Andean Experience Ch. 06: Crime in Cusco

Series Characters:

*Jaguar: Former tour guide Wesley Arundel is now Head of Acquisitions at the National Museum in Lima, Peru.

*Marina: Jaguar's wife was formerly an American passenger on his tour bus and is now a guide at the museum.

*Elena: Jaguar's former 'friend with benefits' is Head of Special Collections at the same museum as the others.

Mix all three names together on a business trip and it could spell disaster!

Crime in Cusco

Bright security lights shone from above, sparkling on the glass of the display cases at the museum. It was night-time, and there wasn't a sound, until soft footsteps crossed the main exhibit area. Shadows of a hooded figure moved past the security cameras, but no-one was watching the monitors tonight. The shape seemed to be searching for a particular case, then stopped when it was located.

The mysterious person produced a small key and knew exactly where to locate the little lock at the front of the wooden case. Two turns and it released, so that gloved fingers could raise the protective framed glass top. Two colourful items were carefully removed from the case and tucked into a padded sack.

Then the whole process was reversed. The figure turned and passed in front of the cameras again undetected, and out a side door. Moments later, everything seemed the same as before, unless one looked carefully at the relocked display case. More than a half million dollars worth of ancient Peruvian treasures had just vanished.

****

Wesley Bruce Arundel - Jaguar to all who knew him- was finished with his former tour business, The Andean Experience. He tired of life on the road and settled down in Lima with his wife, Marina, a former excursion passenger. Now they both worked at the National Archaeological Museum, where he headed Acquisitions.

Marina was a docent, guiding English-language tours under the direction of Special Collections chief, Elena Rodriguez. The woman was one of Jaguar's former girlfriends. Elena and Marina had recently worked together to rescue him from Shining Path kidnappers set on revenge for the police killing of Julio Olivera Gutierrez.

Before that, Elena and Jaguar had made an amazing coup for the museum. Using bluff and bravery, with Marina's help they had secured two absolutely priceless Moche culture Decapitator God pieces. A commercial 'treasure hunt' business, Olympia Resources, had unearthed them, ready to sell to international collectors. Now they were securely on display in Lima, important pieces of Peruvian heritage. But that's another story: [my 'New Wife, Old Lover, Ancient Gods']

Elena was calling Jaguar from her office downstairs.

"Still basking in our celebrity status at the museum?" she joked.

"Yours as my Sendero Luminoso rescuer, or mine as the survivor? You and Marina saved my life."

"No. I'm talking about those Moche Decapitator God artifacts we scooped up for the Museum a few months back."

"Ah....Yes, but I haven't seen any extra salary come our way for it. Have you?"

"No, but there are certain perks...." Elena countered, her voice trailing off to invite his response.

"Such as?"

"Travel to exotic places," she teased, drawing his interest. "Like Cusco, one of the most popular global trip destinations."

"Why Cusco?" Jaguar asked, disappointed. "I've been there dozens of times."

"It's a working trip. We're picking up some very valuable objects at the museum there, and seeing that they get back here with no problems along the way."

"Why the transfer?"

"The Heritage Ministry wants them here in Lima since they're of such national importance. Besides, our security is better than in Cusco."

"Not a bad deal, I guess. We babysit some artifacts and get a little trip."

"Yes. Three days and two nights. We also have some entertaining to do. The Cusco people are not exactly thrilled to be handing these items over, so we'll get a hospitality suite to ease the transfer. A stocked bar, some food and music- a social evening or two to make nice with them."

"A stocked bar. A social night or two. This is sounding better now."

"Good. I'll let you know as soon as they give me a date. Meanwhile, check out anything you can find about Inca 'keros' so we know what we're talking about when we arrive to pick them up."

"You're the Special Collections chief, Elena. I know that you'll love researching this. Then send me a copy, OK?"

"That's what I like about you Jag. Always willing to use me," she said sarcastically.

"Not anymore, Elena. Not anymore," he replied solemnly.

Elena's comment hung there like an unfurled flag for a few moments. They both knew that she'd shared his bed in the past and Elena would gladly trade places with his new wife, Marina. But that was all history and it had to go unspoken now.

Jaguar came home from the museum excited by something, and Marina was quick to pick up on his mood.

"What's going on, Jag? I can tell with you. What is it?"

