orange balls of the labourers’ protective hats. Carvalho peered up at the geometrical structure at the bottom of one section, then began his climb.
‘Hey, you!’
The foreman ran towards him carrying a hard hat.
‘Make sure you wear this. There are lots of apprentices and they can knock your block off if you’re not careful.’
Carvalho put the hat on. It was like being given the seal of approval for his adventure. The staircase was little more than a cement ramp filled with bricks to walk on. When Carvalho reached the fourth floor he paused to get his breath back. All around him, the horizon seemed to be bristling with half-finished constructions like this one, a forest of bulky skeletons growing inexorably. Below, a yellow curtain of smog lay over the city’s industrial belt.
‘Ginés!’
An orange helmet bobbed up. Underneath it was Ginés’s white, rat-like face.
‘Where’s your detective’s hat?’
‘Have you got a moment?’
Ginés wiped the sweat from his thin eyebrows with his sleeve.
‘Oh, Pepe, I’m so hot it’s killing me! If only I could make a living with no sweat like you. What can I do for you?’
‘I’m looking for someone. A drowned man. His body was found on the beach a few days ago and I need to know who he was. The cops haven’t given any description. He had a tattoo:
Born to raise hell in hell
.’
‘That drowned guy has caused a real fuss. The cops have turned the neighbourhood upside down. My brother managed to stay out of jail only by a miracle.’
‘Do you know anything?’
‘Nobody knows anything. It’s all connected to drugs and those French pimps who’ve brought whores in, from places as far away as the Cameroon. But there’s no telling what it’s all about.’
‘Have you any idea what his name was?’
‘No, and I’ve no way of finding out. For a couple of weeks I’m going to keep my head down. I’m going to take the children to the park and help my wife make balls of wool so she can knit me a winter pullover. Remember, I’ve spent seven of the last ten years inside.’
Carvalho had met Ginés when they were both in Aridel jail. Ginés was in for breaking a security guard’s arm with a chair.
‘Do you think Felix might know something?’
‘He was the first to make sure his hundred and fifty kilos were well hidden.’
‘What about Valencia?’
‘He’s off his head. All the flowerpots at his place are full of marijhuana. It’s his wife who goes out to earn the dough,and he’s on another planet. You’ll have to try elsewhere, Pepe. I’m keeping away from all my contacts: this looks bad, real bad. When they close down all the brothels like they have done, really close them down, that means it’s serious and won’t go away overnight.’
‘Let’s go for a drink. Can you get out of here?’
‘Yes, if I give an excuse.’
‘What will your excuse be?’
‘That I want to have a drink with you.’
Ginés strolled down the four flights whistling cheerfully. He arrived at ground level while Carvalho was still struggling two floors above.
‘What about politics? When’s that Khrushchev of yours coming on his Vespa?’
‘Khrushchev isn’t coming on a Vespa or anything else. He’s dead. And I’m not involved in politics any more.’
‘And there I was thinking I had a friend who would be a minister one day.’
They reached the foreman.
‘Listen, this gentleman is thirsty and I’m going to have a drink with him.’
‘What will I tell the contractor if he comes?’
‘That’s your problem.’
The foreman muttered something behind their backs. Ginés stifled a laugh with his hand.
‘That’s right, arsehole, you go on moaning, that’s why you’re an arsehole. He’s got an ulcer, you know.’
‘So do you.’
‘But I keep mine quiet by drinking.’
‘Do they let you do what you want here?’
‘They respect me. I’m the best. And they know it pays to keep me happy.’
Carvalho knew the stages of Ginés’s drinking.
‘Hey, you!’
The foreman ran towards him carrying a hard hat.
‘Make sure you wear this. There are lots of apprentices and they can knock your block off if you’re not careful.’
Carvalho put the hat on. It was like being given the seal of approval for his adventure. The staircase was little more than a cement ramp filled with bricks to walk on. When Carvalho reached the fourth floor he paused to get his breath back. All around him, the horizon seemed to be bristling with half-finished constructions like this one, a forest of bulky skeletons growing inexorably. Below, a yellow curtain of smog lay over the city’s industrial belt.
‘Ginés!’
An orange helmet bobbed up. Underneath it was Ginés’s white, rat-like face.
‘Where’s your detective’s hat?’
‘Have you got a moment?’
Ginés wiped the sweat from his thin eyebrows with his sleeve.
‘Oh, Pepe, I’m so hot it’s killing me! If only I could make a living with no sweat like you. What can I do for you?’
‘I’m looking for someone. A drowned man. His body was found on the beach a few days ago and I need to know who he was. The cops haven’t given any description. He had a tattoo:
Born to raise hell in hell
.’
‘That drowned guy has caused a real fuss. The cops have turned the neighbourhood upside down. My brother managed to stay out of jail only by a miracle.’
‘Do you know anything?’
‘Nobody knows anything. It’s all connected to drugs and those French pimps who’ve brought whores in, from places as far away as the Cameroon. But there’s no telling what it’s all about.’
‘Have you any idea what his name was?’
‘No, and I’ve no way of finding out. For a couple of weeks I’m going to keep my head down. I’m going to take the children to the park and help my wife make balls of wool so she can knit me a winter pullover. Remember, I’ve spent seven of the last ten years inside.’
Carvalho had met Ginés when they were both in Aridel jail. Ginés was in for breaking a security guard’s arm with a chair.
‘Do you think Felix might know something?’
‘He was the first to make sure his hundred and fifty kilos were well hidden.’
‘What about Valencia?’
‘He’s off his head. All the flowerpots at his place are full of marijhuana. It’s his wife who goes out to earn the dough,and he’s on another planet. You’ll have to try elsewhere, Pepe. I’m keeping away from all my contacts: this looks bad, real bad. When they close down all the brothels like they have done, really close them down, that means it’s serious and won’t go away overnight.’
‘Let’s go for a drink. Can you get out of here?’
‘Yes, if I give an excuse.’
‘What will your excuse be?’
‘That I want to have a drink with you.’
Ginés strolled down the four flights whistling cheerfully. He arrived at ground level while Carvalho was still struggling two floors above.
‘What about politics? When’s that Khrushchev of yours coming on his Vespa?’
‘Khrushchev isn’t coming on a Vespa or anything else. He’s dead. And I’m not involved in politics any more.’
‘And there I was thinking I had a friend who would be a minister one day.’
They reached the foreman.
‘Listen, this gentleman is thirsty and I’m going to have a drink with him.’
‘What will I tell the contractor if he comes?’
‘That’s your problem.’
The foreman muttered something behind their backs. Ginés stifled a laugh with his hand.
‘That’s right, arsehole, you go on moaning, that’s why you’re an arsehole. He’s got an ulcer, you know.’
‘So do you.’
‘But I keep mine quiet by drinking.’
‘Do they let you do what you want here?’
‘They respect me. I’m the best. And they know it pays to keep me happy.’
Carvalho knew the stages of Ginés’s drinking.