“Cuidado! Be careful. Papi will be in touch with you as soon as possible.”
“Gracias,” Jan said while confused about the situation. That was all the information he gave her. She hung up feeling something was very wrong and her mind began to fill with many ominous scenarios.
The next morning, the phone rang in her room. “Hello,” Jan answered.
“My name is Nena. I’m Papi’s sister. I have something to give you from my brother which explains what’s going on with him. Can I meet with you tonight at 7:00?”
“Of course. I’m in room 318.”
As scheduled that evening, there was a knock on the door. Nena, a plump, well-dressed Bolivian woman had arrived and brought a newspaper clipping for Jan.
“Come in. I’m anxious to see what you have for me.” Nena promptly handed over the incriminating story. As Jan read it carefully, the front page headline revealed the bust; Huge International Cocaine Ring Broken, with a photo of ten kilos of cocaine base and a suitcase full of money seized from Papi’s house.
Jan was stunned. She continued to read the story to herself and played out the scenario in her head, ‘Papi’s been arrested. Even the names of his workers are listed. Someone staying with Papi answered a knock at the door at 2:00 AM and the police burst in. They arrested everyone in sight and tore his house apart.’
“Papi told me to come here and let you know he’s in jail. He said you owed him some money and wanted me to collect it to pay his bail to get out.”
What she said was true. Jan had sort of a revolving debt with Papi that usually fluctuated around $500. Jan would pay him back and he would later ‘front’ some more product to her. At the time of Nena’s visit, Jan owed him $1,000. Since the debt information was correct, she was convinced that Nena was Papi’s messenger.
“I can give you $500 now. I’ll also reimburse you for your expenses to come here.”
“Sí, está bien. That will work,” Nena responded.
“I came here all the way from Los Angeles to score some coke. Since Papi’s not available, could you help me?”
Nena’s eyes widened. “Yes, I’ll try to get something for you because Papi would want me to do it. I’ll call in a day or two.”
“Outta sight!” Jan responded.
Jan excused herself for a moment, grabbed her camera case and entered the bathroom. She pulled out the lenses and film boxes to reach the foam rubber lining and cash tucked underneath it, grabbing $500 owed to cover Papi’s bail and an additional $100 to reimburse Nena’s expenses. After exiting the bathroom, Jan handed her the money and she left the room.
This situation had suddenly turned into a very costly venture. Jan’s hopes of making her big score were completely demolished. She wanted very much to make some sort of cocaine purchase, at least to recoup her losses.
Monday, the next morning, the phone rang again. This time it was Betty, Papi’s girlfriend, whom Jan had met once before. “Hi, Betty. How’s Papi doing?” Jan asked.
“He’s doing okay considering he’s still in jail. I have a letter from Papi he wanted me to give you. Can I come up to your room with it? I’m in the lobby and the desk clerk gave me your room number.”
“Wait a minute. What about Papi’s sister Nena? She was just here yesterday with a newspaper article about his bust as a personal message from him.”
“Papi’s sister? Nena? She has nothing to do with this. I’m Papi’s emissary.”
“Now I’m really confused and starting to feel sick. Yes, please come up. We need to get this mess straightened out.”
Several minutes later there was a knock at the door and Jan opened it for Betty to come in. “Betty, I don’t know what’s goin’ on.”
“I have a letter to give you from Papi.” She handed it to Jan.
“Thank you so much for bringing the letter. I really appreciate it.” Jan opened and read his letter. ‘Chiquita, I’m sorry I’m not able to see you. When everything is okay, I will let you know. Papi.’
“Tell him I’m not going anywhere until I hear back,” Jan responded.
“I will. He’ll be happy to know that. It was nice seeing you again,” Betty replied.
“I’m sure we’ll be getting together again real soon.”
As Betty left the room, Jan fell back into bed where she stayed the rest of the day, feeling depressed, nauseated and confused about the previous day’s events.
