The She-Devil in the Mirror (9 page)

the police or detectives like him, people who aren't interested in finding out
the truth because what they really want is to stretch out the investigation for
as long as possible so they can keep collecting their wages. He asked me not to
get so worked up, it wasn't such a big deal. That made me even more upset: I
shouted at him that now that we finally had a solid lead, something that made
some sense of Olga María's murder, now that we finally have the chance to solve
the case, Mr. Smartypants starts putting on airs, doubting what's completely
obvious, instead of offering some ideas of his own, instead of taking his own
steps toward solving it. So, I threatened him: he'd better get moving or I'll
call Diana in Miami and tell her to fire him for his feebleminded approach.
That's what I told him. I zeroed in on the most important fact that everybody
knows: Toñito Rathis wants to take over the party so he can become the candidate
for president. My dear, it's the talk of the town, at the club, everywhere. Papa
told me that the one who's benefited most from Yuca's fall from grace is Toñito
Rathis; at the next party convention he'll try to become the finance secretary
and then the candidate. Do you get it? It's all so clear to me. And that idiot
Pepe Pindonga, doubting it all. He asked me how it could be possible, if Yuca
and Toñito Rathis are enemies, that Yuca invested his money in the other's
company. I told him he's a poor slob who doesn't understand anything about
business, one thing is money and the other politics, if Finapro was paying out
twenty-two percent annually anybody would have placed their money there without
caring if the owner of the company was his political rival. Anyway, my dear, who
would ever have thought that a Rathis company would go bankrupt? Nobody. I still
can't believe it. One of the most powerful families in the country, one of the
most prestigious names. But that penniless slob of a detective who lives from
month to month can't possibly understand. That's when I realized it would do
absolutely no good to talk to Pepe Pindonga, the guy has absolutely no power
over the law, a poor sonofabitch who's being paid just so he can feed that crazy
Diana some story or other. What I should have done is call that Deputy Chief
Handal—even though I find him repulsive, even if he is a foul-mouthed
busybody—so he can have a hand in this. I told Pepe Pindonga that I had to hang
up. The worst part was that I couldn't find the famous little card where I'd
written down the policeman's number. I had to turn my entire room upside down
until I finally found it. What do you think happened? No matter how much I
insisted, they kept telling me that the deputy chief was out on a special
mission and they didn't know when he'd be back. At that very moment he must have
been arresting Alberto, I was sure of it, you know my intuition never fails me,
because I called Alberto again so I could tell him what I'd discovered, but all
his telephones were disconnected. I was just about to leave for Alberto's house
to find out if they'd arrested him, tell Handal I absolutely had to talk to him,
but just at that moment the phone rang. It was Pepe Pindonga again. He told me
the police had just arrested Toñito Rathis, Alberto, and all the other members
of the board of directors of Finapro; this is just the beginning of what will
undoubtedly end up being the swindle of the century. As you know, Pepe Pindonga
worked at the police academy and he has excellent contacts there who pass him
information. I asked him if that Deputy Chief Handal had taken part in the
arrest. He told me he wasn't sure but most likely, because as chief of the
division of investigations he had to be present. He suggested we meet tomorrow
morning, early, to give him time to check out a few things, my theory about
Alberto and Toñito Rathis being the masterminds behind Olga María's murder needs
some solid proof, logic isn't enough, even less so now that they've arrested
those guys for a multimillion-dollar financial fraud, people will think they're
just being used as scapegoats so they could pin the blame on them for other
crimes. That's what he told me. I answered him that he can investigate whatever
he damn well wants to, the facts are there, clear as day, I don't need any
proof: I've been turning it over in my head for more than a month, trying to
figure out who could have arranged Olga María's murder. What does that Pepe
Pindonga think, that other people are as stupid as he is? Do me a favor: I
repeated that anybody who'd stolen millions of colones was capable of putting a
contract out on somebody. I'm super-hyper, my dear; I feel electrified. I
haven't stopped calling Deputy Chief Handal, but he still hasn't gotten back to
his office. That's why I took a minute out to call you. I couldn't watch the
telenovela any longer. There's nothing on the news yet; maybe there'll be
something on the ten o'clock news. Who would have thought Alberto would end up
like this? It's hard to imagine him part of a conspiracy, but after working so
long with Toñito Rathis something must have rubbed off on him. As soon as we
hang up I'm going to try again to get hold of this Deputy Chief Handal. I'm
going to tell him exactly what he needs to do, tell him to stop wasting his
time, like that Pepe Pindonga, such a sissy that detective turned out to be when
I got worked up this afternoon, probably scares the daylights out of him to
realize the mess he's stepped into. But it's Deputy Chief Handal's
responsibility to investigate the case, to find the masterminds; he can't be
satisfied with arresting the murderer, that monstrous RoboCcop. That's why first
thing he should find out about what kind of relationship Olga María and Alberto
were having in the last few months. She wouldn't have told me anything. But it's
easy to find out: you just have to ask the secretaries, the managers, to find
out if Olga María visited or called either Alberto or Toñito Rathis frequently.
