What Is Right, part 2
by shana0809
They end up at a tiny, family-owned restaurant not far from their hotel. The food had been plentiful and good. The place had reminded Esteban of his mother's cooking a little. It's hearty and not the fanciest food, but it reminds him of home. He eats more than he should because of it and leaves feeling sick.
If he's being honest, he probably had too much wine with dinner. They had the bottle, and he didn't want to waste it. Besides, Ruben had just as much as he did. He's laughing and having a good time when they reach their room, and he flops onto his queen size with an almost giggle.
"I haven't done something like this since I was in the academy. Let's go out and find somewhere to dance, Ruben." He pushes himself off his bed with an eagerness he hasn't felt for a long time.
"Let's stay in and do some dancing of our own, Esteban. There'll never be a better time."
"Ramos..." he starts.
"We're more likely to hear the phone here."
Esteban grins. "Fine, but I hope you can dance."
The look on Ruben's face makes Esteban wish he hadn't just turned his phone into a music player. The shock is priceless.
Esteban tries to pull Ruben up and into his arms as the strains of last month's hot club song pour from his phone, but the other man is wooden.
"Ruben, I know the song is nothing special, but dance with me!" he demands.
"I can't dance, Esteban. I have two left feet."
"There's no one here to watch, and I don't mind if you step on my feet."
Ruben groans, and lets Esteban pull him in close. They start to move him to the tinny music coming out of the phone now sitting on the bed. Ruben finds that dancing with Esteban isn't horrible so long as he lets the other man lead. Soon Esteban has their bodies tucked together, and it's surprisingly nice.
They sway backwards and hit the bed. Ruben can feel Esteban's phone digging into his back as he comes down on top of it, but it muffles the music. Ruben can still feel it under him. It's odd, but then Esteban is pressing down on him, and the minor irritation of the phone is forgotten.
Esteban is a glorious, warm weight on top of him, and he feels like the other man belongs there. He's pressing down in all the right places, whether he means to or not. It's amazing. It's the kind of feeling in which he could spend forever.
Esteban leans over him, his curls falling forward, and he looks a little like an angel or a demon. Whatever it is, with slightly drunk eyes burning into Ruben's, it's beautiful.
"I couldn't have done this without you," Esteban whispers, and then lets his lips ghost over Ruben's. "I'm so glad I met you."
"Even if your office was trashed?"
"Actually, it was over coffee, and you were giving me frostbite. I don't know how you keep forgetting that."
"Maybe I don't like that meeting," Ruben whispers against the lips he's following. "I like the other one better. I look better."
Esteban grins and ducks his head and places a kiss on Ruben's neck. "I'll be just a moment, but I have to get up."
Ruben's not really interested in letting Esteban rise off him, despite the motions his soon-to-be lover is making motions to do just that. He wraps one arm around Esteban's neck instead and pulls downward, settling Esteban back down to him and fusing their lips together.
When they break apart, Ruben can feel his chest heaving and his lips tingling. It's good. It's not the kind of good he ever wants to let go of either. It's the kind of good that will quickly become addictive.
Esteban squirms away by rubbing against Ruben. Once he's no longer on top of Ruben, the police officer can think once more.
With his head momentarily clear, he's reminded of how dangerous this sort of relationship is. But then Esteban is back everything they need clenched in one hand, and nothing matters but that weight. Except maybe their clothes.
It's delicious.
Ruben starts to thrust into the cradle of Esteban's hips. There isn't quite enough friction to get off, but anything is still better than nothing.
--
Esteban can't believe how beautiful Ruben looks spread out beneath him. His hair has fallen out of its normally restrained style. It makes Ruben look even more delicate and vulnerable.
Just as beautiful.
Everything he collected is tossed onto the bed so that his clumsy fingers can work at stripping away all the layers separating them. The buttons on his shirt are very time consuming. Each button has to be undone one at a time. It's annoying.
He also keeps fumbling undoing them because he's busy kissing Ruben, which is far more pleasurable than worrying about some stupid little buttons. He's tempted to rip them off, but his mama bought him this shirt.
Finally, Ruben must get tired of his inability to get the buttons undone because two capable hands get buried in his hair, holding his head still and away from Ruben's lips.
"Get the damn shirt off already. I'm going to start to think you're shy at this rate."
Esteban frowns and focuses all his energy on his clumsy fingers. Ruben really is very good at backhanded insults. It's kind of annoying because Esteban has no idea how to answer them.
Ruben runs one hand along the newly revealed skin, still steadying Esteban's head with the other. The shirt is gone in fairly short order without the kissing, and he lowers his lips back towards Ruben's.
The heated kiss distracts him from the need to take off his pants, but only until he can feel the buckle on Ruben's belt digging into his stomach. It's a cold, hard reminder that they're trying to have sex, and clothes just get in the way of that.
And pants are clothes. So pants get in the way too.
Somehow, he musters the will to pull back again and get rid of his pants as quickly as possible, leaving him standing in a black thong and socks. The thought of how silly he must look causes him to blush like a virgin. He hasn't done that since he was a virgin.
Ruben's gaze being riveted on him doesn't help matters. It only makes him even more nervous. Even the wide smile he gets when he peels off his socks doesn't do much to reassure him.
Ruben's grinning as he pushes himself into a sitting position. Esteban watches as his phone is shoved across the bed.
The phone is quickly forgotten as Ruben starts to talk. "Well, aren't you going to finish?" Ruben raises his eyebrows in an almost comic way to highlight the question.
Esteban blushes.
"You really are shy, aren't you? Fine. I'll show you mine if you show me yours."
Then Ruben is practically tearing at his own clothes, almost as if he's frantic to remove them. It doesn't give Esteban more than a second to admire what's being revealed, but it does move things along quickly. He has to side step Ruben's dark pants as they get tossed his way. He makes sure to step closer to Ruben, into what might be the other man's personal space.
Managing not to look like a fool when he takes his thong off while standing up is impossible, and he's glad when they move so their knees are touching. Ruben reaches out, and Esteban finds himself pulled down on top of his new lover.
The skin to skin contact makes him see stars. This kind of sex could quickly become as addictive as everything involving Ruben is. The saddest part is that they haven't even gotten to the actual sex yet, and he's still doing better than Esteban's last boyfriend.
Ruben's hands start scrambling for purchase as Esteban starts to suck and kiss at the neck underneath him. When the dark eyes close, Esteban lifts his head and gives himself a moment to just look at the man below him.
