delicious, as always. She silently thanked Oli for her discreet and protective affection. There she was at the other end of the counter attending to a customer, her smile luminous, and her black skin as burnished as a fine piece of well-polished leather. Queen of the night, elephantine fairy godmother. At times Bruna suspected that her unusual obesity might be a TP disorder, a mutation brought on by teleportation. Maybe that explained her ability to empathize, to be in tune with weirdos, filling her bar with the strangest bunch of regulars in Madrid. “Dwarfs have a sort of sixth sense that enables them to recognize each other at a glance,” Oli used to say, quoting an ancient writer whose name the rep didn’t remember, in reference to the attraction her little space held for such scarcely conventional beings. It had to be said that they were all decent, friendly monsters—all but Bruna. Because Bruna didn’t exactly see herself as a friendly soul.
She glanced around. How many of these people would have killed someone? Since there was no other combat rep present, it was likely that no one else had. Bruna’s hands shook. Sometimes—very rarely—her dead returned: an unexpected, eerie whirlwind, a lashing angst in her chest. She looked at Lizard, who had picked up another of the tapas and was eating it. Yes, he had, and he also bore the weight of those bodies.
“Gand organized his own disappearance,” said the inspector, his mouth full.
“Yes, that’s my theory, too. That’s why he cut off his arm.”
“It’s more than a theory. Yárnoz had a piece of paper in his pocket, the one you saw him pick up in the park,” Lizard said, before reading from the screen on his wrist: “I think your wife is in danger. A combat rep and private detective, Bruna Husky, has just been to see me. She says your wife has hired her to investigate the robbery of the diamond! I’ve rung Rosario, but the number is disconnected. I fear the worst. I await instructions.”
“It looks like his wife knew about the fake death,” Bruna said. “That explains the secretary’s surprise. But maybe she didn’t know where her husband was hiding. That’s why they tortured her. And that’s why they hired me. So I would take them to Gand. I felt like I was under observation in the park. Then the sensation disappeared.”
“If they were going to follow you, how did they get there first and kill Gand?”
Bruna was confused, really dazed. Nothing made sense.
“It’s strange, yes. Everything about this case is weird. You haven’t found the diamond, right? I assume whoever killed Gand has it. Maybe the secretary is in danger.”
“Not anymore,” Lizard said. “They killed him this afternoon as he was going into his house. A shot from a black-plasma gun, just like Yárnoz.”
“Thanks for sharing your information, Lizard. I’ve got things to tell you, too.”
The techno talked about Ongalo, Ongallow, Onkalo, and the strange blind spot on Terra Vision. She also told him that Yárnoz appeared in her fake childhood memories, and that she’d called Nopal, her memorist, though she still hadn’t managed to get in touch with him. Then she swallowed the rest of her wine, because Oli was coming their way to refill their glasses.
“We make a good team,” Lizard said, raising his glass after Oli had gone to tend to other customers. The hint of a smile danced in his eyes.
“A good team,” echoed Bruna, raising her glass and looking not at Lizard’s eyes but at his mouth.
Those lips. She remembered the taste of them well. That muscular and liquid tongue that would now taste of whiskey, like the first time they made love.
Bruna finished her drink and slammed the glass down too hard on top of the counter. She felt a bit dizzy. She swayed back and forth on her feet, like a metal rod attracted by a magnet.
“I’m amazed that Gand cut off his own arm. He must have had a very powerful reason,” she added, trying to return to the more
She glanced around. How many of these people would have killed someone? Since there was no other combat rep present, it was likely that no one else had. Bruna’s hands shook. Sometimes—very rarely—her dead returned: an unexpected, eerie whirlwind, a lashing angst in her chest. She looked at Lizard, who had picked up another of the tapas and was eating it. Yes, he had, and he also bore the weight of those bodies.
“Gand organized his own disappearance,” said the inspector, his mouth full.
“Yes, that’s my theory, too. That’s why he cut off his arm.”
“It’s more than a theory. Yárnoz had a piece of paper in his pocket, the one you saw him pick up in the park,” Lizard said, before reading from the screen on his wrist: “I think your wife is in danger. A combat rep and private detective, Bruna Husky, has just been to see me. She says your wife has hired her to investigate the robbery of the diamond! I’ve rung Rosario, but the number is disconnected. I fear the worst. I await instructions.”
“It looks like his wife knew about the fake death,” Bruna said. “That explains the secretary’s surprise. But maybe she didn’t know where her husband was hiding. That’s why they tortured her. And that’s why they hired me. So I would take them to Gand. I felt like I was under observation in the park. Then the sensation disappeared.”
“If they were going to follow you, how did they get there first and kill Gand?”
Bruna was confused, really dazed. Nothing made sense.
“It’s strange, yes. Everything about this case is weird. You haven’t found the diamond, right? I assume whoever killed Gand has it. Maybe the secretary is in danger.”
“Not anymore,” Lizard said. “They killed him this afternoon as he was going into his house. A shot from a black-plasma gun, just like Yárnoz.”
“Thanks for sharing your information, Lizard. I’ve got things to tell you, too.”
The techno talked about Ongalo, Ongallow, Onkalo, and the strange blind spot on Terra Vision. She also told him that Yárnoz appeared in her fake childhood memories, and that she’d called Nopal, her memorist, though she still hadn’t managed to get in touch with him. Then she swallowed the rest of her wine, because Oli was coming their way to refill their glasses.
“We make a good team,” Lizard said, raising his glass after Oli had gone to tend to other customers. The hint of a smile danced in his eyes.
“A good team,” echoed Bruna, raising her glass and looking not at Lizard’s eyes but at his mouth.
Those lips. She remembered the taste of them well. That muscular and liquid tongue that would now taste of whiskey, like the first time they made love.
Bruna finished her drink and slammed the glass down too hard on top of the counter. She felt a bit dizzy. She swayed back and forth on her feet, like a metal rod attracted by a magnet.
“I’m amazed that Gand cut off his own arm. He must have had a very powerful reason,” she added, trying to return to the more
Similar Books
