Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Closer to the Truth

In the early morning, Marisa sent Andrew back to the hotel. "I'll return the car to Albert first, see you later." "Is this really his car?" "Is it related to you?" "If there are surveillance cameras in the hospital, I suggest you dispose of the car immediately and report it as lost as soon as possible." "Don't worry, our country hospitals don't have that much money. But I'll pass on your words to him." Andrew got out of the car and went sideways to open the door. "Marisa, I know you won't listen to my advice, but at least don't tell your uncle just yet that I've found a way to shut up Ortiz."

"What are you afraid of?" "It's us who are rushing forward now. Albert has been staying in his bar. This time, you must believe me." "Are you saying that because I didn't trust you enough in the backseat of the car with you, dumbass?" After speaking, Marisa drove away like a whirlwind, and Andrew watched her go away like this. Andrew went to the hotel front desk to retrieve his room key.The hotel manager came to apologize to him, and he regretted that an accident like this had never happened in his hotel before.They have taken appropriate safety measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.To apologize, he told Andrew that he had ordered his luggage to be moved to a standard room on the top floor.

The new room wasn't as luxurious as a palace, but it had a small living room and a beautiful view of the street from the window.The bathroom faucets no longer leak and the restrooms are more comfortable. Andrew looked at his luggage, hoping that nothing was missing.While searching, he suddenly found that the pocket on the side of the suitcase was bulging. He unzipped it and found that it was a small metal toy engine, the same one he had wanted to buy at the antique store in Brooklyn but hadn't.There was a little note in the chimney of the locomotive. Andrew lay down on the bed, he put the little engine on the pillow, and watched it fall into a deep sleep.

It was afternoon when he awoke to a knock at the door; it was Albert who was waiting for him to open it. "I thought you'd never leave your bar." "Unless there is something really important," Albert replied, "put on your coat and I'll take you to lunch." When he came to the street, Andrew stood in front of Albert's car and smiled. This is a Japanese car, not the Citroen from yesterday. "I followed your advice. Besides, the car has been driven for 200,000 kilometers. It's time to change it." "I guess you're not just here to show me your new car, are you?"

"Oh, I borrowed this one...I'm here this time to apologize to you." "what do you mean……" "I'm really sorry that things have turned out like this, I never hoped that things would turn out like this, and I don't want anyone to lose their lives because of it." "But I warned you beforehand." "I know, so I'm even more guilty. You should leave Argentina before the police find you. I also informed Marisa to go out to avoid the limelight until this matter subsides." "She accepted?" "No, she doesn't want to lose her job. If it turns out to be unavoidable, I will inform her aunt to intervene. At least Marisa listens to her. As for you, it's a completely different situation. You're a foreigner." , if you have to escape from a country, things will be more complicated. I have put you at such a risk that I should avoid putting you at any risk in the future."

Albert parked the car in front of a bookstore. "I thought we were going to lunch." "It's like this. There is a small restaurant in this bookstore, which is opened by a friend. I think we can have a quiet chat in it." The atmosphere of the bookstore is quite charming, a long corridor full of bookshelves leads to a courtyard with a few tables.Surrounded by thousands of books, the boss serves only regular customers.Albert greeted his friend and invited Andrew to sit opposite him. "If Louisa and I were separated, it was because I was a coward, Mr. Steelman. It was all my fault that our son ... disappeared. I was a radical during the dictatorship. Oh, I didn't do it What a big deal, I just got involved with publishing an opposition newspaper, secretly of course. We had no money, just enthusiasm and a quick mimeograph. You see, it wasn't a big deal at all, but we still felt We are fighting against the tyranny in our own way. The military finally arrested some of our partners. After being interrogated and tortured, they ended up missing. But none of them revealed our secrets."

