Valentina's Lost Days

by A. P. Hernández

  The woman smiles and shows him her teeth, perfect and white as pearls.

  - "Thank you, Lazarus!" You do not know how much I appreciate it!

  - "Just give me five minutes."

  2

  Lazarus leaves his visitor on the threshold of the entrance, which, without a doubt, is an absolute lack of respect. Anyone would have invited that attractive lady to wait in the hall of the duplex, but to Lazarus, that embarrasses him. His house is not clean enough, and neither is he. Food tins have probably left a musty smell inside. He does not perceive it because he was already used to it, but surely anyone coming from OUT-THERE would notice the smell to the point of vomiting.

  Besides, it is sure he also smells pestilence. When was the last time he showered?

  - No time to shower.

  Mess up his closet in search of elegant clothes excites him. It awakens a part of himself that he thought was asleep. Going to talk to a woman, even if she was a stranger, is something he never thought he would do again.

  Lazarus put deodorant through his armpits, selects one of his best shirts (whims that he once could, when he had a job and salary, could afford it): a navy-blue Armani Emporium that, in his day, cost more than € 150.

  - "And now I do not have enough to feed Bucephalus ..."

  But reject the thought quickly. Marta waits for him on the landing. Choose cowboy jeans and put on his shoes. They are spotless, just as he left them before entering prison.

  Without losing another second, he goes down the stairs.

  3

  Marta and Lazarus del Río take their seats in the cafeteria, in a discreet table located on the wall opposite the entrance. As the former chief inspector pointed out, the establishment is empty.

  The waitress sees them get inside and, as soon as they take a seat, she stands in front of them, prepared with her Bic pen and a memo pad to take notes. Lazarus looks at her and waits for the young woman to return his gaze, an accusing and startled look at the same time, but to his amazement, he does not perceive anything in her.

  - "What do you want to drink?"

  Lazarus does not give credit. Does not she mind taking note of a murderer?

  - "I'll have a cup of coffee," -says Marta.

  The waitress takes note and looks at Lazarus.

  "She does not recognize me," -he thinks, happy as he is the most. She does not know who I am. People have begun to forget the former Chief Inspector Killer ...

  - "And you?" -she asked.

  - "Me?" -Lazarus does not understand her, so absorbed in his thoughts.

  - "Yes ... you ..." -She shows a certain impatience in her voice-. - "What do you want to drink?"

  - "Well, I'll have ..."

  Lazarus looks away toward the counter. Despite the distance that separates it, he sees (and smells!) Serrano ham and tomato freshly baked sandwiches, tuna and melted cheese pan-pizzas, chocolate bars lined with chopped almonds ...

  - "Sir, do you want to drink something?"

  The waitress begins to lose her composure.

  Lazarus knows that the formal, the professional and the socially acceptable would be that he also asks for a coffee to accompany that lady, but two months locked in the house with canned food and cheap beer is too much to keep the good manners.

  - "I want a coffee alone ... and a ham sandwich ... and a pizza like that one on the right ... Yes, tuna ... And, do you have a Russian salad? ... Great ... Well, give me a portion ... I also want a chocolate Donut ... No, better give me three ... And ... do you have cake? ... Perfect ... Well, give me a cheesecake ... and ...

  Lazarus bites his tongue when he sees the stupefaction with which Marta looks at him. Without a doubt, all this catches her by surprise.

  - "Just that," -he forced himself to say. - "Thank you."

  The waitress finishes writing in her mini bloc the order of Lazarus del Río (she must turn the page to write everything) and goes to the bar.

  Lazarus is forced to look away from the waitress (who turns on the toaster to warm up his longed ham sandwich) and looks at as attractive as the mysterious lady. What does she want from him? Lazarus showed his reluctance to talk to her but gave in because he recognized in her face a shadow of anguish. Nobody like him acknowledges so well the different ways in which despair can manifest itself.

  The fifteen years in the Police Force is too long, too much not to recognize the desolation when it is before him.

