_ Two weeks without being assigned any case_ complained grievously,
Ivonne Fraga.
_ Two turbulent weeks confirmed exasperating Ailen Ezcurra._ That Nievas
danced us of the beautiful thing. A thousand things came to light that I could not imagine.
_ If all the cases that we touch
resolve from now on more are going to be that complex, from now I say that I
resign.
_ Not that you say it to me. The wash of brains that Laberna made us gift you. I do not know how he did not
throw us out yet.
_ That unhappy one of Nevis must
be breaking apart of the laughter of us. Death from poisoning ... Yes, of
course. I applaud him.
Senior commissar Hipólito Laberna
interrupted the conversation of the detectives to designate them to a homicide
case in Villa del Parque. Both women smiled pleased and
within two hours were already at the scene of the crime, where the team of
Criminalistics with some officers had already advanced much of the work.
The house in question was a luxurious fifth with a large driveway, a
small stonecut with a sparkling green and a perfectly manicured rear garden. The victim, identified as Olga
Urresti, lay sideways in the middle of the hall with a strong concussion in the
back of her head caused by a blunt object not found on the scene. A few meters from the body, there were a pair of glasses thrown with
both crushed crystals post mortem. It was the first thing that
caught the attention of Ailen Ezcurra, who exposed his doubts to his companion,
Ivonne Fraga.
_ If the eyeglasses_ began explaining hesitantly Ezcurra, _ they would
have broken during a fight that the victim maintained with his assassin minutes
before dying, would be understandable. But why should the stranger destroy them afterwards?
"A good question without an
answer yet," replied Fraga amusedly.
"Did the victim try to
defend himself, doctor?" Ezcurra asked the coroner.
_ I found neither defensive
wounds nor skin underneath his nails. It was definitely a surprise
attack, "confirmed Dr. Zarasola, the coroner of the case.
"What do you think
happened?" Ivonne wanted to know with interest.
_ Judging from the wound and the
position of the body, the assassin rebuked her in front. She saw him coming and was scared. Mrs. Urresti stepped back,
clamoring for pity as the suspect moved toward her, intent on everything. I presume that the deceased tried
to flee and the murderer made sure that did not happen.
"A robbery that went
wrong?" Interposed Ailen Ezcurra.
_ It could be valid, except for
the detail that they did not force the entrance. This was something more personal
and direct from my point of view.
_ Thank you, Zarasola.
The researchers confirmed that nothing was missing in the house and everything
was in place. The experts corroborated in turn that they did not find traces or
remains of DNA in the whole house.
"Who found the body and
notified 911?" Ailen Ezcurra asked one of the officers he was
investigating.
The husband of the victim
replied. According to what he said, Mrs. Olga Urresti was a housewife and Mr.
Basualdo, the husband in question, an accountant. Every morning they got up together at seven because Mr. Basualdo works
in an office in Microcentro and his wife cooked breakfast for him and helped
him prepare his things. The morning of today was like any
other. He said goodbye to his wife, but
after half an hour he called her on the phone because he had forgotten
important bills that, according to him, he had to give without fail and asked
him to prepare them so he wasted no time in looking for them. He arrived, opened the door with a key and the first thing he saw was
his wife lying on the floor, dead.
"Did he notice anything strange about his wife's behavior this
morning?" Detective Fraga asked.
No, he said he was as usual. And when we asked her about her
enmity, she replied that Olga Urresti was a charming woman whom all worshiped. Everyone always says the same thing.
_ Did the neighbors hear a fight
or something? Did you see any strange movement
in the neighborhood?
_ From what we were told, no. But the only thing that seemed curious to Mr. Basualdo, now that I think
of it, was that the cigarette was not on the door when he assured us that she
always put it because of security because she was alone until he returned from
the Office at eight o'clock in the evening.
The interest of the researchers
was genuine and unforeseen.
"Are you sure,
officer?" Ailen Ezcurra asked.
_ Yes. Mr. Basualdo listened to
the noise behind him every morning when he left the house to go to work. But today he did not notice that
detail because he said that the sound already has it installed in his
unconscious. When he opened the door without problems, he did not notice it until
after the body was found.
_ Did you ring for your wife to
open before you put the key in the lock?
_ We do not know. But logic dictates this. When she saw that she did not
respond, she instinctively opened the key.
_ Why did not he put the
cigarette, just today, when they kill it?
"Would he have a
lover?" Ivonne asked hesitantly.
And left the door unlocked for him to enter, he mused suddenly, Ailen
Ezcurra.
_ But something went wrong and
Mrs. Urresti ended up dead.
_ It is the only thing that explains the previous knowledge of certain
details ... Where is the husband now?
_ In the room they shared
together, on the first floor, climbing the spiral staircase_ confirmed the
officer, kindly._ The first door on the right. It is in character of delay. He found the body of his own wife. It is no small thing.
_ Yes, we understand, it is
understandable. Let him stay there. Let's talk to him right away. Thank you, "concluded
Detective Ezcurra.
_ The broken spectacles after the crime_ arranged the details, Ivonne
Fraga, while they went to the bathroom to review it, _ the detail of the cigarette,
the key ...
"Yes, it's all interestingly
interesting," Ailen Ezcurra agreed. "As in the classic novels, the
main suspect is the victim's husband. I imagine how attractive it could turn out to be.
Her friend looked at her with
suspicion and stupor.
_ It is very attractive the case,
badly thought, clarified with a sketch the detective Ezcurra._ Be the main
rule: not to be involved neither with colleagues of work nor much less with the
suspects.
In the bathroom there was nothing outstanding, except that the bathtub
was half full. Seeing her like this, Detective
Fraga frowned and let a succession of impromptu ideas attack her forcefully,
though she did not show any of them. He only judged what his eyes
looked upon. He knelt in front of the bath and
dipped his hand lightly on it. The water was cold. And he submitted that detail to
the logic of his companion.