Then he goes back to giving Ruben a truly spectacular mark while rubbing one palm against the nipple closest to it. He has Ruben panting and moaning before he pulls back. By now, they’re rubbing up against each other in a desperate attempt to get off, like animals or something.
Ruben gasps. "Enough. Let's get to the fucking."
"How do you want to do this?"
Ruben growls. "However you want, you prick, but you have one minute to decide, or I'm arresting you for something."
"Turn over then," Esteban snarls, rising off Ruben.
It takes thirty seconds of frantic scrambling for them to find a good position and a few more to figure out where the lube had gotten to.
He grabs for it and starts with one finger. After a while, he feels comfortable adding another, and finally a third. Ruben's head is resting on the coverlet, and he's moaning nearly constantly.
At least he's done cursing and threatening.
Esteban pulls out and grabs for the condom, and then... Well, he's done this before, but it hasn't been like this. This is sinking into hot, warm heaven by less than inches. It's the most divine torture ever, and when it's over, he groans in both relief and disappointment.
Time seems to stop, and all he can hear is the rush of air from his lungs and the pounding of his heart.
Ruben breaks the peace by bucking upwards, and from that moment, it's a frantic rush towards completion with hard, sharp thrusts and Ruben alternating between rubbing himself into the bed and thrusting up into Esteban.
Even the sex feels like some long journey hurtling towards completion and completely out of control.
Then he's there, and he's screaming something hoarse and scratchy. His muscles go lax from the pleasure. All he can see is black for a second, then he's catching himself before he lands on Ruben.
Ruben is still panting and rubbing against him. Esteban reaches one weak hand under him and strokes a couple of times. It's nothing fancy or special, just heat and pressure.
Apparently, the extra friction is enough for Ruben because he comes with almost violent force and a sound Esteban might be tempted to label a shriek. He won't because he's tired, relaxed, and wants to be able to hold Ruben while they sleep. He's not going to call it cuddling.
After what seems like an hour but is really only five minutes, Esteban hears a grunt. "Get off of me. We have to clean up and find your damn phone. I don't know where I tossed it. Is it still playing?"
Esteban can feel himself frown. "No, it's stopped."
"It wasn't your back it was digging into," Ruben snarls, reaching back to shove at him.
On the third shove, which kind of hurts, Esteban starts to move. He finds the phone as soon as he's gotten rid of the condom. It's half hidden under the bed, so Esteban scoops it up on this way back from the washroom. He drops it on the table between the two beds.
He turns to help Ruben, but it quickly becomes obvious the bedspread is a lost cause. "Well, that's a bit of a mess," he murmurs.
"Just be sure to tip housekeeping well," Ruben sagely advises, moving to the other bed.
"Why me?" Esteban's demand is all offended pride.
"Because Casillas is paying you to do this."
A snort. "He's not paying me to fuck the police officer helping me."
"He is if it helps you to find his missing fuck toy. Now shut up. I want to go to sleep."
"Fine, but you're sharing the other bed."
"Oh, the hardships." The sarcasm is apparent, even to a half asleep Esteban. "Stupid man. Why would I let you fuck me but not sleep with you? Get in before you say something else stupid."
--
Ruben turns on the lamp silently. Esteban is snoring on the other side of the bed. He finds his own damn phone buried in his jacket pocket and sets it to silent.
He has some absurd desire to see even though he knows.
When he opens his inbox, the expected text messages are there. There's some unexpected ones too though.
Things are bad, but they're not as dire as he expected. He has a way out. There's only one problem.
And it's asleep on the bed.
--
Esteban dives out of the shower to grab for his phone. The number on the display isn't one he knows, but it's also not from Madrid. And it doesn't say blocked like Casillas's always does.
It might be Ramos. After more than six months of chasing every lead he and Ruben could get their hands on in some misguided attempt to prove Casillas didn't murder his boyfriend, he might get to talk to their quarry. He might actually have proof.
He might actually be able to close this case.
--
Ruben can hear Esteban's voice from the washroom. It's a low, excited murmur. He may be talking to their missing person. Not a moment too soon either.
Esteban exits the washroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and damp from his shower, but he's grinning like he owns the world.
"You were right," Esteban carols. There's no really good way to describe the almost song-like cadence that slips into that sometimes lilting voice. "That was him. He wants to meet. He gave me a cafe and a time."
"You have to go get ready now. You can't meet your boss's boyfriend in a towel."
Esteban looks frantic for a moment and hurries away. He must not have that much time until the meeting. When he finally stops, looking up from tying his shoelaces, he seems to notice that Ruben isn't making any moves to get ready to go.
"Come on, Ruben. We don't have much time," Esteban whines. Ruben thinks this is definitely Esteban's whine. It might double as a pout in a pinch though.
"I'm not going with you." Ruben makes sure to say it calmly. There's no other way to deal with Esteban in this situation. There may be no way to deal with Esteban in this situation period.
"What? Why not? You put too much into this case to stop now. You have to come and see it through."
"It's not my case to solve, Esteban. Not anymore. This last step is one you have to take on your own. Besides, two men would just make him think we work for Perez instead of Casillas, and we'll lose him again. I don't want to spend six months chasing rumours and maybes because we screwed up at this point. No, you have to go on your own. Just remember that sometimes less is more when talking to people. Let him come to you," Ruben pauses. "And this is one of those times."
Esteban frowns. "I know how to do this. I was top of my class at the academy."
"You also had the highest solve rate and the most civilian complaints when you were on the force. You alienate witnesses in your single-minded search for the guilty party. There is no guilty party here. Only a scared man and a sad one."
"Fine," Esteban grinds out, pouting. Ruben can now clearly categorize the difference between a pout and a whine. It's sort of cute how different the two looks are; they're both adorable on Esteban.
It makes him sad all over again to be leaving all these little, personal things behind. He's learning and discovering things he'll never have the chance to use.
"Go." Ruben makes shooing motions.
"Kiss me for good luck," Esteban demands.
Despite his attempts to keep the kiss short and chaste, he still ends up with Esteban's tongue in his mouth before the need for air forces them apart.
"Go, now, before we end up back in bed, and you miss him," Ruben commands.
Esteban is gone by the time Ruben gets his breath back. He grabs for his phone, left beside his laptop and away from Esteban, and goes to sit on the bed. He has to deal with these texts now. He flips through his contacts and, after staring at the one he needs for several moments, dials.
"How quickly can you set it up?" he asks when the call is picked up.
"When can you get there?"
