Charon's Net

by Gemma Herrero Virto

  Charon’s reply began to appear on the screen, so Gus turned to face the monitor again.

  –I’ve already told you no. Look, I really care about you, I know I’ll sound corny to you and that you’ll laugh at me, but I’ve fallen in love with you. I think you’re the most wonderful person I’ve ever met in my life and I want, when we finally meet, for everything to be perfect. That is why I don’t want to go there without having prepared anything, just anyhow, and for everything to go wrong. I don’t want to lose you.

  −But you’re not going to lose me. I’m just so looking forward to meeting you...

  −I know... I think everything will be wonderful, but I don’t want to take the risk, even though I am dying to see you. I’d prefer to wait a few more days and plan a wonderful meeting.

  −All right, as you wish.

  −I promise you that it’ll be very special. It’ll be as if your old life ended, to begin with something completely new.

  Natalia fidgeted uncomfortably, admiring the self-control that Gus was demonstrating at those remarks.

  “Yes, of course, as new as a post-mortem table. What a wretch! He’s even allowing himself to give clues.”

  “Yes, he does that a lot,” said Gus. “It seems he likes to prove to himself how clever he is.”

  “Well this time it’s over. You’ll see soon enough how clever he is when he has us in front of him.”

  −Listen, I’ve been searching for your village on maps on the Internet, and I seem to remember that I was there a few years ago on an excursion with a few guy friends of mine who live in Bilbao. Is it a tiny little village past La Reineta, going down a very steep slope?

  −Yes, that’s it. I can’t believe you’ve been there...

  −It was many years ago, but I remember it because we were having an afternoon snack in an open space in front of an abandoned rugby field. It was so strange to me that it stayed in my memory. Do you have any idea what a rugby field is doing in a village like Barrionuevo?

  Natalia looked at Gus. His hands were shaking when he rested them on the keyboard to answer.

  “He’s been there. He’s gone to visit the village in order to plan my murder,” he said in a whisper.

  "Don't worry, that means he's on the verge of falling," said Natalia, trying to calm him down. "You just have to put up with a few more conversations and then we’ll have him."

  Gus took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself, and began to type.

  −I don't know why they put it there either. I don't think I've ever seen it being used in all my life. I imagine the people from the council decided on it when they were out drunk.

  −What a strange bunch you are in that village, my God. I was thinking that we could meet there at the pitch. It seemed like a peaceful place, and that way nobody would see us and go singing to your parents about it. What do you think?

  −And when will we meet?

  −I don't know yet. I need to look at the timetables for the buses to Bilbao and work out how long it's going to take me to get there. And I also have to look at how much money I can scrape together, because it's going to cost me a fortune in transportation.

  −I'm sorry it's so complicated. :-(

  −Don't worry. I would do anything for my princess.

  −Thanks, you’re like a dream.

  Art shot back towards the front door. After a few seconds, they heard the doorbell. Natalia got up to open it. Carlos came in, greeted her with a smile, and stroked the dog.

  “Hi, any new developments?” he asked her as he headed for the living room.

  "Well, they're talking about the possibility of meeting up. We think he'll fall into the trap very soon."

  "Perfect, because I've asked Aguirre for a fortnight’s holiday, so as to be able to have more time for this."

  “And do what? The only thing we have to do is watch on as Gus chats with him. It can't exactly be said that we have a lot of work to do," she commented.

  "I know, but the thing is I couldn't take it any longer. Ever since they took me off the case, I'm doing nothing apart from filling out reports, while I watch as Roberto gloats about how well the investigation is going for him. If I’d had to put up with his smile of superiority a single day longer, I’d have had to kill him so, in all reality, I've done it for the good of the team. Besides, I couldn't stop thinking about what you'd both be doing."

  They reached the living room and sat down beside Gus, who was still chatting.

  −The truth is that I had thought about surprising you and asking you if we could see each other this weekend, but that’s not going to be possible. A friend owed me money, but he’s not going to be able pay me back for now. And on top of that, I've got one heck of a flu, so I was thinking that it would be best if we left it for another day. I don't want you meeting me when I have a red nose and streaming eyes."

  −You’re so silly! I'm sure you'll still be attractive. But anyway, another day it is. Maybe next week, okay?

  −I'll do everything I can, my love.

  −You never told me you had the flu. Is it really bad?

  −No, I'll be fine in a few days. But I want to be perfect for the girl of my dreams.

  Carlos's mobile began to ring. He got up and walked towards the corner furthest away from the living room so as not to bother Gus with the conversation. He spoke for a few seconds, and then came back, with a furrowed brow.

  "Is something wrong?" asked Natalia, with interest.

  "Yes, it's Aguirre; the man wants to drive me crazy. I'm supposed to be on holiday, but ever since this morning, he's called me three times already to ask me for files he can't find, or documents which, according to him, I’ve filled out incorrectly and it’s essential for me to go over. I have to go to the station again."

  "Maybe he suspects something," Natalia's voice sounded worried.

  "Yes, I'm thinking the same thing. Aguirre isn't stupid. He wants to make me feel monitored, to avoid me getting any ideas. I'm going to see if I can talk with him again and make him understand what holiday means. I'll be back in an hour."

