Corruption's Price: A Spanish Deceit

by Charles Brett

  "Señora Certaldo is travelling with a fellow Australian named Emilia Romagnolo who trained alongside Señora Certaldo but in forensic accounting. Both are on leave from their respective Australian police authority employers. They met with Davide Shape because Señora Certaldo worked with him at the Vatican and he introduced them to ORS, though for what reason I am not yet certain. It's probably not relevant though I will check."

  "That's some cast you've assembled. Only one is Spanish so far. Carry on."

  "Last Friday ORS was visited by a Señora Márquez, who'd asked to meet ORS to discuss the amounts that ORS is claiming, on behalf of its clients MMH, ServiArquitectos and Constructores Equilibris, from Señora Márquez's client, FyP. You know, the combined pharmacy and para-pharmacy chain?"

  "I do indeed. My wife keeps it going from what our bank account tells me," responded Juez Garibey somewhat dourly. "How much were these three clients claiming from FyP?"

  "I believe in the region of something a bit more than three quarters of a million euros in total, when added up over the past five years."

  "A decent sized sum. I assume that your ORS takes a percentage of whatever it can find and return to its clients?"

  "Exactly. Now we come to the strange aspect." Pedro recounted the incident where Marta charged her phone on Catrina's laptop, including all the backup, private photos, and such like, which were later discovered. He also named everyone else involved.

  "I am amazed, Pedro. This is more like a circus you have assembled. So what do you want me to do?"

  "First I'd like you to meet each of my 'initial players' to form your own view, followed by opening a formal investigation, authorising us to operate under your remit.

  "I would also like, if you approve, to request the Australian employers of Señoras Certaldo and Romagnolo to second them to assist us here in Spain. This would bring them formally under a legal umbrella as well as make their specialist competences available.

  "Finally, I'd like you to ask ORS to make its resources available, including both Señor Garcia-Martín and my cousin. If you're puzzled by me involving ORS it's because I want to ensure an absolute lockdown on what we may find until we know what we have. Regrettably, working from the ORS offices may be more secure than from our own, if you understand my drift."

  "Sadly I do. Okay. I'm not agreeing yet. Let me meet the members of your international circus. They are here? How do you want to do it?"

  Wednesday: Malasaña

  They regrouped at Davide's piso in the early evening, for that was closer to the Sala of the Audiencia Nacional, and far quicker to reach than going back all the way out to Alcobendas. All were feeling more than a little strung-out, as it wasn't every day you faced a senior Juez de Instrucción.

  Pedro began with, "Now that I have instructions from Juez Garibey we can proceed. This is what I suggest. First of all, it's going to take time for Juez Garibey's request to reach Australia and later for the relevant authorities to decide."

  "I wouldn't bet on it," muttered Emilia, none too quietly.

  "In any case, thank you, Emilia and Caterina, for agreeing for us to make the requests for you to be seconded and join our investigative team. As the Juez made clear, we believe doing it this way will assist greatly with the legal formalities. I'll be delighted to have you on the team. You'll save us much time given your expertise and experience."

  Both tried to look modest and pleased, yet failed dismally. Each loved the idea of being invited and paid to do something from which they obtained real professional pleasure, and in Madrid. Doing it formally was much better than informally, though there would inevitably be bureaucratic constraints attached.

  "In addition, I'll need time to organise my own resources. I am, therefore, suggesting that you take a long weekend starting from tomorrow. We'll reconvene next Monday at the ORS offices in Alcobendas. From whenever I can arrange it I'll add discreet policing for the building and for the ORS office.

  "I should also apologise, Caterina. It didn't occur to me that Juez Garibey might want to see your laptop and that simulated phone on it. I thought the paper printouts we prepared would be sufficient, which they were, though he was clearly disappointed."

  "Not to worry, Pedro. Actually, it would've been more convenient for me if I'd brought my laptop to the Sala, because I could've brought it back here to work with tomorrow and over the weekend."