"Do you remember one of these people named Raphael?" Andrew asked. Albert looked at Andrew for a long time before answering. "Maybe there has been, I don't know, it's been more than forty years, and the people involved in the clandestine activities don't all know each other." "And his wife Isabel?" "I already told you, I don't remember," Albert said, raising his voice sharply. "I tried to forget everything. Our son Manuel was kidnapped shortly after the police started the manhunt." ...he had no idea what I was doing. He was just a simple unknown engineering student. Ferble passed him and really wanted to catch me. Anyway, Louisa thinks so. Ferbre should think that in order to rescue Manuel I would turn myself in. But I didn't."

"Even to save your son?" "Yes, but I did it to keep my other friends. I know that turning myself in is a trap, and that Manuel won't be saved at all. They won't let anyone go. But Luisa would never forgive me." "Then does she know about the newspaper?" "She was the editor for most of the manuscript." Albert fell silent.He took out his wallet and took out a yellowed photo from it. It was a photo of a young man. "Luisa is the mother of a stolen child. The whole world is guilty in her eyes. Look at what a handsome lad Manuel is. He is brave, generous and funny. He loves his mother more than anything. I Knowing that though he never said it... he knew what Louisa was thinking, if you'd seen them together... we were a little bit apart, but I loved him more than anyone in the world, Although I don't know how to express my emotions. I really want to see him again, if only once. I want to tell him how proud I am of him and how blessed it is to be his father, Telling him how hard it was for me to be gone. My life was over the day he was taken from us. Luisa's tears were dry and I, whenever I met on the road A lad of his own age, my heart was silently weeping. I would even stalk these lads, hoping they would suddenly turn around and call me papa. Pain can drive a man crazy, Mr Steelman, today I Just realized that yesterday was completely wrong. Manuel will never come back. In my yard, I dug a hole, I buried his stuff in it, his practice album, his pencil, his books, and the sheets he slept in the last night. Every Sunday, when the light in Louisa's window goes out, I kneel under the jacaranda tree in concentration. I know Louisa Sha was watching me from behind the curtain and I knew she was praying for Manuel too. Maybe it was a good thing for us not to see his body."

Andrew held Albert's hand.Albert raised his head and smiled wretchedly. "Maybe I shouldn't have done that to them, but I'm going to be eighty next year and I'm waiting for death to take me to where Manuel is. I think living that long must be my punishment. " "I'm sorry, Albert." "Me too. Because of my mistake, Ortiz will probably get out of this. When he is healthy, he will return to normal life very quickly, as if nothing happened." "Can you lend me your car and I'll return it to you tomorrow night?" "It's a friend's car, but I owe you a favor. Where do you want to go?"

"We'll talk about it later." "Then you take me back to the bar, and then you can just drive away." "Where should I go to find Marisa at this time?" "Go to her house, I think. She works at night and sleeps during the day, what a life!" Andrew handed his notebook and pen to Albert. "Please write down her address, but don't tell her I'm going to see her." Albert looked at Andrew with suspicion. "Please trust me, this time it's up to you to trust me." Andrew sent Albert to the destination, and followed his instructions to find Marisa.