  And that woman is. Damn! yes, she is.

  - "How can I help you, ma'am? -He asks, intrigued.

  The woman deeply inhales and prepares to speak, but she is quiet when she sees the waitress approaching her table.

  The two wait patiently for the young employee to serve them. The girl deposited with solemnity the dishes on the table and, after wishing them -"Bon Appetite,"- she returns behind the bar to play with her mobile.

  Lazarus takes the ham sandwich, but before devouring it, he has the delicacy to cut it with a knife.

  - "Please, Marta," -he says, offering half of it. - "Allow me to share this lunch with you ..."

  Marta raises a hand, indicating that she has no appetite and Lazarus feels like a complete fool. He knows he is giving a bad impression of himself, but that does not bother him anymore. Or at least it does not worry as much as before. He no longer has a professional image to maintain.

  - "Tell me, ma'am," -he says, sinking his teeth into the crispy toast. - "Talk to me without reservations."

  Marta brings her hands on her sunglasses and takes them off. For the first time, Lazarus sees her eyes. He was not wrong to think that she had them tearful, just as he did not fail to intuit her pronounced bags.

  Suddenly, that lady loses all her appeal. However, Lazarus admires the beautiful green color of her pupils. There, in the dim light of the coffee, they glow shyly like two jade stones.

  Lazarus sets aside the sandwich and the rest of the dishes. He crosses his arms and stares at her.

  - "You have my full attention, ma'am."

  And so, Marta starts talking.

  -4-

  - "You have to help me, Lazarus. Please. You have to help me."

  Marta addresses to him informally. That would have bothered him before. But not now. There is no longer any reason to talk to him formally.

  - "It's about my daughter ... Valentina ..."

  The former Chief Inspector begins to fear the worst. Without realizing it, he has lost all his appetite.

  - "Last year, my daughter, ap ..."

  The woman begins to cry. That catches Lazarus by surprise. The waitress, even from the bar, looks up from the screen of her cell phone and takes a furtive look at the woman. Then, discreetly, she plays with her phone again.

  - "Calm down yourself, ma'am," -Lazarus says. In the absence of a handkerchief, he takes a paper napkin and offers it to her. The woman accepts it and wipes away her tears.

  After swallowing and recovering her composure, she continues with her story:

  - "As I was saying, a year ago, my daughter, Valentina, appeared ... dead."

  And after the effort that, without a doubt, it is supposed to pronounce the word DEAD, Marta sums up in a caustic silence.

  - "Wow! I'm so sorry ... How old was she?"

  - "She was about to finish high school ... fifteen years- old ... It was less than a month to be sixteen."

  - "Excuse me If I ask you, ma'am." -Lazarus adopts a cautious tone. - "I do not want to look rude, insensitive, or anything like that ... But what do you want from me?"

  The woman pierces him with his deep green eyes. There is no doubt in her eyes.

  - "I want you to do justice ... I want you to find her killer."

  -5-

  - "Valentina, one morning, appeared dead. I went to her bedroom to wake her up, thinking that she had once again fallen asleep ... I did not want her to be late for school again ..."

  - "I found her on the floor, with her back against her wardrobe closet. He was half dressed, as if she had changed her mind when p
utting his shirt on."

  - "She cut her veins. The blood runs until the door of her room ..."

  Lazarus interrupts her.

  - "But ma'am," -he says, unable to contain himself. If your daughter committed suicide, why did you tell me you want me to find her killer?"

  Marta looks at Lazarus without hesitation.

  - "My daughter committed suicide, yes. It was she who introduced her plastic craft cutter under her skin, but I guarantee that that was not a voluntary act. Someone forced her to do it."

  Lazarus takes his cup of coffee and takes a sip. It is hot and has a very strong flavor.

  - "And what did the police say?"

  Marta sighs, as if remembering that provokes pain and exasperation.

  - "The police did not worry about it, you know? Everything was obvious. Everything indicated that Valentina committed suicide. There was no indication to suggest otherwise. Her case is closed."