"Looks like I'm taking another trip for the museum, down to Cusco this time. We're transferring two very rare pieces from their collection to display them here. They're so important that the Heritage people insist they be shown in Peru's leading gallery."

"So why are you going to Cusco?"

"Too important and valuable to trust to any courier. They require personal pickup and delivery by me and Elena."

"Elena! Why do two of you have to go?"

"I think the Director wants two people so we're a theft deterrent to each other. These artifacts are worth a lot, and they can't risk one person suddenly disappearing with them. The law of averages, I guess. They figure at least one of us will be honest."

"So... by that reasoning three people would be even better. I'd like to go."

"You can't. We're flying to Cusco and I know the museum will only buy tickets for two of us."

"Come on, Jag. We always have such a good time when we travel."

"Marina. That's not fair. Of course, I know, but this is not a free flight."

"You'll have to get two rooms anyway, right? And three in a taxi costs no more than two? Couldn't we just buy my ticket and save a bit on meals? I know we'll have a nice time," she suggested.

"You really want to come with us? I'll ask Elena."

"I know she's not your boss, so you don't have to ask her! I want to go!"

Jaguar knew that Marina would add another dimension to the trip. The more he thought about it, the reasons for having her accompany him quickly added up. It would be nice to enjoy her company. Another important consideration was the unhappy wife he'd face at home when he returned if she didn't go with him.

Marina had her own reasons for coming. Through a slip-of-the-tongue by a colleague at the National Museum, she'd just become aware that Jaguar and Elena had been occasional intimates before she came along. While Elena was her boss and her best girlfriend, she knew that it would be foolhardy to let the two of them travel alone to Cusco.

That evening Marina launched a 'charm-offensive' to remind Jaguar how much she'd like to travel with him. She looked irresistible in what little she wore to bed that night as she perched on her knees to model it for him.

It was too much for man or beast to resist! Jaguar sprung on her, grasping her in his arms as if she was his soft, sensuous prey. His mouth found the curve of her neck, then he kissed up to her ear before voraciously latching onto her red lips. Jaguar growled in his excitement.

Marina was no tender thing herself. Strong and athletic, her arms circled Jag's shoulders, crushing herself into his broad chest. Soon both were damp with perspiration and their passion, before collapsing together and quickly drifting off to sleep.

Marina was definitely going to Cusco.

****

On the plane out of Lima, Jaguar sat between his wife and Elena to discuss some business with the Special Collections chief. She had a dossier on the two pieces they were retrieving, the material in a large brown envelope for Jaguar to examine during the flight. He had just begun to review the contents.

"This is what we're going to pick up? Painted wooden cups! No gold or silver treasures?" he exclaimed.

"You know they're called 'keros', not just any old drinking cups. They're Incan, and the museum is eager to expand its Inca collection. Yes, they're carved wood, but they're in near-perfect condition, something quite uncommon. And they're painted, as you can see, with lots of red, the colour of blood and power for the Inca."

"Painted wooden cups, probably used for drinking beer," Jaguar said disparagingly.

"Chicha, Jag. Inca brew. It's the paint that makes these two so valuable. They're at least six to seven hundred years old, maybe more, and the paint is as vibrant and colourful as the day they were made. Look at the photos. See what I mean? Red to show warriors and rulers. Even a scene with a herder and his llamas. These will be worthy additions to our collection."

"Really Elena? Wooden drinking cups! How can you get excited about these? Golden masks of Inti the sun god, yes. Decorated metal knives used in Moche decapitation rituals, definitely. I can relate to those. But these things!"

"Do me a big favour, Jaguar. Think what you want, but never say anything like that when we are with the Cusco people. They think that Lima is stealing these things from them." She was annoyed. "Did you see the insurance estimate of their value? Check it over before you get too critical."

Jaguar examined the six digit figure and whistled in amazement. He stared at the numbers in disbelief.

"Never underestimate the value of little things from the past, Jaguar. Have you ever heard about the Lewis Chessmen? It's a set of Viking carved walrus tusk chess pieces found in Scotland. One little missing piece recently sold at auction for 735 000 pounds sterling- nearly a million American dollars! These two keros are a bargain by comparison."

"Oh my god!" Marina exclaimed. It seemed almost unbelievable to her.

