by Kim Ekemar
“What about that passenger who went missing? Have they found her yet?”
“Evelyn Bright? No, not yet. Although the coastguard is still looking for her, it was conveyed to me that they don’t hold out much hope for finding her. And even less so alive, if she did indeed fall overboard, which is the prevailing working theory. A question of strong currents and a time lapse too great, I was told. Another mystery to be solved, no less.”
They sat without speaking for a moment, sipping their wine while going over the details in their minds.
“Changing the subject, Ricardo”, Gabriela finally broke the silence. “Grandmother called yesterday, and she mentioned that she wants to see you about some urgent business.”
EPILOGUE
Brazo Largo:
The Murder on the Third Bridge
Two days later, Ricardo was back at his office in Buenos Aires. His first call was to his grandmother. She sounded enthusiastic and came across as unaware of his adventure on Stella Australis. So, Gabriela didn’t tell her, he thought. Good, it’s better that way.
“I want to meet with you as soon as you can get away from work”, she said after they had exchanged greetings. “We have a renewed opportunity to win the case on appeal against Fernando Rivas. Two of his former subordinates have stepped forward and are willing to take the witness stand against him.”
Ricardo felt his heart take a leap at the news.
“What are they saying that is new?” he asked.
“That they were ordered by Rivas to shove your father’s body over the railing of the Brazo Largo Bridge in Zarate after Rivas had shot him from behind. They complied, they say, to avoid the severe punishment that in those days was inevitable for disobeying orders from a senior officer with the secret police.”
“The secret police?”
“Yes. It turns out that Rivas had personal instructions from the then President Jorge Videla to systematically pass on young children for adoption by military families and allies of the regime. Videla’s intention was to prevent the children of those perceived as subversives and who opposed the regime to develop into a new generation of dissidents. Fernando Rivas was the head of the secret police charged with this particular task.”
“You don’t say.” Ricardo felt his heart rate speed up.
“Oh, yes – I do. We now have a much stronger case. More than five hundred babies and small children were illegally adopted through this scheme, you being one of them.”
There was silence for a minute while Ricardo thought through the implications of what his grandmother had told him.
“We must of course appeal the verdict pronounced in the lower court”, he finally said. “Count on me.”
“I know I can. Mark my words, this time we will get him. In the end, there is only one way that truth prevails.”
“And what way is that?”
“When it’s unabridged.”
A LIST OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK
(with the main characters indicated in bold typeface)
SYRIA
Nayila (1979 – 2011) Syrian victim in a chemical attack ordered by the Bashar al-Assad regime
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Ricardo Arriaga (1980 – ) Detective Inspector with the Buenos Aires Police Department
Selena Rivas (1937 – 2013) Ricardo’s adoptive mother
Fernando Rivas (1940 – ) Ricardo’s adoptive father
Alejandra Arriaga (1955 – 1980) Ricardo’s biological mother
Guillermo Arriaga (1954 – 1979) Ricardo’s biological father
Angelina Arriaga (1935 – ) Ricardo’s paternal grandmother
Carolina Hernández (1987 – ) Ricardo’s ex-girlfriend
SOME OF THE PASSENGERS ON BOARD STELLA AUSTRALIS
Antanias Murad (1963 – ) Opportunistic Lebanese intermediary and businessman
Ferah Tayran (1973 – ) Turkish woman running an escort service
Pierre Mohraki/Majdi Asghar (1955 – ) Algerian-born French retiree; former intelligence officer
Leila Mohraki (2002 – ) Pierre Mohraki’s granddaughter
Brent Crenshaw (1975 – ) Eccentric Englishman and former photojournalist
Charles “Charlie” Bright (1969 – ) Former American CIA agent
Evelyn Bright (1974 – 2017) Former UN and CIA interpreter; Charlie’s wife
Alfredo Carbonara (1959 – ) The overseer of an estancia in Mendoza, Argentina
THE CREW ON BOARD STELLA AUSTRALIS
Carlos Abasolo (1960 – ) The captain of Stella Australis
Ernesto Paniagua (1968 – ) The ship’s second-in-command
Ari Cohen/Adnan Shadid (1964 – 2017) The ship’s third-in-command
Dr Hugo Bautista (1948 – ) The ship’s doctor
Berenice Castillo (1986 – ) The ship’s hostess
Segundo (1989 – ) Assistant engine operator
Mateo (1982 – ) The ship’s principal guide, responsible for shore excursions
Miguel (1985 – ) The bartender in the Darwin Lounge
Vicente (1974 – ) The ship’s chief engine operator
Francisco (1977 – ) Sailor
Patricio (1987 – ) Waiter
USHUAIA, TIERRA DEL FUEGO
Adalberto Villaverde (1967 – ) Chief of Police, Ushuaia
Gabriela Ramírez (1970 – ) Ricardo’s cousin
Eduardo Ramírez (1968 – ) Gabriela’s husband
THE CRIMSON BLUEPRINTS
The letters, diaries and other documents related to the strange events leading up to the McPherson fire murders; and the previously unpublished novel The Ship by the late Paul B. Crimson
compiled by
KIM EKEMAR
THE CRIMSON BLUEPRINTS
Copyright © Kim Ekemar 2000, 2014
Copyright © Paul B. Crimson’s estate 1973, 2000, 2014
All rights reserved.
