A Corpse for Cuamantla

by Harol Marshall

  Miguel cocked his head in her direction. "It may make me something of a suspect, or hasn't that occurred to you?"

  "It hasn't, because I know you're not a suspect."

  "How can you be so sure? Maybe you're too trusting, Maestra. Perhaps you should be more suspicious of everyone. And perhaps such caution might one day save your life."

  Chapter 34

  I don't know how I know who to trust, I just do," Anna said, as she and Miguel reached the entrance to Headquarters Building Two. "It's an intuitive thing. I'm a good judge of character."

  Miguel left her protest hanging in the air as he reached for the headquarters door. "In case anyone tries to divert us to a different office, we need to insist on seeing Commander José Cortez. I don't know José well, but I‘ve met him and consider him a friend. Besides, we don't have much time. There's a lot to do before we meet in Cuamantla for the trip to Pedro's village. No time to waste, Maestra, even Mexican time." He laughed, teasing her about her obsession with time.

  The contemporary architecture of the building lived up to its promise once they entered. Offices with large glass windows lined one side of the room. Staff members worked at their computers in the small carrels scattered about the middle of the room. Almost immediately, a young woman arrived to escort them to the Commander's office where an attractive receptionist greeted Miguel.

  I must be wearing my invisibility cloak, Anna thought.

  "Yes, Comandante José Cortez is in," the receptionist said. "Please sign in here and I'll tell the Comandante he has visitors." She handed Miguel a guest book and pen, her eyes never leaving him except when he added the name of Maestra Anna Merino to the visitor roster. The young woman nodded briefly, assessing none to discreetly the status of Anna's third finger, left hand. Anna slid her hand into her jeans pocket to let the impertinent woman know she noticed.

  Miguel's eyes followed the receptionist as she sashayed down the office hallway. Her manner turned even more suggestive at the last set of doorways. Anna wondered about the nature of her relationship with the person in the office, presumably Commander Cortez. After speaking briefly to the invisible Commander, she returned with the same air of studied nonchalance, announcing to Miguel that Comandante José Cortez would see them immediately.

  "Last door on the right," she added, still addressing Miguel, who thanked her with such saccharin charm Anna half-expected him to kiss her hand. Anna followed Miguel down the hall and into the office, not knowing what to expect. Her first sight of the Commander took her back. He was younger than she expected, and strikingly handsome. With some guilt, she almost regretted insisting that Miguel accompany her for the interview, a thought that struck her funny and she struggled not to smile. Commander Cortez rose as they entered and leaned across his mahogany desk extending a bronzed hand in greeting. His left hand rested on the desk's surface, ring-free, Anna noticed, though meaningless in most of Mexico where married men seldom wore wedding rings.

  "Buenos días, my friend," he said. "How have you been? And my compadre Felípe, what is he doing this week that's legal?" The Commander smiled broadly as the two men shared a few jokes at Miguel's cousin's expense. Miguel turned to introduce Anna.

  "This is my colleague," he said, "Maestra Anna Merino. Anna, Comandante Cortez."

  Anna stood scrutinizing the handsome Commander, dismayed at herself for joining the artful receptionist in searching out wedding rings. An unaccustomed shyness crept over her as she tentatively offered her hand to the Commander, transfixed by a most disarming pair of green eyes. More likely she would be complimenting the Commander on his beautiful eyes rather than the other way around, she thought with amusement, wondering if Miguel noticed the Commander holding her hand a bit longer than convention prescribed. Never mind. After Miguel's brazen attentiveness to the sexy receptionist, she wouldn't worry about it.

  What possessed her anyway thinking romantic thoughts about Miguel? They were colleagues and friends, nothing more, a conclusion that came easier in the presence of the handsome Commander. Anna chided herself for behaving like a schoolgirl over not one but two men in the space of one short morning, neither of whom were even her type. What was getting into her?

  Chapter 35

  Commander Cortez released Anna's hand. "Please sit down and tell me how I can be of help. Maestro?" The Commander addressed Miguel but trained his eyes and his smile on Anna. Miguel appeared not to notice.