That's the first step. When you've made a fixed-term investment you've got no
reason to be visiting the bank all the time, only once when you invest and then
again when the term is up. Right? That's the first thing Handal has to find out.
I don't know, my dear. Look, the way things are going, nothing will surprise me
now. Olga María might have been involved in who knows what, and me like a
driveling idiot, totally clueless about all of it. Or they might have gotten her
involved, without her even realizing it—considering Toñito Rathis's
Machiavellian mind—in a plot that culminated in her death and Yuca's political
demise. I swear I can't figure Olga María out at all. I thought I knew her, but
now I realize she had many personalities. I still can't quite believe she had an
affaire
with Alberto. Here comes my mother, she looks very upset.
Wait a second, she wants to tell me something. Okay, she heard the news. She
says everybody is going crazy. Yes, I know, mama: they just arrested Alberto. Of
course, and Toñito Rathis. Apparently it wasn't Yuca's money, according to my
mama, it was Kati's and Don Federico's. Can you imagine? That's even worse for
Alberto: getting into trouble with Don Federico Schultz is suicide. The
archbishop had a million colones in Finapro. Papa will be delighted to hear
that: he'll say it's good for that priest to lose his money, serves him right
for being so greedy, they should all go to Hell. That's what papa will say. I'll
call you later, my dear—mama isn't letting me talk, she's making a big fuss—and
that way you can tell me what happened today in the telenovela. In a while I'll
try again to get in touch with that Deputy Chief Handal. Ciao.

8. THE STAMPEDE

R
OBOCOP IS AFTER ME!
Open up! Hurry! I swear: it's him! Get inside,
quick. Hopefully I shook him off. What a nightmare, my dear. Thank God I saw him
in time. He was in a car parked in front of the house. Let me sit down. I can't
catch my breath. Give me a glass of water. Horrendous, my dear. No, I'm not
being paranoid. Look at how I'm shaking. What, you didn't hear he escaped
yesterday afternoon? You probably haven't read the newspapers or seen the news.
Pepe Pindonga just told me. Yes, my dear, I was on my way back from having
breakfast with him and just before I got to the house, I saw a car with tinted
windows. It seemed weird that it was parked right smack in front of the house. I
saw it just in time. It's one-two-three for emergencies, isn't it? What do you
mean, how did I know it was him? It's not like I haven't seen his mug in the
papers and on TV, not like I haven't dreamed about him, a criminal like that.
Somebody else was in the driver's seat, and RoboCop was sitting next to him.
When I saw them I didn't slow down, I just ducked, like I was tuning the radio,
and kept driving. Then, after turning the corner, I floored it and looked in the
rearview mirror to see if they were following me. I swear I didn't stop until I
got here, I drove like a madwoman. Just a second, finally someone's answering.
