Corruption's Price: A Spanish Deceit

by Charles Brett

  "Before we go back, Señora, have you thought about what you wish to do?"

  "I have. But may I ask you some questions, Señoría, which I hope you'll be able to answer before making my response?"

  "I'll try."

  "Was obtaining the copy of my smartphone deliberate?"

  "No. It seems to have been an accident, originating with your request to charge your smartphone's battery. The unpredictable element was that you and Señora Certaldo use the same software."

  "How ..." Marta pondered how fate rested on such little things. "That's all I wish to ask at this point."

  She looked at her lawyer who opened his hands as if to indicate it was up to her now.

  "I will cooperate with your investigation, Señoría."

  "Thank you, Señora." Juez Garibey continued: "You'll want to know what happens next. In a few minutes we'll go back in to the Sala. I'll ask the same question and hopefully you'll give the same answer."

  Marta smiled wanly at that.

  "Afterwards I will ask you to accompany one of the people from the CNP assisting my investigation to wherever they choose to explore the details. You will not be under arrest but will likely be under supervision at a hotel until your evidence is complete. Depending on what emerges afterwards will determine the succeeding steps."

  "Now that I've agreed to cooperate, may I ask my other question?"

  "You can try me."

  "Alfredo, Señor Gómez, obtained the laptop from which I charged my smartphone. I don't know how he did that nor did I know he planned to obtain it. Do you know how Señor Gómez learnt about the smartphone copy? And, if he was able to take the laptop within hours of the copy being made if your dates this morning were correct, how do you still possess the copy?"

  "I think that's several questions. The first is a good one. I don't know and if you did not tell Señor Gómez we must examine this afresh. Thank you for the insight. As for the second, as I understand it, Señora Certaldo made a backup of her laptop in the interval between realising what she'd done and before the laptop was stolen, though she did not tell anyone except her old boss at Interpol. For a while the CNP thought the evidence had disappeared with the laptop. That it hadn't is due entirely to Señora Certaldo's precautions."

  "May I request to not having to deal with Señora Certaldo face to face? It would be hard, and hurt too much."

  "I think that should be possible. You will, I suspect, be dealing more with the CNP and Señora Romagnolo who is the forensic accountant."

  Marta acknowledged all that Juez Garibey had described. She had agreed to cooperate. She was defeated.

  Tuesday: San Lorenzo de El Escorial

  The elder boy welcomed Isidoro after he let himself into the house, while the younger told him he looked ill.

  Isidoro entered the kitchen. Consolación took one glance and drew the same conclusion. She headed for the chilled wine.

  "You need something. Is this strong enough? Do you prefer a whisky?"

  "This will do just fine."

  He pulled her towards him and slowly she felt life return. It pleased her that so quickly she could have this effect.

  "Tell me?" she said.

  "Later. When the children have gone to bed."

  "I'll chase them there now. You sit down."

  Half an hour later, longer than intended, she found Isidoro in front of the television news.

  Isidoro pointed at the screen. "There's our delightful Presidente del Gobierno pontificating about how Spain is a modern democracy where the rule of law is respected. Yet only this morning he was demanding I manipulate our legal system to extricate him from his mess."

  "But isn't he honest? That's what everyone says."

  "On a personal level, from what I've observed, I would have to agree. I haven't seen any hint of pedalling decisions for money, influence or anything like that. That he's wealthy, though not rich, no doubt helps, plus his wife earns decent pay as a senior hospital administrator. Unlike several of his colleagues in government, from the PC and la Piz, I agree that he shows no signs of greed or self-engorgement. Some of those colleagues, by the way, display a greediness that astonishes by its blatancy. Not him. So no, I do not think of him as corrupt in the normal sense.

  "In the power sense he's as bad as any other politician. Nothing pleases him more than to shuffle people around, to be lord and master. That's not a trait that I've ever liked and always wondered at Hernando's tolerance for it?"