  "I expect you've heard by now of the unpleasantness yesterday in the schoolyard in Cuamantla," Miguel said. The Commander nodded his assent. "Perhaps you are aware also, that the untimely death occurred at the school of which I‘m the afternoon Director?"

  "No, that's a surprise to me." Cortez sat forward. "I recall Felípe saying your school was somewhere near Apizaco. I never made the connection when the bad news arrived yesterday." Anna wondered whether the news traveled by phone or in person. "I was acquainted with Pedro García," the Commander said.

  Not surprising, Anna thought, wondering about the nature of their acquaintance.

  "As you know," Cortez hesitated. He's probably unsure how much information to share with his visitors, she thought, as he continued. "Pedro lived in Tlaxcala. And, as you probably can guess, he found himself in a little trouble here. More than once I'm afraid, which is how I came to meet him. Nothing serious, but it was my impression the man had more brains than common sense. He couldn't seem to help himself, though I never expected him to meet so violent an end. One never knows about life. Pedro may have overestimated how much he could get away with. Some people are not as patient as others."

  Miguel and Anna nodded. "That describes Pedro," Miguel said.

  "Please forgive my philosophizing." Cortez shifted his gaze between them. "What can I do for you?"

  "Let me explain the situation." Miguel stopped and turned to Anna. She gestured him to continue, "which has to do with the murder of Pedro and with the Maestra here." Miguel tipped his head in Anna's direction and Cortez' right eyebrow shot up.

  "No, no, my friend," Miguel quickly interjected, "the Maestra had no connection with Pedro. She is studying our education system as part of her anthropology thesis at a university in the United States. Yesterday, during the fiesta, she recorded the activities at our school. We've since realized her video may contain incriminating evidence with regard to Pedro's murder, and worse still, we believe Pedro's killer may be aware of that fact." He paused for breath.

  "Go on," Cortez said, sending a look of concern Anna's way.

  "Last night, for example," Miguel said, "a man broke into the Maestra's house in Belén searching for the DVD. She was able to escape relatively unharmed, except for her ankle as you can see by her slight limp and the crutches. The only items stolen were unused DVDs stored in her desk. If our assumptions are correct, the break-in is related to the murder of Pedro, which means more than one police district is involved and the State Police can intervene if they wish. The two of us are here to ask for your assistance, if that's at all possible."

  Cortez looked thoughtful. He glanced at the papers covering his desk, slowly scratching his eyebrow with his ringless left hand.

  "Sí," he finally said glancing up from his papers, "the case does interest me. And because I know you Miguel and because I knew the victim, I may be able to convince my superiors that I'm the appropriate person to investigate the case. Give me a minute, please. When I return, I should have an answer for you."

  Cortez rose and smiled at Anna, leaving the room by the longer pathway, past her side of the desk.

  "I think my amigo José has his eye on you," Miguel whispered as soon as the Commander was out of earshot. "Be careful, he's single and he has a reputation with women."

  Anna ignored his comment. "I think his interest is in working on our case. Were you surprised that he knew Pedro?"

  "No. Pedro is well known in Tlaxcala, and I'm not surprised he found himself in trouble here as elsewhere. Nor was I surprised to hear my friend José wants to work on what you cal
l our case. I knew he would agree the minute I saw how long he held the pretty Maestra's hand."

  There he goes again. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Miguel's upturned head intently studying the ceiling. Darn him for being so observant. This is not the morning for him to complicate my life. The next twenty-four hours will be difficult enough. Well, she wouldn't rise to the bait. Instead, she sat very still examining her unmanicured fingernails while Miguel scrutinized the ceiling tiles, neither willing to risk the embarrassment of an inappropriate response as they waited in silence for the return of José Cortez.

  Chapter 36

  The Commander's cologne preceded him into the room. The Latin male's weakness for strong cologne amused Anna. However, she liked the Commander's selection, a familiar fragrance and undoubtedly expensive. It only took a second to recognize the scent as one Miguel sometimes wore. The two men seemed to share more than a mutual friend, she thought. Well, at least they had good taste, though she couldn't imagine Miguel spending his hard-earned salary on such extravagances. More believable of the Commander who, as Miguel pointed out, was a ladies man.

