From the next Detective Emilia Cruz novel, VIVA ACAPULCO
~
“This is Karen Chamberlain calling from the State Department in Washington,” a woman’s voice rattled off the introduction. “Is this Detective Emilia Cruz?”
“Yes, yes, it is.” It took Emilia a beat to mentally move from
Spanish to the caller’s rapid-fire English. “Thank you for calling.”
“Will Gifford says you are looking for information related to the selection of a property for our consulate.”
Gifford. Selection. Property. Consulate. The string of recognizable words helped Emilia ease into the new language.
“You toured a building called Casa de Plata in the Colonia Progreso neighborhood here in Acapulco. It's listed for sale with Metro Properties. Do you recall seeing it?”
“Yes, lovely neighborhood but the building was not in habitable condition. We would have had to upgrade too many of the systems. Especially the electrical and water.” Chamberlain paused. “Will said that this was related to a crime
that was committed there.”
“That's true,” Emilia admitted. “We have an ongoing homicide investigation.”
Chamberlain’s sharp intake of breath was audible. “Wow, that’s creepy. I certainly didn't see anything strange. The place was big and empty. If something had happened there, all the evidence was long
gone.”
“Actually—,” Emilia started.
“Perhaps the translator could help you,” Chamberlain interrupted.
“You had a translator?” Emilia tucked the phone between ear and shoulder and scrabbled through the
folders on her desk until she found the one from Metro Properties. A quick scan confirmed that according to Hernandez’s record, he had only shown Karen Chamberlain the property once and that she was alone. “The realtor was Juan Felipe Hernandez of Metro Properties, correct? You didn’t see it again with another realtor, did you?”
“That’s right. I only went there once, with the agent from Metro
Properties. It didn’t meet our needs. I didn’t need to see it again.”
“He didn’t mention a translator.”
“Well, we were all there together, me, the translator and Mr. Hernandez, the real estate agent.”
Emilia was annoyed with Hernandez all over again. Socially inept and a bad record-keeper, too. “Did you catch the translator’s name?”
On the other end of the connection, Karen Chamberlain made an indeterminate sound and Emilia got the impression the woman in Washington was sitting at a desk looking through paperwork, too.
“Anything you can provide would be very helpful,” Emilia said.
“I don’t think she was a professional translator,” Chamberlain said to the accompaniment of muffled taps on a computer keyboard. “More like some sort of liaison from the mayor's office to be helpful.”
Emilia gave a start. Her phone threatened to slide out of the nook between shoulder and ear and she grabbed it just in time.
“Here it is.” Karen Chamberlain’s voice held a note of triumph. “I kept her card. Her name was Monica Montoya. Would you like her number?"
“I already have
it,” Emilia managed.
~
Forget the cold and head to Acapulco with Detective Emilia Cruz. After all, what’s a little homicide between friends? link.
