See? A small smudge. Luminol is wonderful at picking up blood residue. Perhaps we will be lucky and find DNA from the person who killed her. Even luckier if I have enough supplies to find out.”
Since October, the American trade embargo had been enforced more rigorously. The United States government wanted to take advantage of Fidel Castro’s failing health. But bullying makes us stubborn, thought Ramirez. It’s like World War II, when Churchill called British citizens to arms by urging them to collect rubber bands. So, too, we Cubans. Except we save everything.
“Interesting that Canada has an indigenous population,” Apiro said as he clambered back up his stepladder. “That’s impressive. Here, of course, it was quite different.” He shook his large head sadly. “Thousands of Taino villagers welcomed the conquistadores with gifts of tobacco and fish. Imagine their confusion, their disbelief, when they were butchered, their chiefs burned alive. All of this was a violation of international law, of course. The Spaniards were not supposed to conquer any ‘discovered’ people willing to trade with them. But then, as now, the Pope could invent any law he wished. There are only a few traces of the Tainos left, a word here and there, although I find TainoDNA in the blood of mestizos sometimes. Not much to show for what was once a generous and civilized society. It’s another reason I am such a devout atheist. Well, that,” Apiro smiled, “and my Jesuit upbringing.”
I should check the bodegas , Ramirez thought. Jaba was a Taino word for a bag made of woven palm fronds. Cubans called their shopping bags jabas . Under the Plan Jaba, the elderly were permitted to jump the queue when getting rations. The old woman was the type to push her way to the front of the cola . Someone would have noticed.
“Why are you an atheist, Hector?” he asked.
“I’ve always found the Catholic God to be a paradox.” Apiro paused. He turned to look at Ramirez, holding his scalpel thoughtfully. “Vengeful and punitive; turning women into salt for simply looking backwards. And yet seemingly incapable of taking any steps to stop evil. A timely and well-placed bullet in Hitler’s skull would have saved millions. Prayers did nothing. Words are rarely stronger than swords or bullets, however much they may hurt.”
“I agree with you that some men are so inherently evil that the only reasonable thing to do is to remove them from society,” Ramirez said. “But even Voltaire said if there was no God, it would be necessary to invent one.”
“And I believe we did,” Apiro grinned. “But then, Voltaire also said that a clever saying proves nothing.”
Ramirez chuckled. “So what are your thoughts about this woman’s murder, Hector? It seems straightforward this time, no?” The inspector gestured toward the knife, which still rested on the counter. The blue iridescence had disappeared from its handle like magic.
“Ah, now, Ricardo, one would naturally assume that a fish knife plunged into someone’s heart would cause their death. But look here,” Apiro pointed his gloved finger at the woman’schest. “There is almost no blood around the wound. Or on her clothing. She was stabbed, yes, but that’s not what killed her.”
“Then what did?” asked Ramirez, puzzled.
“I am not sure yet, but I can tell you this. By the time that knife was hammered into her chest, she was already dead.”
ELEVEN
“By the way,” said Inspector Ramirez. “I spoke to Señora Jones this morning. Michael Ellis’s wife died last week. She became ill on the flight back to Canada. The Canadian medical authorities think it may have been food poisoning. What do you think?”
“Hmmm,” said Apiro. He lit his pipe. “The timing is a little suspicious, isn’t it?” He lowered his large head and puffed until the embers in the bowl of his pipe glowed red.
Ramirez was grateful that the refrigeration unit that stored the bodies in the morgue
Since October, the American trade embargo had been enforced more rigorously. The United States government wanted to take advantage of Fidel Castro’s failing health. But bullying makes us stubborn, thought Ramirez. It’s like World War II, when Churchill called British citizens to arms by urging them to collect rubber bands. So, too, we Cubans. Except we save everything.
“Interesting that Canada has an indigenous population,” Apiro said as he clambered back up his stepladder. “That’s impressive. Here, of course, it was quite different.” He shook his large head sadly. “Thousands of Taino villagers welcomed the conquistadores with gifts of tobacco and fish. Imagine their confusion, their disbelief, when they were butchered, their chiefs burned alive. All of this was a violation of international law, of course. The Spaniards were not supposed to conquer any ‘discovered’ people willing to trade with them. But then, as now, the Pope could invent any law he wished. There are only a few traces of the Tainos left, a word here and there, although I find TainoDNA in the blood of mestizos sometimes. Not much to show for what was once a generous and civilized society. It’s another reason I am such a devout atheist. Well, that,” Apiro smiled, “and my Jesuit upbringing.”
I should check the bodegas , Ramirez thought. Jaba was a Taino word for a bag made of woven palm fronds. Cubans called their shopping bags jabas . Under the Plan Jaba, the elderly were permitted to jump the queue when getting rations. The old woman was the type to push her way to the front of the cola . Someone would have noticed.
“Why are you an atheist, Hector?” he asked.
“I’ve always found the Catholic God to be a paradox.” Apiro paused. He turned to look at Ramirez, holding his scalpel thoughtfully. “Vengeful and punitive; turning women into salt for simply looking backwards. And yet seemingly incapable of taking any steps to stop evil. A timely and well-placed bullet in Hitler’s skull would have saved millions. Prayers did nothing. Words are rarely stronger than swords or bullets, however much they may hurt.”
“I agree with you that some men are so inherently evil that the only reasonable thing to do is to remove them from society,” Ramirez said. “But even Voltaire said if there was no God, it would be necessary to invent one.”
“And I believe we did,” Apiro grinned. “But then, Voltaire also said that a clever saying proves nothing.”
Ramirez chuckled. “So what are your thoughts about this woman’s murder, Hector? It seems straightforward this time, no?” The inspector gestured toward the knife, which still rested on the counter. The blue iridescence had disappeared from its handle like magic.
“Ah, now, Ricardo, one would naturally assume that a fish knife plunged into someone’s heart would cause their death. But look here,” Apiro pointed his gloved finger at the woman’schest. “There is almost no blood around the wound. Or on her clothing. She was stabbed, yes, but that’s not what killed her.”
“Then what did?” asked Ramirez, puzzled.
“I am not sure yet, but I can tell you this. By the time that knife was hammered into her chest, she was already dead.”
ELEVEN
“By the way,” said Inspector Ramirez. “I spoke to Señora Jones this morning. Michael Ellis’s wife died last week. She became ill on the flight back to Canada. The Canadian medical authorities think it may have been food poisoning. What do you think?”
“Hmmm,” said Apiro. He lit his pipe. “The timing is a little suspicious, isn’t it?” He lowered his large head and puffed until the embers in the bowl of his pipe glowed red.
Ramirez was grateful that the refrigeration unit that stored the bodies in the morgue
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