  "In fact, no. Even if you had brought it with you I would've asked that we keep it somewhere safe, though that will remove you from your favourite 'toy'. I hope you won't mind a few days deprivation, meaning you'll have some enforced time off from it. In Alcobendas it'll be safe until we do as agreed, and move from your simulated version over to running copies on actual smartphones identical to those that Señora Márquez uses. This we can do on Monday and, once working, you can have your laptop back.

  "Moving on to you, Felipe. Presumably you need to keep ORS running and won't want to take tomorrow and Friday off."

  "I'd love to take tomorrow off. You've maybe forgotten that Friday's a holiday in Madrid, as my staff has been only too happy to tell me. I may pop into the office tomorrow, but shall try not to. It can tick over for a day without me, especially if Ana will go in the morning. Will you, Ana?"

  "So I get the short straw? All right, that's okay with me providing you don't mind me leaving as usual by early afternoon."

  Felipe was at his most magnanimous in agreeing. This extracted a sour expression from Ana, which everyone but Felipe noticed. The latter was not winning consideration brownie points today.

  Pedro said, "You're right. I had forgotten Madrid has Friday off. That makes many things simpler. I'll come to ORS tomorrow and perhaps take Ana out to lunch and home afterwards."

  Ana perked up at this, thanking Pedro, while deliberately not including Felipe in her smile.

  "That leaves Emilia and Davide. I imagine that you'll want to take the same opportunity as Caterina?"

  "Ripper!" gushed Emilia. She almost blurted out to Caterina: "Would you and Davide kindly bugger off? That'd leave the piso for me and Alberto." Fortunately she managed to refrain. These were topics not for general airing. What she did say was, "Ana, didn't you mention living nearby here?" Ana nodded. "Maybe we can get together over the long weekend, if you don't have plans?"

  "I don't. That'd be good. Let's speak tomorrow or Friday to arrange something."

  Pedro, after mentioning having to leave to start the official paperwork, addressed Felipe and Ana: "Do either of you want a lift? I'm going to ask for a car to take me to my office. I can drop you off or get it to drop you off afterwards."

  Both Ana and Felipe accepted. The three of them left about five minutes later.

  Davide returned from the kitchen with a bottle of Prosecco, saying, "This is all we have at the moment. I'm not sure a celebration's in order but who cares? In any case, I like Prosecco, though it can be difficult to find in Madrid. Will you join me?"

  Glasses were filled and they sat down together.

  "This has been some week," said Emilia. "I wouldn't have believed it, or that we may yet be back on a payroll."

  "We don't know yet," half-contradicted Caterina. "In any case, what shall we do with our spare time?"

  A pregnant pause developed. Nobody wanted to be the first to suggest anything until Caterina eventually took pity.

  "You want to see Alberto, don't you? And Ana? And you'd much rather Davide and I made ourselves scarce?"

  Emilia went bright pink. It was a shockingly unflattering colour. If Davide was taken aback, Caterina was astonished. This was not an Emilia she recognised.

  "Yes to the first, and it'd be nice for the second. I was only trying to be friendly to Ana after Felipe's horrid treatment of her just now."

  To Caterina's, and Emilia's, surprise, Davide chipped in with, "Nevertheless, it was the right thing to do, Emilia. Well done! I also may be able to spare you further blushes."

  Nonetheless, she turned pink again.

  "T
ío Toño asked me to visit him in Marbella this holiday weekend. As Emilia wants to be spoken for, would you like to join me, Caterina?"

  Emilia stared intensely at her best friend. If looks could manufacture instant decisions ... Instead Caterina replied with a serene thank you, asking for time to think about it.

  "You miserable cow!" expostulated Emilia. "You're just doing this to wind me up, aren't you? Admit it."

  All of a sudden Emilia wondered if she was being unkind. Perhaps Caterina had her doubts about accompanying Davide. Maybe she was being unreasonable in expecting her friend to leave her in peace.

  Caterina projected innocence. In reality she was happy to needle Emilia. At the same time her uncertainty regarding Davide and his invitation was genuine. It was an opportunity to be with him. Yet she felt puzzled about her feelings.