"Three days."
"Then it'll be on day four at nine in the morning."
"Thank you, Guti."
"I'm sorry it came to this, Ruben."
"I made my own choices, Guti. I don't regret any of them or one moment of the last six months. He's alive, by the way."
"No shit?"
"Honest to God."
"Be there on day four, de la Red. Nine in the morning. Don't blow this."
"I won't."
When Esteban returns, he looks depressed, and he's holding a letter like it's made of gold. There's also no Ramos with him. Ruben turns from the train schedules he's got up on his laptop. "Was it a fake?"
"No. It was him."
"Where is he then?"
"Wherever he was before the meeting I'd think. He's not coming back. He left for some important reasons. He won't come back just because Iker is willing to hire a private investigator to find him. He's apparently explained to his boyfriend in this letter. I'm supposed to give it my client. It will apparently explain enough that my contract will be complete."
"Do you think he'll accept it?"
"He hired me to find Ramos. I found him. He can hire some other idiot to try to drag him back to Madrid. I won't do it for any amount of money."
"Will you tell them where he is?"
"I've spent six months tearing this man's life apart. I know him better than Casillas does at this point. I've done what Casillas manipulated me into doing. I'm giving him the letter and nothing else."
"Why? Casillas would make a dangerous enemy, and you don't know Ramos. He's not your friend or brother-in-arms. You haven't risked your life for the same principles. Why risk yourself for him?"
"The same reason I quit the force."
"Which is?"
"It's the right thing to do, and I want to do the right thing."
"Why though? Why is this the right thing to do?"
"He's happier here. I've been showing everyone who might have a connection to him this picture Casillas gave me. I'm sure you've seen it. It was probably done with the best photographer in Madrid, but when I look at the picture, I don't see how beautiful he is."
"What do you see?"
"His eyes are sad. I look at them, and I can see his soul withering away to nothing. Whatever makes him unique and special was dying in Madrid. Here, today, when I looked into his eyes, they were sad, but that heaviness of spirit was gone. He was only missing his lover. He can recover from the end of a relationship. It may take a long time, and it may be very painful, but he can do it. He can't survive losing himself, and I can't help but think he can't hold onto who he is when he's with Casillas."
"Like you and the police force?"
"Exactly. But I can still do good without the badge and gun."
"Honestly, if you keep taking this type of case, you're going to want to invest in a gun. Your office might not be the worst of it next time. Come to think of it, invest in a better office door too. I can't always save you."
"I'm not too worried. I have you to protect me. I don't need to be saved. I'm not a damsel in distress. I just need the same protection everyone else gets."
--
To say that Casillas hadn't been happy with his choice to protect Ramos would be an understatement, but Esteban would like to believe his former client understands it at the very least. Casillas has an entire security firm to protect him. Ramos deserves at least one little private investigator.
Casillas may hate it, but he's smart enough not to force the issue. Esteban has friends too.
Now Esteban is just waiting for Ruben to show up. He's closed the file, put it in his safe, and cleared his desk; he's done for the day. On the train ride back, they agreed that they'd meet after he gave Casillas his letter and closed the case.
He even talked to Ruben this morning to make sure the meeting was still on. The other man was distracted, but they confirmed the time. Now Ruben, a man he's hesitantly starting to call his boyfriend, is late.
Esteban starts a little when the door opens. He's rising to greet Ruben before he realizes it isn't Ruben coming through his door.
It's Captain Raul Gonzalez.
There are a limited number of things a visit like this could mean. None of them are good.
"Is he all right?" he manages to get out, numbness travelling through his body and forcing him to sit.
The captain frowns. "Yes and no. I want you to listen to me, Esteban. I want you to pay attention to me in a way you never did when you worked for me. Can you do that?"
Esteban nods, setting deeper into his chair, mentally preparing himself for the worst.
The captain takes the guest chair. "Officer de la Red was one of the best men I had in my precinct. Not in the way you were, but he conformed more readily. He didn't have such problems with the rule book, but there were some things, some cases and faces, of which he could never let go. We all have them. You know that, Esteban. One was a missing girl right before he transferred into my command, and the other was Ramos. I thought he was getting over Ramos, and then you walked into his life. You're all fire, determination, and big, brown eyes, Esteban. He was right where I'd ordered him not to be, tangling with Perez and doing whatever he could to find Ramos. I'm not surprised the two of you got along and solved the case. You would have made excellent partners but been the death of any captain to which you were assigned."
"I'm sorry, Captain, but where is this all going? I need to know he's all right."
"Physically, he's fine. The research and searches mean he was coming in late. Guti and I did our best to make that go away. When he left for Sevilla with you, we couldn't cover for the shifts he missed. He was supposed to be at work."
"He told me he was on vacation."
"He wasn't going to tell you he was refusing to go in to work because your case was more important to him than his job."
"Yes. I would have told him to go to work. I never wanted him to get into trouble to help me."
"He wanted this case and you more than anything else. I know even now he doesn't regret his decisions."
"What's going to happen to him? Why didn't he come himself? Is he embarrassed or something?"
"Guti got him a new job in another city using some favours owed to him. We all thought that a clean break from everything in Madrid would be best. He's already left, Esteban. He has an interview tomorrow morning. The rest of his things will be sent to him. He's not coming back. He gave this to me to give to you when he came to clean out his desk. He said it would explain things the best way he knew how."
A creamy white envelope is set on the desk between them.
The irony isn't lost on Esteban.
A letter.
Just like the one he just delivered.
"Esteban?"
"Yes, Raul?"
"Forgive him if you can. He didn't want to leave. In the end, his demons left him no choice."
All he can manage is a short nod, but it's enough for the captain.
"All right, Granero. I'll leave you with Ruben's letter, but don't be a stranger. We miss you, kid, and you still have plenty of friends on the force."
Another nod, but Esteban's eyes never leave the cream envelope, not even when he hears the door close.
He waits for a moment before reaching for the envelope in front of him like it might bite. The paper rustles as he slowly opens the envelope.
There are a couple of sheets filled with tightly packed writing.
Ruben has very nice writing, but it looks vaguely feminine to Esteban. It's very curly.
Somehow it fits all the same.
Esteban wipes his eyes because it wouldn't do to smudge the words with tears.
Esteban,
By the time you read this letter, I'll no longer be in Madrid. I'm sorry for leading you on, but this is the way it had to be. I won't tell you where I'm going. You're too good for me to ever risk doing that.