"Well, the Vikings and the Inca don't make this stuff anymore," Elena quipped.

The flight experienced the usual turbulence as it crossed the Andes Mountains but was otherwise uneventful. After a cab from the airport, they arrived at their hotel, a classy place. Jaguar had used this hotel at the end of his tours so that his customers experienced some luxury after two weeks on the road.

At check-in there was a familiar face on the front desk, Mercedes, an old friend of Jaguar's. Like a brawny sailor, the man used to have a girl in every port.

"Hello Jag. Long time, no see," she breathed in Spanish. Marina didn't understand the words, but she knew the tone, so she quickly stepped up close beside him.

"Mercedes. This is my wife, Marina. The three of us are here on business for the National Museum. No more touring for me anymore."

Her whole tone changed.

"Welcome to the hotel, sir. We have a two-bedroom suite reserved for your group on the top floor for the next two nights. Three keys?"

"Thank you, Mercedes. You are always so helpful."

"My pleasure, Mr. Arundel."

On the way up the elevator, Jaguar caught an earful from Marina.

"She knew you Jag, and I think she was coming on until you introduced me. What did you mean by 'you are always so helpful?' I saw women at hotels and restaurants being over-friendly with you on the tour I took too. Are there things about you that I don't know?"

This was certainly one topic that Jaguar didn't want to get into with Marina. He already knew that his 'women on the road' past was a real sore point with her. So he kept his mouth shut.

The trio was immediately impressed with the suite Elena had booked for them. There was a large enough furnished common area to entertain at least a dozen people. Branching off from this was a short hallway with two separate bedrooms across from each other, and a large bathroom at the end.

Invitations had been issued to the brass from the Cusco museum, and their partners, to arrive after 7:00 for an evening social. It might help ease any hard feelings about the transfer of the two Inca drinking vessels to Lima. Jaguar still couldn't understand why these simple items were a bone of contention between the museums.

Both Elena and Marina deliberately overdressed because they fully expected the Cusco women to do the same. They wore fashionable long gowns and towering heels. Elena chose to highlight her full chest with a deeply scooped dress, while Marina drew attention to her long legs with a gaping side slit reaching high up her thigh.

Jaguar was more casually clad, but at least it wasn't his signature camo touring gear, and his hair and beard were neatly trimmed. He appeared less like a jaguar than usual tonight, but the animal in him would have pounced on both of the women, they looked so appetizing. He'd done it before.

The evening went well, with plenty of alcohol, some good music and hors d'oeuvres. Most of the Cusco people came with partners, but there were a few singles. Elena was quite taken by a very handsome fellow, Hector Hernandez, a slim guy of medium stature. He was the Cusco Museum Director's personal assistant. Elena spent plenty of time drinking and dancing with him.

One unpleasant incident occurred during the party when a high-ranking Museum Board member made her views on the transfer abundantly clear. She'd had a bit too much to drink and was certainly very angry.

"I feel like this is a theft! These are Inca pieces and Cusco was the capital of their empire. This is where they should be on display, not in Lima!" Madame Lopez stated firmly.

The Director of the Cusco Museum tried to diffuse the situation but he only made it worse with what he said.

"We have plenty of other fine Incan pieces to display. I don't want those keros to go either, but it will make room for some other things we have in storage now."

"Director, it's not this artifact or that one. Everything Inca is important in Cusco! I swear that I'll do anything I can to stop this transfer and keep those drinking cups here where they belong," Lopez hurled back at him.

"Now, now Madam. It's not their doing," he said softly, looking over at Elena and Jaguar. "The Heritage Ministry made the decision and there's not much we can do about it, short of hiding them somewhere, is there?"

"Well, do it then! We have to stop this transfer!" she spat out, a bit too loudly.

Everyone went quiet, drawn to listen to the altercation. The Director was able to draw her away from the group, where they embarked on a quieter but still heated conversation.

The party broke up long after midnight, but Hector hung back, talking and laughing with Elena while they drank nightcaps. Later, when everyone was gone and Jaguar and Marina had closed their door, he quietly slipped into Elena's room with her. The party was over and all was quiet in the hotel suite for now.

Jaguar and Marina were just settling down to some love in their room right across the hall from Elena's. Their hearts warmed as they sighed and murmured sweet affections. Things were heating up between them.

