Corruption's Price: A Spanish Deceit (39 page)

Caterina remembered little more, other than waking in the middle of the night with an acute need for the bathroom, water and painkillers in that order. She had fallen back asleep immediately, only to be woken by her alarm. She stood and was grateful, after a shower, for no lingering hangover though she deserved it.

In the salon she found Emilia chatting to Ángela who was clearing Caterina's debris.

"Is Davide ready, Caterina? We should be heading off to Alcobendas."

"I haven't seen him since Wednesday," Caterina blurted out. "I came back yesterday evening and he wasn't here, nor did he turn up before I went to bed."

"Having consumed nearly a bottle of vodka. How's your head."

"Better than it should be. Do you know where he is? Where were you?"

"Let's go for our usual breakfast and talk over coffee. I think you need it. I certainly do, along with some of that wonderful
pan catalán
. Did you eat anything last night?"

In the café they ordered and took a table. By now they were established customers, thus both coffee and food were brought to their table along with glasses of water. Caterina drank hers greedily.

Emilia said, "So where have you been?"

"I'll ask the same of you in due course. I went to a hotel on Wednesday. Davide was getting to me."

"What you really mean is that you were getting to yourself as usual when you feel in danger of committing to anything emotional."

"Emilia. That's unpleasant of you."

"But no less true for the saying. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Sadly, yes. I don't know what to do. One moment I feel secure with him and the next totally insecure. He's too good for me. I'm not good enough for him."

"You're more than good enough for him. Is he good enough for you?"

"But you didn't meet
tío
Toño. He asked me –
me
– if my intentions towards Davide were honourable, given that Davide was his favourite sister's only child. Can you imagine? He placed a guilt trip on me. I haven't been able to forget."

Emilia was startled. Caterina had not said anything of this. Reflecting, she could see
tío
Toño's point, as well as why this should inflame Caterina's already overly delicate sensibilities.

"Do you know what you want? Do you know what Davide wants?"

"No, on both counts," was Caterina's miserable response.

"We'll have to work on this, but not now. Maybe we should be considering moving on, if we can escape?"

"Now? Just when everything at ORS is turning interesting? You wouldn't give up at this point, would you?"

The expression on Emilia's face told all. Not for a millisecond, especially after last week's developments in the
Sala
.

"And what about your attachments? Who is it at the moment? Has Alberto been given the bum's rush in favour of Ana? Inma? That pair you met at the Retiro? Or are you having them all at once?"

"Catty, catty, catty! Even my appetites could never cope with that assembly. Alberto continues, but it's time to put him out of his misery. He told me he wants to marry me and how he's willing to make the sacrifice to accompany me back home. Re-worded – he's looking for a ticket out of Spain."

"Which you can't blame him for."

Emilia acknowledged the truth of this, saying, "It's going to be hard telling him. But I will."

"And the others?"

"With Ana – nothing. I'd jump into her bed if given the opportunity. She fits my desires perfectly, young, sexy and in her twenties. I like her. She likes me, but not in that way. Too bad. Inma? Not my scene. She's much older, yet I confess I might enjoy exploring that body. I don't think it'll happen. It seems to be the same for her. Now Klaus and Mila; they really are fun. We'd a 'fucking good time', putting it bluntly."

Caterina grimaced. Emilia was always able to shock her. This was the first time she had heard Emilia explicitly admit to a threesome. That did not mean it was the first, only that Caterina did not know. She decided irony was the best response.

"If I've understood correctly, you've got Alberto plus Klaus and Mila running in parallel with hot normal desires for Ana and abnormal ones – for you – for exploring an older woman like Inma. Is that a representative summary? Why haven't you included Davide, Carlos, or Lucas?"

"Davide? Giving me ideas? Fortunately for you I am sated, at least until tomorrow. Tonight we'll talk more. We can even go get smashed if you don't want to face your darling Davide, assuming he reappears."

Caterina knew she could not top this. She didn't even try. She paid for breakfast and they set off for the Metro station. Now she felt worse all over again, but sick at heart rather than in her abused stomach.

Monday: Sala de lo Penal, Madrid

Ana and Davide acknowledged
Juez
Garibey's greeting with brief movements of their heads, almost moving as a pair. Strange, thought Garibey. I thought Shape was attached to Señora Certaldo, not Pedro's cousin.

"The reason I asked you both here concerns confidentiality and secrecy. I apologise for being formal but what Ana surmises, and because she shared this with you, Señor Shape, has the potential to cause major problems – for this
Sala
as well as for the people you've tentatively identified. Should any names hit the newspapers or television prematurely, not only may we lose the initiative, but we might even see the whole investigation abruptly terminated. Did Pedro explain what happened to me once before?"

Ana and Davide nodded.

"You'll know, therefore, that the result was what can only be described as a failure of the justice system to render justice to those who deserved it. I was and still am ashamed, though hindsight tells me I could've done little more.

This time I am better prepared. And the case is stronger, thanks to you, Pedro, and your colleagues. After substantial discussions with Pedro we've decided that we must ask you to become a formal part of the investigation. This has some advantages. You will enjoy, if that's the correct description, the protection of the state, in particular of the CNP and this
Sala
.