Raul, I'm sure, will have told you as much about why I left as he can as concisely as possible. I know he doesn't approve of my choice or think I've done the right thing, but he still respects my right to 'fuck up on my own' as Guti puts it.
I know I'm a lot closer to the two of them than you would have thought. You were always asking if I was going to get myself in trouble by helping you. I always said no. The answer was always yes. I'm sorry I lied. It's not a good way to start a relationship, and I know that. I just couldn't help myself. I'd tell myself it was the last time after each lead, but I kept coming back. I know that sounds horrible, but hear me out.
I met this amazingly determined man who used to be a police officer. He understood me in ways no one ever had. They still talk about you in the halls, and I knew, just knew, you'd understand my drive. You looked at a case I couldn't solve and saw not only a solution but hope as well. I knew I was done from that moment. And I fought against it-and you-as hard as I could. But in the end, I couldn't stop it.
As I write this, I realize that I don't actually know much about you. I mean, I know the important things about what kind of person you are, but not the little things. I've never met your parents, been inside your place, and I don't even know if you're gay or bi. Beyond that, I don't know if you want a boyfriend. I still hope you do. I know it can't be me anymore, but my heart wishes we could be together. You deserve to be happy though. Don't wait for me, Esteban.
Move on.
I know you have a fire in your eyes when you talk about helping people that's beautiful, and you're the most handsome man in the world when you smile. When we'd meet to talk about the case and eat, though never Italian, I'd have to force myself to stop cataloguing your expressions and concentrate on the words.
I'll dream of your expressions, moods, gestures, and features.
Going to Sevilla was a risk. I knew that when I booked the tickets. It was a risk I had to take for me. I had to see it through. I needed you to find him. By that point, I needed it more for me than for you.
I've never actually explained to anyone why I became a police officer. I always say I wanted to help people, and that's true, but there's a story behind it. When I was young, there was a family who lived not too far from mine. They weren't really close, but they were close enough that their son and I played together. He went missing. I watched the police come, but they never brought the boy home. I watched his parents struggle to find him when the police couldn't help anymore. They exhausted every avenue and still got nowhere.
I remember their sad, dead eyes, the fights they'd have, and the hopelessness that grew in that house when nothing worked, and they couldn't find him. I watched them die a little bit more inside every day. The way you described Ramos reminded me of them. Maybe I was so obsessed over this case because the eyes are the same.
When I have nightmares, it's the eyes of the dead, the missing, and those they've left behind that haunt me. I swore to myself that I'd help them and others in that situation. That's the reason I chose to be a police officer. I wanted to bring the missing home to their loved ones.
You helped me do that.
I can move on without regret because doing that means more to me than any badge. For me, it's the right thing. I love you even more for teaching me that.
You're a beautiful man with a beautiful soul.
Esteban sniffs a little. It's a crazy mixed up letter and parts of it make no sense to him, but it's so much like talking to Ruben that he never wants it to end.
I probably sound like a fool. I certainly feel like one writing it down. I suppose it's no worse than dashing. It's something I had to say, and since I'll never get another chance...
There are many reasons why I shouldn't love you like I do, but I do anyway. Distance won't change that. The fact I don't know you as well as my last boyfriend doesn't change that. I know you don't really know me, and have no reason to trust me. Please, please trust that I love you.
I knew it in Sevilla. When I fell asleep in your arms, I wished that time would stop. I'm in love with you. I wish we had forever. Every part of me loves every part of you. Even the parts that don't think you need a better lock on your office door.
That's the reason why a clean break is better in this situation. I don't have a life in Madrid anymore, and I know you'd offer me a new one. I know it would be a good one, but if I stayed, I'd have stayed for you. I would have started to blame you for my choices.
I don't want that.
If you have good memories of us, focus on them. Don't think it's because there's something wrong with you. There's not. Sometimes people just aren't meant to be together.
The next man or woman you let into your life will be incredibly lucky to have you and wake up next to you.
Live your life, Esteban. Save people. Love people. Don't wait for me. I'm not coming back.
This is the way it has to be. For both of us. Don't look for me.
All my love,
Ruben de la Red
--
Esteban sits for a long time, staring at the words on the page. But no matter how long he stares at them, they still don't explain things to him in any way that makes sense.
They only leave him with one question he can't personally answer. Guti can though, and after knowing about all of this and not saying anything, Guti owes him.
He dials.
Guti sounds hesitant when he answers. "Esteban. How are you, kid?"
"I only have one question for you." Esteban fights to keep his voice level.
"As long as it's not Ruben's location, I'll do my best to answer you."
Esteban takes a deep breath. "The Captain, Raul, said there were two cases. Ramos with you, and one with a lost girl before he got to the precinct. What happened to the girl?"
There's silence for a moment. "Oh, Esteban, why do you always have to be like this? You couldn't ask an easy question, could you?"
"I need this answer, Guti. You owe me this much closure. You owe me."
"Oh, kid, he didn't leave you for a case. Six weeks later, they found her body on the Sardinero beach. She'd been murdered. No, Esteban, they never caught the monster that did it. The jurisdiction was a mess, and no one knew who was responsible. By the time they sorted all that out, it was too late. We never even got a good look."
Esteban can almost hear the water rushing to meet the sand in his head. Over the waves rise the screams of a terrified, lost little girl.
He wanted to save people. Ruben wanted to bring them home. They've both failed.
He can hear Guti still speaking, but the words have no meaning. All he can hear is 'they never caught the monster.'
If he can't have love, maybe he can bring justice instead.
Fini.
Notes:
1. My knowledge of police culture is based on North American police dramas, movies, books, and documentaries. I have no working knowledge of the actual systems used and less knowledge about what type of system is used in Spain. However, for the purposes of this work, I'm assuming Spain uses a system with some similarities to the North American one. I've tried to limit the actual police procedures used and keep any police in official capacities to an absolute minimum. More information on police can be found here. There is absolutely nothing on the Madrid Municipal Police Force.
2. The ease with which Sergio Ramos disappears in this story has more to do with the Perez security firm not wanting him found than anything Sergio does. The Perez security form is a private security agency, and more information on private security agencies can be found here. If it seems like Sergios's too easy to find, forgive me.
3.Esteban Granero is a private investigator .
4.The story is primarily set in Madrid, but Ruben and Esteban travel to Sevilla to find Sergio Ramos. While in Sevilla they stay at The Hotel Simon.
5.The last actual location mentioned is Sardinero beach where the young woman's body is found. It's located in Santander in the north and is quite a distance from Madrid.
