Who is Shara Marst? (The Pireia files.)

by Ines Galiano

  - No, he will not be my leader. He will be my puppet in front of the others. Red is easily manipulated, much more than you. I will not be his steward, I will be his counselor.

  - And how long will he take to kill you too?

  - Ah, Shara, always so stubborn ... - sighed Neil -. As I was saying, Karla and I helped him to leave the corpse in the bedroom, where you found it. My call alarmed you and brought you to where we wanted you to be.

  You went there, you took the corpse, you took it to the tunnel and shot it with a silencer. Just like both of us had planned over the phone. But I did not do my part of the deal, I did not shoot a bullet in the air in the harbor as a decoy, because there was not going to be a decoy for you. All the evidence incriminates you Shara, and soon the detective will find them. You will spend your life behind bars, if they do not impose a worse sentence on you.

  Shara spat at his feet, with disgust.

  - I'll tell them what you just told me.

  - And who will believe you?

  - The detective will. For God's sake, you just kidnapped me in a trunk, do you really think that he's going to listen to you?

  - Yes, because I'll tell him that everything has been planned by you. What a good idea, Shara, to fake your own kidnapping.

  - You're sick ... - Shara replied, realizing that nothing had a logical meaning -. What about the death of Eric Amat? Of Ricardo's? The kidnapping of Mrs. Rios?

  - Ah ... Neil squeezed the handle of the gun tightly and gritted his teeth, as if seeing for the first time that his plan was crumbling.

  - Red is too impulsive, but I'll fix that. There's nothing we cannot solve, right? You have always told me that ...

  - You cannot manufacture all that evidence against me! Even the detective saw me tied up in the mansion, at the same time they found Ricardo.

  - Collateral damage! - Neil shouted nervously.

  - He will not believe you, Neil, it's ridiculous.

  - Well, I'll kill him! It is not the first time we have done that ...

  - Do you plan to kill every new inspector who gets here to investigate the case? You have not learned anything in these years in the tavern ...

  - Shut up! - Neil let go of the gun and ran to her.

  With both hands, he grabbed her by the neck with force, to choke her. I told you to shut up.

  - You're crazy - Shara realized that her old friend had completely lost his head - your plan does not work.

  - My plan was a perfect plan ... - Neil pressed his fingers on her neck more and more.

  - So, you decided to blame Lisa's murder on me - Shara started talking, trying to buy time to think -. But Eric called the police. Red quickly got rid of him, without even thinking that what he had to say could incriminate me.

  You were furious when he did that, you made him understand how stupid he had been, but he did not take it well and he tied you up ... Suddenly you were being a prisoner yourself, unable to go ahead with your plan, watching impotently as Red killed Ricardo and thwarted everything ... for ... - his fingers were getting closer and closer around her neck, making it harder and harder to breathe.

  - Shut up now! You do not want to shut up, right?

  - I will help you ...

  - You will not open that beautiful mouth of yours again - said Neil. Shara could see the madness in his eyes that possessed him, the fury that made him become an animal. She had never seen him so desperate. Her eyes shone with the tears that began to appear.

  - Don’t do it, Neil - Shara said to him, feeling pity.

  - You are going to die in a few minutes ... What is it like? How does it feel that your butler is taking your life? How does it feel that your subordinate is killing your future? - Neil laughed nervously and breathed agitated -. So many years obeying without receiving anything in return. Not a single sample of affection. I was nothing to you, right? Only another servant. I came to love you.

  - Plea... Ple ... - Shara could not speak, the air was be missing. She felt panic for the first time.

  - But you did not have eyes for me, right? How was Shara Marst going to lower herself to my level? The great leader Shara Marst ...

  - Don’t do it, Neil - a voice echoed behind them.

  Col had stood up and was holding the gun that Neil had let go off.

  - Do not go where they do not call you! - Neil spit and continued to press his hands on Shara's neck.

  Shara no longer received any air, she could feel her lungs begging for it, as her throat swelled. She tried to get away, but her tied hands prevented her from reaching Neil. Her feet were frozen with fear.

  - I told you not to do it - Col said, at the same time a great noise sounded. Col had fired the gun, the bullet penetrating Neil's back. He collapsed on Shara, releasing the iron grip around her neck. Shara staggered under the weight of Neil's lifeless body and had to lean on the car to keep from falling. She quickly brought her hands to her neck and took a painful breath.

  She was alive, she thought, a great surge of relief running through her body and air to her lungs. Air, air, was the only thing she thought as Neil's body bled to death at her feet.

  CHAPTER 17

  Cliffs

  He had sent reinforcements in groups of two and three to each cardinal point of the estate and had stayed with Setti and another policeman at the main gate. Holding the gun in his hand and pointing towards the house, they were hiding behind the police car. He held a Walkie Talkie in the other hand, ready to give any order to the other groups. Beside him, Setti trembled and gulped, while the other person, Jas, was talking on the phone with the director, explaining the plan.

  Lowe had decided not to talk directly to his boss until everything was over, because he was afraid of receiving contradictory orders again. It was clear what had happened, when Neil had taken Shara away from the police station, where he could not protect her.