  Ladies man wasn’t a characterization she would apply to Miguel even though she knew women were attracted to him. Maybe she knew less about Miguel than she realized, a slightly disturbing thought under the circumstances. She dismissed the notion and turned her full attention on the Commander who seemed almost jubilant as he crossed behind the desk and settled into his leather chair.

  "Bueno, Maestra, Maestro," he effused, "my superiors agree this case warrants investigation by the state authorities and they've placed me in charge. I hope that pleases you and I also hope I can resolve this unfortunate matter to everyone's satisfaction. You realize the investigation will require some of your time?"

  "Yes, of course," Miguel responded first, apparently relieved for an excuse to say something. "We'll assist you in any possible way, although I'm afraid we have two busy days ahead of us. Later this morning, we're scheduled to meet our compatriots in Cuamantla and drive to Pedro's home village of San Juan Zocatlo for the funeral services this afternoon. I expect the ceremonies will last into the night, so we won't be back until sometime tomorrow. At the moment, though, we're at your service."

  Disappointment crossed the Commander's face. "It's imperative in an investigation such as this to begin immediately. Yesterday might be too late. Perhaps I can begin by interviewing the Maestra about the events of last evening?"

  Anna agreed, expressing her reservations as well. "We have to catch the bus to Apizaco in time to meet our colleagues in Cuamantla at eleven. Is half an hour enough? Actually, there isn't a lot to tell. As I explained to the Comandante in Belén earlier this morning, I went straight to bed last night shortly after Miguel left, about ten o'clock or so."

  The Commander cocked an eyebrow at Miguel then turned his attention back to Anna, a slight frown on his handsome face. She rushed on with her story in rapid fire Spanish, determined to allow neither man's reaction to distract her. Miguel listened as intently as the Commander. "Finally," she said, pausing to catch her breath at the end of her story, "we have the DVD and the list of suspects with us, but we can return tomorrow if you need more time."

  Cortez smiled and raised his hand to stop her narrative. "I have a suggestion. Rather than waiting until tomorrow, perhaps I can review the DVD right now and look over your lists. Then, instead of catching a bus to Cuamantla, I'll drive you there, which will allow us a few extra minutes. In these affairs, time is a precious commodity. Even one day can result in the loss of significant pieces of evidence. The memory of witnesses dulls quickly." Commander Cortez looked from Anna to Miguel with a quizzical expression.

  "Whatever you wish is fine with me, amigo," Miguel said.

  "And me," Anna added.

  "Then let me look over the names on your list of suspects. Did you say you compiled separate lists?"

  Anna reached into her backpack and retrieved her list. "It doesn't matter," she said handing the paper to Cortez before Miguel could respond. "You don't need both, they're exactly alike."

  Miguel spoke up. "I believe the Maestra is trying to protect me." He handed over his own list. "You see, this list contains my name, which is missing from the Maestra's list."

  Cortez frowned again, "I don't understand."

  "As the video shows, a number of people came and went after Pedro entered the rose garden behind the school, the place where we found his body. I was one of those people. The Maestra has decided that I'm an innocent party. She's correct in assuming my innocence, but I prefer to be placed on the list so my innocence can be demonstrated in due course." Anna shot him an agitated look, annoyed that he hadn't listened to her and withheld his list.

  "I see," Cortez said, with a note of sympathy. "What a predicament for both of you. Perhaps under the circumstances, I should meet only with the Maestra. That will prevent any undue embarrassment to you my friend, and also avert any appearance of personal bias on my part should events turn against us in some way."

  Anna started to protest, but Miguel quickly agreed with the Commander. "Sí, amigo, I'll leave you now to run a few errands of my own before I catch the bus to Cuamantla." Addressing Anna, he added, "and I'll meet up with you at the school for our trip to Zocatlo. Don't worry. You're in good hands here, you can trust my friend," he said, rising to shake hands with Cortez. "Since the Commander is driving you to Cuamantla, I'll leave your crutches here. Hasta luego."