  "He knew it was part of the price to pay for reaching a position from where he could achieve. He was terrified about succumbing to the seduction of power. You know the sign by the front door?"

  "The one with Lord Acton's 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely'?"

  "Yes. I had that copy made as a birthday present. His original, which I still have, he hung on the wall or door by where he took his morning crap. Unfortunately it fell in one day, hence the copy. He explained he kept it there to remind him of the dangers during the one moment in the day when he was uninterruptable and so could reflect in peace on its accuracy and wisdom."

  Isidoro laughed loud and long. Consolación delighted in his simple enjoyment of her story. It had taken her many months after Hernando's death to decide not only did she want to share herself with Isidoro but that Hernando would approve. Isidoro would never know how much courage it had taken for her to ask him. That was her secret.

  But the moment it was said Consolación knew she was right, despite not knowing until the day after how he would respond. Had that happened only a few days ago? It felt like months.

  "... his problem, and mine, is that he does not want to make decisions, especially hard ones. Time and time again he prefers to wait, always intoning: 'first do no harm'. He has a point. Often doing nothing turns out well. To me, though, he lacks the instinct to know which situations demand decisiveness. Today was like that. He wanted to sweep everything under some bureaucratic carpet, never to see the light of day again."

  "Still talking of Juan Pastor Nieves?"

  "Sadly, yes. Sorry. I need to let out clouds of accumulated steam."

  Consolación fluttered her fingers to indicate he should continue. Internally she rejoiced that he was talking. Too often he did not. Bottled frustration rarely produced satisfaction.

  "No, he simply will not accept what we've all been trying to tell him, namely that corruption is in danger of becoming endemic. It is not institutional here, part of the fabric of life, as it is in Italy – yet. But we're edging ever closer. "

  Isidoro stood. He needed to stretch.

  "Hernando was absolutely right to see corruption as a contagion to fear. Juan Pastor Nieves takes the opposite view – either it barely exists or it doesn't matter. I'm never sure if this is because he himself has never personally encountered it. That may sound extraordinary but the truth is neither have I, not directly."

  "What? Not even in the town hall or paying cash to avoid taxes? Are you serious?"

  "You're right. We all see that and connive. No, I meant 'big corruption' where large sums of money are exchanged to buy influence or win contracts or determine decisions. I guess I'm an innocent or too insignificant. Nobody has ever approached me. If this is true for me it could be the same for Pastor Nieves, which might explain his head being in the sand. Or it might be that he's too afraid of the political consequences for himself, which would also fit."

  "Insignificant? You? More like obviously incorruptible."

  "Yet I'm never convinced I am. It was another of Hernando's qualities and he made the most of it."

  "He certainly offended those who didn't match up to his standards. You saw how it hurt him when he had to discard old colleagues and friends when they didn't satisfy his expectations for honesty. He knew they would never forgive him. Once you call into question a person's trust, especially in politics or business, it's usually near impossible to resurrect."

  "In that you're right, cariño. Yet that still doesn't explain why this el P
residente behaves as he does."

  "Maybe it's as simple as you say; a combination of never needing to confront serious corruption with a mentality that prefers to act like an ostrich. Not exactly an encouraging pairing in today's world."

  "Too right. Anyhow, I feel better. I haven't solved anything but you comfort me. Thank you."

  "As long as you seriously think about what I suggested the other day."

  "About finding another job? I am. I even made some discreet enquiries today. Apparently I can retire rather favourably, despite not doing my full number of years. Another form of corruption? Probably. Or, how would you and the boys feel if I aspired to become an ambassador? Would you come with me? It wouldn't likely be anywhere grand, such as Paris or Washington. Panama? I'm pretty sure that'll be becoming available."

  Isidoro chuckled to himself.

  His suggestion took Consolación by surprise. Could it happen?