"It's been more than two
hours since we arrived," Ezcurra pointed out forcefully. "The water
temperature is normal under these conditions.
"Yes, you're right ..."
Fraga said nothing convinced.
They checked the medicine cabinets and the rest of the prevailing things
in the bathroom without surprising results, and returned to the main room when
they finished the requisition.
"Excuse me, officer," Ivonne Fraga intercepted the agent they
interviewed earlier. "Have the experts already examined all the rooms in
the house in general?
"Yes, madame," answered
the consulted politely, "why do you wish to know?" Did anything else happen?
_ Did they find any towel outside or any indication that the victim was
going to bathe?
_ Ah! The bathtub. No, nothing to indicate. When the technicians checked the water, it was already cold.
_ How long did it take to get to
the scene after the call?
"Twenty minutes, Detective.
_ It's okay. Only the victim was perfectly
dressed ... Thanks again, officer.
The man grabbed the cap as a
gesture of cordial greeting.
_ I do not say that is not suspect_ Ailen Ezcurra would say to Ivonne
Fraga as they went up the stairs._ But I would put the detail of the bath last
in the order of the most relevant data of which we have until now available.
Her friend said nothing. They entered the main room where
Julio Basualdo, Mrs. Urresti's husband, was sitting on the bed, completely
devastated and pitied. He was a man of about forty-six, with broad backs, a prominent face and
a weak look. The investigators presented themselves, gave their condolences to the
widower and asked a series of questions similar to those that had already been
formulated before by other officials.
"If she had worn the cigarette as usual," Mr. Basualdo
lamented, "now he would be alive.
"He suggests that someone was watching her and saw the time to do
it," Detective Ezcurra suggested.
No one was stalking her. Any strange presence would have noticed.
"Not if the suspect was
watching her during his absence, Mr. Basualdo.
"Your wife received no
threats or calls or anything unusual during the last weeks?" Asked Fraga.
"No, none of that, Detective. All this seems crazy.
_ And what about you? Did he have enemies, someone
wanted to hurt him, Mr. Basualdo?
_ What is insinuating? _ The
interrogated shot with hostility.
_ We only discard possibilities. If they wanted you, they may have
frightened you by murdering your wife.
No, I have everything in order. I'm
clean.
An officer burst in at that moment, requesting to speak to the
detectives in private. He showed them the finances of
Mr. Basualdo. He had made a transfer of $
100,000 to the account of Juan Gallardo, one of his associates who worked in the
same financial that he and I had a shady past: He was arrested several times
for robbery and armed assault. And if that were not enough, Julio Basualdo had
released five life insurance on behalf of Mrs. Urresti behind her. As soon as they learned of this
situation, the detectives Ezcurra and Fraga isolated Mr. Basualdo from that
room and took him to a different room, as an interrogation room to talk to him
alone and calmly. Once the three of them were
inside the new room, the investigators showed Mr. Basualdo the evidence and
started.
_ I know nothing about all this. Must
be an error_ said hesitating.
_ Is it also a mistake that lost
millions for an operation that went wrong, something that undoubtedly hid it
from his wife as a coward and killed her to recover all that money by
collecting the life insurance he promoted without his consent and treason ? _
Crept him with determination, Ailen Ezcurra.
"I did not!" Protested
the widower, suddenly standing up, who sat down again after obeying a directive
of the women.
_ I think the original plan was_ started explaining Fraga_ make it seem
like an accident. I did not close how Mr. Juan
Gallardo had come in if his wife always locked the door with her cigarette. And when I thought about how the
attack was based on what the coroner concluded and
based on the position of the body, I knew: he was already inside, hidden in
the basement and act as you were. He had to assassinate her with a
blow just as he did and leave his body in the bathtub to simulate an accident. Then Gallardo would wear his clothes,
because I suppose he is the same size, and would, as he did, walk out the front
door. And if anyone saw him leave, no
doubt they would think it was you.
And he gave the word to his
friend.
_ You, Mr. Basualdo_ continued
with the story, Ailen Ezcurra_ did not go to work, but took a few laps around
to give his "friend" time to end the plan, which supposed that it
would not take too long. You got up a little earlier than
usual to fill the bath and went back to bed again with his wife so she could
see him next to her when she woke up like that she did not suspect anything. I just had to dissuade her on any pretext so she would not use the
master bath.
But Mr. Gallardo has several antecedents and adding a crime was not a
very tempting idea to say. He imprisoned and you free there? It was a great injustice. So he made a change of plans. After killing his wife, he took
the glasses she was wearing and crashed noisily to the floor to make it look
like a personal crime, because the lenses are personal, and the fact
that the detail of the bathtub was isolated , Your good friend assumed that
that would put it in evidence and take us straight to you. And he was not wrong.
So much dedication put in to fill the tub, so that someone you trusted
would ridicule. And see if you did not get it.
"I do not regret
anything," Basualdo said frivolously.
"That is remarkable,"
Fraga said anxiously. "You were not nervous or afflicted by the loss of
your lovely wife, but because Gallardo betrayed him. But if he collaborates, he may
suffer fewer years in prison.
_ But it is very probable_ shot
the detective Ezcurra in tone surplus_ that Gallardo gives it away, so it will
not work.
Give him back the favor and tell
us where he is now.
However, he chose not to speak. Minutes later, an officer
guarding the entrance to the room was taken to Julio Basualdo after an
indication of both women.
_ This guy gives me disgust_
launched Ivonne Fraga with stinging._ He put his financial needs above the life
of an innocent woman.
_ For such types, I never marry
in life, "proclaimed Ezcurra firmly, to the surprise and amazement
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