  Thursday: Isidoro

  'Manners Makyth Man' was the motto given by William of Wykeham to New College, Oxford when he founded it in 1379. For the fourteenth century this was a revolutionary statement, first because it was expressed not in Latin but in the English vernacular, and second because it suggested that behaviour should count more than birth. Isidoro remembered being introduced to this when attending an international civil servant development course. He ground his teeth.

  He'd just come from the presence of the Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo, the head of the Catholic Church in Spain. His Eminence was from an ancient family with social pretensions far greater than its remaining wealth. But, in the Cardinal, they had an astute though rigidly reactionary advocate who did his utmost to ensure that nothing changed. Whether it was birth control, social mobility, same-sex marriage, or violencia de género (where men abused and even killed women) he made sure he was in the right place to create blocks to any initiative that might address the underlying problem. He was also notoriously greedy.

  Isidoro despised the priest for his attitudes. Unfortunately, Juan Pastor Nieves thought the Cardinal Archbishop was rectitude and reasonableness personified. If His Eminence wanted the Prime Minister to bark, or purr, all he had to do was ask. Seeking an audience, which is what had occurred today, was child's play.

  In the meeting at Moncloa, for the Cardinal Archbishop had been gracious enough to visit mammon rather than demand el Presidente del Gobierno attend himself in the archiepiscopal palace in Toledo, the prelate had raised concerns about enquiries into the behaviour of members of the Church. Notwithstanding the proven instances of child abuse in Ireland, the United States, Holland and many other countries, the sole concern of His Eminence was to ensure that his good friend Juan would squash any possibility of any enquiry into such happenings in Spain. And, by the way, "it would 'help the Church enormously' if the lies about the Catholic priests facilitating the removal of babies born to undesirable Republican mothers to give to responsible though childless Nationalist mothers could be made to disappear".

  Purely by coincidence, of course, he had raised three specific instances where he was sure el Presidente del Gobierno would want to move to ensure enquiries made no progress. That these had occurred in Pastor Nieve's native Asturias was surely no coincidence.

  To Isidoro's disbelief and horrified astonishment el Presidente del Gobierno had rolled over, offering no resistance or even deferral to, or respect for, legal procedure. Instead he had assured His Eminence that he would do whatever he could to see that nothing continued.

  What shocked Isidoro even more was his prime minister's lack of empathy with any of those who might have suffered. Pastor Nieves' approach appeared to be based on acceptance of the Cardinal Archbishop's assertion that priests could not behave immorally and were, therefore, incapable of doing wrong so there could be no need to investigate anything. This was typical of Pastor Nieves head-in-sand approach. It repelled Isidoro.

  Before the Cardinal Archbishop departed, he had gallantly held forth his hand to be kissed by Isidoro, who declined to the manifest disapproval of Pastor Nieves. The latter, instead, had bowed reverentially to press his lips to the cardinalatial ring.

  Isidoro decided to try dissuading Pastor Nieves in private. His arguments fell on closed ears. Just as with other unwelcome issues, like corruption, Juan Pastor Nieves simply did not believe it mattered or that there was anything which needed doing now or in the future.

  Leaving the Prime Minister, Isidoro felt despair crashing over him. His task was to assist his head of government. The latter, when anything did not suit his predisposition, merely ignored what he hoped would wash away with the next tide.

  What should he do? How Isidoro wished Hernando hadn't died.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Uncertainties Continue Breeding

  Thursday: from Madrid to Marbella

  Davide had decided not to take the high speed AVE train from Madrid to Málaga. It was certainly the fastest and most comfortable way, only taking about three hours. The snag came after that, moving from Málaga to Marbella some sixty kilometres further south west along the coast towards Gibraltar. This meant either taking a bus, which was unpleasant, or renting a car. In the end he had decided that for two renting was simpler, cheaper, plus more flexible. They could visit other places and drop the car back in Alcobendas on Monday morning.

