Confrontation Ch. 11: Who Got Vila?

POLICE SEIZE PERU'S TREASURES

Television, newspapers and the Internet trumpet stunning news! A series of raids is closing in on thieves smuggling Peru's priceless heritage to sell in Brazil, Portugal and London. Authorities say that behind the trade is a syndicate with long tentacles reaching into the highest echelons of Peruvian society.

The public learns that police are focused on Francesca Echevarria, daughter of the late ambassador to Portugal. Her luxury condominium in the Algarve displayed a collection of ancient Andean artifacts that would rival museums in number and quality.

The list is long: beautiful Paracas burial shrouds, golden Inca sun god masks, brightly painted Nazca ritual vessels, and more. Cultural items worth tens of millions ended up decorating her vacation home.

At about the same time, detectives also descended on her antiquities shop in Cascais, Portugal. Though not as rich a haul as that in Lagos, many more items from Peru and other Andean countries were found for sale, some of them locked in cabinets at the back of the shop.

Nearby, Francesca Echevarria's fine home had more rare items on display. But the real trove lay hidden in a downstairs storeroom, treasures quickly moved to her place from her late father's embassy offices and suite after his assassination.

There's no information yet about further raids in Brazil- particularly Belem, Manaus and Sao Paulo- but they may already be underway. While Ms. Echevarria is already in custody, there is no word yet about suspects Fernando Vila or Roberto Gonzagos. Further complicating the investigation, another Brazilian suspect, Antonio DaSilva, has just been found brutally murdered.

The case of Peru's missing archaeological treasures is unwinding quickly now. How soon will it be before the net will widen to include suspects in Peru itself? People like archaeologist Emilio Urban, local official Tereza Gonzalvez, and the owners of Intercontinental Freight should eventually be scooped up too. Time will tell.

***

It's wonderful to be home again. Marina and I are back in Lima, settling into our domestic city life, a peaceful one compared to tracking criminals. We hope to leave that page behind us. I'm eager to resume the comfortable world we've built around each other during the past few years.

She moved in with me shortly after we met on my last Andean Experience tour across Peru. We're both American- born which helps us understand one another better, even though I've been in this country for half my life. I came as an archaeological grad student, then stayed on to operate my own travel company. The inherent magic of Peru's ancient past captured my soul.

Marina grabbed a big piece of it too. We were drawn together during one of my tours when her sour husband Wayne Rasmussen was badly injured in a fall and returned to Wisconsin. The tour had been a final hope for their failing marriage, and she decided to stay on instead of going home with him.

By the end of those three weeks in my bus, we'd pledged ourselves to each other at the top of Machu Picchu. We've been together ever since.

My wife is working at the National Museum today, more accurately, volunteering as a docent for English language tours of the collection. She is every bit as hooked on our adopted country's ancient history as I am. That and mutual respect, along with plenty of great sex make us a tight couple.

I had many women in my years as tour guide, but none can compare with Marina- not even Mercedes, the front desk clerk in that Cuzco hotel. I still feel guilty about my marital loyalty failing me there a few months ago, and I hope to never see that woman again. [Editor: Famous last words, Jaguar. The sins of the past are not so easily swept under the rug.]

Marina is guiding her morning visitors, and I'm upstairs in my museum office ready to connect to the Internet. I've told the secretary that I won't take any calls or appointments for the next hour or more, not with even my wife. I can't be interrupted for any reason- "except by an earthquake," I joke. There's something very important that I need to follow on-line.

Fernando Vila's live-in girlfriend in Sao Paulo, Contessa Rosario, has been brought in for questioning there. It'll be livestreamed to me to ensure that what she says corroborates with what I know personally. I'm hoping that she'll shed some light on two murders within the smuggling syndicate.

About a month ago, the distinguished Peruvian ambassador to Portugal, Marco Echevarria was assassinated. Then a few days ago, Antonio DaSilva of Manaus had his throat slit. Both assailants remain at large.

Waiting for the police interview to begin, I wonder how she'll be dressed for this meeting. I've seen her as Vila's secretary, dressed like a high-class model, then a few hours later as a nude entertainer, screwing with another couple on-stage in a Sao Paulo club. I remember the weight of her bare breasts on my arm at Fernando's mansion later, and the clutch of her hand on my trousers.

