The Mistery of Belicena Villca
– We think they were poisoned , and we were going to transfer them to the local morgue to do the autopsy when you arrived . Now that you ' ve seen them I ' ll give the order to load them onto the ambulances . The others , there will be no need to take them because their death is obvious and has already been determined by the forensic doctor : your mother had her throat slit , as you have verified yourself , and your father died by the crushing of the skull , probably when resisting the attack : do you have anything to object about this diagnosis ?
I shook my head negatively and uncovered Dad ' s body : the blow came from above , discharged with a blunt object skillfully wielded , since it only sunk two centimeters of his cranial vault , at the level of the encephalon .
Uncle Kurt stood absorbed in front of the lifeless body of his sister . The ambulances had already removed Katalina and her children , and the policemen were beginning to withdraw . I invited the Commissioner for a drink , and I pointed out several boxes of our best Sauvignon , instructing him to distribute them to his men , an act of courtesy prohibited by police regulations but which would be taken as an inhospitable gesture if it were not offered . It did not take long for theCommissioner to have the wine boxes loaded and meeting me in the kitchen . Iced Chablis and raw ham was consumed in quantity , while loosening the policeman ' s tongue . A little while later Uncle Kurt joined us . – Who gave the news ? --I asked . – The staff who come in at 5 --he replied-- . A Creole named “ Jorge Luna ” seems to have been the first to arrive . He was surprised to note that all lights in the house were on " as on a party night ", as he declared ; He then approached the kitchen , where your father was always drinking mate from 4.30 am , but he saw no one . So he started circling the house thinking your father would be outside . The first sign he had that something was wrong was when he stumbled on the body of the dog , literally split in two , near the lapachos . A few meters away lay the corpse of Mr . Siegnagel , with a shattered skull .
At first glance and speculating a bit --the Commissioner continued-- I would tell you that at least two accomplices have intervened , perhaps three . Two are essential to reconstruct the event with a certain logic , since it is evident that your father left the house at your mother ' s request , perhaps responding to a terrifying scream from her , and was surprised by the murderous blow by the door . As soon as he looked out , he received the blow that , according to the forensic , caused his death in the act . There Jorge Luna found him and ran with his bicycle to the Police Station to seek help , while he warned the remaining workers who arrived not to approach the farm . We found Mrs . Beatriz by the winery . Presumably from there she called your father , before she was murdered , and we believe that she was tricked out of the house : it was past 0.00 a . m . when the crime occurred , improper time to voluntarily go out to the exterior of the house in people used to getting up at 5 in the morning . Of course , it ' s just guesswork . Until no more elements are gathered , together with the results of the expert ' s reports , we will not be able to evaluate very precisely the facts --he stopped himself , as every professional policeman does when he does not want to compromise his opinion .
I encouraged the commissioner to continue with the description of what happened , while the slices of ham and the glasses of Chablis circulated .
– God forgive me ; you ask me and I will have to answer you crudely , Arturo . The madman , who seized your mother , dragged her to the winery , perhaps gagged , and from there he allowed her to scream to attract Mr . Siegnagel to the trap set by his accomplice . Once your father died , both met to assassinate Mrs . Beatriz . You wonder how I can be so sure ? Well because , as the forensic doctor deduced , to kill that way it takes four hands ; that is , two to hold the victim and two to practice such a perfect cut from ear to ear . Four hands wouldn ' t be necessary if the victim was unconscious , but this is not the case , because no blows to the head or signs of narcotics were discovered – we ' ll have to wait for the analyses to be sure of everything-- and , more specifically , there are footprints , which reveal a desperate resistance until exhaling the last breath .
I felt myself getting dizzy , that everything was spinning around me , that the nausea was gaining my stomach , my throat ... I hesitated in the chair , about to vomit .
– Have a drink , Arturo ! Come on , drink ! You need it ! --the Commissioner urged me , handing me the glass overflowing with good white wine . I drank it in one shot ; and in faith , I had never liked one of our varieties so much . – It was foreseeable that you would break down , it was too dreadful and disgusting what happened tonight in your house . Are you sure that do you want to know everything now ? You could rest for a few hours and find out later , when you feel calmer .
– No ! no ! Please , Commissioner ! --I begged-- . It was just a momentary dizziness . Tell me everything now , the sooner the better .
Uncle Kurt gestured in support of this request .
525