Chapter 99 - Why Do You Do It? - Fars
Simón
They had killed another leader. What the hell did this mean?
"What you heard, supposedly it was a fight over a woman, but it seems like too much of a coincidence to me."
"Sorry, the organization's issues aren't my priority right now. Not until the will is read. Right now, I'm looking for the bastard who killed my boss."
"I understand. I just wanted to inform you. We'll talk later."
I looked back at the monitor. The lady wasn't there. I glanced out the window to see if she had gone back into the garden, but nothing. I returned to the monitors, rewound a few minutes, and fast-forwarded to see where she had gone.
She was in bed. She got up and headed towards the bathroom. Before entering, she looked at the camera and said, "Thank you, Simón." My skin prickled. I ran to the bathroom, knowing what she had done. The door was locked. I kicked it open and found her on the floor, sitting in a pool of blood with her hands at her sides. I grabbed a couple of hand towels and tied them around her wrists. I pressed the panic button in the room and went back to carry her.
"Now is not the time, but you will listen to me. This nonsense has to stop!"
She felt more dead than alive. I know I'm not worthy in your eyes, God, but don't take her. I beg you.
"Help!" I shouted.
The hallway filled with doctors and nurses. She was covered in blood, and consequently, my shirt was too. They rushed her away. I sat in the hallway across from the door where Mrs. Verónica had disappeared.
"Don't take her, Roland. You loved her so much. Don't be so proud to take her."
I whispered. I don't know how much time passed. I saw Cebolla running until he reached my side.
"No!"
He must have checked his tracker, the same one that beeped on my watch, the one I ignored while trying to stop the bleeding from her wrists.
"They're treating her."
"You're covered in blood."
"She disappeared from my radar for just a few seconds. We can't keep going like this, Cebolla. I swear, as soon as she recovers, I'm going to give her a few lashes to see if she wakes up!"
"She needs them. Where did she get something to cut herself with?"
"Who knows how long she's been planning it. She used half a Minora blade. I don't know where she got it from."
"From her neighbor. Every three days, the nurse shaves the old man she's been talking to for over a week. You know he's her patio neighbor. It's her routine."
"She's very clever," I said. "She's always known how to evade my surveillance."
"I'm going to call her family," I said.
They let us into her room at midnight. Seeing her intubated, pale, and thin worried me. I feel like I'm failing my friend. The doctor told us the wounds were deep. They gave her a blood transfusion. She can't stay in this situation. She has to wake up!
"Rest, Rata. I'll stay on guard tonight. I've already texted Mojón to come."
"Okay. See you tomorrow. I'm going home to see Inés. She must be worried, like everyone else."
"I haven't told them yet. Not even Arnold knows. Poor Inés, we're going to have to get her a cushion for her knees. She spends all her time praying for us." I smiled at his comment. "Yes, now she'll add Mrs. Verónica to her prayers. See you tomorrow. Don Fausto and Santiago will arrive first thing in the morning." I sighed.
We had invoked her. Inés was praying on her knees in the living room when I opened the door. She was startled to see my blood-stained clothes.
"Simón!" She rushed to my side.
"It's not mine. It's Mrs. Verónica's. She cut her veins." The scream was overwhelming. "She's out of danger now, but I don't know what to do to make her react."
"Love and time. We need to bring her closer to God. She needs it."
"I'm exhausted. I've worked less and feel drained."
"Well, Cebolla was waiting for you, but he just left Mojón at the entrance and went out to find you. He wanted to give you an envelope a young woman brought. You know, her face seemed familiar, but no matter how hard I think, I can't figure out where I know her from. She left you something." She went to the table and handed me a thick manila envelope. "She said not to delay and that you should travel after the will is read."
"I don't understand. I'll look at it tomorrow. Give me those blessed potions. Are the others asleep?" She nodded. Tomorrow, I'll check the recordings to see who left that message.
"They're herbal teas."
