matter.

Until now, Malcolm still couldn’t find a way to dismiss the accusation. On the other hand, three days were almost up, and he was slated to meet up with Carina. Malcolm had high hopes for the meeting, seeing that his situation was deteriorating by the minute. He also needed new allies to overcome this crisis. The terms he offered Carina were still negotiable, and he was prepared to sacrifice some things on his part in convincing her to take his side.

The day eventually arrived, but Carina was nowhere to be seen in the coffee shop. He waited at his favorite table for the entire afternoon until the sun went down. Then, just as he was about to leave, he finally heard someone walking into the restaurant. It was Wallace.

“Something happened again?”

Malcolm set the cup of cold coffee down. He lifted his head and frowned.

“Rumors about you spreading all over the island like wildfire! They say that you have something to do with Mr. Fegan’s incarceration. Many knew that he disagreed forming of the black-market alliance before he went to jail. Ms. Carina is with Redmond right now, hoping that he would help her uphold justice,” said Wallace.

To his surprise, Malcolm’s face remained stoic and unmoved. It appeared as if he’d expected Carina to side with Redmond.

“I got it,” Malcolm replied calmly.

“The investigation regarding the riot at your manor has come to an end. Leah started the whole thing. She led a large number of slaves to the beach, boarded a ship, and left Nassau. I have checked all the ships leaving port yesterday and the day before that, and guess what I found. Jackdaw set off early this morning with a ship full of supplies. It’s possible they returned to port when it was dark. So...”

“So what?”

“I believe the riot has something to do with them. There’s a high possibility that Leah was the one who stole all those letters. Regarding this, we should inform all the other powerful landlords on this island. I’m certain they don’t want the same thing happening to them someday. We’ll also need to force Jackdaw to surrender the slaves to us.”

Malcolm did not respond to that. Instead, he pointed at the seat in front of him.

“I remember that we messed around every day when we were kids. You used to steal baked potatoes for me. After I went to school, we no longer had meals together. In fact, you’re the one who hired this restaurant’s chef.”

“Yes, you’re right. He’s called Alfonzo, a Spaniard. He has a terrible temper, and he hates pirates to the core. I had to spend an entire week and two times the usual salary just to convince him to work here. I remembered that after he hung a large ‘NO PIRATES ALLOWED’ sign outside the restaurant, someone almost strangled him to death that night.”

“I see. I have to admit that his coffee and fried eggs are pretty darn good. Anyway, we should eat. Let’s have a meal together since you’re here. After that, can you ask Alfonzo and see if he is willing to leave Nassau with us.”

“Mmm...”

Wallace was worried about Malcolm.

“Don’t worry about me. I came here four years ago, empty-handed. Within that period, I have made more money than most can make in a lifetime. The wealth is still mine even if I leave this place, but I have lost this fight. That said, I’m not the kind of person that won’t admit my mistakes. I can always move somewhere else and start all over again. There are tons of ways to make money. Remember that I came with nothing and now, I leave with everything in my hands. With all this money, I believe that I’ll be able to forge a new path. Besides, Redmond’s not going to last long in Nassau. The moment he underestimated Carina, he was doomed from the start.”

“You appear to have high hopes for her.”

“I’m the one who opened Pandora’s box and released her inner demons. Now, she can finally inspect her own ambitions and desires. I know she’s a good student, but how fast she grew exceeded my expectations. Just not too long ago, she blamed me for destroying her whole life. Now, she can take stock of her emotions and make decisions that only benefit her, even going as far as teaming up with the person responsible for putting her father in jail. This is starting to get really interesting. I made her who she is today, and yet, she had to be the one to destroy my career on this island completely. I guess we are even now.”

“Her relationship with Redmond is very fragile. We can always tell Redmond that she knows who really put her father in jail.”

“No, we are not going to do anything about it. Redmond is no idiot, and I won’t turn my back against Carina before I leave Nassau, either. At this age, I won’t allow emotions to govern my decisions anymore. Why would I do something that won’t benefit me? I’m guessing that Redmond is drowning in victorious joy right now. However, he doesn’t know that he has a ticking time-bomb by his side. It’s best to leave her with him. Consider it a parting gift for my old friend.”