Hello, hello. I want to make a report, miss. That RoboCop person, the one who
murdered Olga María de Trabanino, he was parked on Calle Las Magnolias ten
minutes ago, in front of number twenty-five, in Colonia Utila, Santa Tecla. What
do you mean how do I know? I saw him. I'm Laura Rivera, Olga María's best
friend. RoboCop was parked in front of my house! What do you mean what phone am
I calling from? That's none of your business, you idiot. I'm telling you, a few
minutes ago I saw that murderer parked in front of my house, waiting for me,
stalking me. I damn well do have the right to insult you. It's because of you
that that monster is going to get away. Instead of asking me stupid questions,
call the nearest patrol cars so they can sweep the area. What's your name? I'm
going to report you to Deputy Chief Handal, as an incompetent. If that criminal
escapes it's going to be your fault. I demand you tell me your name! You think
I'm in the mood for your nonsense after finding that murderer in front of my
house? That's more like it, finally, I get a reasonable response. It's a red
car, I don't know, maybe a Toyota, pretty new, maybe this year's, with tinted
glass. There are two: the other one in the driver's seat and RoboCop. Don't you
know he escaped from jail yesterday? So, hurry up, quick, alert the patrol cars.
Do you hear me? Here, take the telephone, my dear. What an idiotic woman. She
talked to me like I was the criminal. She said her name is Yésica Ramírez. I'm
going to report her to Deputy Chief Handal. Yésica? Do me a favor! She's
probably dark, short, with thick lips, and stupid, her name is Yésica. Let me
look out the window: please God, don't let RoboCop follow me. What an idiot! I
should have given her the address. I'm going to call her back. Give me the
telephone. Hurry. I'm so distraught I don't know what I'm doing. It's ringing
again. I'm trembling. Why would he be following me? How did he know my address?
He wants to kill me, my dear. I'm sure of it. Why was he waiting for me, then?
They're answering. Yes, hello. I just called. I spoke to Yésica Ramirez, about
RoboCop, the murderer who escaped yesterday afternoon. I'd like to speak with
her again. They're transferring me to her. Better to talk directly to her, so
they don't get confused. Yes? Yésica? It's me again. Look, I'm going to give you
the address where I am now, because if RoboCop followed me he's probably in the
vicinity. It's in Colonia Escalón, Seventh Street, between Ninety-fifth and
Ninety-seventh Avenue, number one-two-five-one. Did you alert the patrol cars?
We'll keep our eyes peeled and if we see RoboCop's car drive by we'll call you
immediately. What are you waiting for? Hurry up, give this address to the police
in the neighborhood. Goodbye. People like that, my dear. Let's look out the
window. Now what do we do? Oh no, the girls! God help us. RoboCop probably wants
to kill them. They're the only witnesses, the only ones who can identify him.
We've got to call Marito. You dial. My hands are shaking. Here's his number at
the advertising agency. That murderer is capable of going to their school to get
them. Why didn't I think of that sooner?! It's busy? Try this other number.
We've got to hurry and get the girls out of school. He's not there? How about
his secretary? Let me talk to her. Look how my palms are sweating. Laura Rivera
here. We urgently need to get in touch with Marito and tell him to take the
girls out of school. The murderer who killed Olga María escaped yesterday
afternoon. Didn't you see the papers? Give me his cell phone number, and you
call his beeper. Write it down, my dear: two-eight-six-one-eight-three-zero.
What a nightmare! If he's already after me, he must be following everybody in
Olga María's family, especially the girls. No answer. Marito, that brute, he has
his cell phone off. Hopefully, the secretary will find him. The thing is, I had
breakfast with Pepe Pindonga, like I told you last night, so he could tell me
what he found out about the relationship between Olga María and Alberto. We met
at the Mister Donuts on El Paseo. He told me the news about RoboCop's escape.
Bring the newspaper over here. Let me see: it's inside. Because of that
financial scandal with Finapro nobody even realizes that criminal is on the
loose. How do you like this: the guy escaped from his cell in the courthouse,
yesterday afternoon, but the guards didn't realize it until nighttime, when they
checked on the prisoners. Can you believe it, somebody escapes from jail, he
just wanders around as if he were puttering about his own house, then pretends
to be a prisoner they're releasing? Smells fishy to me. It's a conspiracy, my
dear. And on the same day they uncover Finapro's multimillion-dollar fraud?
