Rendezvous With the Fat Man

by Gail Sherman Jones

  “I begged him to let me take over the business since nobody knows me, but he refused. He said it was a man’s job and no place for a woman,” Betty confided.

  “Why is he letting you help me?”

  “Because you were a friend for a long time,” Betty shared. Jan hesitated before replying. Betty began crying with small sobs coming from her throat.

  “We argued constantly before his arrest and some of our disagreements became violent. I’m more fearful and cautious with him more than ever before.” Betty paused for a moment, then continued to share her feelings and plans. “If things don’t get any better with Papi, I’m leaving him and returning with my son to our village in Northern Bolivia.”

  Jan wondered how much of what Betty said was true, and if it were all true, would she be right in helping her? She had met many of Papi’s former girlfriends and was pleased he settled down with Betty, who was smart and not willing to take as much flak from him as others had.

  The Fat Man had been extremely good to Jan, sometimes advancing more cocaine than she could pay for or bowing to her wishes to choose which batch of freshly made cocaine she would get. He normally mixed the bright and beautiful with the ‘flour’ so his other clients would not be disappointed at getting something that wasn’t as sparkly as it could be (although it was not inferior in quality). He always saved the best product for her at the best price.

  “What can I do to help you?” Jan asked.

  “I put this deal together for you so I deserve some of the benefits. Please tell Papi you’re only buying one kilo for $8,000. This will give me a chance to make some money from the additional purchase you’re buying and have the opportunity to leave Santa Cruz.”

  Jan reflected on Betty’s words. She was considering her situation from a female perspective, a viewpoint Jan strongly believed; that women should not be mistreated or abused in any way and be respected for their opinions as equals with men. As much as Jan considered Papi a close friend and mentor in the drug trade, she had now learned about a negative side of his personal life that disappointed her.

  She felt an immediate need to help Betty because it was the right thing to do. Especially since she was helping her on the last drug smuggle of her career. Jan’s gut once again guided her in this decision.

  “I promise I’ll do whatever I can. I don’t want to lie to Papi, but in this case, I may have to tell a little fib,” Jan admitted. “So when is he getting released from jail?”

  “Maybe tomorrow morning. I’ll find out when I get back home,” Betty replied.

  “Let him know I’m not going anywhere until I say goodbye to him,” Jan responded.

  “Of course. I know he wants to see you as well.”

  The car finally stopped near a couple of whitewashed adobe cottages, one of which was a safe house for Papi. Betty’s friend stayed in the car while they walked up a short dirt path into the clearing where numerous chickens and dogs were running around. A few small children walked up to them, looking curiously at Jan, studying her Caucasian features and stylish wardrobe. Jan and Betty entered an open gate leading to the yard of one of the cottages surrounded with a high wall studded with glass shards on top.

  Once inside the cottage, they were greeted by an Indian couple in their mid-forties with pleasant smiles and friendly demeanor. Jan looked around to survey the neat and tidy room with doilies everywhere: on the couch arms, on tables, even one framed hanging on the wall. It was evident that the couple made a comfortable living in the countryside working with Papi in his clandestine business.

  The husband pulled Betty aside and spoke to her in hushed tones, then left the room. He returned with two large bundles wrapped in newspaper, placed them on the table, then gestured to Jan to check them out. She smiled back at him, while subtly scanning the interior again for anything suspicious and saw nothing. There was a cement floor and two rudimentary rooms. She followed him to the table and watched as he removed the newsprint, revealing huge plastic sacks filled with coke. Jan peered under the bottom of her sunglasses to take a closer look at the gleam of cocaine crystals as they caught the light and shone more brightly.

  She looked at the color and consistency of the cocaine in the first bag. It was dry and slightly yellowish in color, with hardly any odor. She moved it aside shaking her head. The man handed her the other bag. This one contained a bit less than the first.

