Rubem Fonseca - Crimes of August

“I’d like to be able to interrogate Gregório Fortunato,” the inspector said.

“Wait here a moment,” said the captain.

Ranildo went to the office of his immediate superior, Major Fraga, and related what he had heard from the inspector.

“That damned Negro is perfectly capable of having done that; it wouldn’t surprise me,” said Ranildo.

“I don’t like this,” said Fraga. “Gregório involved in a homosexual crime? I don’t trust the police; so far they haven’t managed to catch Climerio. Remember Inspector Pastor trying to demonstrate that Rubens Vaz’s fatal wounds could’ve been caused by the shots that Lacerda fired at the gunman?”

“Do you want to talk to the inspector?”

“You said you’ve got a buddy in the DPS. Try to get the inspector’s dossier from him. All on the q.t. Meanwhile I’ll have a talk with him. Advise Colonel Adyl of what’s happening.”

Fraga, who was unarmed, took from a drawer a belt with a.45 pistol, which he buckled around his waist.

The inspector rose when Fraga entered the room.

“Good afternoon, Inspector. Captain Ranildo told me about your investigation. The problem is that authorization to interrogate Gregório Fortunato can only be given by Colonel Adyl, who’s in charge of the PMI, and he’s not in at the moment.”

“I’ll wait,” said the inspector. “My interrogation will take place in the presence of a military officer, if that’s your wish.”

Fraga took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and extended it to the inspector.

“Thanks, I don’t smoke.”

Fraga was slow to light his cigarette and replace the pack in his pocket. “You understand that we’re going through a very delicate moment. A political situation of the utmost gravity. After all, persons intimately linked to the president of the Republic are involved in the most heinous political crimes ever committed in this country.”

Mattos said nothing.

“Gregório is one of those involved,” Fraga continued, “but there are others, above him. We already know, from the confession of the gunman Alcino, that Lutero Vargas, son of the president, is one of the masterminds. We want to discover the whole truth, however horrible and shocking it may be for the Brazilian people. Gregório Fortunato still has a lot to tell about this repugnant crime. You do agree with me that it was a repugnant crime, don’t you?”

“To me all crimes are the same. I’m a policeman.”

“But even for a policeman there are crimes more atrocious than others.”

“It’s not the policeman’s job to make a value judgment about the illicit act.” Pause. “The best policeman would maybe be an automaton who knew the law well and obeyed it blindly.”

Fraga thought about what Mattos had said.

“All authority contains, in a way, the responsibility to judge,” Fraga said.

“All authority contains, in a way, something corrupt and immoral,” said the inspector.

Fraga looked at Mattos in surprise, not knowing what to say. He preferred to let the cop’s observation pass.

“I’m not talking about judging like a magistrate. Judging like a man of integrity,” said Fraga.

“Those who consider themselves men of integrity aren’t always good policemen.”

“But you’re a man of integrity, aren’t you, inspector? You’re not going to tell me that the turpitude, the corruption, the sea of mud that covers our Brazil doesn’t worry you?”

“Colonel—”

“Major.”

“Major, the only thing that worries me is doing my job well.” The inspector’s stomach began to ache.

Captain Ranildo entered the room.

“May I have a word with you, Major?”

“One moment, I’ll be right back,” said Fraga, leaving the room with Ranildo. In the corridor.

“I’ve got the guy’s dossier. When he was in law school, he was arrested twice. First in 1944, during the dictatorship. Then he was arrested again in ’45, after Getúlio was deposed, during the we-want-Getúlio campaign, when the commies went over to the ex-dictator’s side, that disgusting business of Prestes supporting the man who’d been his torturer and the executioner of his wife. It seems that our inspector follows the communist party line.”

“I spoke with him,” said Fraga. “He has some. . strange ideas. He’s not stupid.”

“How do they let a guy with his background into the police?” continued Ranildo. “When all this is over we’re going to have to clean house in the police.”

“The guy may really be investigating Gregório’s possible participation in the murder of a civilian.”

“The story that inspector tells is too fantastic to be true. Do you think Gregório is a homosexual? He’s a cynic, a thief, a killer, but not a homosexual. The information we have is that he’s a womanizer,” said Ranildo.

“Then what’s the inspector’s motive?”

“To stir up the Police/Military Inquiry. I think the police want us to board a leaky canoe. They accuse Gregório falsely, with our collaboration, of having committed a crime, then they declare the black guy innocent, involving us one way or another. Then Última Hora screams in banner headlines that just as Gregório was wrongly accused of that crime invented by the inspector, he also had nothing to do with the assassination of Major Vaz, et cetera, et cetera,” said Ranildo.

“That strikes me as very. . far-fetched,” said Fraga.

“My theory or his?”

“Both.”

“Major, the inspector may even be here in good faith, which I don’t believe. It wouldn’t be good for our investigation, now, to accuse Gregório of anything not linked to the crime of Rua Tonelero. It can get in the way. We haven’t even had time to interrogate the man properly. The important thing is to prove that Gregório ordered Lacerda killed under orders from a group that includes Benjamim, Lutero, Lodi, and Getúlio himself.”

“And what if Gregório committed the murder mentioned by the cop?”

“I understand your scruples, Major, but that can wait till later.”

“Later may be too late.”

“What’s the problem? In any case, Gregório’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison.”

“I think it best for us to speak to Colonel Adyl.”

The two men stopped in front of the door to Colonel Adyl’s office.

“Wait out here,” Fraga said, entering the room.

Fraga didn’t take long.

“Ranildo, go tell the inspector that for now Gregório can’t be interrogated. Colonel Adyl is going to start the military operation to catch Climerio and instructed me to personally speak to the superintendent of police about that inspector.”

“Does Colonel Adyl trust Paulo Torres?” the captain asked.

“Torres isn’t some crooked cop. He’s an army colonel, a hero of the Italian campaign.”

Ranildo returned to speak with Mattos.

“The colonel said that at the moment, Gregório Fortunato cannot be interrogated by the police. He’s incommunicado.”

“Can I ask a favor of you, Captain?”

“You can ask. I don’t know if I can do it.”

“It’s a simple thing: could you tell me if Lieutenant Gregório is wearing a gold ring on his left hand?”

Ranildo, surprised, looked at the inspector. “A gold ring?”

“Yes. It’s very important to the investigation I’m undertaking.”

Ranildo went to the window and looked pensively at the troops outside at the ready.

“I’m going to do what you ask, but then I’ll ask you to leave. I have many problems that need to be resolved.”

Ranildo left the room. An armed corporal, in battle gear, entered and stood stiffly by the door.

Ranildo returned.

“Yes, he’s wearing a ring.”

“Gold?”