The interrogation room appears on my screen, the camera angles from above. They're ready to start now.

Contessa is very conservatively dressed, looking more subdued than I've ever seen her. But there is no hiding that hourglass body, those flashing dark eyes, and her pouting full lips. The woman absolutely oozes sex appeal, and I congratulate myself on declining to fuck her at Vila's place. Omigod, how did I do It?

"You are Contessa Rosario, right?" the detective begins. "I remind you to answer all questions truthfully. I'm Detective Luis Sanguida."

I watch as she nods and smiles seductively at the guy. I know that she's going to work him, just like she does with other men.

"Do you know of the lawyer, Fernando Vila?" he asks, and she nods.

"And that he is dead now?"

Another nod accompanied this time by a forced sad face.

Damn! I'm amazed! Is Vila dead too? Another one! That's three of the big players in the syndicate- the Ambassador, Antonio and now Vila! What's going on here?

My first thought is that the operation is destroying itself from within, but it dawns on me that the smuggling syndicate could be more extensive than we already know. Does the network we're tracking have competition?

"That's why you're here...." Sanguida continues until she interrupts.

"I didn't do it!... I didn't kill him!... Not me!"

He lets her rant a bit before going on with his questions.

"Ms. Rosario, tell me about your relationship with Vila, besides working in his office and living at his home."

"What do you mean?" she asks warily.

"You helped him in his business dealings, didn't you?"

"Yes, I was his secretary."

"So, you know who he dealt with. Here's an example and answer truthfully because I can check. Did two men from a museum in Peru come to see him about a month ago?"

"Yes. One had a nice beard... and a name like an animal...."

"Jaguar."

"Yes. I don't remember the other guy's name."

"Carlos. You met them at the office when they arrived. Did you see them other than that?"

"Well, later Fernando brought them to the house after they left the club."

"Club Eros in Sao Paulo where you entertain some evenings, I'm told?"

Contessa lowers her eyes for a few seconds, pondering how to best answer this assertion. While she was totally hedonistic at the club and Vila's mansion, she must try to hide this part of herself outside that small circle. She probably doesn't want to be widely known as a whore.

"Yes.... He often takes special clients there. Anyway, they came back for some drinks to celebrate a deal. Fernando told me later that he was going to be their buying agent and that he'd make a lot of money from it."

"Be honest about this. Did you have sex with Jaguar and Carlos that night?"

I hold my breath hoping Contessa will tell the truth. Otherwise, we both could be in a Hell of a lot of trouble with Marina and Elena.

"Fernando offered me to them. The bastard does that- just passes me around like his slut. But they refused. I was so surprised because it never happens."

I breathe again, but Detective Sanguida is enjoying this lurid information, so he digs for more.

"So, Fernando Vila was using you to help him with his clients, right, giving you to them for sex."

"He was sick!" Contessa flares up. "He liked having them fuck me while he watched. At the club, at the mansion, even in the car. He was a little guy with a little dick. It made him feel like a big man to control me like that. I started to hate him."

"So it make you angry to be used that way. Mad enough to kill him?"

"No!... I didn't do it! He killed himself with drugs!"

"We'll see about that, Ms. Rosario."

"No. Not me. I didn't kill him!"

There is a pause while the detective reviews his notes, before resuming his questioning in another direction. I can see that he's going to shift gears now, probably to see if he can trip her up on some details in Vila's death.

"We'll come back to that. Now let's talk about Roberto Gonzagos from Belem. You know him pretty well, don't you?"

"Yes."

I perk up and lean closer to the screen. This is getting very interesting!

"Did he come to Fernando's office to do business about two weeks ago?"

Contessa nods and he continues.

"Then to the club.... Yes?... And back to the mansion, like with Jaguar and his friend, right?"

"Yes, Fernando wasn't sure what Mr. Gonzagos wanted, but he told me to be especially friendly with him. That's what he always called it."

"And were you?... Was Gonzagos more interested in sex than Jaguar and Carlos?"

The detective wants some more juicy details and Contessa knows it. She shifts her body and arches her back a bit so that he can better see the curve of her beautiful tits. Her penetrating dark eyes gaze directly into his.

"More interested? Yes Luis, much more interested," she replies in a sultry voice. "I danced for him and then we spent a long time together at home later."

"Did you like the man? Was he attracted to you?"

