He could not have been more wrong. Gliding toward him with outstretched hand was a tall, slim vision of Nordic loveliness, one of those unattainable rubias they used to have in ads for Pan-Am or Scotch whisky on the billboards above the autopista, all golden hair, big blue eyes, and perfect teeth. Gutierrez, guiltily on his feet, grunted in reply and sat down again.
‘I’ll come to the point, Senora Directora,’ he explained, covering his discomfiture with official brusqueness. ‘We have information that a government minister intends to place his children in this school next term. It is against the law for him to do this, of course, but perhaps he has been given the wrong advice or encouragement by someone who should know better. More importantly, your charter as a private school forbids you to take fees from citizens of this country. As I am sure you know,’ he added hastily, seeing the steel-blue eyes of the headmistress boring into his own, her face guardedly expressionless, waiting for him to finish.
‘We have no citizens of San Timoteo among our pupils, nor do we have any intention of violating the law by admitting any next term or at any time in the future.’
‘I am glad to hear that,’ said Gutierrez, surprised by the directness of the denial, ‘but…if, let us say…’ he hesitated, unsure of how to proceed , and acutely aware of those unnerving steel-blue eyes, ‘if at some cocktail party or… around the pool at the country club, you should be approached…’ he was floundering, trying hard not to repeat himself, ‘by a person who claims to represent an important government ministry, one that could benefit the school…’ His imagination, he knew, was running away with him.
The headmistress laughed, a cascading silvery peal, not at all unfriendly. ‘Lieutenant, I have never been invited to a cocktail party, nor do I belong to a club. I am merely a humble teacher lucky enough to be a temporary guest in your country. But I can assure you, I understand the law and I know my duty.’
‘Thank you, senora. I am only doing mine. I don’t intend to cause offense.’
‘None is taken. And I am not married.’ Why had she told him that? Was it an invitation?
‘By the way,’ she said, signaling the end of the interview by rising, ‘Is it too bright in here?’
‘Oh, the sunglasses! No, I– of course not– I sometimes forget to take them off. Buenos dias, senora, I mean senorita.’ And, in English, with a smile, ’Good day, Miss Judge. Not Mrs. Judge.’
‘Buenos dias, lieutenant.’
Outside, in the blaring sunshine, he put them on again, only to see a motorcycle cop writing a ticket for his car, his booted foot heavy on the bumper. Damn and blast it. First a beautiful woman I cannot intimidate, and now a cowboy punk gives me a ticket. Advancing on the offending officer, his outstretched hand clutching his police badge, Gutierrez quivered with rage.
‘What’s your name, boy?’
‘Agosto Lobo, senor Lieutenant,’ replied the stricken young policeman.
‘Portugues! It figures.’
‘It was the school who called to report the car, sir.’
‘Estupido! That is impossible. I was here on important police business– to see the principal.’
’I am sorry, sir, but that is what I was told.’
Gutierrez administered a stinging slap across the back of the neck of the offending officer, a technique he had learned when interrogating suspects in the barrios, all the more effective because it left no mark. ‘That’s for arguing with a senior officer.’
On his apartment balcony overlooking a highway tunnel and a sandy wasteland of discarded truck tires, Gutierrez brooded on his luck with women. The last one, Conchita, a stripper with big breasts and a ready smile, he had had to kick out when he caught her taking in paying guests in his absence, in his own bed, no less, not even in her own bedroom! He belched over his beer. Why had that blonde principal made a point of stressing her availability? Surely she could have anybody she wanted? But perhaps she was a martyr to her job. He had heard of the type. He spat into the wind, and then went inside to watch a confiscated pornographic movie now that the unreliable air-conditioning was working again.
————–
