Michael Pearce - A dead man of Barcelona

‘So when you came, Senora, it was thought that the family had at last decided to take action. Many said that they should have sent a man, and others said, no, it was clever to send a woman, for no one would suspect a woman, and then when they met you, Senora, and saw that you were at home here, that you knew Spanish ways, it was said that the family had been clever, that it had picked someone who would know their way around. And when you came, Senora, with Senor Seymour, they said, this is clever too. For he will help her to find the man who did it. So people saw there was a great family design.

‘And there is another thing, too. For Leila has a brother, and he has been over here for some time. And for a long time people thought he would be the one to act for the family. But again nothing happened. So when people saw you, Senora, they thought that perhaps you had been sent to stiffen his purpose. That, perhaps, that was the design.

‘Yet, lately, there have been other rumours. That the family is divided. That Leila herself is opposed. To the family taking its own justice. Those may be the ways in Algeria, she has said, but they are not the ways in Spain. And, since we are in Spain, we should do as they do. Leave it to the Spaniards to take justice!

‘And I, myself, think that she is right. We are in Spain now and they have different ways. Besides, if she, the wife, says so, who are we to gainsay her?’

Looking down into the plaza they saw Nina sitting on the bench beneath the palm tree eating her lunchtime rolls.

They went down to her.

She looked up at them, with unfeigned pleasure in the case of Chantale, with indifference in Seymour’s case. He wondered about this: was it an indication of a general inclination or was it just that she saw in Chantale a kind of mother, or perhaps an elder sister? But then he thought it was probably neither, just that she liked Chantale.

‘May we?’ he said, indicating the bench.

‘Please do. I am waiting for my mother.’

Perhaps it was mother, then, thought Seymour, reverting to his previous thoughts.

‘She’ll be along in a minute.’

‘Good,’ said Seymour. ‘I’d like to talk to her.’

She looked at him curiously.

‘That’s what you like to do, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘Go round talking to people?’

‘Well, I suppose-’

‘Yes,’ said Chantale, ‘he does.’

‘Actually,’ said Seymour, ‘the person I’d really like to talk to is you, Senorita.’

‘Me?’ said Nina, surprised. ‘Haven’t you talked to me already? Enough?’

‘Not enough,’ said Seymour. ‘Senorita, I come to this late and from outside. And I do still not really have a picture of what actually went on here in Tragic Week.’

‘It was terrible!’ said Nina, shuddering.

‘Soldiers?’

‘Police at first.’

‘Shooting?’

‘Later. At first it was just shouting. Then it got to stone-throwing. Then the police charging with their truncheons. But then the men fighting back, with their fists at first, but then throwing things. They ripped tiles off the houses.’

‘And where was Lockhart at this time?’

‘He was out there, walking about.’

‘Wasn’t that a foolhardy thing to do?’

‘Not at first. He stood a little to one side, so that he could see. And we knew why he was standing there like that, and everyone respected it. I think even the police respected it, for they let him stand there. There was a kind of — ’ Nina hesitated — ‘a kind of authority about him. I felt very proud of him.’

‘And then the soldiers came?’

‘Not at once. First it was the police, and then the police were driven off. There was a pause: and then the soldiers came.’

‘Shooting?’

‘Not at once, but very soon.’

‘And your father?’

‘Ran forward to protest. But his bodyguard held him back.’

‘Yes, I heard that he had a bodyguard but I didn’t really understand it.’

‘They were Arab. I think they came from the Arab community around the docks. His manager, Hussein, had sent them. They suddenly appeared on the second day. He was surprised, I think, because he had not expected them. But after that they stood by him, even when the shooting started. They dragged him away into the houses. But then he insisted on coming out again, and they came with him. They stayed right through the day, and the night — the fighting went on through the night, this part of the town was in flames and you could see everything — and on into the next day And then the soldiers charged, this time with bayonets, and our side got broken up, and I think it was at this point that the soldiers turned on him. I suppose they were excited and frightened and were turning on anybody. I didn’t really see what happened at this point.’

‘Because you had been injured?’

‘Yes. I got knocked down, and somebody carried me away into one of the houses. And when I came to, I looked out of the window, and saw they were still fighting. But I couldn’t see him, not any more. And someone said he’d been taken away, arrested!’

Seymour nodded.

‘Right,’ he said. ‘I’ve got that. The general picture. Now here’s another question and it’s a particular question. At some point the Arabs joined in?’

‘I don’t think they were there at first. But after the soldiers had broken us up, they began to spread out through the houses. I don’t know what they did, but when they got to the Arab quarter, the Arabs began fighting back. That was when it all got very bloody.’

‘And Abou appeared at this point?’

‘Abou?’

‘Do you know him? Leila’s brother.’

‘I know him, yes.’

‘Was he there?’

Nina thought. ‘Yes, he was certainly there. But — but what he was doing I do not know. He didn’t really join in the fighting. He was sort of creeping around. I think he was looking for my father. Perhaps Hussein had sent him to try and persuade my father to come away. I heard him say — I was still there then, it was just before I was knocked down — heard him say to them, the ones who were guarding him, “Where is he?” “It’s all right,” they said, “we’re looking after him.’”

‘And Abou himself?’

‘Was terrified. I don’t think he knew what was happening. His eyes were staring and he was looking around. I thought he was half mad. But then, we were all half mad.’

“This was just before you were knocked out?’

‘Yes. And when I came to, the square was empty, except for the bodies lying there, and I couldn’t see my father anywhere. I rushed down and went out. People kept trying to stop me. I looked around for him but I couldn’t see him. There were others looking for him, too. Do you know Manuel? He owns the cafe just around the corner. He was there, too, looking. I heard him ask for Lockhart. He was asking one of the bodyguard. But the man was wounded and dazed and didn’t seem to know what was going on. He said that my father had been taken away by the soldiers. “Where has he been taken?” said Manuel. And someone else said, “Yes, where has he been taken?” I remember now. It was Leila’s brother. “Yes, where has he been taken?” he said. “To the prison,” said someone. “The prison!” said Abou. Yes, I remember now, it was Abou. “Are you sure?” And he struck his head with his hand. And then he rushed off. To tell Hussein, I think.’

‘Thank you,’ said Seymour.

When Nina’s mother came, they sat talking on the bench for a while, until Nina had to go back into the school. They all got up together.

Nina’s mother held out her hand to Seymour.

‘I am afraid I am going back to Gibraltar tomorrow,’ she said, ‘so I may not see you again.’