"Yes, we were very good together."

"Do you mean in bed or just in general, Ms. Rosario?"

"Both. But especially in bed- though it was on the sofa, as I recall," she laughs and I do too, having been on the sofa beside her myself.

"And I suppose that Vila watched, right?"

I can see that the detective is enjoying this interview, mining it for his own pleasure. But Contessa doesn't answer, instead crossing her knees to give him a good look up her dark stockings, before nodding to the question. He continues.

"And then?"

"You mean after sex, Luis? It was quite late by then, so I asked if Roberto could stay for the weekend, and Fernando agreed, but only if he was there."

"So, what happened that weekend?"

"Roberto and I were in and out of the pool all afternoon Saturday...."

"Naked I presume?" Sanguida grins.

"Of course, Detective. It's very private out there. We talked and got to know each other. I liked him. A very good looking, polished, educated and charming guy. After supper at home, the three of us started with some joints and relaxed before... well... you know."

"Yeah, I know- more sex. That's what you wanted, right?"

"Definitely, with Roberto. But for Ferando this was just doing business."

"Ah, would you say the two men were friendly with each other?"

Now I notice that Contessa has moved her upper leg slightly sideways, giving the detective a view well up the inside of her thigh. She flashes an inviting smile as she tries to distract him, a look that says, "I know that you're looking. Be my guest." She reminds me of Sharon Stone in an old movie. Then she replies seductively.

"Detective Sanguida, Fernando might have thought so, but I could tell that Roberto didn't much like him."

"Was it the watching, do you think? Did that bother Gonzagos?"

"Maybe, but he never said anything about it to me. No, there seemed to be more to it than that. Maybe Roberto was suspicious about something. He was holding back, I thought, like a good card player, not showing Fernando his hand."

"Interesting. Was it this? Both were getting smuggled goods from the same person, you know. Some went to Gonzagos and some to Vila.... Did you see them argue about anything to do with this business?"

"I don't know anything about that. Were they smuggling something? Mostly Fernando kept me away from what he was doing, except for entertaining his clients. I didn't even know why Roberto came to see him, only that my boss wanted it to go smoothly."

"In bed, right? Did you see Gonzagos after that weekend?"

"Not for a week, though we texted a lot. I liked him, maybe more, and I'd had enough of being Fernando and his clients' play toy. Then Roberto came to Sao Paulo again the next week."

"Tell me more about that."

"He came to the office again, Detective, and they had a private meeting. It sounded like they were getting angry. Eventually it calmed down and the three of us went out for dinner, then back to the mansion. Some drinks- we finished a bottle- then upstairs to the bedroom for sex. But first we got high and horny with some mollys. Fernando had already been drinking a lot at supper and popping pills in the car, so he was really flying."

"And then?"

"Roberto and I were into each other. He's so big and strong, not like that worm Fernando. I didn't have to be told what to do with him in bed. We were having fun and paid no attention to Fernando, figuring he'd be in the chair behind us, watching like always."

"So is that what happened?"

"For a while, but we screened that out. After a while- maybe twenty minutes- we stopped for a rest and noticed him either sleeping or passed out in his chair. We were all on Ecstasy, so Roberto and I just went back at each other again."

"You didn't try to revive him? He might not have died if you did."

"How could we know, Detective? We checked a bit later, and Fernando hadn't moved, so we tried everything- cold water, pushing his chest, even breathing into his mouth like they do. But he wasn't coming around, so we called an ambulance. It came fifteen minutes later, and they couldn't help him. He was already dead."

"Of an overdose?"

"That's what the paramedic said, and we weren't surprised."

"Well, the toxicology report showed quite a mix of things in his system. Narcotics and alcohol. Did you supply it?"

"OK, I admit to bringing a tab of Ecstasy for each of us, three in all. I use it to get me in the mood onstage and sometimes with his clients. But just one each. I know how it works."

"And Gonzagos. What did he bring to the party?"

"No pills, just some weed I think. Oh, and the bottle of good liquor we all shared after we had supper."

"That's it? Who supplied all the other stuff in Vila's system that night?"

"He probably did. Fernando used drugs a lot, but not me and Roberto. I think his driver JoJo had connections with dealers and got it for him."

