by Mark McKay
When he got there and collected his room key, the girl on reception seemed a little flustered. There was someone frantically waving at her from the dining room and there were raised voices coming from that direction. She didn’t have time to chat. He went upstairs to his room and switched on the phone. He needed to check in with Oyama as part of his normal operating routine. If he didn’t do it at least once every 72 hours, the sensei would assume the worst and take whatever action he thought appropriate. Nick was already late making contact. Oyama didn’t answer, so he left a long voice mail detailing all the events of the past few days and concluded by saying he’d be on a flight back as soon as possible. Then he stripped off and went straight to the shower cubicle. He felt a lot better after that and some clean clothes didn’t go amiss, either. He sat on the bed and wondered if anyone had been to the hotel asking after him. He should go downstairs and check. He could ask the receptionist about flights at the same time. At that moment, there came a knock on the door. Nick stiffened.
‘Who is it?’
‘Diego, senor.’
Nick moved warily towards the door. Diego wasn’t alone, he could sense at least two other people outside the room. He put his eye to the door’s spy hole and his heart sank. He opened up. Next to Diego stood two men in the blue uniform of the Peruvian police.
‘Mr Severance?’ asked one of them, with a thick Spanish accent.
‘Yes. What is it?’
‘Passport, please.’
Nick opened the door wider and the policemen came in. Diego followed them. He looked concerned and the policemen were grim-faced. Nick found his passport and handed it to the one who’d spoken; a short and thickly-built man with a gun strapped to his hip. His colleague was also armed. The passport was examined and then the policeman put it in his trouser pocket.
We are arresting you,’ he said.
‘Arresting me for what?’
‘For the murder of Emilio Ramos.’
‘I didn’t kill Emilio.’
‘He was found dead in the jungle and then you arrived in Iquitos on his boat. Can you explain that, Mr Severance?’
Not satisfactorily, thought Nick. ‘I had to get out of the jungle before I was killed, too. The boat was the only way.’
The policeman’s expression didn’t budge. ‘Your life was being threatened? Why would that be?’
‘I have a witness who will confirm what happened. A man named Don Gilberto.’
‘If that’s true, you have nothing to worry about. But in the meantime, you will be kept in custody. Come with us, please.’
Nick was allowed to take his jacket, phone and wallet. He asked Diego to put the rest of his luggage in storage.
‘I’ll be back for it soon,’ he promised.
Then he was marched out of the hotel into a waiting police car and driven away.
At the station, the man who’d arrested him said his name was Ibanez and that he held the rank of captain. He took a statement from Nick and then locked him in a downstairs cell. He would be seen by a judge in the next day or two. Once he was incarcerated, nobody seemed overly concerned about his welfare. He wasn’t fed that day and nobody even looked in on him. Some rather foul tasting water came out of the taps on the little sink in the corner, so he knew he wouldn’t die of thirst. The following morning he was presented with bread and something with beans in it, which he ate. It tasted better than it looked. When he asked the policeman about his arraignment the man just looked blankly back at him. He wondered if Ibanez was the only fluent English speaker around here.
Over the next few days they fed him at regular intervals, but nobody said anything about an arraignment. On day five, the food suddenly improved and Ibanez appeared later that morning to tell him he could use the shower upstairs. His attorney would be arriving at midday and then they would be going to the Courts of Justice for the arraignment, at 1pm sharp.
‘When did I get an attorney?’ he asked Ibanez. ‘Does the court provide one?’
‘The court can provide one. But in this instance, it isn’t necessary. She’s already taken your case.’
Nick cleaned himself up. They wouldn’t let him use a razor and he had no clean clothes, but he felt almost presentable. At midday he was taken to an interview room, to meet his mysterious new lawyer.
She was a youngish woman, smartly dressed. She had dark hair and brown eyes and looked more European than Peruvian. Ibanez left them alone and locked the door behind him. She seemed as curious about him as he was about her.