Early that evening, there was another knock at the door. Jan opened it to find two girls standing there, sure enough, with another letter from Papi. The girls introduced themselves as Papi’s nieces.
“My name is Leticia and this is my cousin María. We have a letter to give you from Papi.”
“Now I’m really puzzled,” Jan responded.
“¿Perdóneme? Excuse me?” Leticia inquired.
“No importa. Never mind,” Jan dismissed her question.
She read the letter Leticia gave her. ‘Querida Jan. I was busted on Monday night, the same day I sent you the telegram to come to La Paz. Can you help me out and send some money? Wait for me. Papi.’
“Yesterday, I gave $500 to your aunt Nena, Papi’s sister.”
“I’m sorry to tell you that Nena is a con artist. She’s not gonna give the money to Papi.”
Jan shook her head in disbelief. “Damn it! Why didn’t somebody send another telegram telling me not to come?” Jan lamented.
“Papi’s address book was taken by the police. That’s why we couldn’t contact you to cancel your trip,” Maria added.
“Shit. Now the police surely have my information from his address book. What other things did they take from his house?” Jan inquired.
“They took personal items like letters and photos,” Leticia said.
“And I’m sure there are photos of me and Papi together. I always scolded him for taking pictures of us in case he got busted. Thank you for bringing the letter. Tell Papi I’ll do whatever I can to help him. I have to think about it first.”
“We’ll let Papi know you already paid Nena $500,” Leticia responded.
The girls left the room as abruptly as they came. Jan lay on the bed, now feeling extremely ill worrying about what she had just learned.
‘I was wearing sunglasses and a scarf in my photos with the Fat Man in the jungle. Could the government make a connection between my name and the discovery of all my cash at airport customs? Should I get out of Bolivia now? Or score something to cover my out-of-pocket expenses for this trip?’
Her position was now extremely compromised and she could only think of scary possibilities. Nausea immediately overcame Jan. She was sick all night, rushing to the bathroom throwing up and sitting on the toilet with diarrhea; she never slept a wink.
The next day, David called a doctor to see her and diagnosed the problem as gastroenteritis, putting her on intravenous feeding for several days. In all likelihood, Jan’s illness was compounded by the stress and anxiety she felt.
When Nena was confronted by Papi, Betty, and her nieces, she vehemently denied accepting any money from Jan or ever traveling to La Paz to see her. It was only after several hours of continuous questioning that Nena finally confessed that she had the money. To make amends, she tried to put a cocaine deal together for Jan.
She called her the next day while Jan was still sick and hooked up to a tube of IV fluids. “I made a connection for you, but I need front money to make it happen.”
Jan was forewarned this time. She was not about to trust Nena with any of her money. “I don’t front money to anybody, any time, period,” Jan told her flatly.
“Fine,” Nena said, “Then I will NOT be able to help you.”
“Okay,” Jan responded and hung up.
Ten minutes later the phone rang again. Nena was on the other line. “I’ll be able to get 150 grams without front money.”
“Out of sight! I’ve been sick for the last few days but I’m feeling better already.”
“Let’s meet tomorrow afternoon at one o’clock in Cochabamba where I’m scoring for you. It’s between La Paz and Santa Cruz.”
“I’m not feeling one hundred percent. But I’ll gladly drag myself out of bed to do the deal.”
“I’ll book a hotel room there where we can do our business. Meet me at the large statue in the center of town,” Nena told her.
“Hasta luego. See you later,” Jan replied.
Jan immediately called David’s room. “Hey, David. I’m driving tomorrow to Cochabamba for one day to do business. I’ll let you know when I get back.”
“Can I go with you?” he asked.
“No. I’m meeting someone who doesn’t know you and prefers doing business only with me. I should be back late tomorrow night. Go sightseeing and play tourist. Or, just stay in your room and catch up on your sleep.”
“Bummer. I guess I can find something to do.”