  Therefore, he did not want to hear the obvious reprimands about his lack of responsibility.

  He had told Jas to simply inform his boss of the operation they were about to carry out but telling him that Lowe was already working on it and as such not giving him the opportunity to ban him directly. The boss, however, didn’t seem to have taken it very well, judging by the screams he heard more than a meter away from the mobile phone.

  He did not wait for Jas to hang up, since he had been on the phone for over fifteen minutes, without speaking, and only listening at the ranting on the other end of the line. Slowly, he pressed the button that opened the communication with the other groups and whispered:

  - We are going now!

  Then he jumped up from behind his hiding place and started running towards the darkened house. Setti followed him at once, but it took Jas a few more moments to react and hang up the phone. The driveway to the house was not illuminated and remained in the gloom, but the moonlight helped to guide them not to twist their ankles.

  From his position, Lowe could see other groups of policemen coming out of similar hiding places on both sides of the house. He picked up the pace, and immediately ran to reach the front door before being shot down from one of the windows. However, he was able to reach the front door without hearing a single shot. He looked around but saw no movement. He put his ear to the door and did not hear anything either.

  He took the walkie again and pressed the button.

  - It seems there's nobody in the front of the house.

  - Nor in the back either - another voice answered.

  - Nothing.

  - Nothing here.

  - Go in - Lowe ordered them, lowering the device.

  He gestured for Setti to push the door open as he prepared to shoot a possible attacker. The door opened with a sound of old wood and let them view the long corridor of the entrance covered with a red ramshackle carpet.

  There was no sound and the only light seemed to come from the moonlight coming through the windows. They entered slowly, looking in each corner and moved towards the kitchen, where they met with the other groups of poli
cemen who had entered through the back door and the side windows. Nothing, there was nothing in that old, ramshackle mansion. Only dust and doors that creaked.

  But where could they be? Lowe wondered. Going to the mansion had been a desperate idea, He recognized that, but nobody had a better one. Even Setti did not seem to know where his old friend could be hiding. It had been necessary to question Setti, and after that Lowe had concluded that Setti really did not know anything about Col's implication.

  Those bitter tears for his friend and companion could not be faked. That frightened man could not be involved, and well, if he were, Lowe thought, he needed someone anyway.

  He looked at the group of policemen who had followed him to the mansion and who were looking at him expectantly, waiting for his next order.

  - Guys, I think ... - he began, but a distant sound made him stop.

  Everyone listened, and they put their hands on their guns. The noise came from outside and it sounded like the noise of a car ... Lowe hurried back down the aisle in the direction he had come and in less than a minute he was back outside. He arrived just in time to see how Red, sitting in the driver’s seat, stepped on the accelerator and went off in a police car. Lowe's car ...

  - Shit, Lowe exclaimed, when he realized how foolish he had been.

  It had not taken them long to regroup and split up in the patrol cars they had left, but enough to be at a disadvantage. Lowe was sitting in the passenger seat, yelling at the frightened Jas, who was driving.

  - Come on! Faster! Look, they just turned that corner. Come on!

  - We just passed a red traffic light - said a fearful Setti, from the back seat.

  - I do not care in the least!

  - But the police ...

  - We are the police! Step on the accelerator and put the siren on! The car Red was driving went dizzily through the streets. Jas dodged the cars of other drivers, who had had the bad luck to find him on their path, as well as he could and murmured, nervously.

  - I think ... I can’t ... - between snorts - follow them ...

  - Accelerate! They have turned towards the port! - Lowe shouted in response.

  - Chief - Setti asked from behind – wouldn’t it be better to go back to the police station and try ...?

  - I'm not going to lose them now, we've had enough already.

  - Tutn, turn, turn!

  Jas turned the wheel at full speed, just in time to dodge a large container of recycled garbage that was sitting on one side of the street.

  - You see, it is now or never - said the detective.

  - But, boss, we can put a search and arrest order and ...

  - It's fine! We're going to catch him right now, we do not know what they may be doing to Shara ...

  - Sir, I would say that Miss Marst can take care of herself - Jas said, between gasps.

  - You just drive! Look, they're going to the tunnel.

  - Faster! - How do you know Miss Marst is in that car, boss? - Setti asked again, trying to make him see reason.

  - Where else? - Well ... uh ... in ... – he hesitated, without having any response.

  - Exactly - Lowe answered, triumphant -. We do not know where she is, and there is a high possibility that she was tied and transported in the trunk of that ...

  - Careful, Jas! - The inspector shouted when they were about to hit a lamppost-. Do you want to kill us?

  - No, boss, I'm trying ...

  - Well, take more care! And accelerate!

  - But then, boss - insisted Setti - where is Col? Because we have not seen him in that car.

  - Do you know for sure?

  - No, but ... - Besides, Red is our killer, we cannot let him get out of sight that easily ...

  - Well, I - said Jas – this ... easy ... I do not see that ...

  - Enter the tunnel! Follow them!

  - I’m doing that, boss. But I hope, they are not thinking of braking suddenly because otherwise this could go very wrong ...

  The car that Red was driving appeared at a lesser distance each time and one could distinguish even the license plate now.

