Who is Shara Marst? (The Pireia files.)

by Ines Galiano

  After years of history of this organization, these documents could mean the end of an era, and it is estimated that almost a quarter of the population of Pireia could be involved.

  - What does this mean? - Lowe asked, the moment Shara looked up from the newspaper -. It is a lie!

  - You're right, Inspector - answered Shara -, I would say that the population involved amounts to more than a third.

  - Do not make fun of me - Lowe said - standing up -, I received a thousand calls this morning, including my boss's request for explanations.

  - But, Inspector, this is a great achievement for the police.

  - Yes, I know - the inspector realized that he fell in her trap agreeing with her, and shook his head, furiously.

  - But it's not true! We don’t have a single document!

  - Not yet - said Shara softly.

  Lowe looked at her as if she had gone mad and sat down again in front of her:

  - What does that mean?

  - We can reach an agreement, you know, inspector?

  Shara stared into his eyes and saw that the detective was obviously uncomfortable -. You do not have to take it badly.

  - I remind you that you are under arrest, miss, it does not suit you ... - Lowe was beginning to get nervous, and that way he was not going to listen, so she decided to explain it more clearly.

  - Look, you want to find Lisa Lewis's killer, right?

  - Yes, but ...

  - What about Eric Amat?

  - Yes ...

  - Well, listen to what I have to say.

  Lowe sighed and replied:

  - Go ahead.

  - You know, you and I have a common enemy right now. Red is your goal and I can help you find him and give you the evidence you need.

  - In exchange for? - Lowe asked, who had been negotiating for many years.

  - Red bothers me too. He bothers me so much that I'm willing to do anything to get it out of the way, she said, but added quickly when she noticed Lowe's reaction.

  - Within legal bounds, inspector. I do not want to resort to anything that is not within the law.

  Lowe looked at her suspiciously:

  - What does that have to do with the importance of those documents? That does not make the problems go away that just befell me.

  - Look - Shara sighed - I cannot fix things with your boss. However, I can explain the importance of the papers to you.

  - Please - the detective said impatiently.

  - My father owned records of many events in the organization, and I know that Red is looking for them.

  - Looking for them?

  - Yes, he thinks that if he finds them he will have something to accuse me of. Moreover, that it will give him great power within the organization.

  You see, - Shara whispered -, those papers contain all the names and information that matters. Owning them is like owning the throne. Everyone is afraid that these papers will come to light.

  - Miss, do you realize that as a police inspector I am forced to confiscate such papers? - Shara looked at him in amazement.

  - You have not understood anything.

  - Yes, I understood that you are confessing that you have certain documents that ...

  - I'm not confessing anything, I'm talking to you as a friend.

  - A friend?

  - Yes. As soon as we go out that door this conversation will be erased from my memory.

  - How ...?

  - Do not try to repeat my words, because it will be your word against mine. And know one thing, in this city my word still has more value than yours.

  Lowe sat up uncomfortably in the metal chair.

  - It’s funny you say that, because I remind you that you're under arrest.

  The inspector was trying to control the situation, but Shara could see that he was not entirely convinced of his words. She could clearly see the crack in his security facade.

  - And now, - Lowe added -, tell me about that damn article. Who has published it?

  - I have - she answered calmly. -

  - You? - Yes. - Being locked up here?

  - I have many eyes everywhere.

  - I see.

  - The important thing is not who has published it but why.

  - And why ...?

  - When Red reads the article, which I trust will be very soon, he will believe that you have the documents and that I have the key.

  - Yes, that I grasped too.

  - It will mean that he has lost everything, He will only loose time looking for them, and his only way out is to ask me for forgiveness.

  - You or me uttered Lowe?

  - And the same will happen with the boys, I would not be surprised if they started coming to see me.

  - But you're under arrest

  - That's not what the article says.

  - No, of course not. Lowe stood up again and looked out of the window. Biting his lips, he said:

  - So I'm stuck in the middle of a fight for the leadership of a street gang.

  - Do not say that with such bitterness, inspector.

  - And in appearance I have the papers that show their activity during the history of the city

  - Well, that is collateral damage. The inspector looked at her again.

  - You must understand that I also have a reputation to maintain.

  - And that's where my help is convenient, Lowe - said Shara, happy that they were finally arriving at a common point of interest within the conversation -. You now need some papers that I am able to give you.

  - In exchange for arresting Red?

  - For example.

  - How do I know that all this is true? That you are not the murderer of Lisa Lewis and that you are not trying to blame the dead man to someone else?

  - You cannot know.

  - I see.

  The two were silent for a few minutes. A soft knock on the door made the inspector get up. Looking at Shara and wondering if he should get her out of his chair, he went to the door and opened it halfway.

  Shara could see one of the two agents who always accompanied him on the other side of the door. The agent looked at her, nervously, and then addressed his boss.

  - They have identified the third body.