  Jan presumed that he apparently saved this cocaine for his better clients, or at least the ones who turned down the first, and wondered if he had another stashed somewhere else. It was a bright sparkling blue-white and the odor almost knocked her over the moment she opened the bag. She liked this one better. Without expression, Jan took a piece of foil from her purse, scooped a minute amount of crystal from the middle of the bag and sprinkled it onto the corner.

  She found a match in her purse, lit it and held the flame a couple of inches beneath the cocaine on the foil. Jan watched intently as it bubbled and burned, finally almost disappearing. A translucent reddish-brown deposit remained, proving it tested positive as pure cocaine, while most anything ‘cut’ would burn black. Jan was satisfied with the results.

  “Señor, could you please bring me a glass of water?” Jan asked the husband in Spanish.

  He complied and handed it over to her.

  She sprinkled a minute quantity of cocaine on top. They all watched mesmerized while studying the reaction. Pure cocaine was instantly soluble in water and should dissolve the moment it hits the surface. Anything that lingered on the surface or dripped through the water was something else and the percentage of ‘cut’ could be determined by noting the proportion that did not dissolve.

  The husband waited for Jan’s reaction. She was pleased but didn’t say so and turned towards Betty with her opinion, “It could be fresher, but it’s all right.” With a smile on her face, she looked back at the husband. “Está bién. It’s okay.” It was a good product and she agreed to make the buy.

  He closed the first plastic bag and wrapped it again in the original newspaper. “How much do you want?” the husband asked Jan in Spanish.

  Jan paused for a moment studying the large sack on the table. ‘How much can I carry back with me on my last smuggle? I wanted to buy five kilos, but without a mule, that ain’t gonna happen. I can’t be greedy and buy too much to hide or I’ll definitely get busted.’

  Irritated by the sunglasses, Jan removed them and looked at the husband. “Could you weigh out a kilo so I can see what it looks like before I decide?” Jan asked him in Spanish.

  He nodded and walked over to a wooden cabinet to rummage around inside looking for an antiquated scale. After retrieving it, he set up the balance on the table and scooped cocaine into another plastic bag with a large tablespoon, weighing out a thousand grams and handed the bag to Jan. ¿Quiéres más? Do you want more?” he inquired.

  Jan hesitated to visualize if this amount was too little. She went for broke. “Medio de un kilo más. A half kilo more,” Jan requested.

  As he added more to the bag, Jan scooped it from his plastic bag into three of her own large baggies, each containing half a kilo apiece. She then asked him to scoop one final spoonful into her last baggie “For the pot,” she explained, and he did so reluctantly.

  Her last request was to use another room to count her cash payment in private. The husband led her to small bedroom, walked out, and closed the door behind him. Betty knocked and came inside.

  Jan was moving fast now. They had been in the house almost 45 minutes and she was anxious to get back to town as quickly as possible. She removed the money belt from around her waist and counted out stacks of $100 bills that she had earned from her last trip to Santa Cruz, handing each stack to Betty as she did so.

  Her money belt was empty after counting out $12,000, so she stuffed it back into her purse. Jan exited the room while Betty remained for a few minutes. When Betty returned to
the main room, she asked the husband to come in with her.

  Jan packed the entire kilo and a half in her purse, barely able to zip it closed. Returning a few minutes later, Betty and the husband exited the room smiling. Jan was more eager than ever to return to her hotel since she now had the cocaine in her possession.

  “We’re all finished and need to leave so you can prepare for your flight to Buenos Aires tomorrow night,” Betty suggested.

  “Gracias por todo, señor. Thank you for everything, sir,” Jan told him. She shook his hand and left the house with Betty.

  They hurriedly walked back to the car where her friend had been waiting patiently. Jan stashed her purse underneath the seat. She now prepped her behavior to be extremely cautious on the ride back to La Paz.

