On the Wednesday of the following week, one of the paramilitaries came to the shop and said to Ramón: Dagoberto wants to know when you’re going to pay him the thirty million you owe him, he needs it by the end of the month. I don’t owe him any money, I already told him I can’t buy the car, I don’t have that kind of money. What do you mean you’re not going to buy it? you already took your girlfriend out for a drive, didn’t you? Dagoberto wants the money by the end of the month. No, look, this is a misunderstanding, the only reason I took it out was to test drive it, because I also had to fix the electrical system, that’s why I gave it a spin, to charge the battery and leave it ready, it’s parked out there, you can take it away with you now if you like.
Another week passed, and nobody came until one day the police from Villavicencio showed up. They gave the Cherokee the once-over, checked the serial number of the engine, and told Ramón that the car had been stolen in Bogotá, was it his, if not, whose was it? Ramón said it belonged to a man he didn’t know, he didn’t even know the name. And what kind of work did you do on it? We fixed the ignition, the starting mechanism, and the condenser. I have it parked out there to see if they come for it, but I don’t know who it belongs to. The police towed away the Cherokee and took Ramón with them. As they left town he saw two of the paramilitaries in the Caleñita store. They both watched him until the police car disappeared around the bend.
He was kept in Villavicencio for three days, until it became clear that he was not to blame. He did not give them the name of Dagoberto or anyone else. About a hundred times they asked him who the car belonged to, and a hundred times he said, a man who isn’t from La Cascada, they left it with me and I repaired it, but I don’t know the man’s name, that’s the way I work. When he returned home, Jacinto and Soraya came to see him, looking worried, and he said, you see what a gift they gave me, the car was stolen, didn’t I tell you it’s better to have your own things honestly?
Three days later, a messenger came from Dagoberto, with two other guys. They arrived in a Toyota 4x4. Ramón was partly underneath a Hyundai taxi and did not bother to come out. He said to them: what kind of trouble have you gotten me into? the Cherokee was stolen. I didn’t tell the police anything, I didn’t give them any names, you can sleep easy, there won’t be any problems. But the guys said to him: what Dagoberto wants to know is when you’re going to pay him the thirty million you owe him, and if you don’t pay him, then give back the car.
Ramón took his head out from under the Hyundai and said, don’t you get it or what? the police in Villavicencio took the car away and they’re holding on to it because it was stolen, I don’t have anything to do with that and I don’t owe anything to anyone. The police took it away? The guys looked at each other. Well, what happened to the car is your problem, but you still have to pay the chief. We’ll be back for the money next Monday, got that?
Ramón watched them go. He felt very angry, but he didn’t say anything. That night, he said to Soraya: they got me into trouble and now they want me to pay for the car, can you imagine, and there was I, protecting them from the police, like an idiot, what I should have done was name names and let them go fuck themselves. Don’t talk like that, Ramoncito, the best thing to do is sort it out once and for all. Can’t you see, these people are really dangerous. Yes, that’s why it’s better to do things legally, Sorayita. On Saturday I’ll go to Villavicencio and talk to the police again and tell them everything, let these guys go to jail and leave me alone.
That Friday night, over a beer, he said to Jacinto, no, brother, I can’t go to the Rey de la Pachanga tonight because I’m getting up early tomorrow to go to Villavicencio. He told him this in a low voice. I’m going to talk to the police, can you believe it, those sons of bitches want to rob me, after I protected them, idiot that I was. Careful, brother, these people are tough. Yes, but the bastards aren’t going to bring me down, all I ever did was do them favors and this is how they repay me, it’s not right, it’s not how things should be done.
The next day Ramón got in his Land Rover at six in the morning, filled his tank at the Texaco station, and drove out toward Granada in order to come out onto the road that would take him to Acacías and Villavicencio. The same guys who had come to the shop stopped him on the bridge over the River Ariari, and said to him, where are you going so early, Ramoncho? I’m going to Granada to buy equipment. And to go to Granada, you had to fill her up? I thought you were going farther than that, Ramoncho. The thing is, I always like to have her well filled, you never know. Good, we were waiting for you here because we need you to come with us, Dagoberto wants to talk to you. Is it about the Cherokee? I don’t know, Ramoncho, I don’t know, I imagine it is, come with us and work it out with him yourself, that’s the best thing, come on now, Miguelito will drive your car, come on, get out.
He was tempted to accelerate suddenly and leave them in the lurch, but their Toyota was faster than his Land Rover and they would soon catch up with him and pump him full of lead. The best thing to do was gain time and go with them. He got out of the Land Rover and into the Toyota. So, Ramoncho, why are you up so early? The driver of the Toyota was Dagoberto’s bodyguard, whose name was Nelson. I’m not sleeping too well these days, that’s why I take advantage of the morning and do my errands early, but what about you, what’s the hurry? No hurry, the chief just wants to talk to you and as he’s an early riser, too, we decided to wait for you here.
Ramón preferred not to ask the question that was aching to get out. How did they know he was going to leave early? why were they waiting for him that particular day? who had told them? They had gone a couple of miles when one of the men in the back seat, who was well armed, said to him, Ramoncho, from here on, we’re going to do the journey in the dark, O.K.? They blindfolded him and tied his hands with wire. Why are you tying me up, I’m not going to run away, I just want to get this whole thing sorted out properly, you know I have money, there are my shops and my things, if you like we can sort it out here among ourselves, once and for all, what’s the point of making things worse, what do you think, guys? But the men said to him, shut your mouth, son of a bitch, stop talking crap, go to sleep, try to get some rest, you’re going to need it later, and so Ramón fell silent, still thinking, over and over, how did they know? how did they know? He had only told Jacinto and Soraya, and it was impossible, what could have betrayed him? impossible, impossible.
They drove for about five hours until they came to a farmhouse, where they at last removed the blindfold. It was one of those big old houses, surrounded by shady trees. They were received by a group of uniformed men who were playing parqués. He didn’t know anybody, but one of them stood up and said, take him to three-ten, downstairs. Without giving him any explanation, they shoved him into a cell in the basement of the house and left. It was a room about fifteen feet by fifteen feet, with a bed and a chamber pot. From the ceiling hung a bare lightbulb surrounded by insects. The walls were not plastered but were of pure stone, it was obvious that the house was an extension of an older one. There he spent the rest of the day, or what he thought was the day, because there were no windows and the lightbulb was never switched off.
He did not know how long he slept, but suddenly the door opened and they said, get up, come with us, the chief wants to see you. They took him to what must have been the kitchen, because it had white tiles on the walls and concrete tables. There they tied him up, and after a while Dagoberto came in. Ramoncho, I’m sorry I had to bring you here in these conditions, but you do have my money, right? Ramón looked at him without any fear. That car wasn’t yours, it was stolen, the police in Villavicencio kept me locked up for four days and I didn’t tell them anything, I didn’t give them any of your names, in order not to get you into trouble, didn’t they tell you that? Yes, Ramoncho, and that was a good thing to do, but I also found out that in order not to pay me for the car you were planning to report me to the police, you were going to Villavicencio to do that, am I right? Ramón never told a lie, so he said, it’s because you were very unfair, I protected you and you tried to ruin me, apparently I had to pay you for the car, but that car was never mine! Calm down, Ramoncho, let’s not get all excited now. The problem is, the price has gone up now, and I think you’re going to have to sign over the deeds to your shops, they’re drawing the papers up now and they’ll bring them in a couple of days, but there’s no hurry. We’ll talk when they arrive, O.K.?