"The downside is that by accepting you'll oblige yourself to be bound by the same sorts of constraints as police, lawyers and judges. As part of the revised arrangements I want to sequester you from contact with others in the investigation, who don't need to know what you surmise. This will likely be difficult though hopefully it won't last. It may be for a matter of a week or two but could be longer depending on what we find and how fast the investigation evolves."

Juez
Garibey riveted them with his eyes before continuing: "I can't force you to 'sign up'. I do ask that you do, for the sake of everybody involved, but in particular for those who have suffered or are suffering from past misapplications of justice and failures to obey the law."

"May I ask a question,
Señoría
?"

"Of course, Ana. I hope you don't object to my familiarity. You could be my granddaughter whereas I would've needed to be prodigious in my youth to have grandfathered someone of Señor Shape's age."

He warmed to their appreciation of his attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

"I'm happy to be addressed as Ana. Just don't tell Señor Shape" – she glanced out of the corner of her eye at Davide – "what age I really am. That's for me and me alone."

"I appreciate that. Your question?"

"You're being very careful with us. Is what we've discussed really that serious? Isn't it just a matter of individuals who've committed crimes that can be charged and tried?"

"If only it were that simple. It's not." He halted. "How do I best illustrate this to you? Consider the Cardarzob reference. If this really was the late Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo, the Pope's representative in Spain, how does any accusation that he was receiving backhanders make the Church look? Or, in the same vein, if your supposition is right that Inocencio Fajando is involved, this will confirm many doubts about the honesty of the modern Opus Dei movement – another pillar of a certain part of society. Or take Salvador Corcuera. There's a man who's appeared in court before and has evaded, though legally, the clutches of justice. He's a man with connections in a great many places. He's also a man with a background that does not encourage respect for the law.

"What I'm trying to communicate to you is that each of these three raises questions about a specific segment of society, its behaviour and potential response. Now add in politicians and their presumption that they are free to rearrange events to their own liking ..."

He trailed off, observing the impression he was making on Ana. Señor Shape seemed to have understood rather faster. But he was older, and possibly wiser.

"I see,
Señoría
. Sorry, I hadn't tried looking for that big a picture, just the individual criminal ones. I'd come to similar conclusions but presumed I was being overly pessimistic.

"I wish it were as straightforward but it isn't. So I must ask: will you agree to be bound by my conditions until I can release you? I promise to try to make this as brief as possible."

Ana nodded.

"I'd prefer you to say it aloud."

"I accept."

"And you, Señor Shape?"

"I also."

"Thank you. Now we must think about the mechanics of how to proceed. Señor Shape, as I understand it you live in my distinguished retired colleague Toño Sánchez Ocaña's apartment in Malasaña."

"Indeed. You know
tío
Toño?" responded Davide, surprised.

"Barely, but I've much respect for him."

"I should mention that Caterina Certaldo and Emilia Romagnolo are also staying in the
piso
at the moment, plus there's
tío
Toño's inestimable
chica
, Ángela, who looks after us."

"He retains Ángela still? Lucky man. Lucky you. She's the gem we've all been trying to steal for many years."
Juez
Garibey's eyes twinkled in fond memory. "What a cook she is. Only once was I fortunate enough to be invited to savour her kitchen.

"Nevertheless, you should not stay there if the others are present. Could the Australians move out? Have you any other suggestions?"

"Actually, I have," offered Ana hesitantly. "He could stay with me. I have a spare room. It's not big, but for a while it might work. Otherwise he'll end up in a hotel or a police barracks, no?"

"You're right, Ana. Could you tolerate this, Señor Shape?"

His expression said clearly that Davide would be a prime candidate for Madrid's top funny farm if he declined.

Simultaneously, Ana waited to see what Davide would say. She wasn't sure if she had committed the greatest
faux
pas
in history or had been inspired. She could guess what her
abuela
would say, if she was ever to know. She shuddered at that thought, and also of her parents' reaction, plus Inma and her sisters. Hell. This was spiralling out of control.

"I'd be enchanted to be Ana's guest, though I hope it needn't be for too long. As you say,
Señoría,
and in the nicest possible way, I wouldn't want to deprive myself of Ángela's wonderful ministrations for any extended period."

"
Now all I have to do is introduce you to Javier, your new guardian from Pedro's lair, after which I have the pleasure of preparing tomorrow's questions for Señora Márquez."

Tuesday: Sala de lo Penal, Madrid

Alfredo concentrated on Marta. As previously, he needed her to be calm. That was hard. As he had gathered over the weekend with Puri and Salvador she had a volatile imagination capable of matching René Magritte's castles in the air.

Did he like Salvador? The answer was simple: no. Neither did Puri. Both felt there was an insidious aspect to him, which Marta could or would not see. It didn't matter. That they were not taken with him did not mean he was bad company when enjoying himself. He was also attentive to Marta, which counted for much in his favour.

Now Alfredo was back at the long table waiting for
Juez
Garibey, a man he disliked on gut instinct. Too principled; too self-righteous.

Juez
Garibey entered and sat at his own table. Surprising everybody, he did not start with Marta. Instead he addressed Alfredo directly.

"Before questioning your client, Señor Gómez, may I ask you a couple of complementary questions to those of last week?"

That was a privilege Alfredo could not challenge.

"Regarding this laptop," said
Juez
Garibey, displaying it. "I ask again, when did you buy it at the
rastro
?"

"It would've been the weekend before last, or the one preceding that. I'm not entirely sure which. I would need to check."