The same night continues...For the majority, the same as every night, but not for the unfortunate man who displays a magnificent ring on his left ring finger and nothing more than that, when it comes to being married.He noticed the loneliness when everyone started to pay attention to their peers, ignoring him and some even seeing it as a bad omen due to the fact that he was alone, on a couple’s night and because he was practically induced or forced to wish them good luck. to the bride and groom. The whispers and laughter of those present sound like torment to him as he insists on looking at his watch. Meanwhile, everyone directed their chairs in such a way as to position their backs to him. “God forbid..., but if this marriage doesn't last, I'm sure it was the sinister back here that was bad luck...” says one of the women in such a way that Bruce could hear.These words and the gestures of most women, added to his situation, induce him, for the first time in his life, to go beyond w
The following nights...“Well, I don't think we'll play like we used to... After all, ... neither of us are kids anymore...” whispers Bruce.“You're absolutely right, bro, you're absolutely right...Now we have adult lives and...” the brother agrees."... Then? What do adults do... to have joy... similar to what children have?” asks Bruce, because, as a child, it was this brother who had the most fertile imagination.“From the moment I set foot in this city... all I can think about is...” Bruce's brother gets excited, but is interrupted by him saying, “if that's what I'm thinking, and I believe it is, because I've always been able to understand what you're thinking...” he half questions, believing the obvious.“This is not a phenomenon...”, adds the brother, “seeing that, deep down, you have a little of me... as much as I have of you and, together, we complete each other....”“I don't even need to remember what we did or... almost did... when we were teenagers. The only thing that did
Another night at the bar...Early in the morning, a team organized a small stage with the appropriate instruments. For regular customers at the luxury hotel bar, it was nothing new.From that day on, during the festive month of celebrating love, there would be the traditional presence of the singer Tenórius, with his remarkable voice.Everyone present was expectant and there were already many napkins with song names and dedications that would soon be given to the friendly artist."Good evening, everyone!" he wants the bar manager at the microphone and, without the enthusiasm deserved for the occasion, after a pause, he adds.” It is with great sadness that I announce that our beloved Obadiah Tenórius will not be able to be present during our festive period... He asked me to read the note, explaining the reason....Let's get to the note:“Dear friends and fans of my interpretation, I love you all and for this reason I feel obliged to go beyond a simple...: “There was an unforeseen event
A jealous wife whispers in her husband's ear, “the moment, people and the environment are what create, recreate, corrupt and divert us.” and soon after she frowns."What did you say? I don’t understand...” asks the husband, as he was busy at the moment.“Didn’t you hear me, Cabral...? I quoted a phrase my mother told me! Never mind...” she concluded, getting up and leaving, taking only the small bag with her.Meanwhile, everyone else remains in their places, sitting, eating, drinking and as if hypnotized.At the end of all the melodies that cover the contracted hours, the singer announces. “Thank you very much for the applause... Now, to close the night, I will sing a version of a song that most of you probably know the melody...I'm a fan of this singer and that's why I wrote these lyrics. The melody belongs to my diva and I ask everyone for permission to interpret my lyrics in it.She takes a deep breath and begins to sing: “I am a womanI just know how to be like thisBut this can
A jealous wife whispers in her husband's ear, “the moment, people and the environment are what create, recreate, corrupt and divert us.” and soon after she frowns."What did you say? I don’t understand...” asks the husband, as he was busy at the moment.“Didn’t you hear me, Cabral...? I quoted a phrase my mother told me! Never mind...” she concluded, getting up and leaving, taking only the small bag with her.Meanwhile, everyone else remains in their places, sitting, eating, drinking and as if hypnotized.At the end of all the melodies that cover the contracted hours, the singer announces. “Thank you very much for the applause... Now, to close the night, I will sing a version of a song that most of you probably know the melody...I'm a fan of this singer and that's why I wrote these lyrics. The melody belongs to my diva and I ask everyone for permission to interpret my lyrics in it.She takes a deep breath and begins to sing: “I am a womanI just know how to be like thisBut this can
Months later...One morning, despite the effect of a strong hangover, he, moved by the conscience that constantly disturbs him, decides to visit the dimension where his wife lives.The plan is simple: Confess to mistakes; explain why, justifying them; ask for forgiveness; swear not to commit them again and, finally, suggest reasonable conditions within what you have the right to as a husband.“I haven't been the same since the last funeral...And I don't know how to explain what I've become in the last few months...” he begins, interrupting his wife's morning ritual, in a high tone and slowly lowering his voice until the last syllable.After a few seconds of looking at the huge man, barefoot and shirtless, with disheveled hair, unshaven, reddish and slightly wrinkled face, tired and deep-set eyes. The odor of the sweat combined with the breath resembled that of a fermentation barrel, from one of the cachaçarias owned by the couple.“No wonder the exact day... that we stopped sitting t