  Lazarus takes a long drink of coffee, gaining time to think. More and more the suspicion begins to gain weight that that woman is a desperate mother, a mother who, incapable to admit the atrocious act of her small one, looks for alternatives that justify it.

  - "Madam, you see ... I would like to help you, seriously, but I cannot. I do not belong to the police force nor ..."

  - "I do not care! -She shut off- - "Fuck the police corps. I am asking you to investigate the suicide of my Valentina ... I have solid reasons to suspect that they were harassing her, that someone was making her life impossible ... I already told the police at the time, but they thought I was crazy ... Are you going to do the same?"

  Marta, gradually, raises her voice to the point where she is on the edge of tears. The waitress, sitting behind the bar, does not take their eyes off. Without a doubt, that hysterical woman and her scruffy companion are more interesting than her WhatsApp.

  - "Low your voice, please," -Lazarus tries to reassure her. - "Lady, listen to me, I cannot help you. I told you I'm not a policeman ... Do you know who I am? Do you know what I did?"

  The woman nods tentatively.

  - "I know what you did, and I do not care. For me, you are a hero. That rapist deserved it."

  Lazarus ignores her comment and continues:

  - "Well then, ma'am, you will also know that I was fired from the squad and that they disqualified me for life."

  - "I want you to investigate on your own," -Marta insists. - "On a personal basis."

  Lazarus shakes his head.

  - "In that case, you should hire the services of a private investigator. I ... I do not have an investigator's license ... I do not have anything."

  Marta takes him by the hand. Lazarus, who did not see her coming, feels her touch wet and cold between his fingers.

  - "Help me, Lazarus. You are the best. I know ... and you know it too ..." -Marta tightens her hands more tightly between his. I read your professional career and your merits in the newspaper when ... you know ... that happened. I know you can help me. I know you are the only one who can do it."

  Lazarus, still rejoicing in the pleasant touch of Marta's skin, is quiet.

  - "I can pay you, you know? I have a lot of money."

  Lazarus makes a move to protest, but he does not have time.

  - "I'll pay you twenty thousand euros right now. Marta opens her Lautre Chose and takes out an envelope.

  Judging by its thickness, it is full of bills. - "And if you manage to find the murderer, I'll pay you fifty thousand more."

  The woman puts the envelope next to the Russian salad.

  - "Please accept," -Marta begs him. - "Say yes!"

  Lazarus, unable to resist, looks inside the envelope. It is too tempting. He knows that he needs that money, and knows that canned food is scarce, also knows that Bucephalus cannot spend his whole life eating veal in sauce, and knows that if he does not pay the mortgage on his house, the bank will keep his duplex and will be evicted.

  - "Agree!" -Lazarus takes the envelope and puts it in the pocket of his jeans. - "But you must know that if I find something important, some proof that, in effect, your daughter was driven to suicide, it will be my obligation to inform the authorities."

  Marta jumps up and hugs him. Lazarus, for the first time in many years, smiles.

  -6-

  Marta's house is as luxurious and stunning as its owner. When Marta parks the vehicle before the construction, Lazarus, incredulous, must ask if that is her home.

  It is a luxurious cottage located on the outskirts of the city. The property is surrounded by a green fence of approximately two meters high crowned in sharp dissuasive points. Also, Lazarus verifies that the property has a video surveillance system. Two posters make it known to anyone trying to flank the property.

  - "I see you take security very seriously," -says Lazarus, without taking his eyes off the imposing façade.

  Lazarus does not doubt that Marta, in fact, has a lot of money. While he was already surprised when riding in her car (the new Audi S5 with automatic transmission and an interior full of extras), her house is the culmination. The construction has a contemporary architecture, a beautiful slate board color facade with huge windows, two stories high and, to top it all, an extensive garden. Distinguish a well-kept row of cypresses arranged next to the border fence, no doubt, with the idea of ​​granting some privacy. He also distinguishes a few palm trees and, adjoining the house, a beautiful "malus" [1]with coppery leaves.

