Chapter Five
I’m positive that Mrs. Vargas has more than two thousand dollars worth of jewelry with her, Captain Richardson thought, while tapping his forefinger on the table. But, how can I prove it without searching Victoria's suitcase? If only I could get her to confess.
“Maria,” he began, facing what he deemed was the weaker of the two foes in front of him. “I could go easy on both, you and your mother, if you’d be willing to show us your mother’s undeclared jewelry. And, in fact, if you do cooperate, all I'd require you to do is hand it over and pay a token fine. How does that sound?”
Maria pursed her lips as she turned and gazed at her mother’s stoic facial expression, before redirecting her attention back to the officer in front of her. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Captain, sir. I know that you would like my help. And If I could, I certainly would give it to you. But unfortunately, I have no idea what you're referring to.”
Captain Richardson grimaced upon hearing Maria's reply, while the smile on Victoria Vargas’ lips became increasingly prominent.
“Mrs. Vargas,” Richardson shouted, now banging his fist on the table top. “Aren't either of you listening to what I'm saying? How can the two of you claim you’re not carrying any undeclared jewelry? We have a tape recording of the conversation you two shared soon after leaving Customs. And instead of letting both of you subject yourselves to doing prison time or face deportation, we’re trying to offer you redemption.”
Victoria nonchalantly continued to grin, and brushed a loose hair off her forehead. “I fully understand what you're offering, Mr. Richardson. However, as things currently stand, I’m 100% positive there isn’t anything within your recording which would incriminate us.”
“You don’t think so?” the captain said, raising his eyebrow. “Then let’s listen to it. You might be surprised.”
Victoria’s lips turned into a small frown as she watched Tom abruptly pick up the telephone.
“Mike. How about playing the recording of Mrs. Vargas’ and her daughter’s conversation, starting … oh, let’s say … about a minute after they left Customs? … Okay? … Thanks.”
Within seconds, a crackling sound proceeded to belch from the speakers within the Interrogation room’s ceiling. Then Maria’s voice could be heard speaking, in native Castellano.
“Mamá. ¿Estás todavía con todas las joyas extra que poner en la izquierda justo antes de Arica?” (“Mother. Are you still wearing all that extra jewelry you put on just before we left Arica?”)
“Sí. Lo estoy, querido. ¿Por qué?” (Yes. I am, dear. Why?”)
“Bueno. Ya que dijo que el pueblo en la Aduana podría ser sospechoso porque accidentalmente se menciona el hecho de que tú y papá era dueño de una cadena de tiendas de joyas, pensé que podría querer deshacerse de él, ya que no fue declarado oficialmente.” (“Well. Since you said the people in Customs might be suspicious because I accidentally mentioned the fact that you and Dad owned a chain of jewelry stores, I thought you might want to get rid of it since it wasn’t officially declared.”)
Upon hearing this, Tom grinned, and then ordered his subordinates to pause the recording.
“That sure sounds pretty incriminating to me. Don’t you agree, Mrs. Vargas?”
“No. Not really, Captain,” Victoria replied, looking like she was about to burst out laughing. “What we have just heard was only a small part of the total conversation. I believe if you would continue, you would find my response to Maria's statement quite interesting.”
Tom frowned as he reached over and picked up the phone. “Sure. No problem. “But I don’t think it’s going to help.”
Victoria nodded, as if knowing what they were to hear. “We’ll see.”
“No. Eso no va a ser necesario, chiquita.” The recorded conversation said the moment it resumed. “La razón por la que no declaró la joyería extra que yo llevo, María, es porque no era necesario. Estas pulseras no son el símbolo de intercalación puro oro de dieciocho pulseras que suelen vender. No son más que el oro símbolo de intercalación dieciocho plateado.” (“No. That’s not going to be necessary, little one.” The recorded conversation said the moment it resumed. “The reason I didn’t declare the extra jewelry I’m wearing, Maria, is because I didn’t need to. These bracelets aren’t the pure eighteen caret gold ones we normally sell. They’re only gold plated.”)
Tom’s mouth instantly flew wide open. “Joe! Didn’t you listen to the whole conversation before reporting your suspicions to me?”
“Yes sir, I did,” Joe answered, leaning backwards in his seat. “But I thought if we combined this recording with the video we got when they were with their relatives, we’d have a rock-solid case.”
“Video?” both Maria and Victoria repeated, while turning to face each other. “What video?”