That's what I told Pepe Pindonga a while ago, while we were having breakfast: it
seems obvious that RoboCop's escape was planned to coincide with Toñito Rathis
and Alberto's arrest. Let's call Marito's office again to find out if the
secretary got hold of him. Afterward, I'll call Deputy Chief Handal. Can you
believe it, I couldn't get hold of him last night? He's buried up to his
eyeballs in the Finapro case, that's why he hasn't returned my calls. He's
probably already let the trail get cold that leads to the masterminds who
planned Olga María's murder, but RoboCop's escape will force him to pay more
attention to the case. That's what I told Pepe Pindonga, too. The telephone in
Marito's office is always busy. I'd do anything to save those girls, but what if
RoboCop is here? Look, look, there's the patrol car. We're in luck. If we don't
find Marito I'll ask the police to escort me to the American School, and we can
bring the girls here. We've also got to talk to Julita and Doña Olga and Sergio.
That fiend could attack any one of them. Finally, the call went through. Hello,
Laura Rivera here. Did you find Marito? I can't believe it. Nobody knows where
he is? Keep trying—it's extremely urgent. Look for him everywhere. Okay, bye.
Incredible, my dear—Marito simply left half an hour ago, without telling anybody
where he was going, and he left his beeper on his desk. It makes me furious,
he's so stupid. I bet he's in some motel with one of those waitresses he's got
the hots for—the depraved pervert—while RoboCop is out here threatening us all.
I'll lay you odds. I'm going to call Doña Olga. The patrol car drove by again,
didn't it? The line's busy. Maybe we can find Sergio or Cuca, and get one of
them to go pick up the girls. Well, Pepe Pindonga told me it's too soon to find
out anything about the relationship between Olga María and Alberto during the
last few months. The police have put all Finapro's employees in virtual
quarantine. Nobody's answering at Sergio's, how weird, the housekeeper isn't
even there. I'm going to try Julita. You know what Pepe Pindonga told me? That
the only way to find out if Toñito Rathis and Alberto are behind Olga María's
murder is to talk to Yuca: he must know something that would help us get to the
bottom of this. That's what he said. Then I told him that the money he had in
Finapro wasn't his, Yuca's, it was Don Federico's and Kati's. Pepe Pindonga just
whistled. Here she is. Julita. It's Laura, I'm so glad I got hold of you. Have
you heard? RoboCop escaped. I saw him in front of my house, my dear Julita. I'm
terrified. Very worried about the girls. That fiend wouldn't think twice about
killing them. May he burn in Hell. But I can't find Marito! He's not in his
office, his cell phone is off, and he left his beeper on his desk. Do you have
any idea where he might be? You don't know. It's urgent that somebody go and
pick up the girls and take them to a safe place. And you, you be careful,
Julita. That murderer is going to return to the scene of the crime. You must be
extremely careful. Don't open the door to anybody. Try not to go out. They say
murderers always return to the scene of the crime. And the girls? God help us!
They'll have to stay at Doña Olga's house or at Sergio's or they can bring them
to me if Marito wants, but no way in the world should they return to the house
until they capture that fiend. Do you know how Doña Olga is doing? I hope she
doesn't have a heart attack. All calamities occur at once. I've tried to call
her but the line is busy. Sergio and Cuca must be there. Take care of yourself,
Julita. I'm going to call the police right now so they'll send a patrol car to
protect them, because I'm certain that any moment now RoboCop is going to show
up in front of the house. It's a red car, with tinted glass. Be careful. If you
talk to Marito, warn him. Okay, bye. Poor Julita, I'm going to try Deputy Chief
Handal once more—I dialed his number so many times last night I've learned it by
heart. The patrol car hasn't driven by? You should go outside and check if there
are any suspicious cars parked along the block. Hello. Yes? It's urgent, I must
speak with Deputy Chief Handal. Look, Miss, this is Laura Rivera. I've been
trying to call him since last night and I haven't been able to reach him. But
now it's extremely urgent. Tell him I just saw RoboCop in front of my house.