They end up at a tiny, family-owned restaurant not far from their hotel. The food had been plentiful and good. The place had reminded Esteban of his mother's cooking a little. It's hearty and not the fanciest food, but it reminds him of home. He eats more than he should because of it and leaves feeling sick.
If he's being honest, he probably had too much wine with dinner. They had the bottle, and he didn't want to waste it. Besides, Ruben had just as much as he did. He's laughing and having a good time when they reach their room, and he flops onto his queen size with an almost giggle.
"I haven't done something like this since I was in the academy. Let's go out and find somewhere to dance, Ruben." He pushes himself off his bed with an eagerness he hasn't felt for a long time.
"Let's stay in and do some dancing of our own, Esteban. There'll never be a better time."
"Ramos..." he starts.
"We're more likely to hear the phone here."
Esteban grins. "Fine, but I hope you can dance."
The look on Ruben's face makes Esteban wish he hadn't just turned his phone into a music player. The shock is priceless.
Esteban tries to pull Ruben up and into his arms as the strains of last month's hot club song pour from his phone, but the other man is wooden.
"Ruben, I know the song is nothing special, but dance with me!" he demands.
"I can't dance, Esteban. I have two left feet."
"There's no one here to watch, and I don't mind if you step on my feet."
Ruben groans, and lets Esteban pull him in close. They start to move him to the tinny music coming out of the phone now sitting on the bed. Ruben finds that dancing with Esteban isn't horrible so long as he lets the other man lead. Soon Esteban has their bodies tucked together, and it's surprisingly nice.
They sway backwards and hit the bed. Ruben can feel Esteban's phone digging into his back as he comes down on top of it, but it muffles the music. Ruben can still feel it under him. It's odd, but then Esteban is pressing down on him, and the minor irritation of the phone is forgotten.
Esteban is a glorious, warm weight on top of him, and he feels like the other man belongs there. He's pressing down in all the right places, whether he means to or not. It's amazing. It's the kind of feeling in which he could spend forever.
Esteban leans over him, his curls falling forward, and he looks a little like an angel or a demon. Whatever it is, with slightly drunk eyes burning into Ruben's, it's beautiful.
"I couldn't have done this without you," Esteban whispers, and then lets his lips ghost over Ruben's. "I'm so glad I met you."
"Even if your office was trashed?"
"Actually, it was over coffee, and you were giving me frostbite. I don't know how you keep forgetting that."
"Maybe I don't like that meeting," Ruben whispers against the lips he's following. "I like the other one better. I look better."
Esteban grins and ducks his head and places a kiss on Ruben's neck. "I'll be just a moment, but I have to get up."
Ruben's not really interested in letting Esteban rise off him, despite the motions his soon-to-be lover is making motions to do just that. He wraps one arm around Esteban's neck instead and pulls downward, settling Esteban back down to him and fusing their lips together.
When they break apart, Ruben can feel his chest heaving and his lips tingling. It's good. It's not the kind of good he ever wants to let go of either. It's the kind of good that will quickly become addictive.
Esteban squirms away by rubbing against Ruben. Once he's no longer on top of Ruben, the police officer can think once more.
With his head momentarily clear, he's reminded of how dangerous this sort of relationship is. But then Esteban is back everything they need clenched in one hand, and nothing matters but that weight. Except maybe their clothes.
It's delicious.
Ruben starts to thrust into the cradle of Esteban's hips. There isn't quite enough friction to get off, but anything is still better than nothing.
--
Esteban can't believe how beautiful Ruben looks spread out beneath him. His hair has fallen out of its normally restrained style. It makes Ruben look even more delicate and vulnerable.
Just as beautiful.
Everything he collected is tossed onto the bed so that his clumsy fingers can work at stripping away all the layers separating them. The buttons on his shirt are very time consuming. Each button has to be undone one at a time. It's annoying.
He also keeps fumbling undoing them because he's busy kissing Ruben, which is far more pleasurable than worrying about some stupid little buttons. He's tempted to rip them off, but his mama bought him this shirt.
Finally, Ruben must get tired of his inability to get the buttons undone because two capable hands get buried in his hair, holding his head still and away from Ruben's lips.
"Get the damn shirt off already. I'm going to start to think you're shy at this rate."
Esteban frowns and focuses all his energy on his clumsy fingers. Ruben really is very good at backhanded insults. It's kind of annoying because Esteban has no idea how to answer them.
Ruben runs one hand along the newly revealed skin, still steadying Esteban's head with the other. The shirt is gone in fairly short order without the kissing, and he lowers his lips back towards Ruben's.
The heated kiss distracts him from the need to take off his pants, but only until he can feel the buckle on Ruben's belt digging into his stomach. It's a cold, hard reminder that they're trying to have sex, and clothes just get in the way of that.
And pants are clothes. So pants get in the way too.
Somehow, he musters the will to pull back again and get rid of his pants as quickly as possible, leaving him standing in a black thong and socks. The thought of how silly he must look causes him to blush like a virgin. He hasn't done that since he was a virgin.
Ruben's gaze being riveted on him doesn't help matters. It only makes him even more nervous. Even the wide smile he gets when he peels off his socks doesn't do much to reassure him.
Ruben's grinning as he pushes himself into a sitting position. Esteban watches as his phone is shoved across the bed.
The phone is quickly forgotten as Ruben starts to talk. "Well, aren't you going to finish?" Ruben raises his eyebrows in an almost comic way to highlight the question.
Esteban blushes.
"You really are shy, aren't you? Fine. I'll show you mine if you show me yours."
Then Ruben is practically tearing at his own clothes, almost as if he's frantic to remove them. It doesn't give Esteban more than a second to admire what's being revealed, but it does move things along quickly. He has to side step Ruben's dark pants as they get tossed his way. He makes sure to step closer to Ruben, into what might be the other man's personal space.
Managing not to look like a fool when he takes his thong off while standing up is impossible, and he's glad when they move so their knees are touching. Ruben reaches out, and Esteban finds himself pulled down on top of his new lover.
The skin to skin contact makes him see stars. This kind of sex could quickly become as addictive as everything involving Ruben is. The saddest part is that they haven't even gotten to the actual sex yet, and he's still doing better than Esteban's last boyfriend.
Ruben's hands start scrambling for purchase as Esteban starts to suck and kiss at the neck underneath him. When the dark eyes close, Esteban lifts his head and gives himself a moment to just look at the man below him.