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Worms Emerge

  Saturday: Malasaña

  Emilia woke late. The past week had been demanding as she drove the team on to analyse the M-Out accounts. With the additional dimensions that Márquez was now providing, combined with the powers that Juez Garibey and Pedro brought to obtaining backing information, the M-Out accounts were beginning to unravel. What made matters easier, in some ways, was that there were comparatively few transactions with an immediately obvious audit trail. In hindsight the Cardarzob reference had been a lucky break, as well as sufficient to tip Márquez into becoming a source rather than an obstacle.

  She had confirmed that 'sob-' or 'sobr-' was indeed her shorthand for envelopes – apparently white A5 ones were her preference, particularly those bought from the Carlin stationery chain because they were especially opaque. Her preference was to make payments in 500 and 200 euro notes as they were less bulky.

  Emilia had also done some calculations. She had not reached a definitive conclusion but it looked like millions of euros had been recycled by Márquez over the years. This was before accounting for her slice to pay for her efforts, which in turn explained the glossy house pictured in the gossip magazine.

  Emilia's next task, once they had matched names assigned to all the M-Out code names, was to create a monster spreadsheet wherein she could calculate how much each individual name had allegedly accepted. That should be interesting. It had already proved so for the names that Pedro said had come from Ana and Davide's work.

  Davide and Ana. A different chain of thoughts floated upwards. What were they doing? Pedro refused to be specific. He merely said they 'were under protection', whatever that meant.

  What he did make clear was the two had been isolated as a preventative measure. He did not think this would last much longer as the fat would almost certainly be in the public fire before long. The decision was up to Juez Garibey.

  Caterina was beside herself, as usual. When Davide was around she didn't want to see him. When he wasn't she couldn't wait to see him. She was bundled contradictions personified, though worse than anything Emilia had ever seen back home.

  At times Emilia wondered why she bothered being with Caterina. After all, Emilia shared everything with Caterina, including offering her boyfriends and even girlfriends. That sharing was not reciprocated, as her failure to explain her Roman experiences proved. Maybe European travel together was a great idea not meant to progress.

  Yet thinking about it, it was not Caterina who was the real issue. It was Caterina and Davide, or Davide. No, Emilia couldn't really blame Davide. What had he done except fall for her crazy friend who was incapable of sustaining a relationship with a jar of Vegemite, never mind someone as patently decently patient as Davide?

  Why couldn't Caterina either grow up or at least lose her guilt or whatever it was that drove her to her absurdities? If she copied Emilia she could be having endless fun. Caterina was good-looking enough to attract whomever she chose. They would make a great pairing in any hunt for action.

  Last night had been a case in point. Emilia had wanted to go out to see what they might enjoy. Caterina had insisted on staying home in case Davide appeared. On top of that she had insisted Emilia keep her company. To cap it all, she spent the whole evening hashing and rehashing what Davide might or might not be doing, including with Ana.

  It had been too much after three hours. Emilia had gone to bed mentally to replay the pleasures of Klaus and Mila, whom she was meeting again tomorrow with the fun starting after lunch. Hmmm. Anticipated pleasures and all that. They were inventive though at times they stretched even Emilia's appetite. Fortunately they were also sensitive as to when a line might be crossed, or at least Mila was. Klaus was less so.

  She left her bedroom to make coffee. In the kitchen she found Caterina doing the same.

  "Do you have to strut around naked, Emilia? What if Davide or Ángela were here? Why must you always display yourself?"

  "Listen to the prude. Ángela is away this weekend. Davide's locked up with Ana or whatever. Who cares?"

  "Don't even suggest or insinuate that, you mean bitch! I can't bear the thought."

  "What are you referring to?"

  "That Davide's up to something with Ana. How could he? She must be a decade or more younger than him. How old do you think she is?"

  "Felipe reckons late twenties, like himself. She dresses and behaves that way, if you can remember being that young."

  Caterina pouted. "I guess so. So why would he be interested in her? She's all legs and like a bean pole."

