A Killing in China Basin - Kirk Russell [57]
‘Huarang said, “You beautiful woman, so I give you a choice.” He pointed at one of the two goons who’d brought me in and said, “Either he’ll dig your right eye out of its socket and fill the hole with gauze or we take your fingernails.” They tied me to a chair and he tore my nails off one by one with pliers, the first one fast, I think to shock my system, and then more slowly. He said he would stop after I told him the truth about why I was there, and when I did, he didn’t stop, and at some point I passed out. When I came to they were washing my hands with alcohol and he was washing his in a sink. They say you don’t remember severe pain, but they’re wrong.’
‘Did you go to the police?’
‘No, you go to the US embassy and try through them. Huarang pays off the local police and ultimately it was a local matter. The police chief went out and questioned Huarang. I heard he stayed for dinner and I was advised later by the State Department not to pursue it further.’
She told Raveneau other stories, and created the impression that she wanted to convey her bravery and foolish boldness and undaunted willingness to take risks for her fellow human beings.
‘I often dream of that boy falling from the helicopter. Sometimes I see myself jumping after him. Maybe it’s guilt that I didn’t save him. I remember looking down and he was just above the canopy of the trees, and then he vanished. I remember thinking that the animals would eat him, and as he went through that canopy of forest he just vanished from earth as though he’d never existed.’
She rested one of her hands on the tablecloth, turned the misshapen nails of her right hand so they couldn’t be ignored.
‘I could have plastic surgery, but I keep them this way so I don’t forget. I had a lot of anger, depression, sleeplessness, I couldn’t focus for a long time, and then I saw where I could make a difference.’
She had told this story many times before. That was obvious.
‘How did you know the identity you got from Alex wasn’t stolen?’
‘I knew her well enough.’
‘Everyone we talk to says she was a thief and a liar, including her sister.’
‘She was complex.’
‘And I think you’re pretty thorough and careful. I’m betting you looked into the history of the identity you were about to buy. You didn’t buy another woman’s identity blind.’
‘I checked only to make sure she didn’t have a criminal history. She did have one but she was smarter than me. She hid that history before putting her identity on the market. She’d already come some distance in trying to erase herself.’
‘And why was she doing that?’
‘She was afraid a man was going to get out of prison and then come after her.’
‘And this was all here in San Francisco?’
‘Yes.’
Sometimes things click together. Sometimes people contact you again and say they want to meet and talk more because they’re one step ahead of you and are afraid you’re going to catch up to them.
‘Can I guess the woman’s name?’
‘That would be very impressive, Inspector. I’d be quite impressed. But first I want you to understand that I’ve never used that identity in the United States. I only used it in a few countries and I don’t do that any more either.’
‘OK, if you don’t use it any more, where is it?’
‘I don’t keep it in the US. After 9/11 they started checking more and I don’t want to be caught with my regular passport and that one as well. That would get ugly. I keep it in a safe deposit box in Mexico City. It’s sitting there right now. If I need it somewhere else they send it to me by courier.’
‘Where did you use it before putting it away in the safe deposit box?’
‘African countries, Latin America, and places in Asia where I knew they wouldn’t be cross-checking my face with other photos.’
‘And how about the woman whose identity you bought, do you know where she lives now?’
‘No.’
‘Do you know what name she lives under?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘Do you know if she’s still alive?’
‘Alex might have known. Maybe you’ll find it in her computer.’
‘What else are we going to find?’
‘Hopefully what