  As they drove closer to the center of town, Jan noticed a small yellow car pull onto the road some distance behind them and it followed far too long for her comfort. She got more nervous when another small car pull out in front of them, driving very slowly as if wanting their car to catch up to it. Just then, the yellow car sped up, narrowing the gap between them. Jan nearly panicked, feeling that this could be the prelude to a bust: a car in front and one behind, cornering the occupants of the car in the middle, with no road for it to turn off. Her palms were sweating as she watched both cars.

  After several long minutes, the car in front finally turned off onto another road and disappeared. She still worried about the car that had been following and kept her eye on it for several more minutes until it, too, finally turned off to her relief.

  To make matters worse, Jan was not happy when she saw Betty take out her wallet and began dividing up the several thousand dollars she had made from the coke deal, burying some of it in another part of her purse. She couldn’t see exactly how much it was, but it was substantial. Jan wondered how much Betty had paid the husband for the cocaine suspecting it was no more than $5,000 a key, but it didn’t really make any difference since she could not have purchased the coke any cheaper.

  “This extra money is for me and I’m hiding it from Papi. The rest is his cut,” Betty admitted.

  “I won’t even ask how much you made. I’m just grateful you helped me score on my last smuggle.”

  “Remember to tell Papi you only bought one kilo for $8,000.”

  “I promise. But what if Papi asks the guy how much I bought?” Jan asked.

  “I paid him well not tell the truth,” Betty responded.

  “Just making sure we all tell the same story,” Jan replied.

  Before arriving to her hotel, Jan and Betty embraced. They were now bonded together in a sisterhood of mutual support, knowing they may never see each other again.

  “Thanks for helping me begin a new life away from Papi. I’ll miss you comadre (sister).”

  “I’ll miss you, too. Buena suerte. Good luck.” Jan replied.

  Betty dropped her off around the corner of the hotel where she quickly removed the scarf and sunglasses. After taking a deep breath, she entered the lobby hoping she looked nondescript while walking by the front desk with her bulging purse, smiling and mumbling a greeting in Spanish to the female desk clerk.

  Jan took two stairs at time up four flights to her room. Once inside, she shut the door quickly, her hands fumbling with the skeleton key until the door was finally locked. She collapsed against the door trying to catch her breath after running up the staircase. Jan had to work quickly now since she was on the clock to prep the coke for her flight to Buenos Aires the next evening.

  She was extremely pleased with how quick and efficient the last score had gone considering the complications caused by Papi’s incarceration. None of her previous deals had ever been done so easily. There were still many obstacles to overcome before returning home, but she could finally now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

  Before beginning the tedious work of breaking down the coke to hide in the cosmetic case, on her body, and inside the tall leather boots, she decided to order her favorite tasty traditional Bolivian dinner from room service. It probably would be the last time she enjoyed this meal while in Bolivia, assuming she was not returning.

  After freshening up with a quick shower and change of clothes, there was a knock at the door from room service. Jan instantly caught a whiff of the aroma that permeated the air as the server entered and placed the food on a small table. Lifting the domed stainless steel cover, her eyes were greeted with delight upon seeing the dish called Silpancho; sautéed breaded beef smothered in onions, fried potatoes, fried rice, and fried eggs, all topped with salsa. She immediately devoured the meal and washed it down with a pisco sour, the South American brandy cocktail she first sampled on her disastrous smuggle with Billy and Jim. She thought it was a great way to celebrate a successful day of business.

  Jan was ready to work, feeling rejuvenated with a full stomach. She pulled out the bag wrapped in newspaper from her bulging purse and opened it to inspect her coveted uncut white crystals. Now it was time to prepare the cocaine for transport into Argentina.

  ‘I can’t believe how easy this deal went,’ she gleefully exclaimed to herself. But her elation was short lived when she began to think about the logistics of how she was going to smuggle the coke back to Los Angeles without David’s help.

  It was a shame she had to abort the trip with him, but on this smuggle he had proven to be no help at all. His original reticence to do another trip eventually morphed into a total disregard for the venture. He just didn’t care enough to be cautious or was usually too wasted to even think about it. It was quite a disappointment because he had been so helpful on the last smuggle.