He's the one who murdered Olga María de Trabanino, the one who escaped from jail
yesterday. Yes, the very one. I already called one-two-three. But it's urgent I
speak to the deputy chief. Tell him I have something extremely important to tell
him about the case. He's got to send agents to protect Olga María's family,
because that murderer is planning to kill them. Get in touch with him right now,
through your internal system. Tell him to call me at my number in Colonia
Escalón. I'll give it to you just to make sure:
two-six-four-seven-nine-eight-two. And hurry! Goodbye. Why don't you go take a
look, my dear, while I try again to call Doña Olga? Don't be afraid. The patrol
cars should be nearby. That murderer doesn't know you. Finally, the call's going
through. What luck. Hello. Cuca? It's Laura, my dear. How's Doña Olga? Oh, no, I
was afraid of that. Okay, so don't tell her about RoboCop. You know, don't you?
I'm so glad she's not allowed to watch television or look at the newspapers. I'm
very worried. We should get the girls out of school right now. That criminal is
on the loose and I'm afraid he's going to hurt them. Don't you agree? I saw him
in front of my house in Santa Tecla. Yes, my dear, it was him. He was parked
right smack in front of my door. Luckily, I saw him and kept driving. I don't
know if he followed me. I'm in Escalón now, but I'm afraid to go outside. That's
why I've been calling Marito to tell him to go pick up the girls. But nobody
knows where he is. Could Sergio go? Call him at work. It's a matter of life and
death. I have a premonition that he's going to attack them. Remember, they're
the principal witnesses. I don't know, my dear, why he would come after me. The
only thing I know for sure is that it was him. I already called the police.
They're patrolling the area. Even so, I'm still afraid to go out. You've got to
stay there and take care of Doña Olga. Send her my regards. Don't let her hear
anything. It would be terrible for her if she found out that that criminal is on
the loose. Call me after you talk to Sergio. To reassure me. I want to ask
Deputy Chief Handal to send somebody to guard the American School. We'll be in
touch. Ciao. You didn't feel like going out? I don't blame you. Let's wait a
bit. I'm going to leave the telephone free in case Handal is trying to call me.
What a nightmare. Everything has happened at once: losing Olga María's money,
Alberto's arrest, Doña Olga's illness, RoboCop's escape—I feel like I'm in a
movie. Then that murderer gets it into his head to come after me. I need some
lime-blossom tea, to calm my nerves. Will you make it for me? I'm going to call
papa. I don't know what else to do. Yes, he's still at the finca; he'll be back
this afternoon. Mama is at the beauty salon. The only thing she'd do is get
worried and make things worse. Hello, Filo, may I speak to my father? Thanks.
Oh, Papito, you have no idea what's happening to me! That criminal, RoboCop, the
one who killed Olga María, yesterday he escaped from jail and I saw him a while
ago parked in front of my house. I'm terrified. I came up here, to Escalón. I
already called the police and they're patrolling the area. But I don't
understand why he'd come after me. It's horrible, Papito. I'm going to stay
here; yes, don't worry. What I'm most worried about is that he'll go after Olga
María's daughters. Because they're the only witnesses. You won't be here till
the afternoon? As soon as I get hold of Deputy Chief Handal I'm going to ask him
to come here and personally escort me to my house. I haven't been able to get in
touch with him: it's because he's also in charge of the Finapro case. But I'm
hoping he'll call me now, because RoboCop's escape is a huge setback for him.
Don't worry, Papito, I won't go out alone. Big kisses. Ciao. Did the water boil,
my dear? Make me a very strong cup of tea, with two bags, I need a double dose.
Why doesn't anybody answer, neither Deputy Chief Handal or Marito? I'm so
anxious. Nothing like this has ever happened to me. Just look at what Olga
María's death has unleashed. I can't believe it. I'm going to put a lot of sugar
in it: they say sugar helps counteract the adrenaline. I read it in