‘I’m Isabella Delgado,’ she said, gesturing for him to sit. ‘I’ll be representing you. You speak Spanish?’
He shook his head. ‘How did you find out about me?’
‘A Mr Oyama contacted me. He wanted an English speaking lawyer here in Iquitos. There aren’t many of us, so I got the job.’
Oyama must have contacted the hotel when I didn’t report in, thought Nick. Thank god for operational procedure.
‘So what happens now?’
Isabella sat down opposite him. ‘You’re charged with murder. Did you do it?’
‘Of course not. If Don Gilberto hadn’t appeared, I’d be as dead as Emilio Ramos.’
‘So do you know who killed Emilio? And why were you at the Ascension Institute in the first place?’
He told her about Conrad and what had happened in the jungle. He kept the reasons for his visit to the Institute rather less precise.
‘I went there looking for a friend,’ he said. ‘But he’d already left.’
‘Why would this man Conrad want to kill you?’
‘I don’t know. Have the police been making enquiries?’
She shook her head. ‘The death was reported by a Jason Wilson, who also said you had taken Mr Ramos’s riverboat. You became the prime suspect, I’m afraid. The police sent a plane in to collect the body, and as far as I know that’s all they’ve done.’
‘We need to speak to Don Gilberto. He is the resident shaman.’
‘I agree, Mr Severance. But first, we have a court hearing to attend. Are you ready?’
The arraignment was conducted in Spanish and didn’t take long. Ibanez had some documentation, which he showed to the judge. The judge looked it over and then proceeded to lecture Ibanez for the next five minutes. The policeman was initially annoyed by this outburst, but by the time the judge had finished his expression was more resigned than angry. He sat quietly with folded arms, while the judge spoke with Isabella. Then it was over.
‘You’re released, Mr Severance,’ said Isabella as they left the court. ‘You were arrested without a judicial warrant. And at the moment there is no evidence to support the issuing of one.’
‘I’m free to leave the country?’
‘I’m afraid not. The judge wants a statement from your witness and an investigative report from the police. Then if everything is in order, you’ll be free to travel. The police will keep your passport in the meantime.’
They went back to the police station, where Nick collected his possessions. When he checked his wallet everything was there bar the cash. He looked at Ibanez, who was filling in the paperwork for his release.
‘Where’s my money?’
Ibanez shrugged. ‘Administration costs.’
Nick was about to raise hell, when he felt Isabella’s restraining hand on his shoulder. She shook her head and he said nothing.
‘Report back here every 48 hours,’ said Ibanez. ‘Sign this.’ He pushed the sheet of paper across the desk.
‘Did you question the people at the Ascension Institute?’ Nick asked, as he scribbled his signature.
‘When my men went to collect the body they questioned Mr Wilson. Everything was in order.’
‘What about Don Gilberto?’
‘I will be going back to the Institute to take statements from everyone for my report. If he’s there, I will interview him.’
‘When will that be?’
Ibanez conside
red that for a moment. ‘A week from now.’
Christ, thought Nick. I can’t wait that long. ‘Would it help if I told you they have 25 kilos of cocaine at the Institute?’
That got Ibanez’s attention. ‘You are sure about this?’
‘I saw it myself. A good reason for someone to kill me, don’t you think?’
Ibanez glared at him. ‘You should have mentioned this before. Why didn’t you?’
‘You had just arrested me for murder. I was more concerned about that.’
Ibanez was interested, now. Drugs offences in Peru were serious matters and intercepting a large amount of coke on its way out of the country would do wonders for the captain’s promotion prospects.
‘We will fly in there tomorrow morning,’ he said. ‘Early. Be here for 4am.’
Nick thanked him, picked up his things, and left.
When they got outside, he turned to Isabella.
‘Thanks for your help, Ms Delgado. I need a favour, if you don’t mind. By the way, what do I owe you?’
She smiled. ‘Mr Oyama deposited $10,000 with me. In case I needed it for bail. Of course I won’t be charging him that much.’