He climbed the third flight of stairs of a small building in Via Malabia, in the Palermo-Vija neighbourhood.Marissa jumped over and opened the door for him.She had no clothes on, just a towel around her chest. "Damn, what are you doing here, I'm waiting for a friend." "Then call her to cancel the date and get dressed, or completely undressed if you prefer." "You can't give me orders just because we slept together once." "It doesn't matter at all." "Okay, I'll release my friend's pigeons, and we can talk if you want." Marisa said as she untied the towel. She looked sexier than Andrew remembered.He knelt down hurriedly, picked up the towel, and wrapped it around Marisa's waist. "The second time tends to be worse, get dressed, we have urgent things to do." Marisa turned her back on Andrew and slammed the bathroom door shut. Andrew looked at Marisa's bachelor apartment.The living room is both a living room and a bedroom.The bed was a mess, but the crisp white sheets made one want to curl up in a ball.There are several stacks of books against the wall, and pillows of various colors are scattered around a low table.There are two windows on the wall for light, and the bookshelves are deformed under the weight of the books.Everything is messy, but full of temptation, this bachelor apartment is exactly like its owner. Marisa reappears wearing jeans with holes at the knees and a T-shirt that barely covers her chest. "May I know where we're going?" She fumbled for her key. "To see your aunt." Marisa stopped suddenly. "Couldn't you have said it sooner!" she said angrily.Marisa pulled a pair of fringed velvet trousers and a jumper from the pile of clothes on the floor. She took off her jeans and T-shirt and began changing in front of Andrew. Andrew sat in the cab, Marisa lit a cigarette, and opened the window. "What do you want to do with Louisa?" "I want to ask her some questions, wrap up my investigation and ask her to stop treating me like a fool." "Why do you say that?" "Because your uncle and her often meet, which is completely different from what she said before." "This is quite surprising to me. First of all, what does this have to do with you?" "You'll understand in a moment." Luisa didn't show any surprise when she opened the door and saw it was them.She gestured for Andrew and her niece to sit in the living room. "What can I do for you?" she asked. "Tell me everything you know about Ortiz." "I don't know anything big about him. I've told you. Before I met you, he was just a picture in my photo album." "Can you show me your photo album again? Not the one about the murderer, but the one about the victim." "Of course." After speaking, Louisa stood up. She opened the drawer of the cabinet and put the photo album in front of Andrew.Andrew turned the album straight to the last page.He stared at Louisa for a moment, then closed the album. "Isabelle and Raphael, don't you even have a picture of them?" "I'm sorry, but I don't know who these two people are. Of course I can't have a picture of every one of the 30,000 missing people, all I have is a picture of the 500 victims whose children were stolen." "Their daughter is Maria Luz. She was only two years old when her mother was killed. You don't remember her story?" "I am not shocked by your tone of voice, Mr Steelman, and certainly not by your arrogance. You know so little about our work. Since we fought to uncover the truth, we Only 10% of the kids got their true identities back. We still have a long way to go, but given my age, I sure can't wait for the day when this work is fully done. Yes Now, why does the fate of this little girl concern you so much?" "Ortiz adopted her, don't you think fate is too coincidental?" "What coincidence are you talking about?" "In the material we received about Ortiz there was a picture of Maria Luz, but the material did not mention any connection between them." "It looks like the person who sent you the materials wants to guide you." "That one, or this one?" "Marisa, I'm tired, it's time for you to accompany your friend back, I should take a nap." Marisa motioned for Andrew to get up.When she kissed her aunt, she whispered in Louisa's ear that she was sorry, and Louisa said to her: "It doesn't matter, he is quite handsome, and life is so short." Marisa came down the stairs, and Andrew asked her to wait in the yard for a while.He said he forgot his pen on the living room table. When Louisa saw Andrew going and returning, she couldn't help but frowned. "Have you forgotten something, Mr Steelman?" "You can call me Andrew, I prefer you to call me that. There is one last thing, and I will leave after I finish. I am very happy that Albert and you have reconciled." "what are you saying?" "You said it yourself just now. You mentioned age. I think you are past the age of secretly meeting your ex-husband, don't you think?" Louisa had nothing to say. "The coat hanging by your entrance is the same one Albert was wearing the last time I met him in the pub. Have a nice nap, Louisa... will you allow me to call you Louisa?" "What are you doing