Tropical Passion Killer (No-one said it would be easy. Book 1) Page 7
“Boss honest, I knew nothing about it until I was on the plane and the steward asked me to go and sit with Jessica in the premier seats.”
“What, who the fuck paid for that? Who arranged this I’m not happy Jimmy? This is a serious murder investigation not a fucking jolly holly. I’m expecting you to do what you do best, work thoroughly, investigate this murder, liaise with our International colleagues, be professional get the job done and give some answers to the Lopez family. You are not babysitting a private security officer.”
“Yes Boss. She paid for the seat and drinks, shit”
“Jimmy I’m going to take that shovel off you. I’m telling you now, I want answers to questions and I don’t want any interference from a security officer. Do you understand.”
“Yes Boss”
“I did get a call from Mr. Newton, who holds the security guard in high esteem for some reason and he told me he was paying all her expenses. Her expenses Jimmy. You do not have expenses for her, understand. I told him in no uncertain terms that she was not to interfere with our enquiries and she would only be given information after I had agreed with the release. I’m aware he is very concerned about the safety of his son but at the moment we are trying to clarify where Filipe has been murdered and who may be responsible”
“Boss, this is me Steve, eh Jimmy. I will do my job thoroughly. I will not abuse your trust and the funds of our force. I have met the Lopez family and I want to get this crime detected just like every other crime I investigate. Jessica will not be a problem, I promise.”
“Do not compromise yourself, the force or British policing by making unwanted news Jimmy. Comprende! If you have to have a relationship with Jessica please let it wait until you get back to the town”
“I totally understand Boss”
“Billy and Alan say she’s worth one, a keeper and Lauren said she is lovely and has a nice car. Please leave her out of the way of the enquiry.”
“I will Boss I will only tell her what you say.”
“I haven’t told HQ so I’ll try and keep the lid on it. Don’t let her get into trouble but you’re not her minder. I think Sarah has something for you wait on the line.” He shouted, “Sarah come and talk to shagger.”
The sound of approaching high heels, “Hiya Jimmy, are you going to take some photos and send us them, happy days eh! Billy and Alan are well jealous”
“Sarah, is that what you wanted to tell me”
“Ok, ok. We have recovered an email from Josh to a Maddison at a company address website arranging a meet after he landed in Los Angeles. They were to meet at a seafood restaurant in Santa Monica but there’s been nowt since then. We are presuming Maddison is a woman”
“So, he is still alive”
“Well he was then. We are going through the protocol of investigating Maddison as much as we can before we or the U.S. cops contact her”
“That’s something I suppose. Have you asked his parents?”
“No Jimmy we wanted to know a bit more before we did”
“He was quick enough to contact the Boss about Jessica flying to Panama”
“The lads say she’s a cracker, you’ve done well there mate, fancy car as well. I think Lauren is a bit upset though.”
“No, eh really, you joking. I thought Lauren wasn’t interested in men now.”
“Not men Jimmy, a man. You know what I mean?”
“Sarah, I trust you, we go back a long way. I never arranged this, the flights, hotels anything. It’s been done by Mr. Newton. I have not asked him to do it, in fact I have never spoken to the man.”
“Jimmy is she stopping in the hotel with you as well?”
“Quiet Sarah. Can anybody hear you?”
“Just the boss”
“Awe shit. Sarah they’re shouting for our next flight, sorry my next flight, I’ll have to run. Keep up the good work, I will do the same. I will phone when I get to Panama City in meantime if anything comes in pass it to the liaison officer in Panama."
