Read Online The Faint-hearted Bolshevik by Lorenzo Silva - Free Book Online Page A

fingers and chewed nails. Rosana’s nails were short, although she didn’t bite them, but there was nothing stubby about her fingers. On the contrary, she separated them and moved them like a pro, demonstrating a sophistication that many women never acquire, aware that each finger has its own task in life.
    “Rosana, you’re a good girl,” I said, “and you know that Izaskun is in trouble. Wouldn’t you like to help her?”
    “Help Izaskun? I’d be glad if you put her in prison. She’s a complete idiot and deserves it.”
    “We won’t be putting any girls in prison. It’s not exactly little girls we’re after.”
    “Well, what can I do?”
    “Tell me who sells her drugs. That’s all.”
    “Borja. He’s her pusher.”
    “Borja who?”
    “I don’t know. He goes to the boys’ school next to ours, the one run by priests.”
    Rosana had changed direction. She came to a halt under one of the trees by the side of the path to make her accusation in greater comfort. I stood facing her.
    “Is there no way you can give me his last name? There could be five hundred Borjas in that school.”
    Rosana raised her eyes and looked me up and down for a moment. Then she said, “This Borja is unmistakable, he’s been repeating eighth grade for three or four years and they’re always trying to kick him out. They’d have done it already, except his dad’s president of the Alumni Association.”
    “Do you know anything else about him?”
    “Yes. He’s always trying to hook up with me,” she boasted, twisting one of her curls around her index finger, “but since I don’t pay him any attention he goes out with Izaskun instead. Izaskun has got a strong stomach.”
    “And that’s everything you know?”
    “And that’s everything I know, cop,” she snapped at me.
    “Wow, you watch lots of movies, don’t you?”
    “Sometimes. I also saw you earlier, by the school railings. I thought you were one of those guys who like to spy on the girls skipping in case they show their underwear.”
    “Well, I suppose there are quite a few guys like that.”
    “A few. But they never wear such nice ties as yours. I noticed it before. I didn’t think cops earned much.”
    “I work overtime. Do you like coming to the park?”
    Rosana frowned. “What’s that got to do with your investigation?”
    “Nothing. I’ve finished questioning you. It’s to learn more about you. I’ve taken a liking to you.”
    Rosana moved away from the tree.
    “I don’t think you’re so bad yourself. But Lucía will have had lunch on the table five minutes ago. My mother gets angry if I’m late. She says Lucía won’t take preparing it seriously if I’m late. Have you any idea how difficult it is to find decent help these days?” she asked sarcastically.
    “Of course, you’re right. I won’t keep you. Thanks a lot for everything.”
    “There’s no need to thank me. I think it’s great you’re going to arrest Borja.”
    “You mustn’t tell anyone. Not even your mother or your best friend.”
    “You can’t tell my mother anything. Poor thing. Goodbye.”
    “See you later,” I replied, spell-bound.
    Rosana moved away down the path, her impeccable mane of blonde hair waving in the wind as she moved through the crowd. At one point she pushed her hair to one side and took advantage of the opportunity to turn her head and check whether I was watching her. I could make out the look of pleasure on her face in spite of the distance between us. It was ten past two and it was starting to get too hot to be wearing a suit, but it wasn’t too bad standing there in the shadow of the trees. I wandered among the elderly, the children and the beautiful girls on skates, their slim thighs wrapped in dazzling multi-coloured leggings. One of the disadvantages of summer is that you can get distracted and imagine there are no ugly women in the world. As I walked I remembered Lewis Carroll and J. M. Barrie, perhaps two of the most brilliant apostles of