Then he goes back to giving Ruben a truly spectacular mark while rubbing one palm against the nipple closest to it. He has Ruben panting and moaning before he pulls back. By now, they’re rubbing up against each other in a desperate attempt to get off, like animals or something.
Ruben gasps. "Enough. Let's get to the fucking."
"How do you want to do this?"
Ruben growls. "However you want, you prick, but you have one minute to decide, or I'm arresting you for something."
"Turn over then," Esteban snarls, rising off Ruben.
It takes thirty seconds of frantic scrambling for them to find a good position and a few more to figure out where the lube had gotten to.
He grabs for it and starts with one finger. After a while, he feels comfortable adding another, and finally a third. Ruben's head is resting on the coverlet, and he's moaning nearly constantly.
At least he's done cursing and threatening.
Esteban pulls out and grabs for the condom, and then... Well, he's done this before, but it hasn't been like this. This is sinking into hot, warm heaven by less than inches. It's the most divine torture ever, and when it's over, he groans in both relief and disappointment.
Time seems to stop, and all he can hear is the rush of air from his lungs and the pounding of his heart.
Ruben breaks the peace by bucking upwards, and from that moment, it's a frantic rush towards completion with hard, sharp thrusts and Ruben alternating between rubbing himself into the bed and thrusting up into Esteban.
Even the sex feels like some long journey hurtling towards completion and completely out of control.
Then he's there, and he's screaming something hoarse and scratchy. His muscles go lax from the pleasure. All he can see is black for a second, then he's catching himself before he lands on Ruben.
Ruben is still panting and rubbing against him. Esteban reaches one weak hand under him and strokes a couple of times. It's nothing fancy or special, just heat and pressure.
Apparently, the extra friction is enough for Ruben because he comes with almost violent force and a sound Esteban might be tempted to label a shriek. He won't because he's tired, relaxed, and wants to be able to hold Ruben while they sleep. He's not going to call it cuddling.
After what seems like an hour but is really only five minutes, Esteban hears a grunt. "Get off of me. We have to clean up and find your damn phone. I don't know where I tossed it. Is it still playing?"
Esteban can feel himself frown. "No, it's stopped."
"It wasn't your back it was digging into," Ruben snarls, reaching back to shove at him.
On the third shove, which kind of hurts, Esteban starts to move. He finds the phone as soon as he's gotten rid of the condom. It's half hidden under the bed, so Esteban scoops it up on this way back from the washroom. He drops it on the table between the two beds.
He turns to help Ruben, but it quickly becomes obvious the bedspread is a lost cause. "Well, that's a bit of a mess," he murmurs.
"Just be sure to tip housekeeping well," Ruben sagely advises, moving to the other bed.
"Why me?" Esteban's demand is all offended pride.
"Because Casillas is paying you to do this."
A snort. "He's not paying me to fuck the police officer helping me."
"He is if it helps you to find his missing fuck toy. Now shut up. I want to go to sleep."
"Fine, but you're sharing the other bed."
"Oh, the hardships." The sarcasm is apparent, even to a half asleep Esteban. "Stupid man. Why would I let you fuck me but not sleep with you? Get in before you say something else stupid."
--
Ruben turns on the lamp silently. Esteban is snoring on the other side of the bed. He finds his own damn phone buried in his jacket pocket and sets it to silent.
He has some absurd desire to see even though he knows.
When he opens his inbox, the expected text messages are there. There's some unexpected ones too though.
Things are bad, but they're not as dire as he expected. He has a way out. There's only one problem.
And it's asleep on the bed.
--
Esteban dives out of the shower to grab for his phone. The number on the display isn't one he knows, but it's also not from Madrid. And it doesn't say blocked like Casillas's always does.
It might be Ramos. After more than six months of chasing every lead he and Ruben could get their hands on in some misguided attempt to prove Casillas didn't murder his boyfriend, he might get to talk to their quarry. He might actually have proof.
He might actually be able to close this case.
--
Ruben can hear Esteban's voice from the washroom. It's a low, excited murmur. He may be talking to their missing person. Not a moment too soon either.
Esteban exits the washroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and damp from his shower, but he's grinning like he owns the world.
"You were right," Esteban carols. There's no really good way to describe the almost song-like cadence that slips into that sometimes lilting voice. "That was him. He wants to meet. He gave me a cafe and a time."
"You have to go get ready now. You can't meet your boss's boyfriend in a towel."
Esteban looks frantic for a moment and hurries away. He must not have that much time until the meeting. When he finally stops, looking up from tying his shoelaces, he seems to notice that Ruben isn't making any moves to get ready to go.
"Come on, Ruben. We don't have much time," Esteban whines. Ruben thinks this is definitely Esteban's whine. It might double as a pout in a pinch though.
"I'm not going with you." Ruben makes sure to say it calmly. There's no other way to deal with Esteban in this situation. There may be no way to deal with Esteban in this situation period.
"What? Why not? You put too much into this case to stop now. You have to come and see it through."
"It's not my case to solve, Esteban. Not anymore. This last step is one you have to take on your own. Besides, two men would just make him think we work for Perez instead of Casillas, and we'll lose him again. I don't want to spend six months chasing rumours and maybes because we screwed up at this point. No, you have to go on your own. Just remember that sometimes less is more when talking to people. Let him come to you," Ruben pauses. "And this is one of those times."
Esteban frowns. "I know how to do this. I was top of my class at the academy."
"You also had the highest solve rate and the most civilian complaints when you were on the force. You alienate witnesses in your single-minded search for the guilty party. There is no guilty party here. Only a scared man and a sad one."
"Fine," Esteban grinds out, pouting. Ruben can now clearly categorize the difference between a pout and a whine. It's sort of cute how different the two looks are; they're both adorable on Esteban.
It makes him sad all over again to be leaving all these little, personal things behind. He's learning and discovering things he'll never have the chance to use.
"Go." Ruben makes shooing motions.
"Kiss me for good luck," Esteban demands.
Despite his attempts to keep the kiss short and chaste, he still ends up with Esteban's tongue in his mouth before the need for air forces them apart.
"Go, now, before we end up back in bed, and you miss him," Ruben commands.
Esteban is gone by the time Ruben gets his breath back. He grabs for his phone, left beside his laptop and away from Esteban, and goes to sit on the bed. He has to deal with these texts now. He flips through his contacts and, after staring at the one he needs for several moments, dials.
"How quickly can you set it up?" he asks when the call is picked up.
"When can you get there?"
"Three days."