Chapter 10
Saturday 14th May
Paco made a call to the farm. “Do not let the two new girls start work with the workers until we arrive. Let the workers wait. No one is to touch the girls. No one”
Susanna and Maria were waiting in the two rooms either side of the hallway in an old farm building on the edge of the jungle. They were the only residents in this building. It was one of six buildings used by the many farmer workers for shared living accommodation. Each of the girl’s rooms had a large bed covered in brown sheets with stains, lots of stains, there was a small mirror on the wall, a water pitcher and hand bowl. It was an old building with red tiled floors which had not been brushed and washed for several days. There was only one door to the front of the building. All of the windows had elaborate fancy metal bars, allegedly to stop people breaking in, the windows had light drapes to create some shade, there was a ceiling fan over the beds in the two rooms. There was a large fan in the hallway where the Jefa (boss lady) sat in an overly large chair next to an oblong wooden table which was waist high in the middle of the room. Another door led into the basic shower room and toilet. It was her who answered the call from Paco.
There were now seven workers sitting in the shade outside of the building. An hour had passed since the call and the workers were getting frustrated, especially as they knew the service was free. The queue was growing.
A large white 4X4 luxury Toyota stopped outside of the building. The Jefa immediately opened the rear nearside door then ran around and opened the other rear door. A large man in a dark suit holding a semi-automatic weapon got out of the front of the car, the driver remained in his seat. They surveyed the area before Paco and Borja got out of the vehicle. They entered the hall of the building and the door was closed behind them. The Jefa had clean glasses and fresh cold water in bottles from her fridge which she gave to her VIP’s.
Paco went into the room of Susanna, Borja went into the room of Maria, the doors were closed behind them. The farmers were moved in to the shade 50 metres from the building, but they stayed in the line that was formed.
The two men were about to make a physical statement of power and control by fear.
Paco slowly took his trousers off, then sat on the bed. He didn’t speak. Susanna got on her knees in front of him and started to masturbate him, he was quickly aroused and erect. He had no thought of giving pleasure to anyone. He stopped Susanna and indicated that she should kneel on the bed. He dragged her backwards towards the edge of the bed, lifted her cotton skirt over her back and pulled her close to him. He entered her with force and gave himself pleasure for a few moments before he released inside her. He washed himself with the fresh water in the hand bowl, he dressed and walked out of the room into the hall without speaking to Susanna.
Borja had instructed Maria to take all her clothes off with a wave of his hand. She lay on her back on the bed. Borja removed his trousers and sat on top of her across her waist, Maria gently touched his penis until it was erect and masturbated him for a few minutes. He stopped her and ordered her to get on her hands and knees in front of him. He had forceful sex briefly before ejaculating inside her. Maria collapsed onto the bed and wanted to cry but stifled her pain and anger. Borja cleansed himself with the fresh water using the hand bowl before he walked out of the room into the hall.
They were both offered more of the fresh drinking water which they accepted graciously. They dismissed the Jefa to the outside of the building and asked her to close the door behind her.
Paco called for Susanna and Maria to come to the hall. They both entered the hall from their rooms simultaneously. Borja placed a 15cm double-bladed knife in the middle of the dark wooden table in the hall. Borja stood at one end of the oblong table, Paco standing at the opposite end. Paco instructed Susanna and Maria to come and stand at the sides of the table facing their rooms.
Paco looked at the two women. “Ladies this is your life now, you know that. You have cost lives but most of all you have cost Manolo millions of dollars. How can you fix this? We now both know you can fuck and give pleasure to a man, even if you don’t want to. We want to know; can you kill a man if we tell you to? Susanna show me how you would use that killing knife.”
Susanna slowly picked the knife up by the handle with her right hand and twisted her wrist showing the blade to Paco and Borja then jabbed the knife quickly forward on three occasions. She then put the knife back in the middle of the table with the handle towards Maria.
Paco asked Maria, "Show us how you could kill with the knife”. Maria reached for the knife with her right hand and took a firm grip on the handle. She then quickly grabbed Susanna by her long hair and pulled her backwards and down onto the table with her facing the ceiling and instantly stabbed her in the throat and then the middle of her chest on two occasions. Dark blood poured from the throat wound down onto the table and seeped from the chest wounds through her flimsy white loose top. Maria let go of her friends’ hair and looked down at her face as she lay motionless on her back on the table for a few seconds then slid onto the floor with her head cracking a floor tile. Maria placed the bloodied knife on the table. Susanna was staring directly up at Maria.