Without the express permission in writing from the author(s),
no part of this work may be reproduced in any form by printing,
by photocopying, or by any electronic or mechanical means.
This includes information storage or retrieval systems.
Go to www.kimekemar.com
for more information about permission requests.
Published by
Bradley & Brougham Publishing House
2014
CONTENTS
Part I: LAUNCH
A final note from the editor
An introduction to the reader
A brief summary of Paul B. Crimson’s life (1947 – 1973)
Excerpts from the diaries prior to January 16, 1973
Part II: HARBOR
January 16 – January 21, 1973
Paul Crimson’s diary; Notes and letters exchanged between Paul Crimson and John Partridge
THE SHIP, Chapter I: The Storm
January 24 – 30, 1973
Paul Crimson’s diary; Notes and letters exchanged between Paul Crimson and John Partridge
THE SHIP, Chapter II: The Light
February 3 – February 9, 1973
Paul Crimson’s diary; Excerpts from Velvet Nights; Notes and letters exchanged between Paul Crimson and John Partridge
THE SHIP, Chapter III: The Ship
February 12 – 16, 1973
Paul Crimson’s diary; Excerpt from Velvet Nights; Notes and letters exchanged between Paul Crimson and John Partridge
THE SHIP, Chapter IV: The Axe
February 20 – 24, 1973
Paul Crimson’s diary; Notes and letters exchanged between Paul Crimson and John Partridge
THE SHIP, Chapter V: The Hole
February 24 – 26, 1973
Paul Crimson’s diary; Excerpt from Velvet Nights
THE SHIP, Chapter VI: The Debauchery
February 27, 1973
Transcript from the police interrogation of Paul Crimson
THE SHIP, Chapter VII: The Rope
February 27, 1973
Transcript from the pol
ice interrogation of Paul Crimson (cont.)
THE SHIP, Chapter VIII: The Ice
February 27, 1973
Transcript from the police interrogation of Paul Crimson (cont.); Excerpt from Velvet Nights
THE SHIP, Chapter IX: The Fire
February 27 – 28, 1973
Notes by Paul Crimson; Transcript from the police interrogation of Paul Crimson (cont.); Excerpts from Velvet Nights; The police report
THE SHIP, Chapter X: The Drift
Part III: SHIPWRECK
Newspaper articles: March 1, 1973 – February 15, 1974
THE SHIP, Chapter XI: The Appeal
A final note on the compilation of these documents
The characters as Paul Crimson perceived them for his novel
Part I
LAUNCH
A final note from the editor
For many years I worked for one of the more prestigious publishing houses in New York. Like every publisher of literature, we had our ups and downs, but I am proud to say that our overall success overshadowed whatever failures we experienced. This was also the case for me on a personal basis. That is, until the full implications of the events preceding the death of my young writer protégé, Paul B. Crimson, unfolded.
In 1970, among many other manuscripts, I took on the task of reading through Paul’s first effort. At this time, he was of course completely unknown in literary circles and even more so to the public. The manuscript I began to read was in a deplorable condition, as if it had undergone a number of refusals before finally landing on my desk. I must admit that it was with a sigh I eventually began to read it. In a sense the physical state of the manuscript reflected the very appearance of young Mr. Crimson when I later had the opportunity to meet him. Yet the text he had submitted for my evaluation soon captured my fascination.
He had spent three years soldiering in Viet Nam, the last of these as a volunteer. Reading his manuscript, I became aware of how closely the narrator had studied the war, and the effects it had had on him, emotionally and psychologically. That was part of the fascination the manuscript held. In all honesty it is necessary I add, that at the time I did not know or understand the depth of the scars Paul had been inflicted.
The manuscript, although a shambles of dog-ears and thumb-marks, turned out to be one of those rare but delightful discoveries one is subject to in the publishing profession. It contained dramatic close-ups of a shameful war that at that point was America’s main topic. Yet it also pictured keen first-hand observations of the lives of comrades-in-war who could not avoid a gut feeling that their superior military power did not grant them a guarantee against early death. “Charlie” was everywhere, and Charlie was defending his territory from an army of invaders. In his book Paul manages to convey the subtle degradation of the sense of invincibility in a conquering army as well as baring the raw power of bestiality needed to survive. It is telling of his capacity as an author how well he could modulate his words despite years of constant exposure to raw and vulgar soldiers’ jargon. Above all, there was this ‘nerve’ in his storytelling that made his manuscript stand out among thousands. As a war novel I remain confident the future will put it on par with The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer.
I recommended the publishing of his manuscript, and thanks to other successful ventures I had then recently undertaken, my superiors immediately accepted my suggestion. It is beyond doubt later developments would never have taken place if I had not become fascinated with his manuscript, but in hindsight it is always easy to condemn.
When his novel Velvet Nights – now polished to a perfect gem - was published in September 1971, it was an instant success. Perhaps this was due to the growing anti-war sentiments of the times, because no matter how excellent a book is it usually takes longer for the public to discover the work of a debutant.