‘What is the name of your company? You didn’t say.’
‘Delgado and Delgado,’ she said, smiling. ‘I don’t work for a big law firm. The other Delgado is my father, and he lives in Madrid these days.’
‘How busy are you? Tomorrow, when we fly into the Institute, I’d like you to come with us. When the police speak to Don Gilberto I want you to record the conversation and provide me with a written transcript in both languages. And if you’re there asking questions it will give me more credibility with the judge. Will you do it?’
‘Perhaps I could do it.’ Isabella wasn’t too enthusiastic. ‘If there is cocaine there, it could be dangerous.’
‘There is only one man there who is dangerous and he’s probably gone, now.’
‘Let me think about it. Where are you staying Mr Severance?’
‘I haven’t checked out of the Epoca, so I’m going back there.’
‘Alright. I will call you later today and let you know.’
Isabella had a car. She dropped him back at the hotel and went in with him to have a word with Diego. She summarised the situation for the manager in rapid fire Spanish and if he had any doubts about having a suspected murderer as a guest, he wasn’t showing them.
‘I am glad it is sorted out, senor,’ was his only comment. ‘I will return your luggage to your room.’
When Nick got back to his room he called Oyama and told him he was out of custody.
‘You think Julian was killed because he knew about the cocaine?’ asked Oyama.
‘That doesn’t really explain why Ray Curtis was killed, too. Conrad said there was something bigger at stake. See what you can find out about Hackett Pharmaceuticals, that might give us a clue. Anyway, I’m stuck here until I find my witness and clear my name,’ he said. ‘Police took my passport.’
‘Will there be any difficulty finding your witness?’
‘Don’t know yet. We’re flying back to the jungle tomorrow morning. There’s no mobile signal out there, that’s why I couldn’t contact you the first time.’
‘Alright. Just make sure to check in with me regularly from now on.’
Nick promised to do that and ended the call.
Isabella called the hotel that evening to let him know she’d be accompanying him in the morning. She’d told Ibanez to expect her and as she was Nick’s lawyer, he hadn’t objected. Nick wondered if Conrad was still around and how he’d react when the man he’d tried to kill re-appeared. Back from the dead as it were. In a few hours, he might just find out.
At 3.45 the next morning, Isabella picked him up outside the hotel. They drove to the police station, where Ibanez was waiting with two colleagues. They all had handguns and one carried an automatic rifle. The earliness of the hour had done nothing for Ibanez’s mood. He didn’t waste time on small talk, just gestured to Isabella that she should follow him. The three cops got into their police vehicle and pulled away. They made good time through the empty streets and half an hour later they arrived at the airport. After parking the cars, it was straight through the domestic terminal and out on to the tarmac, where a Cessna waited for them. When the plane took off, sunrise was still an hour away. The lights of Iquitos were visible beneath them and then minutes later they were over the rainforest, and whatever was down there remained cloaked in darkness.
Ibanez was up front with the pilot. ‘When we get there,’ he said, ‘take me straight to the place you saw the cocaine.’
They flew on into the night. When the sun came up an hour later, the sky was the colour of burnt amber. It slowly dissipated and then vanished in the clear light of day. The jungle and the river below them came into view, stretching away with no end in sight. The pilot followed the Amazon river for a while and then banked left. Nick thought he recognised the tributary he and Emilio had sailed down, and then the pilot made another turn and they flew on for a few more minutes until the retreat centre came into view. He circled the area once and lined up his approach. The air strip loomed beneath them and a few seconds later, they were down. The plane taxied as close to the buildings as it could, and stopped.
There was no one in sight, but that didn’t last long. A minute later Jason appeared, looking slightly bedraggled. The noise of the Cessna had obviously woken him up. He was tucking his t-shirt into his jeans as he strode towards them. Then he caught sight of Nick and the three armed policemen and stopped in his tracks.
‘Something wrong?’ he enquired. He glared at Nick. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’
Ibanez took the lead. ‘We believe you have cocaine here somewhere. We are going to search the place.’
