Ocho Columnas has tried to get in to see me but was told I’m not allowed visitors. Pepe explained that that busybody wants to interview me in connection with Olga María’s case: she’s writing an article about RoboCop and now that the killer has escaped she’s in a rush to finish it. Filthy rat, how could she imagine I would talk to her after what she did to Yuca? By the way, Pepe talked to Yuca and mentioned to him my idea about Alberto and Toñito Rathis being behind Olga María’s murder. He was in shock. Here’s what Pepe told me: Yuca opened his eyes very wide and asked him where I’d gotten such an idea. Seems I hit the nail on the head, my dear, by the looks of it. Yuca didn’t know about the affaire between Olga María and Alberto, and he didn’t tell Pepe Pindonga anything, but based on his reaction, I know I got it right. I bet Yuca tries to call me any minute now, but they aren’t letting any calls through either, doctor’s orders. I hope Yuca decides to come. I’ve given him all the clues he needs to find out who’s plotting against him. Now, with the scandal of Finapro’s crash, it’ll all be as clear as day to him. Like it is to me. The only one who refuses to understand is that Deputy Chief Handal. Why would he want to, though, since he’s part of the conspiracy? He’s probably been receiving money from Toñito Rathis: that’s why he let RoboCop escape, that’s why he wanted to be there for Toñito’s arrest, to make sure he was treated well. You know what he’s come up with now, according to what Pepe Pindonga told me? He’s started investigating some of RoboCop’s commanding officers in the Acahuapa Battalion during the war. Only somebody interested in confusing the issue would think up such nonsense. It turns out that one of them, some major or other, went into business once the war was over, offering security services to important businessmen and landowners, one of them being papa. Can you believe what that cop wastes his time doing? And since he doesn’t dare question papa, because that’s getting in way over his head, he wants to talk to me to find out if I know anything about this Major What’s-His-Face, who might have hired RoboCop to murder Olga María. What an idiot. I don’t remember that major very well, I might have seen him a couple of times when I visited papa, if it’s the same man; he might even be somebody I introduced to Olga María — pure coincidence — because she happened to come by the house while he was waiting in the living room. I wouldn’t be surprised if Handal tried to throw suspicion on me so I’d be forced to keep quiet about what I know. Easy, my dear: he could say that RoboCop was hired by Major What’s-His-Face, on my orders, because I was fighting with Olga María over Yuca. Those bastards are capable of claiming that I hired somebody to kill my best friend because of a man, as if Yuca would be worth it. I swear: they’re capable of saying anything: I was jealous of her, I’m under psychiatric treatment, she was like my alter ago I had to get rid of, Yuca has always been the man of my life, and he never paid any attention to me because of Olga María, I still resented her for destroying my marriage with Alberto, I hated her because she always put me down, any old nonsense. I get furious just thinking about all the money they waste paying that gang of corrupt policemen. Just wait, you’ll see how they’ll do absolutely everything they can to divert the investigation of Olga María’s murder away from the paths that lead to Alberto and Toñito Rathis’s fraudulent schemes. Because Pepe Pindonga told me another rumor that fills in the gaps: it turns out that Finapro’s money was used to pay a debt Toñito and his group had with the Cali Cartel; that’s what they’re saying in the inner circles of the police and the media: they didn’t steal the depositors’ money for the electoral campaign, or for the soccer team’s travel expenses, or to cover up holes in the other Rathis companies, but to pay off debts between drug traffickers. Do you remember that scandal about a multimillion-dollar shipment of cocaine they found in a container in the Port of Acajutla, in the warehouse of a shipping company Toñito Rathis owns stock in? There’s the key, my dear. Who knows what Olga María might have found out, and that’s why they killed her, for being nosy, for sleeping with people she shouldn’t have slept with. That’s exactly what I told Pepe Pindonga, before telling him to leave, because I felt tired, or rather disheartened, depressed. It’s awful, my dear, with Olga María’s murder the same thing will happen that happens with all the crimes committed in this country: the authorities will never find out anything and people will simply forget about it. That’s what I was thinking about after Pepe Pindonga left. It’s awful what I’m feeling: something between sadness and anger. I want to do something so that everybody will know that Toñito Rathis and Alberto have something to do with our friend’s death. But in here, I’m screwed. That’s why I don’t know if I’m going to tolerate being cooped up in here for very long. I’d like to get out, I want to really stir things up. Though maybe nobody would give me any support, not even Yuca: as you know, politicians have their own interests. Papa won’t let me, either. I’m so sick of mama: she says my nerves are a mess, there’s something wrong with my head, since Olga María died I’ve changed, I spend all my time talking to myself, I always go out alone, as if she didn’t know I was with you. She says she’s very worried. The same old story. The only thing for me do is to leave the country, like they’re recommending, take a long vacation, especially if that Deputy Chief Handal tries to harass me with his Major What’s-His-Face. I’ll leave and go to Miami, to Diana. Maybe she’ll give me some support and from there we can do something, but without that trash, Pepe Pindonga. Anything is possible. What worries me is what will happen to you in my absence — who will you talk to, who will you go out with, how will you keep from getting bored. If only Olga María were still. .