Velvet Nights made Paul, yet it destroyed him. Paul returned after his three-year stint of unspeakable horrors in Viet Nam, apparently stable and with his sense of decency and good judgment intact. Not until it was too late have I come to understand how eroded and tarnished these were. Now I believe that the last traces of these qualities were completely lost in the wake of fame and fortune, drug abuse and war nightmares, distorted perception of reality if not insanity. Over the years I have had reason to ponder the time it took, and found that the process of his destruction took one year and seven months. It started with his advance payment for expected sales and ended when he died – by intent or by accident - from an overdose of drugs.
If this sounds like moral self defense, to a certain degree it is. I was not able at the time to understand the magnitude of Paul’s troubled mind. Yet I realize I have to accept a certain portion of the blame for what happened. I was too superficial in my relations with him, and I was very active in prodding him to write another successful book.
So much perceptive talent managed by a mind so muddled. And here I feel obliged to comment on my own involvement, although it should be emphasized that I acted in ignorance. Many years of contemplation have led me to the conviction of what I am now about to declare. I humbly submit the present statement only to let the reader of these documents alone be the judge of the truth in my assertions.
As the reader may appreciate, I had given the subject a great deal of thought before I contacted Mr. Ekemar with my proposal for his cooperation in the compilation of the material. There are three major reasons for me to push for a publication of Paul’s fate at this precise moment. One is the legal status of the whole affair: more than twenty-five years have now passed since it took place, and this circumstance gives me the necessary legal space to go ahead and publish without considerations for third opinions. Secondly, the publishing of this material must be in the public’s interest considering the twisted versions presented by the press when the bizarre case increased copy circulation. Thirdly, and more important still, I am now 82 years of age and have no hope nor wish to live much longer. I would prefer to be the one to edit the great tragedy of my professional and personal life, and not leave it to someone less sensitive to its implications.
The immediate time following the heinous crimes that involved Paul was hard on me. Eventually I settled for an early retirement. My unwitting participation in the events provoked an end to whatever might have been left of my career. Bureaucratic behavior and financial interests consigned Paul’s completed manuscript of The Ship to the dusty innards of Bradley & Brougham’s remotest archives. I later had the guts to buy the rights from Paul’s estate. For twenty-five years it has not been in the public domain. This is something I now would like to change before my life too comes to an end.
Although it has been difficult to re-read it, I still find streaks of Paul’s singular genius in the manuscript. I’d like to stress that contrary to my principles I had made an exception in this case and never obliged him to send me a complete synopsis of the book he planned. At that time it was more important for me to get Paul working before this talented young man went under from drug abuse and indolence, and completely lost his interest in writing. It turned out he did anyway, but within my limited powers I did try to get him on the right track.
Since I don’t have the time, or the will, to make a conclusive explanation of the affair, I contacted Mr. Ekemar for that purpose. Besides passing on Paul’s unedited script of The Ship, I have given Mr. Ekemar all the letters Paul wrote to me. Most painful, though, has been handing over the copies of my notes to Paul, notes that undoubtedly triggered those fateful events twenty-five years ago. To make the documentation complete, I have also given Mr. Ekemar the diaries that Paul sent me shortly before his death.
Paul’s second literary attempt is a far cry from the perceptive manuscript about Viet Nam that he took more than three years to finish. At first I despaired over the chapters he sent me, but at the time I thought it more important to give Paul encouragement than to give him lectures. When I was sent the second half of the manuscript after his death I was bewildered by the parallels to
real life events. Since my superiors wanted to exploit the attention Paul received at the time, I was ordered to edit his posthumous manuscript with priority. Then other events took over and I was told to stop my work until further notice.
When I read it again more than twenty years later I can’t see how Paul’s manuscript can be edited. How could it benefit? It is reasonably well written, although some clumsy sentences may be found and the grammar could be improved. I think this manuscript should be published exactly as it was written, because otherwise it would not be true to its larger context.
I will let the readers judge for themselves how Paul’s text builds the suspense juxtaposed to the destructive forces. While Velvet Nights is about survival, The Ship is about cleansing. The one part I perhaps find most intriguing is when the narrator switches from first person – as suggested by me – to third person in the lengthy epilogue. One can read a lot into this, but I won’t be so presumptuous as to tell the reader how to perceive it.
It is hard for me to dwell on the subject of Paul B. Crimson and his never-published book, which to me is a horrendous description of his own soul-searching. I was both hurt and horrified to learn from his diaries that Paul took his inspiration from me to add dimension to the evil, cynical manipulator in his book. He is in fact implying that by sending him encouraging notes I was the one who pushed him to write and act out his second novel.
So I would like to end this one - being my last ever on the subject – with a comment about those notes of mine that some may consider as the catalyst to the unfortunate affair. I say everyone should be responsible for his deeds. At the time I managed about twenty authors and was constantly reading manuscripts to sort out the ones with commercial potential. The notes I wrote to Paul were precisely that: notes, not letters, written in haste due to excessive workload. To many this is perhaps no excuse. To some, hopefully, it’s a mitigating circumstance.