"Then it'll be on day four at nine in the morning."
"Thank you, Guti."
"I'm sorry it came to this, Ruben."
"I made my own choices, Guti. I don't regret any of them or one moment of the last six months. He's alive, by the way."
"No shit?"
"Honest to God."
"Be there on day four, de la Red. Nine in the morning. Don't blow this."
"I won't."
When Esteban returns, he looks depressed, and he's holding a letter like it's made of gold. There's also no Ramos with him. Ruben turns from the train schedules he's got up on his laptop. "Was it a fake?"
"No. It was him."
"Where is he then?"
"Wherever he was before the meeting I'd think. He's not coming back. He left for some important reasons. He won't come back just because Iker is willing to hire a private investigator to find him. He's apparently explained to his boyfriend in this letter. I'm supposed to give it my client. It will apparently explain enough that my contract will be complete."
"Do you think he'll accept it?"
"He hired me to find Ramos. I found him. He can hire some other idiot to try to drag him back to Madrid. I won't do it for any amount of money."
"Will you tell them where he is?"
"I've spent six months tearing this man's life apart. I know him better than Casillas does at this point. I've done what Casillas manipulated me into doing. I'm giving him the letter and nothing else."
"Why? Casillas would make a dangerous enemy, and you don't know Ramos. He's not your friend or brother-in-arms. You haven't risked your life for the same principles. Why risk yourself for him?"
"The same reason I quit the force."
"Which is?"
"It's the right thing to do, and I want to do the right thing."
"Why though? Why is this the right thing to do?"
"He's happier here. I've been showing everyone who might have a connection to him this picture Casillas gave me. I'm sure you've seen it. It was probably done with the best photographer in Madrid, but when I look at the picture, I don't see how beautiful he is."
"What do you see?"
"His eyes are sad. I look at them, and I can see his soul withering away to nothing. Whatever makes him unique and special was dying in Madrid. Here, today, when I looked into his eyes, they were sad, but that heaviness of spirit was gone. He was only missing his lover. He can recover from the end of a relationship. It may take a long time, and it may be very painful, but he can do it. He can't survive losing himself, and I can't help but think he can't hold onto who he is when he's with Casillas."
"Like you and the police force?"
"Exactly. But I can still do good without the badge and gun."
"Honestly, if you keep taking this type of case, you're going to want to invest in a gun. Your office might not be the worst of it next time. Come to think of it, invest in a better office door too. I can't always save you."
"I'm not too worried. I have you to protect me. I don't need to be saved. I'm not a damsel in distress. I just need the same protection everyone else gets."
--
To say that Casillas hadn't been happy with his choice to protect Ramos would be an understatement, but Esteban would like to believe his former client understands it at the very least. Casillas has an entire security firm to protect him. Ramos deserves at least one little private investigator.
Casillas may hate it, but he's smart enough not to force the issue. Esteban has friends too.
Now Esteban is just waiting for Ruben to show up. He's closed the file, put it in his safe, and cleared his desk; he's done for the day. On the train ride back, they agreed that they'd meet after he gave Casillas his letter and closed the case.
He even talked to Ruben this morning to make sure the meeting was still on. The other man was distracted, but they confirmed the time. Now Ruben, a man he's hesitantly starting to call his boyfriend, is late.
Esteban starts a little when the door opens. He's rising to greet Ruben before he realizes it isn't Ruben coming through his door.
It's Captain Raul Gonzalez.
There are a limited number of things a visit like this could mean. None of them are good.
"Is he all right?" he manages to get out, numbness travelling through his body and forcing him to sit.
The captain frowns. "Yes and no. I want you to listen to me, Esteban. I want you to pay attention to me in a way you never did when you worked for me. Can you do that?"
Esteban nods, setting deeper into his chair, mentally preparing himself for the worst.
The captain takes the guest chair. "Officer de la Red was one of the best men I had in my precinct. Not in the way you were, but he conformed more readily. He didn't have such problems with the rule book, but there were some things, some cases and faces, of which he could never let go. We all have them. You know that, Esteban. One was a missing girl right before he transferred into my command, and the other was Ramos. I thought he was getting over Ramos, and then you walked into his life. You're all fire, determination, and big, brown eyes, Esteban. He was right where I'd ordered him not to be, tangling with Perez and doing whatever he could to find Ramos. I'm not surprised the two of you got along and solved the case. You would have made excellent partners but been the death of any captain to which you were assigned."
"I'm sorry, Captain, but where is this all going? I need to know he's all right."
"Physically, he's fine. The research and searches mean he was coming in late. Guti and I did our best to make that go away. When he left for Sevilla with you, we couldn't cover for the shifts he missed. He was supposed to be at work."
"He told me he was on vacation."
"He wasn't going to tell you he was refusing to go in to work because your case was more important to him than his job."
"Yes. I would have told him to go to work. I never wanted him to get into trouble to help me."
"He wanted this case and you more than anything else. I know even now he doesn't regret his decisions."
"What's going to happen to him? Why didn't he come himself? Is he embarrassed or something?"
"Guti got him a new job in another city using some favours owed to him. We all thought that a clean break from everything in Madrid would be best. He's already left, Esteban. He has an interview tomorrow morning. The rest of his things will be sent to him. He's not coming back. He gave this to me to give to you when he came to clean out his desk. He said it would explain things the best way he knew how."
A creamy white envelope is set on the desk between them.
The irony isn't lost on Esteban.
A letter.
Just like the one he just delivered.
"Esteban?"
"Yes, Raul?"
"Forgive him if you can. He didn't want to leave. In the end, his demons left him no choice."
All he can manage is a short nod, but it's enough for the captain.
"All right, Granero. I'll leave you with Ruben's letter, but don't be a stranger. We miss you, kid, and you still have plenty of friends on the force."
Another nod, but Esteban's eyes never leave the cream envelope, not even when he hears the door close.
He waits for a moment before reaching for the envelope in front of him like it might bite. The paper rustles as he slowly opens the envelope.
There are a couple of sheets filled with tightly packed writing.
Ruben has very nice writing, but it looks vaguely feminine to Esteban. It's very curly.
Somehow it fits all the same.
Esteban wipes his eyes because it wouldn't do to smudge the words with tears.
Esteban,
By the time you read this letter, I'll no longer be in Madrid. I'm sorry for leading you on, but this is the way it had to be. I won't tell you where I'm going. You're too good for me to ever risk doing that.