Jan could hear the disappointment in his voice, but there was no way David could be a part of this deal. After her fiasco with Billy and Papi years ago, she didn’t want to jeopardize this drug deal with a third party who Nena had never met. It was better to be safe than sorry.
After arriving in Cochabamba early in the morning, Jan spent the time wandering around the dirt-poor town, trying to find interesting people and places to photograph. It didn’t take long for her to meet and become enamored with the native Incan Indians with their expressive faces. Jan loved the Bolivian bowler hats that the women wore and their braided hair tied with beads. Their layered attire of brilliant multi-colored ponchos and shawls, traditional skirts (polleras) covering layers of petticoats (centros), woolen knee high socks, and sandals were worn with pride. They were selling their wares in the street markets: fruits, vegetables, and indigenous artwork. At first the women didn’t like having their photos taken, but after Jan bought some knit headgear and shawls at full price without bartering, they gladly consented.
At noon, Jan was ready and waiting under the statue, sitting on a cement step when Nena approached her. At first, Jan didn’t recognize her. In their first meeting days ago, she was a well-dressed and distinguished looking woman. Today, she was the epitome of a frumpy housewife in a faded housecoat, soiled slippers, over-sized sunglasses, and a sour looking facial expression.
“Nena, you look completely different.”
“This is one of my disguises,” Nena revealed.
“Let’s go to your hotel room to finish our business,” Jan replied.
After settling in Nena’s room, she pulled a small paper bag out of a cowhide leather satchel slung over her shoulder. “Here’s 150 grams. That’s all I could get today,” Nena said as she handed the paper bag to Jan.
Jan looked inside to inspect the product. “This isn’t 150 grams. And, it looks like it’s been stepped on once or twice already.”
“I swear it’s all there. They weighed it out in front of me,” Nena promised.
“I guess I have no choice. My best connection is in jail.”
“If Papi hadn’t been busted, you could’ve scored all the coke you wanted. Even his contacts are lying low now for fear of being arrested by the Federales,” Nena replied.
“If you could find any more sources of product, let me know, and I’ll delay my departure to Buenos Aires,” Jan responded.
This small purchase would help defray some of the costs of the trip. She paid Nena the price she wanted and left Cochabamba to return to La Paz. Nena promised to call the next day as to whether she was able to find more cocaine.
When Jan entered the hotel lobby after returning from her long drive, she noticed David crouched at the bar, drunk, sucking up his umpteenth Kahlua and cream. Jan angrily walked towards him. “David, what the hell are you doing here?”
“You’re back,” he responded in a slurred, inebriated state. “It seems like you were gone forever.”
“You jerk off. Have you been drinking the entire time I was away?” Jan pulled him off his bar stool.
“What are you doing? Leave me alone,” David protested.
“Things aren’t working out, David, so I’m sending you back to LA. It’s obvious you didn’t want to come on this trip. You spent most of your time here getting stoned and drunk.”
“I didn’t have anything else to do,” David whined with tears in his eyes.
“Shut the fuck up, you cry baby! I had to get rid of the roaches around your hotel room and threw them down the toilet before the cleaning lady saw them. You didn’t care about being cautious. And, worst of all, you disrespected my rules.”
David could barely stand up and had to lean on Jan for support. Once he was propped on her shoulder, she brought him out of the bar and back to his room where he promptly fell asleep on the bed. After returning to her room, she collapsed onto the bed, closed her eyes, and tried to meditate. Her mind was overloaded with too many thoughts; should she buy more coke before returning home? And what plan was she going to use to smuggle the contraband back to Los Angeles, since David was no longer a mule.
The next morning after a sleepless night, Jan had no motivation to get out bed. She couldn’t plan her day until she heard back from Nena whether another score was possible or not. Jan was normally on the clock from the moment she woke up until the moment she went to bed at night. However, Papi’s arrest discombobulated her normal routine and she felt disoriented. Adding to her list of problems was David’s bad behavior and disrespect
Abruptly, there was a knock at the door. Jan reluctantly pulled herself out of bed hoping it was Nena with good news. “Who is it? Jan inquired.
