11
Jose Mendez dropped his beer when he heard the description of his son on the radio. The distinguished red leather jacket was enough to make him understand it was Rodrigo they were talking about. With a shaking finger, Jose dialled the phone number the newsreader had given. Then he called for a taxi. Waiting for the cab to arrive, Jose restlessly paced up and down his apartment.
A quarter of an hour later, he stepped into the taxi. Although Walnut Grove and Delmare Avenue was business as usual, Jose was completely oblivious to the traffic. In the car he told himself it couldn’t be his son they found. If it wasn’t for the night shifts I might have noticed earlier that he hasn’t been home the last few days. What kind of a father am I? I can’t even look after one of my children. I wished we’d never come to California.
Nothing had been as they were promised back in Brazil. How am I ever going to tell Sophia?
The taxi driver turned another corner; he pulled over alongside the curb. After paying the fare, Jose climbed the steps of the hospital. A nurse waited for him in the reception area.
“Mr. Mendez?”
“Yes.”
“Please follow me.”
Jose Mendez followed the woman to the morgue. Before entering the morgue, she turned to face Jose.
“Are you all right to go in”?
“Yes.” Jose’s voice trembled. He shivered as he entered the room. Everything in the room was white. It was the loneliest and coldest room he’d ever seen. In the middle of the room was a plastic tent through which he could see a body lying on a table. Inhaling deeply, he presumed it was Rodrigo. A figure in protected clothing and an oxygen mask stood beside the table.
“You must know your son is extremely disfigured from the accident, Mr. Mendez,” a doctor beside him said. He hadn’t told Jose what truly occurred. All Jose knew was that his son had been a victim of an accident.
“Are you sure you want to see the body? We can also identify him another way, we have DNA,” the doctor asked.
“But my son is still breathing. Why are you saying he is death?”
“We have him hooked up on a machine, technically he is death,” the doctor explained.
“No, I don’t believe you, what have you done with him?” Jose moved forward to the shape on the table. His heart was pounding, his blood pumped at an all-time high.
A lump formed in his throat, he fixed his eyes on the green sheet. The whole situation felt like an out-of-body experience. He perceived himself standing there.
“I sorry Mr. Mendez,” the doctor said softly
When the doctor slowly pulled the sheet away, Jose’s world went black.
Dir. Simon called for two porters to put him on a stretcher. Next, they brought him up to the Accident and Emergency department where he could recover from his shock.
Back home Jose dropped down onto the sofa and stared at his shoes. When Sarah moved closer, he stood up and went into the kitchen, following him she asked, “Is there something the matter?”
“It’s my son Rodrigo, he died in a car accident, last night,” Jose whispered. His back was turned towards Sarah. His hands rested on the sink.
Softly Sarah put an arm around his shoulder. When he turned around, she saw his tears. She pulled him towards her. They just stood there neither of them spoke a word. Gently Sarah led her boyfriend to the bedroom; he followed her like a little boy, to forget.
Sarah got up from her bed after a restless night. She gazed at Jose, relieved he’d finally fallen asleep. They hadn’t spoken much since he’d stormed into her house. Somewhere within the stream of words he’d uttered, “Murder.”
The result of the examined car was sent directly to forensics according to the technicians. They told her that beside fibres and finger prints they’d also found broken glass splinters and some liquid. She already knew the liquid could only be from the missing test tube.
Now Jose discovered his son didn’t die in a normal car accident, things had drastically changed. No longer could she keep him at bay. She had to tell him what really occurred.
Adams told her Rodrigo didn’t wear a watch and because of the high temperature in the car it had been difficult if not impossible to establish the time of his death. How long he suffered from his reaction to the virus before he was shot was hard to say.
She jumped when the living room door suddenly opened. Jose entered still in a hazy state. His eyes were half shut and his hair looked like he’d put his head in an old fashioned hairdryer. The big ones in which your head disappears completely.
“Did you get any sleep?” Sarah asked.