  "She has a good bust. Not like you, you mean? Yes, she is leggy. But she's bright. Have you not noticed how breaks have come when she's involved? You know, you may be onto something that's never quite fitted together for me."

  "What are you inferring now?"

  "Nothing, except ... It's almost like she's too perfect."

  "You rotten, sour-faced, bi-sexual cow and occasional friend of mine! Please don't do this to me!"

  "I didn't mean it like that. Sorry. No. Could she be older than she seems?"

  "That's worse. Please don't go there."

  "Yes, it makes sense. There's a poise about her we never possessed in our twenties. I don't really have it now, though you do sometimes, like that evening just after we arrived and you dressed up for Davide. You stunned him, and me. I could see it in his eyes though it was almost as if he was recalling a treasured memory."

  "I wore similar clothes to those when I threw myself at him in Rome."

  "You what? You've never told me you did anything like that."

  Emilia was taken aback. Caterina had thrown herself at somebody?

  Reluctantly, now the story had escaped, Caterina told her of the evening when she made two proposals to him, after going out to have her hair colour changed and afterwards buying some truly sensuous Italian clothes to bring out the best in her.

  "Two proposals? You can't get married twice at once, can you?"

  "No, not like that. One was to become a partner in his business."

  "The other?"

  Caterina prevaricated.

  "Come on. What did you do? Threaten to jump into bed with him?"

  "Actually, yes."

  Emilia's jaw dropped for a moment before she said, "You really did?" Caterina nodded. "Good for you! You should do it more often. I'd never have believed it. So the prude does know how to misbehave. You just need more practice. Maybe we should do something tonight to help you along?"

  "I don't know how I had the nerve. I think it was being dressed like an Italian by an Italian. I felt so good that nothing could stop me."

  "So what happened next?"

  "That's where it all began to fall off the rails."

  Saturday: Madrid

  For the second time in a fortnight Pedro made his way to Juez Garibey's home. As before he was let in expeditiously but greeted this time by Garibey's wife on her way out to a hospital. They exchanged polite greetings before she told him that Rafa was in his study. He went in after opening the elevator door for her.
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  Garibey said to Pedro, "We've come a long way in a short time."

  "We have, Señoría, er, Rafa. The Australians have been a godsend. They deliver so fast that my people can barely keep up. And there's Ana who's provided that extra dimension to open the door to you cracking Señora Márquez."

  "And Davide?"

  "An intriguing question. I'm never sure. It's as if he's a natural catalyst. He doesn't seem to do anything particular yet things happen when he's around. If it wasn't for him, Caterina and Emilia wouldn't be here and we'd never have the copy of the M-In and M-Out accounts, and so on."

  "With Ana?"

  "That's more complicated. I'm even less certain. I have this odd sensation that she rises to her capabilities because of him. The catalyst effect again? In the family we've all known for years that she's astonishingly clever, but she never came good as we expected. She always underplays herself." Pedro shook his head in disbelief.

  "No one can work out why. For example, why on earth is she working at ORS dressed like a twenty-five-year-old? Anyway, all have and still are delivering. How shall we proceed?"

  Juez Garibey reflected on his actions from yesterday and said, "I've started issuing summonses to people to explain to me. On Tuesday my questions will be Church-related. On Wednesday, business-related, while afterwards it'll be time to start on the politicians.

  "One point, Pedro, to note is that those already cited are merely a selection from those who will follow. Put another way, I want to reinforce the credibility of the M-Out entries to the point where, hopefully, the authenticity of entries is no longer disputed."

  "Have you any special reason for that sequence? Do you expect to bring everybody to a trial at some point?"

  "On the first, not really, other than Cardarzob was the initial 'clue'. As for the second, I'm unsure. One aspect that bothers me is what might occur if so many are simultaneously declared imputados for the criminal acts alleged against them? I can't think of any equivalent mass accusation in a modern society. Can you?"