  Carlos picked his coat up again and quickly left the living room. Natalia turned back around to continue reading.

  −You don't know how sorry I am about not being able to see you yet, honestly.

  −Don't worry. It's just a few more days. And what we feel is not going to change for having to wait a little.

  −It's just this thing with the computer is so cold that sometimes I have my doubts about what you feel. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to say that I think you're having me on; it’s just that everything seems so unreal when I’m not able to see your eyes, or hear your voice... I don't know, sometimes it gives me the impression I'm in a dream, that you're too wonderful to really exist, and I'm afraid that I'll wake up and that you won't be real.

  −Don't worry; what I feel for you is real.

  −And what you feel? Are we clicking? Do you like me? I need to hear you say it.

  Gus took his hands off the keyboard for a moment and turned to look at Natalia, asking for her advice.

  "You already know that he needs to be sure that the girl is in love before he attacks. Say it; tell him you love him," said Natalia.

  "I don't know... I’m finding it very intense,” replied Gus.

  "What is it that seems very intense to you? Gus, aren't you getting a little too much into the role?" asked Natalia, worried.

  "I don't know... It doesn't seem right to me to say that without meaning it."

  "But he's lying to you as well, and you know it."

  "I know, and that feels very intense to me as well, the fact he uses feelings in that way, that he acts like that... I can't understand it..." Gus's voice broke in a contained sob. “Don’t you see it? There have been young girls that he’s made fall in love with him in exactly the same way; he's played with their feelings, he's forced them to tell him that they love him, and with those feelings they’re signing their death sentence. And he knows it; he planned the whol
e thing out to be like that right from the beginning, without feeling any pity for them."

  "Gus, get a hold of yourself; he's a killer. He doesn't feel in the same way that we do. I thought you understood his way of thinking..."

  "Well I don't understand him, “Gus shot up out of his seat, casting the chair to the floor, "and I can't carry on with this."

  Gus left the living room at full speed and closed the kitchen door. Natalia remained seated in front of the monitor, on which a new sentence from Charon was beginning to form.

  −Is something wrong, Sylvia? Forgive me; perhaps I am pressuring you too much with something you don't feel. I should not have asked you.

  Natalia sighed hard, got up out of her seat, and put Gus’s chair back in its place, to sit down on it. She placed her hands on the keyboard and began to type, trying to imitate the style of speech that she had seen Gus use during the chat conversations.

  −No, it's not that. It's just that you caught me off-guard. I didn't know what to tell you. But of course I like you, a lot...

  −Only that? I know you don't know me in person, and that I'm just a few letters on your screen, but I don't know... I thought you would feel something stronger for me.

  −And I'm sorry... I do love you. But I thought you might laugh if I told you...

  −But how could you think that of me? I've spent a long time waiting to hear it, my love.

  −Well, I've never gone out with anybody before, nor had a boyfriend... I don't know how I should behave, or what I should say.

  −Only what you feel. Tell me again.

  −I love you.

  −I love you too.

  Natalia allowed herself to breathe again. It seemed to be going well; that Charon had not noticed the difference between Gus and herself. But she must not relax; now they really were close to catching him. He now had what he was looking for, the requisite that would turn one of the girls into his next victim. If she could manage to keep him fooled a little while longer, until she could close the chat thread, he would soon propose a date for them.

  −I think this is just what I needed for the flu. I'll be cured in a flash.

  −I'm glad, that way we’ll be able to be together soon.

  −Yes, don't you worry about that. Now that I'm certain that you love me, I'll do whatever it takes to see you. I'm dying to hold you in my arms.

  −Me too. I don't know what I'm going to do all week. I'm going to go crazy with so much waiting.

  −Well, we'll talk every day. That way it'll seem less of a wait for us. Listen, would you get angry if I left early today? I'm meeting a few friends. While I’m out, I'll take the opportunity to look at the bus timetables.

  Natalia was on the verge of getting up to kiss the screen. She was feeling so nervous at the possibility of going wrong that she knew if the conversation went on for much longer, she would end up making a mistake. But just before answering to tell him that she didn't mind, an alarm bell went off in her head. Why would he be wanting to leave so soon? Was it because he had arranged to meet with another girl that night? It was Friday, and he had already murdered one of his victims on that day. What could she do? If she insisted too much on him not leaving, he could become suspicious, but neither could she let him go, thinking that he could be going off to kill another girl.

  "Gus!" she yelled, begging for him to have regained his self-control and to be able to help her. “Could you come in here?”

  The door to the kitchen opened, and Gus came back into the room, taking hurried steps towards the monitor.

  "What is it?" he asked, sitting down next to Natalia.

  “He says he’s arranged to meet with a few friends, and that he's leaving. What do I do?"

  "Well, let him go. What is it you want to do? There's no way to stop him,” replied Gus.

  "But it's possible he's arranged to meet up with some girl, and that he's going off to kill her," protested Natalia. "There must be something we can do."