I arrived at the clinic with Inés. I left instructions for each of the guys to make an appearance at Roland's businesses. While I'm not around, they need to help me with that.
I had the thick envelope in my hands when we met her family: her father, brother, and sister-in-law. That morning, when I spoke with Cebolla, he told me she had woken up and wanted to talk to me. As I entered the room, I handed the envelope to my friend.
"Take it to the room, we'll look at it later. I'll be right back."
I approached her, and when she saw me, she lowered her gaze. Her family hugged her, offering endless words of encouragement. Inés was among them, and her father cried inconsolably. It's one thing to be told, but another to see it. She ignored everyone, nurses came in, administered the medication, and she fell asleep.
Everyone thanked me; the visit lasted all day. Raúl arrived with Juan, who was shocked by the situation. Cebolla looked exhausted, and after talking with Raúl, his temper flared; things weren't going well between them. Around six in the evening, they started to leave. The lady couldn't keep her head up; the medication had her under its effect.
"We'll be back tomorrow, Simón." I shook hands with Mr. Fausto. "Once again, thank you for saving her and arriving just in time."
"It's nothing, it's my job, sir."
Since the wedding incident, whenever they come to Bogotá, they stay in the apartment Roland gave the lady.
"Thank you." Santiago's wife kissed me on the cheek. "Be her conscience; she only listens to you."
"She doesn't listen to anyone," I said.
"Whenever she opened her eyes, she looked at you," Santiago commented.
"I have to be honest, I wish I could give her a couple of whippings to knock some sense into her!"
"You're authorized," Santiago said. "We need to try shock therapy, get her to come to her senses!"
We shook hands, he said goodbye to Inés and Cebolla, and left with Raúl, who seemed ready to set my friend on fire with his gaze.
"Can I keep visiting her?" Juan's question annoyed me a bit.
"That's something she needs to answer, not me. The only thing I can tell you is that visiting hours are one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon. Today was an exception because of what happened."
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind."
He approached her, kissed her forehead and then her nose. I don't know if it's just my imagination, but it made me angry that he did that, not because I felt attracted to Mrs. Verónica, but because she was my friend's wife! I clenched my fists, only becoming aware of my change in attitude when Inés's hand rested on mine. I saw she also had her hand on Cebolla's. Did my friend feel the same way? For a split second, we exchanged glances. What the hell was this?
"Young man, don't take it the wrong way, wait until she's conscious for such displays of affection, knowing that..."
"She wouldn't have allowed it," Juan responded. "I know. I'll come back another day."
The three of us stayed; she was still asleep. We entered the adjacent room, my second-in-command took the envelope and handed it to me. When I opened it, there were thirty-one folders, each with the name of the boss of each city. One of them said Bogotá. Inside, the first page, typed, said:
DEAD
We looked at each other, and he approached with a furrowed brow. A paper fell out, and when I picked it up, it only said:
Checkmate after the will.
"Inés! What did the woman who gave you this look like?" Cebolla took my laptop, connected it to the computer on the table, and I saw him accessing the house cameras. "Inés?"
"She had a cap, and she only said; give it to Rata and don't delay, travel after the will. I looked at the images on the screen."
"And she's clever."
The image on the monitor showed a woman with her back to the hidden camera at the entrance. I rewound the video, from her entry, she was covered, not just by the hooded jacket, but also a cap, glasses, scarf, and wool gloves. When she knocked on the door, she turned her back to the hidden camera at the entrance.
It was either luck or she knew about it, which would be impossible. Only three people know of its existence, two of us here and one is dead. Not even Inés knew. The internal camera captured very red lips. I took a photo of that image; it was the only visible skin.
"She took off her glasses, and her eyes are green," he continued.
"Then you're the only one who has seen her." I looked at her.
"I have a good memory, if you give me photos, I could recognize her."
"Alright, what I don't understand is why a stranger would give us confidential information."