there?" Marisa asked when Andrew was back in the yard. "I told you before I came, but you didn't pay attention to what I said. Are you going to work tonight?" "yes." "Then call your boss and tell your boss you might not be able to go today. You just have to say you're sick." "Why don't I go to work?" "Because I promised you yesterday that we will finish together what we started together. And that's what we'll be doing later. Can you tell me where the nearest gas station is, we've got to fill up first. " "Where are you taking me?" "To San André de Quire." After a two-hour drive, they came to the vicinity of the village.Andrew parked the car beside the sidewalk and asked passers-by where the police station was. Passers-by showed him the way, and the car started again. "What are we going to do at the police station?" "You, you don't have to do anything, just stay in the car and wait for me." Andrew walked into the police station and asked to speak to the officer on duty.The only left-behind police officer in the bureau told him that the officer on duty had unfortunately gone home.Andrew took a notebook on the front desk and scribbled down his cell phone number and the address of the hotel where he was staying. "Last night I passed the scene of a car accident near Canaan. One person was killed at the scene. I sent the remaining two injured to the hospital. Although I have no more information to provide, if you need it, you can Come to me anytime to take notes." "We know about this car accident," the policeman said, standing up. "The doctor in the emergency room told us that you didn't leave your contact information when you left." "I waited a long time in the parking lot, and since I have an important appointment in Buenos Aires, I thought I'd be back as soon as I could, as you can see , and now I'm back." The police offered to make a statement for Andrew, who sat down behind a typewriter.In the nine-line transcript, Andrew signed his name and listened modestly to the police praising him for his sense of civic responsibility in rescuing the wounded.Then he returned to the car. "May I know what you did at the police station?" Marisa asked. "I took a piece from Ortiz's chessboard. I will explain it to you when the time is right. Now, let's go to the hospital." "How are the wounded?" Andrew asked. "We came here to check on them before returning to Buenos Aires." "You're back again?" the intern said when he saw Andrew appearing in the emergency room lobby, "We looked for you for a long time last night, and I even started to wonder if you thought you should be responsible for this matter, so you took the opportunity to escape gone." "I can't wait for you all the time, and besides, you never told me when you will come out of the operating room." "But I really don't know when the operation will end." "Yeah, that's what I was thinking too, I figured I'd better not spend the night in the parking lot. So I just came out of the police station." "Who did you talk to?" "A policeman named Gould, a very kind policeman, with a deep voice and thick glasses." The doctor nodded, and Andrew's description completely matched the characteristics of one of the three policemen in the village. "They were very lucky. Fortunately, you passed by at that time. The more seriously injured one was sent to the hospital in the capital this morning. Our hospital is too small to deal with too serious injuries. Mr. Ortag, He only has a deep wound on the thigh. We operated on him and he is resting in the intensive care unit now because we don't have any spare wards now, maybe there will be one tomorrow, otherwise we will think Find a way to help him with the transfer procedures. Do you want to see him?" "I have nothing to do, I don't want him to work in vain." "He'll be very happy to see you. Now I'm going upstairs to make rounds. You can do your own thing. The intensive care unit is at the end of the corridor. But don't stay too long, the patient needs to rest." The doctor waved Andrew goodbye and told the nurse that the gentleman could visit his patient as he left. Andrew opened the curtain separating the beds in the intensive care unit. Ortiz is resting.Marisa shook his shoulders. "It's you again!" Ortiz opened his eyes. "How do you feel now?" Andrew asked. "They gave me an injection and I'm better now. What else do you want from me?" "We want to give you another chance." "What chance do you mean?" "If I'm not mistaken, your name is registered here as Ortag?" "This is the name on my ID." Ortiz said and lowered his gaze. "You can also use this name to leave the hospital and go home." "Until the day your report was published?" "I want to make a deal with you." "Please say." "You answer my questions honestly and his new status will not be mentioned in my coverage of Ortiz." "Who can guarantee that you will keep your promise?" "I can only swear on my own honor." Ortiz looked at Andrew for a long time. "Then, will she keep it a secret?" "Of course, like she put a pistol to your temple last night. I don't think she'd want me to break my