Page 46 of After the Fire
“Exactly. Especially a public official.” She was out of breath, pacing her living room right in front of the screen. “And then add to that the potential of paying off this judge or his clerk. And then that’s massive.”
“And what is the punishment for that?”
“Hmm, back in 1988? Probably thirty-six months or something like that, maybe out sooner for good conduct. It’s a classic white-collar crime. But again, it has to be proven.”
“Is there a money trail?”
“Not for the judge. The only indication I have at this point is the abrupt interruption during discovery—literally no more bank statements, no more inquiries, no more nothing. Just,poof.” She motioned with her hands. “Gone.”
This started to make a little more sense to me now. What Catalina was saying made sense in more of an abstract way: someone committed a crime and then tried to cover it up by committing another crime, so the only solution was to lie low and wait until everything blew over. And was that the reason that my grandfather ended up in this town? Leaving his family behind? Carlos had also said that he deeply regretted it. But was that the case?
“And so why would he leave then, if the judge was paid off?”
“Well, I think that he followed the advice of someone that told him to lie low, especially if they were tapping into his financial movements. I would say that it was a decision that was made until it died down, especially if the judge was being public about it. So they all let it die down, judge included, as to not generate any suspicion. It went away quietly.”
I looked into the screen, hoping she would stop pacing the living room and sit down instead. “Sit down. You are supposed to be on bed rest.”
She rolled her eyes at me and said, “I can’t help it. This is super exciting.”
“Exciting?” But I couldn’t help smiling at her enthusiasm. This was exactly how she lived her life.
“Your brother needs to go into the archives and see if he can find the proposal and any invoices for the services. Or, for example, the paychecks with your grandfather’s bonuses to see how they were coded into the system. I mean, as the head attorney for the firm, he could bill whatever he wanted, and I think that’s why this particular case is impossible to prove—the embezzlement at least.”
“And Pedro?” They were partners, although the firm was only named after my grandfather, and Pedro’s existence was a mere “and associates.”“Was he involved in any way?”
“Couldn’t find a single thing on him. But I’m sure he was at least aware. I mean, there are no bank statements for him, but I assume he was also getting these quarterly bonuses. His name wasn’t attached to the original proposal either.”
“So what’s next? Statute of limitations on this?” I shrugged with one shoulder, then flipped onto my back.
“Definitely past that, so no one can be charged. Not even as accessory after the fact.”
“A classic he said, he said.”
“Yep,” she huffed and finally sat down in front of the screen. I could see her face, her eyes wild with anticipation. “That was a lot.”
“I agree.” Although I still couldn’t understand it. I stood up from the bed, my body still sore from having slept on the floor the previous night. I moved slowly into the living area, stopping by the small kitchenette to grab a glass of water. “Who could have been the snitch?”
“Oh, anyone, really. I mean, if the public official suddenly came into money somehow and bought a new car or, I don’t know, a new house, and the wife mentioned it to someone, then that someone to someone else? It’s impossible to prove. My theory is that’s how it happened. They suddenly got noticed because of a change of habits, and that was all it took. For someone to flag it.”
“Was it ever in the news? You said that the judge might have gone public with it, and Roberto was a high-profile attorney,” I said. I sat on the couch and left my glass on the coffee table. The water was cold, and condensation was quickly forming on the outside, drops moving slowly downwards towards the tabletop. “How was that handled?”
“I couldn’t find it anywhere. I sent my clerk to the National Archives, and we couldn’t find anything. So it was definitely buried. No chance of leaking, obviously.”
“My mind is blown.” It almost felt like my brain had been fried. It was a lot to take in, because this was more than just getting involved with creditors and borrowing more money than could be paid back. This involved planning and intention. “This is way more than what I bargained for.”
Catalina laughed a sad smile. “I mean, I guess? I don’t even know how this never made it out, with Roberto being so visible and all.”
“Was the project ever finalized?”
“Oh yeah, definitely. I think it had to do with some sort of loan? The details escape me.”
“These details escape you? You basically just explained corruption to me in four minutes without taking a breath, and suddenly you don’t remember?” I smiled. “You are such a nerd.”
“You know it,” she responded and finger-gunned me through the screen. “How does this change things for you?”
“It’s a lot to take in, for sure,” I said. “But the fact remains that I won’t be able to do anything except maybe try to understand why. Maybe talk to Susana and Pedro? I don’t even know anymore.”
She sighed.