  He had gone out and done the paperwork at Atocha before returning to pick up Caterina. By calling her just before he arrived in Malasaña she was ready with both their overnight bags. They set off to negotiate the Thursday traffic out of Madrid before joining the A4 south towards Jaén, to skirt Málaga before heading onto Marbella. Tío Toño had been surprised (and audibly intrigued) that Davide was finally coming, and with a lady in tow.

  After about 50 kilometres Davide turned off the A4, much to Caterina's initial puzzlement. She had kept silent until Davide drove into a place called Valdemoro and subsequently onto Seseña. After this brief excursion he re-joined the A4.

  It took Caterina another ten or so kilometres before she said, "Was that by any chance an example of one of the concrete cities that Felipe mentioned?"

  "Congratulations! Right first time. I'd never seen one in practice and thought we should. Hope you didn't mind."

  "Yes and no."

  "Meaning?"

  "I'd no idea of the scale of such concrete hell. Felipe's description was abstract. Having driven through I'm astonished by the hubris of the developers. Who would want to live there? Where would they work? How would they get to work? Madrid's is a long way from there. I assume that in summer places like that must bake under the sun and freeze in winter."

  "Pretty much so, as I understand it. I confess to being both intimidated and appalled. How can people have conceived of ..."

  Davide's voice trailed away, unable to think of anything to add.

  "Davide, I've got two questions, one of which I've been meaning to ask for some days and the other from yesterday."

  She glanced at him. He was concentrating on driving but nodded she should continue.

  "Okay, let me start with the second. What do you think about what's happening at ORS?"

  "I wish I knew. I don't, but I may have an inkling. Actually, this was another reason to accept tío Toño's invitation."

  Davide's thoughts drifted back to his discussion with Juez Garibey. The more he reflected, the more he felt something was missing or that, equally, he had failed to spot an element staring him in the face. What it was he didn't know. It was as if there existed an extended dimension. In fact, almost since he had started to help ORS, he had felt this. In part it was why he had asked Caterina to Madrid, and been equally surprised that she agreed, not that he had expected the sex-crazed Emilia (if he believed Caterina's). Yet neither been able to help so far, other than to copy someone else's phone in error.

  No, something was out of sync. He hoped that tío Toño might provide him with a different insight. It was exasperating.

  "You've disappeared on me, Davide."

  "Sorry, Cat. Whoops! Sorry again, Caterina. Yes, I recall all too clearly how you shrivelled Conor for call
ing you Cat. That was fun to watch, except for him.

  Caterina remembered. She had been fed up with her boss always calling her Cat and had thrown a verbal book at him, accompanied with her iciest expression. Looking back, she wondered at her nerve. Normally she was not one to pick fights or to argue with her superiors. Yet this was also what she thought she might have to do with Davide. It was her own uncertainties that were making her ever more irritable.

  "Well?"

  "I have this odd discomfort that Ana knows something more that she shared with Pedro but not us. I wonder what it could be."

  "Now you say it, I have the same sensation. You know, I think it's bound up with those photos, and perhaps something else."

  "I wish we had your laptop with us and were able to show some of what was on the phone to tío Toño. It's a pity we had to leave it in Alcobendas."

  Caterina opened her mouth but snapped it shut immediately. No, she decided not to say anything.

  Instead she offered: "I also wish I had my laptop with me. Just a tablet and smartphone isn't enough, especially when you have your laptop. I feel naked."

  "I sympathise. I'd hate to not have mine. Can you last the next few days?"

  "With difficulty; great difficulty. If I'm sulky you know why."

  "With me, possibly. With tío Toño ... If he likes you he'll make you feel the most perfect woman in the world. I'm sure he will."

  "And if he doesn't?"

  "He will. There's nothing he prefers more than beautiful female company. You more than qualify. I'll be lost within a dim shade outside of which only you and he will shine. Just you wait."

  "Davide, you are a cretin at times. Yet you do have a way with words. I'm now flattered, embarrassed and apprehensive all at once. How can I match up to such expectations?"

  "Relax. He's an osito de peluche."

  "Osito de ...?"

  "Teddy bear. He'll be like putty before you ... just like I am."