Jason looked incredulous. ‘Cocaine. You’re not serious, I hope. Did this man tell you that?’ he added, pointing to Nick.
‘Who else is here?’ Ibanez asked.
‘My two partners who help me run this place. And we have guests, too. Ten of them.’
‘Get everyone up,’ ordered Ibanez. ‘I want them assembled, now. My men will go with you.’
‘We’ll need the key to the padlock on the gate,’ said Nick. ‘The one by the lagoon.’
Ibanez repeated it all in Spanish for the benefit of his colleagues. They nodded. Jason stood there blinking and quietly fuming, but he had little choice. He started walking back, accompanied by the two policemen.
The pilot stood next to his plane, smoking a cigarette. Isabella was next to him.
‘Come on,’ said Ibanez to Nick. ‘Show me this cocaine.’
The pilot stayed where he was, and Nick led Ibanez and Isabella to the gate by the lagoon. ‘It’s through here.’
They waited a few minutes until Jason reappeared with one of the policemen.
‘I don’t know what you think you’re going to find,’ he said. ‘We only grow plants in there, and not coca plants either.’
He opened the gate and they all trouped through. As they walked up the track a flock of macaws suddenly flew out of the trees, screeching like banshees. Nick flinched at the noise. He stole a glance at Jason, who had calmed down a bit now. In fact, he looked almost amused. When they got inside the building, he knew why. The plants were still there, but the boxes of powder had gone.
‘Check the fridges,’ he said to Ibanez.
Ibanez checked. There were no boxes of cocaine to be found. Now both fridges were full of beer and soft drinks.
‘Look around,’ said Jason. ‘We have nothing to hide.’
The plants had been moved around to fill the space that the boxed-up powder had previously occupied. Isabella walked up and down the room, peering at them and stroking the leaves.
‘What are these?’ she asked. ‘They have such a sweet smell.’
‘El semental de la Amazonia,’ explained Jason. ‘We hope to extract the powder and sell it abroad as a natu
ral health product.’ He looked at Isabella with curiosity. ‘Who are you?’
‘I’m his lawyer. This is a powerful aphrodisiac, no?’
‘Exactly. You’ve tried it?’ Isabella just looked at him. ‘And as you can see, there’s no cocaine here,’ continued Jason, rather hurriedly.
Ibanez turned to Nick. ‘This is where you saw it?’ he asked, indicating the open fridges.
‘In that one.’
Ibanez kneeled and took a good look inside. He ran his finger over the shelves and then he stood up.
‘Let’s talk to the rest of the people here,’ he said.
They walked back to the communal building, where everyone was gathered in the restaurant. Most of the guests were bleary-eyed and some looked a little anxious. Josh and Hank were circulating with cups of coffee. Ibanez sat with Jason, Nick and Isabella at a table away from everyone else. His two colleagues had seats by the door.
‘I want a list of everyone who is staying here,’ said Ibanez to Jason. ‘Who are your partners?’
Jason pointed them out. ‘I’ll get the list.’
When Jason had gone, Ibanez turned to Nick, with a quizzical expression.
‘It was in the fridge,’ said Nick, in answer to the unspoken question. ‘I didn’t make it up. There were also boxes filled with plant powder on the benches. It’s all been moved.’
‘You said you were taken into the jungle by someone called Conrad. Is he here, now?’
‘No. Neither is Don Gilberto.’
Jason returned with the list, which he gave to Ibanez. The captain looked at the names and cast his eye over the people in the room.
‘Where’s Conrad?’ asked Nick. Jason didn’t answer. ‘Are you going to deny his existence?’
Ibanez looked up from the list. ‘There is no Conrad listed here.’
‘Conrad works for our parent company. He was here for a business meeting. He flew out three days ago.’
‘And Don Gilberto?’ asked Isabella.
‘He isn’t here either. Had to go to Iquitos for some family emergency.’