“It’s David. I want to apologize and say good-bye before I leave for the airport.”
Jan opened the door and saw David standing there with a meek look on his face. “I know I screwed up and I’m really sorry.”
“You’re right about that. And it ruined my smuggling plans big time.
“Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” David asked with contrition.
“To redeem yourself, I want you to do a favor for me. Go to my house in LA. Check it out and do a walk-through to make sure it hasn’t been burglarized and everything looks okay. The key is under the flower pot on the front porch. Make sure you don’t forget to put it back there when you leave. If I don’t hear from you, I know all is well.”
“Your wish is my command,” David promised.
After David left her room, the phone rang. It was Betty, Papi’s girlfriend, calling to confirm that she had spoken to Nena about helping Jan score more cocaine before leaving La Paz. She also had Papi’s blessing to help Jan in any way possible since he was still in jail. Betty would put her in touch with one of Papi’s friends who could provide the amount of product she needed. The two agreed to meet in a discotheque on the outskirts of the city later that night.
In the crowded dance club, Jan and Betty found a table furthest away from the blaring music speakers to discuss their business transaction: what quantity Jan needed and at what price. Betty had contacted one of Papi’s connections in La Paz and luckily he was expecting a new batch of coke in the morning. Betty would call Jan to confirm as soon as it arrived.
The next morning, Jan was rudely awakened at 6:00 AM by her buzzing alarm clock, groggy from tossing and turning all night. After walking to the window, she slightly opened the curtain to see the sun peeking over the Andes Mountains. It was a beautiful sight to see which she tucked away in her mind’s eye.
When Betty called an hour later, she arranged to pick her up around noon to make a score with The Fat Man’s connection. Jan decided to conceal her identity with an Hermes scarf to cover her hair, tying it in back ‘French fashion’ style, and she wore oversized, dark-tinted, reflective Ray Ban sunglasses to hide her features. The sunglasses were especially important and n
ecessary since Jan had been told many times that her eyes were her most distinctive and memorable feature.
After a quick breakfast of tea and cold toast in the downstairs lounge, Jan returned to her room to fasten her money belt around her waist, tucked beneath the top of her jeans and stuffed with $12,000 in cash. Hopefully, it was enough to buy a kilo-and-a-half. She neatly folded $8,000 near one end of the fabric belt and the other $4,000 was hidden beneath two zippers at the other end. She wore a baggy blouse that hung down over her stomach to cover any bulge. Jan checked in the mirror to see if anything stood out and was pleased that everything looked fine. Lastly, she stashed ten $100 bills under her socks and stuffed her feet into her high top boots which successfully concealed the bulge of cash.
She waited on the corner of a side street until Betty and a girlfriend picked her up. “Let’s do this,” Jan said with gusto as she climbed into their car.
“We’re going to drive several hours into the countryside where Papi’s contact is waiting with freshly made product,” Betty informed Jan.
Since Papi’s arrest, Jan was now more paranoid and fearful than ever of being followed, and she thought that perhaps even his girlfriend was under surveillance as well. For the duration of the drive, she was constantly looking around, even at the reflections of cars in her sunglasses, continually trying to assure herself that the fears were groundless. Betty and her girlfriend were oblivious to her precautions, but Jan couldn’t be sure if that was because they knew what they were doing or if they had no idea of the risks involved.
During the two hour drive, Betty opened up to Jan about her relationship with the Fat Man. “There’s one thing I want to talk to you about if you promise not to tell Papi,” Betty told Jan.
“Sure. No problem. We’re sisters in crime now,” Jan responded.
“Lately, I’ve been unhappy in my relationship with him, especially since he was arrested. It’s made things worse for us because he doesn’t have a job or much income now. The police seized all his cocaine and money.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jan sympathized.
Rendezvous With the Fat Man Page 16