Chapter 9: A Question of Trust

Dawn found Michael restless, unable to sleep. He walked the streets, haunted by Rafael’s accusations and the knowledge that his own country’s motives were anything but pure.

Newsboys shouted the latest headlines—“SPAIN TO BLAME FOR MAINE!”—as angry crowds gathered in the plazas. In the cafes, American businessmen were already talking about opportunities after the Spanish were gone: sugar plantations, railroads, the “Americanization” of Cuba.

Michael met with his American contact in a back room of the Hotel Inglaterra. The man, a bland-faced diplomat with a pinched expression, handed him a slip of paper. “We need proof the Spanish did this. A photograph, a letter, anything. If you can’t find it, make sure the right story gets out.”