word, because it's about her future, isn't it?" Ortiz was silent, his facial muscles crinkled.His eyes fell on the needle of the IV drip inserted in his vein. "Go ahead." He sighed. "Under what circumstances did you adopt Maria Lutz?" Clearly this question hits the bullseye.Ortiz's face turned to Andrew, who was staring at him intently. "When I retired, Ferble wanted to silence me forever. He took me to a secret underground orphanage. Most of the children were just a few weeks old. He asked me to choose one of them, and Told me this was the best way to get me back to normal life. He told me that while I was flying the plane that threw her parents into the sea, I also did my part to save this innocent soul." "Is that right?" "I don't know, at least I don't know any more than Ferble. I'm not the only pilot flying this type of mission. But it's possible. At the time, I was just married and Maria Luz was one of these kids The biggest one. I think it would be easier if it was a two-year-old." "But this is a stolen child," Marisa protested. "Is your wife willing to take part in such a horrible operation?" "My wife didn't know anything. Until her death she believed that Maria Luz's parents were killed by the Montoneiros organization and it was our responsibility to take care of her. Feber helped us get a A new birth certificate with my surname on it. I said to my wife that maybe it is for Maria Luz to live a life of her own without any worries about the tragedy that happened in her home , it would be easier. We love her so much, we treat her like her real parents. Maria Luz was twelve years old when my wife died, and she wept for her like everyone weeps for their mother Same. I raised her by myself after that, I worked like crazy, and paid for her to study literature and foreign languages ​​at university. Whatever she wanted, I gave her.” "I don't want to hear any more." Marisa interrupted Ortiz and stood up. Andrew gestured to her with his eyes angrily.Marisa straddled her chair and turned her back. "Does Maria Luz still live in Dumenil?" Andrew asked again. "No, she's been away from there for a long time. When she was twenty, Mothers de Mayo found her. Maria Luz goes to Buenos Aires every weekend, where she does politics. She never misses one of those marches, she feels she is contributing to so-called social progress. It was those unionists who waited on the benches on the college campus to instill these views in her, and the education we gave her A completely different point of view." "But it coincides with her real parents' point of view. It's not your blood that runs in her veins. Apples will always fall under the apple tree." "You think leftist ideas are hereditary? Maybe, some shortcomings are indeed passed down from generation to generation." Ortiz shouted angrily. "The idea of ​​the left, how you disdain it when you talk about it, but humanitarianism always trumps everything." Ortiz turned to look at Andrew. "If she interrupts our conversation again, I won't say a word." This time Marisa proudly raised her finger at Ortiz and walked out of the intensive care unit. "The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo recognized Maria Luz when she was at the parade. They spent many months getting close to her. When she learned the truth, my daughter immediately applied for a name change. She left our home the same day, didn't say anything, didn't even look at me." "Do you know where she went after that?" "I have absolutely no idea." "Have you tried to find her?" "Whenever there is a parade, I go to Buenos Aires to try my luck. I sneak along the parade, hoping to see her. Once, I actually saw her. I and She spoke and begged her to give me some time so we could talk. She refused me. All I saw in her eyes was hatred. I was afraid she would expose me, but she didn't. After getting her degree, she left Argentina and I never heard from her again. You can write your report now, Mr. Steelman, and I hope you will keep your word. I am not asking for my own sake You, but for my other daughter. She knows nothing about it, except that her sister was adopted by us." Andrew put away his pen and notebook, got up and walked out of the room without saying goodbye to Ortiz. Marisa was waiting for him outside, seeing her look, Andrew knew she must be very upset. "Don't tell me the bastard will get out of here!" Marisa yelled as they got back into the car. "I promised him." "You're as badass as he is!" Andrew looked at her with a smile on the corner of his mouth.He started the car and the two were back on the road. "It's really sexy when you're angry," he said to Marisa, putting his hand on her lap. "Don't touch me." Marisa said and pushed his hand away. "I promised him not to reveal his current identity in my report, but I didn't promise him anything else as far as I know." "what are you talking about?" “No one can stop me from publishing a story with his picture! If someone later recognizes Ortiz as Ortag, then I have nothing to do with it... Tell me how to get there A friend who developed your pictures, hope