The next day, first thing in the morning, she invites the new doctor director of the local hospital and maternity hospital for a meeting for two. As soon as the doctor walks through the door, anxiously, she asks a direct question:“When a couple cannot produce a healthy child... is there any way to know, precisely, where the problem is? In the man or in the woman?”“Good morning, First Lady... I realize that the issue of motherhood has once again occupied a place of concern in your life.”“Not like before doctor, not like before...But I admit that it is worrying. Faced with possibilities. But still speculative. Just answer me the question!”“I understand..., I'm sorry for the apparent intrusion... Well, to be sure where the impediment is coming from, we will have to, obligatorily, carry out some tests on one of the two or on both to be more exact... and...” is interrupted by her.“On my first. Could it be today, now?” she rushes.“Well, we don’t have the resources for that here, in o
Days later...Rúbia receives the bishop at her home, as she had called him to confess. It had been years since her parents' death, when she had put spirituality aside. “God has disappointed me more than once”, he had said in his last confession and, without knowing what to say, he had just given a standard answer: “They are the mysteries of God..., very cliché I know, but they are the only one’s words I learned to answer the most complex questions..., excuse me” Sitting in the living room, the bishop, for a few minutes, is finally called to go up and they talk in private. Five days later...Rúbia receives delegate Torres, head of the Romântica central police station, who she herself placed in the position after dismissing the previous one.A few days after the meeting with the police chief, she sent for a lawyer she had met before, in France, and also had a private meeting with him.After a few more days, she had a meeting with the three of them together that lasted more than two ho
As in a flashback, the old detective can review some words of his corrupt colleagues, where one of them said:“Santiago..., everything in life has a value..., it has a cost or a motivation. Tell me how much a fair... is worth? Some compliments like: congratulations on having done your duty well...!?But if we are paid for this and... if we are ready to receive payment for it, what value does praise have after a duty done? When you do what must be done, it is nothing more than a duty that we are morally obliged to...!”In parallel to this, investigator Santiago found himself receiving, not surgery for his wife, but what he received from a doctor and, from the health system that his taxes paid for, was a compliment.But even though at that moment the price paid for integrity was irrelevant to covering the old detective's real need. He remains intact until now, aiming to receive the agreed amount from the client who hired him, making it worth the effort for the service provided which, de
Now, since taking on this first case as a private investigator, he has enough to pay three professionals who come back every 8 hours to take care of his wife's needs at the most expensive hospital in the state.He passes straight through the double bedroom, which is more reminiscent of a hospital, and goes straight to the second bedroom where there is barely enough space for a wardrobe and, upon opening the doors, he looks for a specific set of clothes.He takes out a well-tailored black suit that he had only worn a few times, only on special occasions, and places it under the bed, then takes off the informal clothes he often wears and goes into the tiny bathroom to take a shower.When you change, you look like another man. Add a nice red tie and a pair of shiny shoes.One night he had had a nightmare where he performed the same ritual as now, but to go to his wife's funeral.He looks at one of the walls in the room and sees the last photo he took with her.The smile that became not o
“I'm sorry..., but the good news is that everything can be fixed, everything can be fixed..., even if it's just one way...If there is any unforeseen event, we will talk to you by phone. From today onwards, we won't see each other in public... I don't want you to suffer anything because of my recklessness in talking to that model and her ex-fiancé’s lawyer. The stupid thing was done by me.”, the old detective still laments.“I clearly understand, boss!”, she shows that she is willing to be guided by the old man, even though she knows that she still has a broader vision of everything that needs to be done and the necessary care.“Know that I will make an effort to overcome this situation that ended up exposing us to danger.... I still don't know how, but I have to find a way around it...Maybe releasing us from the case to the Police Department... anyway, I'll think about it.”, he says, showing concern.“I'll also think about something and, if I come up with an idea, I'll let you know,