“A little, but I keep waking up all the time. I can’t stop mulling over what the officer said. “Did you know anything? Did you know my son was murdered? Please tell me I’ve got to know.” Jose walked to over to Sarah and took both her hands.
“I’m so sorry, I couldn’t. There is so much more to this case.”
“You knew and you didn’t tell me!” Jose exclaimed. He let go of Sarah’s hands and looked away.
“I thought you loved me,” He said softly. “But obviously that was all a lie.”
“No, honestly, I did it to protect you. I didn’t want you to suffer more than you already do,” Sarah replied.
“If it wasn’t for that man yesterday I’d have never found out. What else are you keeping from me?”
Sarah’s phone rang. Never before in her life had she been so relieved to receive a call A few minutes later she turned back to Jose.
“That was my boss; they interrogated Rodrigo’s employer. He apparently got orders to steal cars.”
“What, my son was a car thief?” They moved into the kitchen and sat down at the table.
“Well, he did work in a garage, but the owner didn’t make enough money from the repairs only,” Sarah answered.
“So, this makes it alright to steal? Look what has happened, all because of greed,” Jose rammed his fist on the table. A vase with half withered flowers wobbled dangerously. Sarah was quick to keep the vase from falling.
“If it’s of any consolation, they’ve arrested the garage owner.”
“Did he say who gave my son his last job?” Jose asked.
“Unfortunately not, he claims it was done via the Internet.”
“But there must be a way to find out, isn’t there? I’ve seen it on TV, in those crime series.”
“Yes, but to find out where an email comes from isn’t so easy. The email could have been sent from anywhere in the world. It could even been sent from a pre-paid phone which could have been destroyed,” Sarah said.
“Well is the number not traceable or the IP number from Rodrigo’s iPad?” Jose asked.
“The police are working as hard as they can to get answers. I better make some breakfast first, it’s kind of a long story,” Sarah said to buy some time. Up until now everything she’d told Jose had been basic stuff. She was afraid what his reaction might be if he learned about the virus and how it attacked Rodrigo.
“You eat, I don’t have any appetite,” Jose said.
“I will have something light; I’m not really hungry either.” Sarah retrieved a small pot of yoghurt from the fridge and took a spoon from one of the kitchen drawers.
“Rodrigo was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He got somehow involved with the wrong crowd. I will personally make sure they’ll get what they deserve. Have you rung your wife yet?”
“No, I don’t know what to say. Now I’ve learned he was murdered I find it even harder. I don’t really love her anymore as I did when we met, but I still don’t wish her to suffer like I do at the moment. Nobody deserves that,” Jose replied.
“Do you want me to tell her the bad news?” Sarah asked. Suddenly she realized she’d said something stupid. This wasn’t her job. She had no right to interfere in Jose’s marriage.
“I don’t know,” Jose said after a deep sigh. “Isn’t this strange coming from you?”
“I’m a police officer, a detective. We have to notify the next of kin. No I don’t think she will mind,” Sarah answered.
“Okay, you better do it right now before I change my mind.” Jose stood up to get his Smart Phone from the sitting room.
“I’ve dialled the number, it’s ringing,” he said when he gave the phone to Sarah.
“Hello is this Mrs. Mendez? I’m calling from LA. Are you sitting down Mrs. Mendez? I have bad news about your son. Are you listening? Are you still there?” Looking at Jose, Sarah said, “She’s not saying anything, but I can hear her breathing.”
“Is there somebody else with you Mrs. Mendez? Can you give the phone to her?” Sarah heard some muffled noises in the background before another voice came on. It appeared to be a child.
“Is that your mother I’ve just spoken too?” Sarah asked.
“Yes. Who are you?” A boy asked.
“My name is Sarah Wolters and I am a detective from LA. We have found your brother Rodrigo.”
“Is he dead?” The boy asked.
“Yes unfortunately he is.”
“Was he killed?”
“Yes, how do you know?” Sarah asked.
“Because he’s living in LA. That is where all the criminals live and in New York. I’ve seen it on TV.”
“You’re right, listen, here is your father,” Sarah handed the phone over to Jose. “It’s your son.”