Raul, I'm sure, will have told you as much about why I left as he can as concisely as possible. I know he doesn't approve of my choice or think I've done the right thing, but he still respects my right to 'fuck up on my own' as Guti puts it.
I know I'm a lot closer to the two of them than you would have thought. You were always asking if I was going to get myself in trouble by helping you. I always said no. The answer was always yes. I'm sorry I lied. It's not a good way to start a relationship, and I know that. I just couldn't help myself. I'd tell myself it was the last time after each lead, but I kept coming back. I know that sounds horrible, but hear me out.
I met this amazingly determined man who used to be a police officer. He understood me in ways no one ever had. They still talk about you in the halls, and I knew, just knew, you'd understand my drive. You looked at a case I couldn't solve and saw not only a solution but hope as well. I knew I was done from that moment. And I fought against it-and you-as hard as I could. But in the end, I couldn't stop it.
As I write this, I realize that I don't actually know much about you. I mean, I know the important things about what kind of person you are, but not the little things. I've never met your parents, been inside your place, and I don't even know if you're gay or bi. Beyond that, I don't know if you want a boyfriend. I still hope you do. I know it can't be me anymore, but my heart wishes we could be together. You deserve to be happy though. Don't wait for me, Esteban.
Move on.
I know you have a fire in your eyes when you talk about helping people that's beautiful, and you're the most handsome man in the world when you smile. When we'd meet to talk about the case and eat, though never Italian, I'd have to force myself to stop cataloguing your expressions and concentrate on the words.
I'll dream of your expressions, moods, gestures, and features.
Going to Sevilla was a risk. I knew that when I booked the tickets. It was a risk I had to take for me. I had to see it through. I needed you to find him. By that point, I needed it more for me than for you.
I've never actually explained to anyone why I became a police officer. I always say I wanted to help people, and that's true, but there's a story behind it. When I was young, there was a family who lived not too far from mine. They weren't really close, but they were close enough that their son and I played together. He went missing. I watched the police come, but they never brought the boy home. I watched his parents struggle to find him when the police couldn't help anymore. They exhausted every avenue and still got nowhere.
I remember their sad, dead eyes, the fights they'd have, and the hopelessness that grew in that house when nothing worked, and they couldn't find him. I watched them die a little bit more inside every day. The way you described Ramos reminded me of them. Maybe I was so obsessed over this case because the eyes are the same.
When I have nightmares, it's the eyes of the dead, the missing, and those they've left behind that haunt me. I swore to myself that I'd help them and others in that situation. That's the reason I chose to be a police officer. I wanted to bring the missing home to their loved ones.
You helped me do that.
I can move on without regret because doing that means more to me than any badge. For me, it's the right thing. I love you even more for teaching me that.
You're a beautiful man with a beautiful soul.
Esteban sniffs a little. It's a crazy mixed up letter and parts of it make no sense to him, but it's so much like talking to Ruben that he never wants it to end.
I probably sound like a fool. I certainly feel like one writing it down. I suppose it's no worse than dashing. It's something I had to say, and since I'll never get another chance...
There are many reasons why I shouldn't love you like I do, but I do anyway. Distance won't change that. The fact I don't know you as well as my last boyfriend doesn't change that. I know you don't really know me, and have no reason to trust me. Please, please trust that I love you.
I knew it in Sevilla. When I fell asleep in your arms, I wished that time would stop. I'm in love with you. I wish we had forever. Every part of me loves every part of you. Even the parts that don't think you need a better lock on your office door.
That's the reason why a clean break is better in this situation. I don't have a life in Madrid anymore, and I know you'd offer me a new one. I know it would be a good one, but if I stayed, I'd have stayed for you. I would have started to blame you for my choices.
I don't want that.
If you have good memories of us, focus on them. Don't think it's because there's something wrong with you. There's not. Sometimes people just aren't meant to be together.
The next man or woman you let into your life will be incredibly lucky to have you and wake up next to you.
Live your life, Esteban. Save people. Love people. Don't wait for me. I'm not coming back.
This is the way it has to be. For both of us. Don't look for me.
All my love,
Ruben de la Red
--
Esteban sits for a long time, staring at the words on the page. But no matter how long he stares at them, they still don't explain things to him in any way that makes sense.
They only leave him with one question he can't personally answer. Guti can though, and after knowing about all of this and not saying anything, Guti owes him.
He dials.
Guti sounds hesitant when he answers. "Esteban. How are you, kid?"
"I only have one question for you." Esteban fights to keep his voice level.
"As long as it's not Ruben's location, I'll do my best to answer you."
Esteban takes a deep breath. "The Captain, Raul, said there were two cases. Ramos with you, and one with a lost girl before he got to the precinct. What happened to the girl?"
There's silence for a moment. "Oh, Esteban, why do you always have to be like this? You couldn't ask an easy question, could you?"
"I need this answer, Guti. You owe me this much closure. You owe me."
"Oh, kid, he didn't leave you for a case. Six weeks later, they found her body on the Sardinero beach. She'd been murdered. No, Esteban, they never caught the monster that did it. The jurisdiction was a mess, and no one knew who was responsible. By the time they sorted all that out, it was too late. We never even got a good look."
Esteban can almost hear the water rushing to meet the sand in his head. Over the waves rise the screams of a terrified, lost little girl.
He wanted to save people. Ruben wanted to bring them home. They've both failed.
He can hear Guti still speaking, but the words have no meaning. All he can hear is 'they never caught the monster.'
If he can't have love, maybe he can bring justice instead.
Fini.
Notes:
1. My knowledge of police culture is based on North American police dramas, movies, books, and documentaries. I have no working knowledge of the actual systems used and less knowledge about what type of system is used in Spain. However, for the purposes of this work, I'm assuming Spain uses a system with some similarities to the North American one. I've tried to limit the actual police procedures used and keep any police in official capacities to an absolute minimum. More information on police can be found here. There is absolutely nothing on the Madrid Municipal Police Force.
2. The ease with which Sergio Ramos disappears in this story has more to do with the Perez security firm not wanting him found than anything Sergio does. The Perez security form is a private security agency, and more information on private security agencies can be found here. If it seems like Sergios's too easy to find, forgive me.
3.Esteban Granero is a private investigator .
4.The story is primarily set in Madrid, but Ruben and Esteban travel to Sevilla to find Sergio Ramos. While in Sevilla they stay at The Hotel Simon.
5.The last actual location mentioned is Sardinero beach where the young woman's body is found. It's located in Santander in the north and is quite a distance from Madrid.