  - "You have a beautiful house," -he says, speechless.

  Marta gives him a kind smile, stop the engine and puts on the hand brake.

  - "Let's go inside," -she says, opening the car door. - "I want to show you my daughter's room."

  -7-

  A rustic stone path winds along the garden until you reach the entrance door of the cottage. While walking, Lazarus has time to observe the luxurious pool of the property. It must measure, at least, fifteen meters long by seven wide. The crystal-clear water shines as if inviting you to take a dip. The pool has a natural waterfall and the water slides and falls through the carved stone in a most relaxing sound.

  Lazarus refuses from making further comments and follows Marta in solemn silence along the path.

  Walking behind her, Lazarus cannot avoid noticing her legs and the way her Norma Kamali adjusts to her slender hips.

  They arrive at the main door of the cottage and Marta opens it. Without losing a second, enter the security code in the digital dialer (hiding the number with the palm of her left hand) and the countdown stops. An electronic voice welcomes them.

  - "Follow me, Inspector," -she says.

  Lazarus, astonished to hear that word (INSPECTOR, God! but how well it sounds!) He follows her up the stairs.

  The spacious spiral staircase has the steps of a delicate pink marble.

  - But this woman in what works? He asks himself.

  As they go up to the second floor, Lazarus can see part of the living room: the build in the wall television must be more than 70 inches and the white sofa, besides being comfortable, must be extremely expensive. It is something that can be intuited easily (especially if you look up to see the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling).

  Marta leads the former Chief Inspector through a long corridor. The paintings hanging on the walls follow one another like an art gallery.

  And finally, they stop at the door.

  - "It's here," -she says. - "This is my little girl's room."

  Lazarus waits for the lady to open the door, but she does not.

  - "You will have to enter alone." -Marta takes a step to the side and, with a barely perceptible movement of her head, indicates that he has a free path.

  Lazarus understands that this woman does not have the courage to enter that room. This behavior is common in family members who lose someone they love. The former Chief Inspector has more than enough experience to know that coming to that place is a way for Marta to remember the fateful events.

  - "The wounds have not healed yet," -he thinks.
r />   Lazarus del Río opens the door and, as soon as he sets foot inside, he asks, stunned:

  - "What the hell happened here?"

  Marta, behind her back, begins to cry.

  -8-

  The bedroom window is broken. The cause: a stone the size of a fist. Lazarus looks at the rough stone that, after crossing the glass, has remained in the center of the room. The remains of crystals are scattered by the carpet, and just a few sharp pieces remain attached to the PVC of the frame.

  - "Ma'am," -Lazarus turns and looks for her gaze, - "what happened here?"

  Lazarus hates repeating every question. He feels uncomfortable worming information from Marta when she would be her who would offer all the details. - "Why have not you told me about this?"

  The lady babbles something unintelligible. She is too nervous. Lazarus tries to reassure her by placing his hands on her shoulders.

  - "Ma'am, I know this is difficult for you. -Employs a velvety tone, warm and affable. - "But you have to help me. Promise me that, from now on, you will tell me everything, agree?"

  Marta nods like a girl. From that proximity, Lazarus observes the uncontrollable tremor of his chin.

  - "Look, Inspector, look what they've done ..." -He looks away to her daughter's bedroom. The vision is devastating.

  - "When happened?"

  Marta inhales profoundly and, with an evident effort to control herself, responds:

  - "Yesterday."

  Lazarus looks back at the huge pebble.

  - "Do you have any clue about who has been able to do it?

  The lady, once again, gives him that fierce look.

  - "Of course, I have it ... It has been his killer! The person who led my Valentina to suicide!"

  Lazarus regrets not carrying a notepad and a pen like those of the coffee waitress. However, expect to remember all the information.

  - "Has something like this ever happened to you?"

  Marta denies. By moving his head, her wavy hair gives the gesture a hidden beauty.

  - "What is clear," -says Lazarus, approaching the bedroom window, - "is that the person who did it, took a lot of trouble."