“The video we got from the security camera positioned inside the main terminal.”
Victoria unconsciously gulped and her skin whitened. “And what exactly does this video show?”
“Now that's a good question,” Tom said, as one corner of his mouth proceeded to bend upward. “Joe. Why don’t you play it for them.”
A few short seconds later, a projector screen opposite of the large, smoked security window lowered, and the video began to play.
Within it, was the scene showing Maria and Victoria greeting their relatives.
When about a minute had passed, Mrs. Vargas, for what seemed to be no apparent reason, lowered her suitcase and then unfastened its latch – afterwards, she appeared to be taking something off her wrist and dropping it inside.
“There,” Joe shouted at the screen in front of them. “At this instance, Ms. Vargas, were you or were you not removing some bracelets and dropping them into your suitcase?”
“Yes, I definitely was,” Victoria admitted, casually folding her arms in front herself. “I had gotten tired of wearing all that costume jewelry. Just ask anyone who knows me, they would tell you that, at home, I normally wouldn’t even consider wearing anything gold plated.”
“Gold plated?” the captain repeated, shaking his head. “So that’s why the bracelets weren’t declared?”
“Of course, Captain. Like I told you earlier. Do you really think that after going through all the trouble and effort it took to acquire a U.S. Visitor’s Visa, I would throw it all away by doing something foolish?”
Captain Richard quickly turned so he could stare at Joe, before he once again, faced Victoria.
“If wearing gold-plated jewelry was going to be so uncomfortable for you, Mrs. Vargas, then why didn’t you pack it inside of your suitcase, instead of wearing it? That’s what most people would have done.”
Victoria raised her head and chuckled. “Do you really need to ask that question, Captain? You of all people should know how infamous the airlines are for losing your luggage.”
Joe nodded his agreement. “She does have a point, sir.”
Running out of patience, the captain unconsciously let out a frustrating growl.
“I was hoping to avoid this, Ms. Vargas, but unfortunately, you have left me no choice. Would you please empty the contents of your suitcase onto the top of the table? Then leave it open, so we could inspect it.”
“Of course, Captain. I have nothing to hide.” Victoria smiled as she raised her case and unfastened its latch.
“You must be kidding,” Maria non-verbally gasped.
Joe watched, while displaying a crooked smile as the attractive, middle-aged lady in front of him reached inside the suitcase and commenced to remove each individual item.
“Is this what you were looking for?” Victoria asked minutes later, as she laid a dozen gold-colored bracelets across the top of the table.
Tom nodded, as his grin widened – cheek-to-cheek.
“So you insist that each of these are only gold plated, correct? And they’re not pure gold.”
“That’s correct,” Maria answered, for her mother. “But if you don’t believe me, please check the inscription located near each bracelet’s latch – you will see each one of them clearly marked, stating exactly what we have told you.”
Captain Richardson grinned, then took hold of the sixteen-inch bracelet closest to him and read its inscription. … He then frowned. “There has to be more than this. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Victoria continued to smile.
“Would you mind, Mrs. Vargas, if I personally inspected your case?” Joe asked, not waiting for her reply as he reached across the table.
“Be my guest.”
“I’m sorry, Captain,” Joe said, a few moments later. “I guess I was wrong. There isn’t anything worth declaring here.”
“Are you sure?” Tom yelped, staring at the empty suitcase in front of him. “There might be a secret compartment.”
Joe shook his head. “No such luck, Captain sir. I’ve already inspected it three different times, hoping to find one and there isn't any.”
Tom's face reddened, and it seemed like his head was going to explode. “Well. If that’s the case, I must apologize to you ladies for this major inconvenience. … After you repack your suitcase, Victoria, both you and your daughter are free to go. … Just tell Joe when you’re ready to leave, and he’ll escort you back to the front of the airport. I can only hope your relatives are still waiting.”
Both Victoria and Maria grinned as the Captain began to head toward the exit.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Mother,” Maria asked, about a half-hour later as she climbed into the back seat of her brother-in-law’s Ford Fusion. “Were the bracelets you brought from Arica really only gold-plated?”
Victoria gazed at her daughter and smiled. “Of course not, Maria. Didn’t I clearly state while we were being interrogated that I have had lots of experience dealing with Customs. Those bracelets I brought were only labeled as being gold plated. We’ll change their inscriptions to what they really are sometime later.”