Maria bent down to her friend and said quietly, “Goodbye my friend no more pain” She was fighting to stop the tears and shaking.
Susanna was unable to move and dying, it would very soon be over. The Jefa had some work to do in the hall but the body would be taken care off.
Paco, "That was good, and very quick but we want you to do it our way. Do you think you can?”
Maria “Yes of course” she said confidently, as if it was an everyday occurrence.
“If you do this there will be no more work here for you. You will be well rewarded. Did you have sex with the gringos in any hotel anyone of them?”
“No, the blonde gringo didn’t want to have sex I think he is a gay boy.”
“Could you get the other boy to have sex with you?”
“Of course, he is a stallion, so I was told, who can he fuck now? Me”
“We will make the plans; we will get your passport and travel. First we want to see you kill a man our way”
They called for the Jefa. She entered the room and upon seeing the bloodied mess closed the door immediately behind her. Borja addressed her, “We apologise for this mess, you will be well paid to clean it up and keep your tongue fastened. Is there a man in the queue you do not like, just name him and we will do you a favour. You might have to clean up again so we will give you more for your troubles.”
The Jefa identified one of the farmers, a big man, strong arms. "He is a pig, his breath stinks and he roughly abuses the girls. I call him El Cerdo, (The pig) all the girls call him El Cerdo.”
The Jefa started cleaning the hall, it had never been that clean. The body was dragged into Susanna’s room.
Paco told Maria precisely what she had to do with El Cerdo.
Paco and Borja went into the room with the body of Susanna and closed the door.
El Cerdo was ushered to the front of the line and directed into the room of Maria. Maria looked at him, he was a big man but do as they say it should be easy. She had to do this. He picked Maria up and threw her onto the bed he kicked his soil covered sandals off and took his filthy trousers and vest off, his body odour was disgusting. Maria immediately took hold of his penis and pushed him onto his back. He was a strong man with big legs and arms. She was massaging his penis, he was relaxing and laughing. She slowly moved her body around his side and sat on his chest her back to his face,he began to enjoy this new experience. Her legs were now over his arms, he was wrapped up. She took the knife from the new cut in the side of the mattress and while still giving him pleasure, she completely sliced through the base of his penis with the razor-sharp blade. The bright blood spurted upwards towards the ceiling and sprayed in all directions from the wound. She was immediately covered in his warm sticky blood down her face body arms and legs. She threw his penis onto the floor and pushed back and down onto the head of El Cerdo who was attempting to push her off with his strong neck muscles and then one swift stab into his heart, and then another. He struggled for a few seconds then collapsed open mouthed not knowing what had happened. Paco and Borja walked into the room and looked at El Cerdo and Maria, both covered in blood and the blood spattered walls, floor and ceiling. Borja said “Not quite perfect. You need to listen. Good result”.
Paco “You need to get cleaned up you are coming with us now.”
Twenty five minutes later, Maria Luiza Valencia, was sat in the back of a black Toyota 4x4 behind two protectors, they were both large men who didn’t speak or look in her direction apart from the occasional glance in the mirror by the driver. They were following the white vehicle which contained Paco and Borja. The vehicle was cooled by the air conditioning from the external high heat of the day. She had been showered at length. She had washed her hair four times to get rid of the sticking blood from the butchered El Cerdo. She had cleaned her nails to remove any trace of his blood, she examined the nails again but they were still not clean. She was wearing a fragrant spray and deodorant and yet her nostrils were full of the stench of El Cerdo.