There is a long pause as the detective reviews his notes. Contessa looks very apprehensive, wondering what's coming next. She looks surprised when he looks up from his papers and closes out the interview.

"OK, that's enough for today, Ms. Rosario. I'll have more questions for you on Monday morning at 9:00. In the meantime, you haven't been charged with anything yet because they're questioning Gonzagos in Belem right about now. We'll come after you if you don't show up on time. Understand?"

"I didn't kill him, Luis!" Contessa blurts out again. "He did it to himself. You can question me all you want because there's nothing to hide. I gave him just one molly."

"Maybe it was laced with something else, like fentanyl?"

"Then Roberto and I would be dead too. We all took one!"

The detective goes quiet for a moment before he finishes.

"Uh, one more thing Ms. Rosario. When are you performing at Club Eros again?"

"Well... on Saturday evening," she replies, wondering why he's asking.

"Oh, you are, eh. How about a ticket? Uh... for a friend of mine?"

She smiles and reaches into her purse to hand him a special gold guest pass.

"Luis, I hope your friend enjoys the show," she coos. "This pass means he can stay to talk privately with me, even have drinks on the house."

Detective Sanguida breaks into a wide grin as he jams the shiny ticket into his wallet.

Contessa knows that by the time she finishes with Luis in the back room of the club, she isn't going to be charged with anything!

I chuckle. He's in for the ride of his life.

After the interview is finished, I think about it for a while. Fernando Vila is dead, the third person in the smuggling syndicate, the rich playboy who had the world by the tail. Money, mansion, big car, hot lady- he had it all. I don't feel a bit sorry for the guy, treating Contessa like shit and stealing Peru's ancient heritage. I figure that he got what was coming to him.

Contessa adamantly claims that she didn't kill him, but isn't that what they all say? She had every reason to hate the little bastard, the way he used her like a toy to further his business. And, she brought drugs to the party, a powerful one found in his system. She had the motive and the means to kill Fernando.

But, there was another prime suspect too, Roberto Gonzagos.

Why had he come to see Vila in the first place? Was he aware that Antonio was routing some precious objects to Sao Paulo? Was that the agreed arrangement? Or had Gonzagos recently learned that the syndicate's lawyer was also receiving pieces and selling them privately to other collectors? If he had come to Sao Paulo to confront Vila about this, intending to cut him out of the smuggling chain, he had a powerful murder motive.

I need more information about Gonzagos, so I phone Carlos for some research. He is as surprised as I was to learn about the deaths of both Antonio DaSilva and Fernando Vila. After recovering from the shock, he gives a little laugh.

"Elena will be pleased to hear about Antonio. She hated the rat with a passion, for taking Peruvian treasures of course, and for the way he treated his women."

"He sounds like Fernando on those two counts, doesn't he. Remember Contessa? The police are thinking she might have killed him with an overdose. Maybe she did, or maybe it was Roberto Gonzagos?"

"I can see why she might, but why him?"

"He went to visit Vila twice in a week. Contessa told the police that the two men argued about something in his office the first time. And the second time was the night that Fernando died."

"You must be telling me this because you need some information, right Jag?"

"Actually, I do. Find out anything you can about Roberto Gonzagos. We know he works in the Belem office of the Peruvian trade mission to Brazil, but not much else. And get it as soon as you possibly can. My curiosity is over the top right now."

A day later, Carlos delivers- like always- and things become much clearer. He's very good at this kind of sleuthing, a skill developed as a private investigator.

"What have you got, Carlos? Have you solved it?"

"I know this is going to interest you, Jag. Are you sitting down?"

"OK, hit me with it!"

"The Ambassador married a rich widow from an old money family in Brazil. Guess what? Roberto Gonzagos is her son..."

"Jeez! Echevarria's stepson! I'll be damned!"

"His only son. He had a daughter with Mrs. Gonzagos you know- Francesca, the one in Portugal with the antique shop and the luxury condo in Lagos."

"So, Roberto was getting treasures from Antonio Da Silva, then passing them on to his stepsister, and the Ambassador. A real family operation!"

"Yes, a nest of crooks. Remember that it was the old man, President Echevarria, who resigned in disgrace about ten years ago because of the Inter-oceanic Highway scandal."

"Amazing! Stepson, daughter, father and grandfather! That certainly traces out half of the supply chain. Thanks a lot, Carlos. Great work!"