“I got the message, honey. You can rest assured about me!I admit that it's good to hear this to be aware...Just a moment and I’ll give you the address and opening hours of the clinic”, he promises, as he opens his leather jacket and takes out his notepad.“Boss, if I finish it soon, I can go to the production company.It’s no problem for me... I could even pretend to be a fan or someone from the press, who knows...”, she suggests when offering.“It could be, but in cases like this, in my experience, the places we go to initially can take us to others successively, and if more and more is contributed to our line of investigation the best thing to do is to follow the flow or like me and my colleague called it: “the path of stones”.I didn't mention this to our contractor, but based on good investigative experiences, that's how it always worked in the cases in which Garcia and I got very far into the evidence. When we start an investigation, it guides us...What we need is similar to a
The next dayIn the same meeting place.During the days in which the two found out about the case they were supposed to investigate and were also able to meet in person, it was the time in which the suspect was on a series of recordings in different parts of the world in one of his own productions. Where he was also working as a director.Now, according to the actor's schedule, he is back in the country.The moment has come when the pair of investigators will have access to both the suspect and everyone professionally linked to him. Where, for the most part, I was also accompanying him on trips.One of the factors that led the client to believe that the third crime would happen on the same day as the others within a year was the detail of the suspect's agenda to bring him back to the same country where the last two occurred.“Now let’s start and the most challenging part of our work...?” asks investigator Rebecca or old detective."That's right! The list starts with one of the suspect
“But I see that even so, you appear to have overcome this, let’s say, deficiency in structuring.”, believes the old man.“Thank you, boss, but what you see now was the basis of a lot of therapy and medication..., which I still depend on.”, she confesses.“I'm very sorry, unfortunately I don't have much to say about this because I had a family who provided what I certainly needed...”, he reveals.“But it's okay... I'm surviving...!Thank you for listening to me, it made me feel better...”, she thanks.The old man's humble and sincere manner has always worked well in providing comfort to whoever he chooses to listen to.“My mouth doesn't always come out with the right words... and at the right time... on the other hand, my ears don't usually disappoint me...”, he acknowledges.“I understand..., but we ended up losing focus, boss. My story is another story. Let's focus on what brought us together. That's what interests us at the moment. After we help put this killer in jail, it will defi
“I don't know if it's any consolation, boss, but I was also in the corporation and at the time it also seemed like another system, or rather, it was another system.Now I'm also trying to understand... and adapt without having to take risks.In short: we don't know exactly who we are dealing with, but from the photos of the crimes I saw, even though there was an explicit degree of cruelty, which if it were made public would leave many people outraged.There is clear evidence that these crimes are being treated with total disregard by the bodies responsible for investigating them.We are not fools. Everything shows that whoever is behind all this has the power to intimidate, bribe and even silence people...”, she says, showing complete indignation.“What you are telling me makes sense and, given the fact that we, police officers, took an oath to commit ourselves to defending law and order...We must morally seek justice or justice to be done.I see that it seems that I have focused a l
“Now it makes sense that you were late. Disappeared in the blink of an eye, appeared only after the model left...”, understands the old man.Knowing that he was deceived by her was a very bad feeling for the old detective, as it went back to some episodes during his police career in which several colleagues deceived, manipulated and even accused him of treason.“I'm sorry, I'm really sorry... I even wanted to remind you about the importance of being discreet in accordance with what I had already studied and because it was one of the details highlighted by your client and, thus, justifying my absence.But I want to take this opportunity to say that there was still another factor that contributed to my sudden disappearance, which was when I noticed an agent, from the police department you were about to go to... coming towards us...”, she tries to complement and thus justifying even more abandonment to the boss. She made it clear that everything had gotten out of control.Boss, I hope I'
The two remain silent for a few moments. She worries more and more about her boss who proves to be a sprinter in a competition who already feels defeated, even before taking the first steps. Still behind the starting line.“Think about your wife who, despite being in the hands of professionals, sustained her life. This is only possible thanks to her determination to accept this case..., boss...”, she recalls.Listen This is nothing new for the old retiree.Before the assistant presented this scenario and the right thing to do, his conscience had already convinced him to do so after consulting his old heart.“But speaking of a valid motivation, which justifies commitment to a complicated and risky case like this Rebecca, tell me what motivates you to continue even though you seem to be, and in reality, are, much more aware of the complexity of the case than I am. ...?” asks the experienced investigator.“I asked myself that question too, boss.And I would have been left without a convi