  Before Anna could collect her thoughts, Miguel left the room. She overheard him talking with the receptionist on his way out, but to her dismay she couldn't hear a word of their conversation.

  Chapter 37

  Cortez tried to gauge Anna's reaction to Miguel's absence but her demeanor provided no clues. Miguel's emotions were an easier read. Clearly, he was enamored with the pretty Americana. Well, why not? She was charming if a little on the serious side, but that was a breath of fresh air these days. Too many young women cared more about the color of their fingernails than assisting the poor or improving society, goals that brought lasting satisfaction from the Commander's point of view, not that he opposed a good time, but everything in moderation. Dedication and hard work mattered more to him.

  "Maestra," he said returning to the business at hand, "please follow me." Cortez led Anna to a carpeted basement room equipped with a black Sony television set and DVD player. He switched on both, stopping and starting the player each time another question occurred to him. His observations were discriminating as he ferreted out additional suspects. Whether he favored one over another, he kept it to himself and gave everyone the same degree of scrutiny, including Miguel.

  §

  Anna answered as many questions as she could, given her limited knowledge of the villagers who appeared in each frame.

  Cortez was conducting their session in a reserved business-like fashion, his manner decidedly more circumspect than in the presence of Miguel. Must be another machismo thing, Anna thought with relief. Reviewing yesterday's events was difficult, and the ride to Cuamantla would be more comfortable if Cortez abandoned his flirtatiousness.

  By 9:45, she and the Commander had reviewed the DVD twice. "This is a good start," he announced, checking his watch. "If we're to keep you on schedule, we should wrap up now and head for Cuamantla, but I'd like to hold onto this DVD for later viewing."

  "No problem, Commander, I have another copy thanks to my next door neighbor."

  "And who is that?"

  "Sr. David Portillo. I don't know the name of his friend who made the copies, only that he owns a computer store near Tlaxcala and the two men are compadres."

  "I think I know who that might be. Do you know if either man kept a copy?"

  "Only my neighbor, for safe keeping. Is that important?"

  "Probably not, Maestra. Give me a few minutes to collect my things and we'll be on our way." The Commander smiled his heartstopping smile. "You might arrive in Cuamantla before Miguel."

  Anna sat in th
e reception area waiting and trying to balance her crutches against the arm of the chair so they wouldn't clatter to the floor. She appreciated Sr. Portillo's thoughtfulness, but the crutches were a burden and she considered asking the Commander to stop off at her house so she could deposit the crutches, since they would pass by Belén on the way to Cuamantla.

  The Commander's secretary filed her nails and chatted cordially with Anna. Only because no attractive men were in sight, Anna decided. On hearing Cortez approach, the woman dropped her emery board into the top desk drawer and opened the filing cabinet pretending to organize papers. Cortez stopped at her desk and explained he would be gone for most of the morning but expected to return around lunchtime. She was to take messages and leave them on his desk. Anything urgent should be directed to Agent Jimenez, he told her.

  "Ready, Maestra?"

  Cortez added her crutches to his gear and waved her through the doorway behind the receptionist's desk. In the parking lot, he stopped beside a new black Honda sedan noticeably absent of police department markings.

  "This is my personal car, Maestra," he said, anticipating her question. "I'm looking after your reputation. This way, you won't have to arrive in Cuamantla in a state police car," he grinned, holding the car door while she settled in.

  Chapter 38

  On the ride to Cuamantla Anna found herself warming up to the Commander. He had a way of putting people at ease. She often felt inexperienced in dealing with attractive men probably because she spent too much time with her books. Of her two serious relationships, the most recent ended badly and the other simply changed over time from infatuation to a platonic friendship. She hoped her next serious relationship would be the kind that begins with friendship and turns into love, since she knew lasting relationships were based in friendship. She wondered about her friendship with Miguel and whether it was that kind of friendship.