  - Good. I'll be with you right away ...

  - Some Ricardo it seems ....

  Shara jumped in the seat. Ricardo?

  But if Ricardo had been on Red's side from the beginning, how could it be that he was dead?

  - Had Red killed him?

  - I told you I'll be right there, she heard Lowe say, obviously annoyed that he had revealed the information in front of her.

  The inspector closed the door again and turned to the girl. let's say Red is the murderer of Lisa Lewis. And together we caught him. You will understand that I cannot overlook the existence of a criminal organization ...

  - When the head of the organization is arrested, there will be no organization.

  - And what about you?

  - I do not know what you are talking about. she looked at him, hesitating, but her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the telephone on the desk.

  Lowe picked up the receiver and tried to speak in a low voice. - Inspector Lowe speaking. - Sahara could not hear the conversation completely, because she did not hear what was being said at the other end of the line, but she was sure he was Lowe's boss., judging from his expression. Shara looked at him amused, trying to guess what he was saying.

  - Yes, we have already identified ... No, I still do not know anything about the papers mentioned in the article ... Yes, I understand. Do not get upset, I'm on it. Yes, the kidnapped old woman is also going to ... Yes, she's been arrested, I'm questioning her. Okay, yes, I understand. No, I do not think it's a good idea, I think the papers ... But that would not be very ethical ... All right, all right, do not yell. I'll do that, goodbye.

  Lowe hung up the receiver with disgust and looked at Shara as if she was the culprit of all her problems.

  - Okay, let's say I decide to preten
d that I have some papers that I do not have.

  - That's what your boss told you? - Shara laughed loudly -.

  - You see? He knows how to recognize a good idea.

  The inspector ignored her comment, and repeated:

  - Let's say I have the papers. Let's say we caught Red.

  - How would we do it?

  - Ah, you finally come to his senses - Shara replied, leaning back in her chair with a smile.

  Shara was humming in the waiting room of the police station. Although she was happy that David had been able to publish the article, there was still much work to be done. She expected Red to fall into the trap and stop looking for the papers, because she was not sure that they wouldn’t be found with a little more time. He wondered what they had done with Mrs. Rios and if she really remembered the place where the box was hidden. Would she tell Red? Although she had not spoken to him for years, she wanted to believe that he would not be able to betray the Marst like that. She waited about ten minutes until Inspector Lowe finally came out with Neil.

  Shara got up and went to meet him. Neil hugged her.

  - Come with me, please - said the detective's voice behind him. Neil and Shara followed him to a room at the end of the hall, where the two police officers who always followed Lowe were waiting for them.

  Shara looked at them, amused, and entered the room, followed by the others.

  In the center of the room was a large rectangular table in which a dozen separate objects had been deposited in plastic bags with labels. They looked like the objects of a woman, Shara thought, probably Lisa’s.

  - These are the things we found next to the body of Lisa Lewis, the detective said, confirming her suspicions. Is there anything you recognize?

  In silence Shara looked at the objects more closely.

  Neil did the same at his side. In a nearby bag, a silver necklace attracted attention. Shara noticed the embedded green stones, which looked like emeralds. She took the bag slowly, wondering if it would attract attention, but nobody said anything to her. Silently, she inspected the necklace and laughed softly.

  - What's the matter? - Lowe asked. Sahara turned around to look at him and showed him the bag with the necklace.

  - This necklace was not hers - she said, and then as to rectify -. Well, it should not be hers.

  - What do you mean?

  - It was my mother's.

  - Do you think your father could have given it to Lisa?

  - Shara snorted. - Possibly.

  - We think it's fake, - Lowe said.

  - A specialist has examined it.

  Sahara looked at the bag again and reluctantly she threw it back on the table.

  - Surely, she sold it for money.

  - Neil had been looking at another bag while Shara examined the necklace. It looked like an elongated wooden object. Shara went over to Neil to have a better look at it and he asked, handing her the bag:

  - Don’t you have a similar one?

  - Shara looked at the object and recognized the brush immediately. He read the engraved letters: L. M.

  - It cannot be - she whispered.

  - Yes? - The detective asked, somewhat angry to be left out of the conversation.

  - My father gave me a brush of the same type with the engraved letters. It said S.M. For Shara Marst.

  - Do you think that the letters of this brush mean Lisa Marst?

  A wave of fury hit her. Lisa Marst? Could it be true that they had married in silence? That her father had not told her?

  - Is there a marriage record between my father and Lisa? Answering the detective with another question.

  - No.

  - Then I do not know what he wants to say.

  - Is it possible that Marst had given it to her with the intention of proposing to her?

  - I ... - Shara started, but immediately she stopped herself, without knowing what to tell them.

  - I think it's not relevant to the case, okay? - She answered in bad manner.

  - Just try to help ... - whispered Neil.

  - Enough - said Shara, leaving the brush on the table again.