  "We can't do anything, but I don't believe he's arranged to meet with anybody else. Say goodbye to him, because he's waiting for you, and I'll explain it to you now."

  Natalia looked at him, worriedly, and then returned to typing, not sure that what she was doing was the right thing.

  -Okay. Take good care of yourself and get better. Shall we chat tomorrow?"

  -Of course, at six?

  -Couldn’t you come online earlier?"

  -You already know that I can't, my love. My grandparents are coming over for lunch, and these things can go on for ages. Their faces get pretty long if they're still at the table and I get up to go to the computer.

  -Okay. I'll miss you.

  -And I you. Say it to me again.

  -I love you.

  -I love you too. I’ll see you tomorrow.

  Natalia disconnected from the Internet and looked at Gus, hoping that his explanation was going to be good. Gus began to search carefully amongst his papers, and at last he took out a few fairly rumpled sheets. He spread them out on top of the table and showed them to Natalia. She analysed them for a few seconds, without understanding anything. They seemed to be some timetables, on which there appeared the victims’ names. She looked up from the pages, and looked at Gus with a questioning expression.

  "Okay, I was going along noting this down throughout all the weeks I spent reading the chat threads. Whenever I got bored from so much reading, I set about making some timetables of the dates and times of when he had chatted with each one of the girls," Gus began to explain. "As you know, on each chat thread it records both the date and time it took place, so I just had to go along looking taking note of that in order to do it."

  "And what purpose does that serve?" Natalia asked him.

  "Well, Charon, like all human beings, has limited time. He dedicates a lot of time to each one of the girls and, because of that, I worked out that he couldn't have a very long list of victims, and that he needed to organise his time somehow. As you can see on the timetables, they tended to talk between two and three hours during the 'infatuation process’, to give it some sort of a name. Once the girl was in love, they could talk for even five or six hours a day over the course of one or two weeks, which is the time it usually takes from the point of declaring their love to attending the date itself."

  "Of course," replied Natalia. "He has to appear as though he is obsessed and that the dedication is exclusive. And how long has he been talking with you lately?"

  "Around five or six hours. That’s how long me and Charon have spent talking on average over the last week,” Gus finished his explanation with a smile. “Believe me, there’s no one else.”

  Natalia sat looking at the pages again, astonished by the work Gus had done. When she finally raised her eyes from the papers, she smiled at him.

  “This is fantastic work. You have here Charon’s entire Internet life for the past six months. You haven’t ever thought about leaving Computer Science and devoting yourself to criminal psychology, have you?” asked Natalia.

  “And spend all my time chasing freaks? No thanks. I think this one’s going to be enough to last me the rest of my life. Are you feeling calmer?”

  “Yes, thank you. And how about you? Are you feeling better now?” Natalia asked with interest, worried.

  “Yes, I’m sorry to have left you high and dry there. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “We’re all under a lot of pressure. It’s normal to explode at some point.”

  “It won’t happen again, honestly. From now on I’ll do this properly,” Gus smiled repentantly and scratched his head. “Could you not tell Carlos about it?”

  “Of course, don’t worry. It’ll stay between the two of us,” Natalia got up out of the chair and headed towards the kitchen. “Anyway, now since for tonight we won’t have to worry about Charon, what do you think about taking Art out for a walk whilst I get the dinner on for when Carlos gets back?”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Natalia looked up from the newspaper she
had been glancing through and watched them. Carlos was looking out through the window, distracted. Gus was simulating being super-busy on the computer, but this was the third time now that she had caught him playing solitaire. Even the dog had fallen asleep.

  "I can't take it anymore," she said, getting up. "Why isn't he coming online?"

  "I don't know, something must have come up. He'll be here soon enough," answered Gus.

  "Just because he's late, there’s no reason for it to mean anything bad,” added Carlos. "It could be he's had to run some errand, or maybe had an urgent trip to the bathroom. Killers are people too."

  "I already know that a delay of ten minutes doesn't mean anything, but I'd be feeling calmer if you went back to check whether you have mail, Gus," she insisted.

  Gus shrugged his shoulders and turned back towards the screen. After waiting a few seconds, he turned back to Natalia.

  "Well you were right. Look what he’s sent.” He read out aloud: “Hello, Silvia. I'm not going to be able to come online at the time I promised you yesterday. I'll be logging in a little later, but don't worry. Once you know the reason, you won't be able to believe it. I'll be back soon. Wait for me. Love, Alex."

  "Well that's just great. And what do we do now? Keep waiting?" said Carlos, annoyed. "We ought to go out for a bit and have a drink or something. Don't be offended, Natalia, but your flat is starting to give me claustrophobia.”

  "It’s worse for me. You can both leave, but I live here," she replied.

  "I think Carlos is right, and that nothing bad is going to happen either just because we decide to do something to take our minds off it for a bit,” mediated Gus. "Let's go for a walk so I can get some air. I've gone so long without seeing sunlight, I'm turning yellow."

  Gus disconnected from the Internet and turned off the computer. The three of them picked up their coats and headed towards the door. In that moment, Carlos's mobile phone began to ring.

  "Shit, Aguirre again," he protested, as he took it out of his pocket.