Who am I, what have I just done? I am 28 years old; I am an intelligent young woman. I have had loving parents, brother and sister. I have had many good friends as a kid, in school, University. I enjoy life and living, having fun and laughing. I have had sex with 2 young men, one at University and one in my home town of Buenaventura. I can remember both of them fondly. I have been taught how to defend myself and how to use a knife but I have never been in a fight in my life. Who is this person that has stabbed my best friend Susanna 3 times, slicing her throat, punching a dagger into her heart twice? Who is the woman who was sodomised by an old Colombian drug master, which hurt so much, the first man to take me as he wanted against my wishes? I hate that man. I want to kill that man, sometime his time will come. Why am I thinking about killing? I’ve just killed a man I don’t know because Paco and Borja said I had to in a way they wanted me too. What more do I have to do? How many more do I have to kill? Will I ever be free? I will kill Borja sometime. He will suffer, I promise Susanna, and Paco will follow. Will I be killed? Probably. She nodded her head.
Chapter 11
Thursday 19th May
The camp fire was lit, the volunteers were leaving their tents and traditional round Indian huts made from sturdy tree branches, interwoven and covered in a mixture of large bark strips and animal hides. They were starting to congregate around the fire. Josh had showered in the improvised outdoor bucket shower and felt fresh and clean but he was still aching from the ten hours of physical work completed during the day. He had felt challenged today. The large timber construction of a bridge without any hydraulics or lifting gear. It was down to the basic brute strength of the number of volunteers and speed of others placing the blocking timbers. This was history being used again, just like centuries before. True, the bridge could not withstand 20-ton vehicles passing over, people, horses, carriages but now even a heavy 4x4 would safely cross the bridge.
A large cast iron pot was in place over the fire and the smell of cooking food was so good. Rabbit, beans and vegetables anything that could be gathered or hunted. There was also fresh cornbread on the flat plate. His diet was varied, deer, salmon, trout even green chilli. He would have liked a cold beer or even a coke. What he really missed was his mobile phone and contact with Maddison. He hoped that she was thinking of him and missing him as much. It was stupid, they didn’t really know each other, his thoughts were interrupted as he was nudged on the arm and passed a bowl of piping hot rabbit stew. Just five more days and the project would be finished. He was enjoying the work, the experience, the people, he would have stayed longer had he not met up with Maddison. Now he had something to leave for, he hoped. The stew was good.
The next morning Maddison was sat at her workplace, a clean desk space with a large Apple screen in the middle of her desk. It was a large open office but there was a sufficient distance between each desk for each employee to feel they had their own space and not cramped but not too close to have a conversation. The office was on the ninth floor, with floor to ceiling glass exterior. The air-conditioning kept a healthy 18.5-degree temperature. There were twenty people working in the office, some wearing headphones and talking to clients on the telephone, some working on spreadsheets, some typing emails and other documents.
Maddison was formulating a flow chart for her Central American clients and colleagues. Her phone rang and she picked up the call. It was the floor leader.
“Hi Maddison can you come to my office please?”
She finished off the document and saved it onto the server. She stood up and straightened her navy knee length skirt and white blouse and walked to the office. The office had a glass front as was the theme of the office, everything visible. The floor leader Dwayne was sat at his chair and another man was sat facing him. As she walked to the door Dwayne waved her to enter the office. She opened the door and entered.
Dwayne, “HI Maddison can you close the door please?
“Yes. Sure”
Dwayne was mid-thirties, knew more than most about the company they worked for, a very friendly man and an excellent manager. He had a permanent smile.
“Maddison can I introduce you to Officer Simons from the police department, there is nothing for you to worry about. He needs your help to trace someone and that is all I know. If you don’t need me, I will leave and let you two have a chat. Is that OK? I won’t be too far away, maybe in the coffee room.”
Maddison was puzzled by the visit, “Yes that’s ok, I hope I can help”
Officer Greg Simons stood up and shook Maddison by the hand. Not too firm. Greg was in his early forties, shaven headed, smooth dark brown skin with an infectious smile. He was 1.88m tall and stocky, African American, his polite manner was ideal for the role of liaison officer. He was wearing a brown jacket, light-coloured trousers and brown brogues. A white shirt and cream and brown striped tie.