  At full speed, they went through the tunnel where they had found Lisa and Jas followed them. In the darkness of the tunnel, the maneuvers became more and more complex and Jas's murmurs became more and more audible:

  - Hell, shit...

  - Accelerate! - Lowe shouted one last time, just before realizing that Red's car had begun to slow down. They were about to leave the tunnel and the rays of the moon began to illuminate the road and with it a strange huge object that stood across the road making it impossible to continue.

  Red braked hard, avoiding hitting the big tractor that blocked the way and stopping right at the edge of the cliff. However, Jas did act way to late and stepped on the brakes much later. - Brake, brake, brake! - Lowe and Setti shouted in unison. Lowe saw the image of the tractor and the other police car that Red had been driving approaching at full speed.

  They knew it was too late. They were going to crash, he wanted to shout at Jas to slow down, to force him to move the steering wheel, but his muscles were paralyzed. He watched as they approached Red's car in an uncontrolled way. Involuntarily, he closed his eyes and prepared for the impact. A huge noise deafened him, and he felt a great blow to his forehead and shoulder. He heard another metallic kind of noise moving through the emptiness towards the cliff, and then immediately the sound of water like something very big had fallen into it.

  Have we fallen into the water? He thought dazedly. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids were too heavy. He heard someone shout from the backseat.

  - Shit, shit, shit. Another metallic sound alarmed him.

  He knew he could not stay inside that car, it was dangerous, but he did not have the strength to move ...

  Suddenly he felt something touching his arm, causing him great pain ... Someone was pulling at him and helping him out of that death trap ...

  A voice was heard from far in his ear:

  - Quiet, boss, everything is going to be fine. He recognized the voice, but he could not put a name to it. He tried to babble without much success:

  - The car ... Red ...

  - Boss, I'm sorry - said the voice -, your car has pushed Red’s car and it has fallen down the ravine ...

  Lowe could not process that information, he did not grasp it ... His eyelids weighed, all his muscles weighed and hurt, while that person dragged him away from the car.

  - Red was inside, boss, he must be dead. Lowe felt another pang of pain as he was dragged over a stone and screamed.

  - Are you okay? - said another voice different from the previous one -, I called an ambulance, they will come right away.

  - Well - said the first voice -, quiet, boss, everything will be fine. That was the last thing he heard before he lost consciousness.

  CHAPTER 18

  Welcome

  - A little more to the right, David, be careful, or you will end up breaking the furniture - Shara ordered, while David struggled to do his best to not touch the wood against the door sill when moving the furniture through the door -. Yes, like that, like that.

  Several days had gone by since she had returned home, but much remained to be done. Those vultures had almost destroyed her home in search of the safe.

  - That's right, leave it there, under the window.

  - This way, miss? - David asked, when he had placed it.

  - Yes, cheers, there are only a couple of things left, but I think we will continue tomorrow - she answered, looking at her watch.

  - All right - David said obediently.

  Shara took a bill out of her pocket and offered it to David in payment for helping her rebuild the mansion.

  - Do not worry, miss, give it to me tomorrow, when we finish -

  David took a step back, moving away towards the door -.

  - Now, if you'll allow me, I must get home before my father realizes I've been here. You know, since the newspaper story he is not very happy.

  - Oh no? - Shara
exclaimed, with a funny expression

  -. But he sold more newspapers than in his whole life that day!

  - Yes, I know, but ... he knows that it was me who changed the headlines at the last moment and he is sure that I invented it. Now he is afraid that the Marst band will come to dismantle the newspaper or destroy the printing press.

  - You do not have to worry, David, you have my word.

  - I know, I know, you don’t have to tell me anything, it’s is my father...

  - Well, then do not delay yourself more and go. Do me one last favor: on the way, go through Mrs. Rios' house and give her this - Shara asked him, giving him a small wrapped package, from which came a wonderful smell of freshly cooked food.

  Since they had found the old woman tied up in the abandoned house, Shara had felt very guilty. she had tried to forget past feelings and behave more like a daughter.

  - See you tomorrow.

  - Of course, see you tomorrow, Miss. - David made a half-reverence and turned around to leave.

  Shara watched him go and closed the door behind him. With a sigh, Shara looked around, seeing for the first time a room that was beginning to look good. she went to the desk and sat on the chair next to the phone. She dialed slowly and waited for the dial tone.

  Immediately a voice greeted her on the other side:

  - You always catch me having dinner, Shara, what a mania.

  - I will be dining soon too, Inspector.

  - It's not my fault, it's the hospital nurses, who force one to follow old people's schedules ...

  - Relax and take your soup. I'm going to tell you something.

  - Go ahead.

  - This morning another one of the guys came to visit me.

  - How many have done so already?

  - Eleven, but the important thing is who accompanied him.

  - Who?

  - Karla.

  - Unbelievable?! - Shara heard the inspector choke on the other side of the line.

  - Do not worry, Lowe, she's gone.

  - How come she is gone? Didn’t you arrest her?!

  - I'm not a cop.

  - Do you have any idea where she has gone or where she is hiding? I need to send a patrol quickly before ...