the negatives haven't been completely stolen. I don't want to be here again tomorrow." Marisa looked at Andrew and put her hand on his thigh. It was a sunny day with a few wisps of cirrus clouds floating in the sky over Buenos Aires.Andrew intends to use his last time in the country to see the city well.Marisa took him to see the famous cemetery near the hotel, and Andrew was surprised to find that the coffins here were placed symmetrically on wooden frames on the ground instead of being buried directly in the ground. "It's our custom," said Marisa, "that some people are willing to spend a lot of money to build their own posthumous residence. A roof, four walls, an iron door that can let the light in, and finally all the family can be found here. Their ultimate sanctuary. But," she added, "I'd rather see the sun rise every day after I die than rot in the depths of a burrow. And I don't think there's anything like being able to It would be more pleasant to visit you here." "That's true." As he spoke, Andrew suddenly fell into deep thought. It seemed that he hadn't been troubled by unpleasant thoughts for a long time since he came to Argentina. "We still have time, we are still young." "Yes...you still have a lot of time," Andrew sighed, "Can we go? I want to go to a more popular place." "I'll take you around the neighborhood I live in," Marisa said. "It's full of life, it's full of colors, you can hear all kinds of music on the street, and I can't live without it." "Okay, I think I finally found a common ground for us!" Marisa invited Andrew to dinner at a small restaurant called Palmer.The owner of the restaurant seemed to know Marisa, and they were allowed to sit down first in the restaurant when there was a long line of customers waiting for a table. They spent the rest of the evening in a jazz club.Marisa twists and turns on the dance floor.She tried several times to pull Andrew down to dance too, but Andrew clearly preferred to sit on his stool with his elbows on the bar and be an audience member while she danced. It was almost 1:00 a.m. when they came for a walk in the still bustling streets. "When will your report be published?" "In a few weeks." "When it's published, Albert can use Ortiz's photo to identify Ortag. He will definitely do it. I think he has been waiting for this day for a long time." "I'm afraid other evidence will be needed." "Don't worry, Luisa and her friends will take care of the rest. Ortiz will definitely pay for the crime he committed." "Your aunt is really an admirable woman." "You know what, you're right about her and Albert. Once a week they meet on a bench in the Plaza de Mayo. They sit side by side for an hour, most days exchanging only briefly words, and each departs." "Why would they do that?" "Because they need to see each other and continue to play the role of parents to a son they want to remember forever. Because their child doesn't have a grave in which to lay their heads." "Do you think they'll eventually be able to move on from this?" "Not likely, it's too difficult for them." Marisa paused, and then said: "Louisa likes you very much, you know." "I noticed." "Me too. She finds you attractive, and she's a woman of great class." "Then I'll take that as a compliment." Andrew said with a smile. "I left a little present in your luggage." "What is it?" "You'll find out when you get to New York. Don't open it first, promise me it's a surprise." "I promise you that." "I live very close to here," she said to Andrew, "come with me." Andrew accompanied Marisa to the small building where she lived, and stopped in front of the door. "Don't you want to go up and sit down?" "No, I think it's better to forget it." "You don't like me anymore?" "No, I should say I like you too much. In the car, the situation is completely different, we don't think about anything in advance. We are facing danger. I said to myself that life is short and should be in the moment. No, actually I didn't think about anything, I just wanted you..." "And now you're starting to think life's long, are you guilty of cheating on your fiancée?" "I don't know if life is long, Marisa, but yes, I feel guilty." "You're a nicer guy than I thought, Andrew Steelman. Go find her, as for what happened in the car It doesn’t matter. I don’t love you, you don’t love me, it’s just a memorable affair, that’s all.” Andrew leaned down to her and kissed her cheek. "It's making you look ages old," Marisa said. "Go, go before I let you go. Can I ask you one last question? When I go to the hotel to get your laptop." , and one of them says 'If it all starts over' on the cover, what does that mean?" "That was a long story... Goodbye, Marisa." "Farewell, Andrew Steelman, I don't think we will see each other again. May you have a happy life and you will be a fond memory in my memory." Andrew didn’t look back when he went away.At the intersection, he flagged down a taxi. Marisa ran up the stairs.Looking at the empty room, she couldn't help but shed tears, which were the tears that she didn't shed when she was with Andrew just now.