  She looked at the rest of the objects, but nothing else caught her attention.

  - Do you see anything that might have to do with the night of the murder? - The detective asked her, when it was obvious that she did not want to keep looking.

  - No.

  - What about the money? Why do you think Lisa would want to carry that much money on her?

  Shara shrugged and said simply,

  - You never know.

  - Well, sighed the detective, not happy with the disappointing result.

  - Do you want to see Ricardo's things now?

  Shara suddenly remembered hearing one of the other two policemen say that the body they had found in a container belonged to Ricardo. She had almost forgotten about it, focused on the hatred she has for this usurper.

  Shara nodded, and the detective reacted by gesturing to one of his companions, who left the room, while the other picked up the objects and put them carefully in a cardboard box. A few minutes later, Setti returned to the living room, carrying another similar cardboard box, which he placed on the table.

  They opened it between the two of them and took out some small objects, again packed in plastic bags.

  Shara looked at them in a surprised manner, as if reviewing the last objects of a dead person was a routine task.

  They removed the objects in full view before them, hoping that one of them would catch their attention or tell them something, and this time it was Neil who grimaced, looking at the last object.

  Setti, realizing that, stopped short, holding the bag in the air and handed it to him. Neil took it up with both hands and looked at it apprehensively. Shara tried to look over his shoulder, wanting to recognize it. In the bag was an elongated metal object, a knife stained with blood, which at first glance looked like a simple kitchen knife with a black handle.

  However, Shara knew it was not a normal knife. Neil handed it to her, telling everything with his eyes.

  - The murder weapon? - she asked the detective, with rage. Lowe nodded.

  - This knife - Shara explained aloud, noticing the detective's impatience -, was my father's.

  Lowe looked at her strangely, as if he did not understand:

  - Your father had a special knife?

  - Yes, look. Shara turned it around, and turning it towards the light, so the inspector could see the inscription.

  - See? These are his initials.

  - Did your father initial all his objects.

  - No, only the special ones, those that meant something.

  - This knife - the inspector asked, taking the bag between his hands, paling - has a story?

  - Yes, but I think you do not want to know - the girl replied.

  - Okay - Lowe said - this knife of your father ... How do you think it ended up in the hands of Red's group? Shara ducked her head, worried for the first time.

  - Really.

  - That's what I was wondering ... If they have that knife, it means that they are already in my house ... looking ...

  - For the documents - Neil completed, at her side.

  - Yes.

  - But - interrupted the detective -, we now have the documents, right? - He said, raising his eyebrows in the direction of the girl.

  Sahara looked at him again and sighed in reply.

  - What do you mean? - Neil asked.

  - David has published the article this morning - answered Shara.

  - Really? - Neil jumped, suddenly furious, before the astonished look of the policemen -. I told you it was not a good idea ...

  - I'll decide what is or is not a good idea - she snapped, tired of arguing.

  CHAPTER 15

  Betrayals

  Lowe took a deep breath. It was only five o'clock and they had already received more than thirty anonymous calls asking for Shara Marst. Next to him, Col and Setti diligently wrote down the origin of the calls, trying to place
them.

  The inspector in thought put his coffee cup next to his computer keyboard. He was intrigued by the nature of the calls, rather than the calls themselves. After all, if indeed a third of the inhabitants of Pireia had been involved in the affairs of old Marst, they had every reason to worry about those documents.

  However, the people who had been calling throughout the day had not asked about the discovery of the documents or about the progress of the investigation or about those involved, no. Everyone had asked to speak with Shara Marst.

  Shara was sitting comfortably in the desk chair she had installed without asking permission, with a cup of tea someone had brought her. Lowe watched her speak in a low voice, the earpiece to her ear and writing down something from time to time. When he saw that the police station phone was finally in silence, Lowe addressed her.

  - Anything new? - He asked, anticipating the answer.

  - No, just another guy who asked me to forgive him.

  - It seems that this is working.

  - How much do you think it will take Red to call?

  - He will not - Neil said between his teeth in a bad mood, who had been lounging in a nearby chair,.

  - Neil, please - Shara made a gesture for him to quiet down and turned back to the detective -.

  - What Neil tries to say is that the possibility of Red coming here in person are slim ... - Shara passed the note she had just written while talking on the phone to the inspector and continued talking: - However, I think he is going to send someone in his place.

  Lowe looked at the small piece of paper Shara had given him that read: Bakery Reutz, 5:30 PM.

  - Are we going to meet him? – He asked.

  - No, inspector - answered Shara, condescendingly, as she stood up

  - I'm going to meet him.

  Lowe and Neil jumped up too.

  - What?! - Neil exclaimed.

  - Miss Marst, if you really think you can leave the police station when you ... - began the detective, to be interrupted by Neil:

  - Shara, it could be a trap!

  Shara looked amused at them both and put on her jacket.

  - Detective, I need a couple of cops to escort me.