Meanwhile, across the hallway, Hector was eagerly demonstrating his prowess. The bedcovers were rustling and Marina was sure that she could hear Elena moaning, between urgent entreaties to him.

"Jag. Do you hear that? It sounds like they're having sex over there," Marina whispered in an annoyed tone.

"What did you think they'd be doing? Discussing the keros?" he joked, eager to get on with it. "Never mind them now."

"I can't do it, Jag. Not with that woman moaning over there!"

Marina got out of bed to use the bathroom down the short hall. A few minutes later she flopped back into bed.

"No wonder they're so loud. Her bedroom door is half open! They must have been too drunk to think we'd hear them," she hissed with disgust.

****

The next morning, Hector was gone and the three of them were on their way to the museum in Cusco to pick up the artifacts. As their cab pulled up to the front of the building, they noticed a pair of police cars at the curb. When they walked toward the front entrance, an officer blocked their way and they could see yellow caution tape strung across the front doors.

"Cerrado hoy. Robo.... Closed today. Robbery," he said.

"We have an appointment with the Director at 11:00," Elena asserted.

"Your name?"

"Elena Rodriguez, National Archaeological Museum in Lima."

The officer talked to another officer posted at the front doors, and a few minutes later, the little group was ushered in through a side entrance. They were met there by the Director's assistant, Hector Hernandez, the same handsome fellow that Elena had spent the previous evening entertaining. He looked very tired and was probably a little hung over too.

"Good morning, Hector," Elena hugged him warmly, with kisses on each cheek.

"Bad morning, Elena," he replied. "Someone has taken the keros you came to pick up!"

"Oh my god! No! Weren't they locked up?"

"Yes they were. The display case glass wasn't broken, so no alarm went off. Come upstairs with me to the Director's office. I'm sure he'll want to talk to you about this problem. By the way Elena, nice party last night. Thanks for hosting us."

"Well Hector... I'm so glad that you came," she intimated. "We had a good time until this happened!"

"Maybe the robbery was done when we were at your suite? The police are reviewing the security camera footage to find out when it took place," he replied.

"Let's go upstairs and see if we can find out more. I'd hate to go back to Lima empty-handed," Elena remarked unhappily.

The police had just completed their preliminary investigation and were leaving when all four of them entered the Director's office.

"The whole display area is a crime scene," they warned. "No-one goes in there."

The three visitors from Lima sat in the Director's office waiting for him to tell them what he knew. But, he was a bit overwhelmed, and called for his secretary, Natale, to fetch him a coffee before he could start.

"I don't know what happened," he finally began. "No alarm, no broken glass, no fingerprints. But I did see the monitor footage and it happened just after 3:00 AM. Someone dressed all in black, with a hoodie covering their head was in and out of the display room in a few minutes."

He continued:

"They wore one of those Vendetta mustachio masks and white rubber-soled shoes. There are no fingerprints because they had blue disposable gloves. It's unclear by size and stature whether the suspect is male or female."

"Why wasn't anyone watching the security monitor at 3:00?" Elena asked.

"I believe that's when the night-watch goes downstairs to the coffee machine and takes a break," the Director stated, "But the police will be questioning him, I'm sure."

"It must be someone who knew when there'd be no-one watching the monitor. Someone who knew the night-watch's habits and routine." Jaguar pointed out.

"Maybe the watchman was the thief?" Marina suggested. "Was there any evidence of anyone either breaking into the building or slipping out of it?"

"Nothing. After hours all the outside doors are alarm secured," the Director noted. "I have no idea how a thief came in or got out. Unfortunately, I think the vessels are gone now, and I wonder if we'll ever see them again?"

"Into the black market, you think?" Elena asked.

"That's my theory. They may never get to Lima," the Director shrugged.

Jaguar found it odd that the Director was so quick to dismiss the loss of this valuable property. So, he peppered him with some pointed questions.

"When did you arrive this morning? Was anything out of the ordinary then? When were the police called?"

Right away the Director became defensive and angry about Jag's aggressive fact-finding.

"The police will be the ones to ask the questions, not you. Do you take me for a suspect? Do you think I'd steal from my own museum? Besides, I have an airtight alibi. You know that I was at your hotel reception until 12:30, and my wife can vouch for me being home in bed with her soon after that. So, no more playing detective!"