  There was no way Jan could find another mule at this late date. She had to resort to an unthinkable contingency plan she never wanted to utilize and was contrary to her modus operandi: smuggling the cocaine into the United States by herself. It was against her better judgment, but she had no other choice. This would be the final test of her ability to outwit U.S. Customs.

  Jan now had to travel alone to Argentina to visit Jose Maria’s leather shop in Mar del Plata. She wanted him to conceal the coke in the same MacGregor coat lining again using the plastic tubing from the last trip. Hopefully, the weather would be cold enough to justify wearing it when she disembarked the plane in Los Angeles and walked through customs. She would also be carrying the contraband hidden in the false bottom of her cosmetic case and inside her leather boots.

  Since Jan had made the decision to buy the largest quantity ever for her last trip, she would have to really up her game on the trip home. She visualized the scenario of outsmarting the customs agents as if it were the acting role of a lifetime, great enough to be nominated for Best Actress in a Cocaine Smuggle.

  The phone rang while Jan was repacking her suitcase. “Bueno,” Jan answered.

  “Hi, Jan. It’s Betty. I have good news. Papi gets out of jail early tomorrow morning and he wants to see you in the afternoon before you leave.”

  “I’m not going anywhere until we say goodbye. My flight is at 9:00 PM. Tell him to come at 5:00 PM.”

  Jan anxiously awaited Papi’s arrival knowing this visit would probably be their last rendezvous together. Finally, there was a knock at the door. Jan eagerly opened it to reveal Papi, their first encounter since his bust. Although they tried to hug each other as customary, it was difficult for Jan to get her arms all the way around his immense girth. It felt like he had gained much more weight. This time their hug was longer than usual.

  “It’s so great to see you out of jail,” Jan gushed.

  “That’s the first time I’ve ever been busted and hopefully the last,” Papi lamented. “I’m under house arrest and can only stay a few minutes. I paid a bribe to the policemen watching me so I could come see you.”

  “Thank you for risking your freedom to come here. I’m so relieved you weren’t killed when they raided your house,” Jan told him.
<
br />   “One of my workers was shot, but he survived,” Papi responded.

  “How did the federales find out that you were dealing cocaine?” Jan asked.

  “I was betrayed by my supposed amigo Beto. We had a huge argument on my last trip into the jungle, so I fired him. To get even with me, he snitched to the police and they raided my house. I had $25,000 in a suitcase hidden under my bed and ten kilos of cocaine base sitting on my table. Since the bust, I’ve lost many of my customers.”

  “Are you going to continue making coke?” Jan inquired.

  “Things are different now from when we first started working together. It’s harder to conceal what we’re doing. And worst of all, violent thugs are taking over this business,” Papi lamented bitterly.

  “That’s why I decided it’s time for me to retire. I can’t live this dangerous, secret life anymore. Regrettably, this is my last trip to Bolivia.”

  “I understand and that’s why I had to visit you before leaving La Paz. I figured it might be the last time we see each other again,” Papi admitted.

  “Sadly, yes. You’ve always been a true friend and mentor all these years. I’ll never forget everything you’ve done for me. And by the way, here’s the rest of the money I owe you.” Jan pulled out $500 from her pocket and handed it to Papi. “You can’t ever say I ‘stiffed’ you.”

  “So how much did you score with Betty?” Papi asked.

  This was the ultimate question Jan had dreaded and felt an immediate tinge of guilt as she lied. “I bought one kilo for $8,000.”

  “Just one?” Papi persisted.

  “Yes, I decided that’s all I could fit in my suitcase,” Jan improvised without hesitation.

  “Well, I’m glad it all worked out for you.”

  “I guess this is our final goodbye,” Jan responded quickly to deflect away from the discussion of her coke purchase.

  “You’ll always have a special place in my heart,” Papi shared.

  “Be safe. I’ll write you after I return home,” Jan said fondly.