Hola, Sue:
This is about events concerning your friend
Miguel. I never understood what you saw
in him. He may have been a suave Latin
lover fifty odd years ago, tho´ I think his ex-wife might disagree. Of course,
he certainly sees himself in the role. The Velez Rubio answer to Antonio
Banderas – with a lot less hair and a lot more brandy in him.
You know him much better than
I do, so you will not have been as astounded as I was at the news concerning
Miguel. If you had told me that my aunt Caroline was running a brothel from her house in Buenos Aires , or that my sister
held up a local bank and has gone to live off the proceeds in Copacabana, my
mouth would not have dropped open, other than to say:
"Really?" But...Miguel! Who would have thought
it? As it was, I was in the Cabra Loca Bar when I first heard
and my mouth gaped open, as wide as the Channel Tunnel, for a full 10
minutes. I was having my breakfast brandy and reading the El Mundo
for ideas as to what to do next (win Wimbledon or become a contract
killer seemed the best bets). I was just ordering a second brandy, which comes in a half-litre glass - when the local Chief Priest came in.
Usually, when he sees me, he drops to his knees, holds a cross up high and
screams "Be gone foul spot!" ( His
sister has a dry cleaners in Puerto Lumbreras). As it was, he
sat at my table and ordered a large rum. "Have you heard, about
Miguel?", he asked, in a shaky voice.
In retrospect, I realise there
had been some clues. I hadn´t, for example, seen Paco El Panadero
around for a while. He always spent his waking hours, about 5 a day, in
the Crummy Dump Bar. (That´s the one where I was discussing with Luis whether white paint dries faster than blue
when you first accosted us, during your visit to Velez Rubio). But still,
I never would have guessed that Miguel might be involved in such a thing and
even you must have been a bit shaken.
News travels so fast now. I
got a call from Sydney (Australia - not Carton). It was Gumbel.
"What´s this about this guy Miguel?", he asked. How does news
get to Australia faster than the speed of light? I think it may have
something to do with spinach, confirming the Joyce Vegetable Paradox. Anyway,
Gumbel´s coming on a visit, which is not good news for Velez Rubio, but he
wants to offer Miguel a job with the Gumbel Corporation.
Because of your close
relationship with Miguel, you are obviously a prime suspect as an
accomplice. I was hauled into police HQ., the mock-baroque building with
the screams coming from the cellars below and the stream of blood down the
front steps, to be questioned about you. "Never heard of her!" I told
them. Then, a little later: I don´t know her". As I was
leaving, four hours later, I said: "Anyway, she´s in Brazil. In Manaos,
running an engineering business she bought." I think I made a
mistake somewhere, as I noticed a puzzled look in their eyes.
Please tell me immediately
about any further news you get on the Miguel matter. I hope things are
going well with you and Manaos is not too hot.
Luv,
Roberto
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