22
Trick or treat
As Andrey told me, Jonás Sánchez was at the gates of Korpe, my laboratories.
He was standing in front of one of the trees at the entrance, with his back to us, talking to one of the workers who seemed quite uncomfortable with the journalist”s harassment.
As Andrey mentioned, Jonás Sánchez was at the gates of Korpe, my laboratories. He was standing in front of one of the trees at the entrance, with his back to us, talking to one of the workers who seemed quite uncomfortable under the journalist”s scrutiny.
We approached them from the right. The body language of both spoke volumes about the situation. While the journalist adopted a very assertive stance, the lab technicians was nervous and evasive. He fidgeted a lot, rubbing his hands together, and turned his head, startled, when he caught sight of me.
It had been three days since I had held a meeting with all the staff to introduce Romeo, so he clearly knew who we were, his bosses, and our faces didn’t look like we had just won the lottery.
I saw him hastily apologize, claiming he had nothing to tell, gave a brief nod towards us, and hurried away.
Sánchez sensed our presence. A hyena-like smile formed on his thin lips, and his scrutinizing gaze lingered on us as we appeared.
”Well, well, well. And here I thought I wouldn”t have the honor, that you would send one of your legendary bodyguards to stop me from snooping around your trash. But no, the fashionable couple has interrupted their honeymoon to personally come and dismiss me. My sincerest congratulations on your union. It’s been a while since something like this has happened in Spain, especially considering you both come from rival mafia clans. Have you considered selling your story to Netflix or Amazon? I’m sure they’d pay you a fortune.”
”What the hell are you doing at my place, you leech?” I exclaimed bluntly. Jonás bit his lower lip.
”Worse things have been said to me. I”m also delighted to see you, Mrs. Koroleva, or should I say, Capulet?”
”I’ve restrained myself and used a word that you can define in your corydoras mind.”
”If there were no corydoras, aquariums would be full of shit. So I take pride in being compared to a scavenger fish because that’s exactly what I do—I bring to light the most toxic waste of those who think they are above everything and everyone.”
”You are a parasite, not the superhero you pretend to be. Do you really think I’m like those at Ciba?”
”I see you’ve read my article. Did you enjoy it?”
”Yeah, I’m thinking of printing it out and wiping my ass with it.” Jonás let out a soft laugh.
”I wouldn’t advise that; you might get a word stuck. You know, because of having caused death while promising to bring joy.” I was boiling with rage. I raised my hand to slap him, but Romeo held me back before I could hit him. Sánchez clicked his tongue.
”Oooh, was that physical violence, Mrs. Koroleva?”
”That was ”shut your damn mouth if you don’t know what you’re talking about.”” Romeo pulled me against his side. I wasn’t quite sure if he was trying to calm me down or keep me from gouging the eyes out of that wretch.
”Don’t I?” the rat continued. ”I think I do. I know you better than you think.”
”You don’t know shit about me.”
”Nikita Koroleva, twenty-seven years old, born in Saint Petersburg. Daughter of Vladimir Korolev and Jelena Petrova. Second child of the marriage and new Vor v zakone of the Russian Bratva. Studied Business and took over the family”s business empire after the unexpected deaths of her father and brother, who should have inherited the title instead of you. Speaks four languages and is considered a cold, calculating, and ruthless woman. No known relationships, though plenty of lovers. Your uncle, who also recently passed away, was a major headache for global authorities. A family with a lengthy and murky history. Since taking over Korpe, you’ve failed to silence the rumors claiming Mentium as the most addictive and deadly drug of the century. Plus, you”ve married Romeo Capuleto Vitale, heir to the ‘Ndrangheta, who, until your marriage, was your arch-rival. You had never been seen together, which gives off a certain whiff of... a marriage of convenience. Want me to go on?” Okay, I admit, he had studied us down to the last detail. ”Breathe, Nikita, breathe,” I told myself. I needed to keep a cool head if I was going to get anywhere.
”What do you want?” I asked, teeth clenched.
”To prove she”s a murderer. That she”s been doctoring reports and silencing voices about the adverse effects of the drug. I want justice, and I want her to kneel before all those families from whom she”s ruthlessly taken a loved one.”
”Justice? Are you now a judge?”
”No, I”m not. But I”m neither a fool nor a simpleton. One thing is dealing in trafficking, arms, or prostitution, I couldn”t care less about that. But it”s entirely different to kill innocent people, whose only sin was trusting they could be a little happier.”
”You”re an ignorant man who can”t see beyond his nose, daring to judge without knowing. A fool, you have no damn idea what”s going on.”
”Oh, really? And what is happening, according to you? Enlighten me,” he said jokingly.
I debated whether to speak up or stay silent. Unsure of what was better, Romeo spoke for me.
”We believe someone might have tampered with the medication behind my wife”s back.”
”Romeo!” I exclaimed. The journalist raised his eyebrows interestedly.
”Wow, what a bombshell and how convenient,” he replied cynically. ”Really, you have nothing better to do than to pin your responsibilities on a worker? But what else can one expect from mafia heirs? Refuse to take the blame? No, better to sweep it under the rug and hide the bodies, some traditions are too good to give up.”
”Nobody said it was a worker,” Romeo responded calmly.
”Then what? Looking for something more creative? Let me think... The competition? A scorned lover?”
”We don”t know. What we”re asking is that you stop harassing us while we figure it out. Your articles aren”t helping.” His smug smile returned.
”Well, I think they do help. They help ensure no one else takes your shit. That families don”t cry over another loved one because you keep publishing false reports about the drug. Do you intend to silence me by claiming you don”t know who”s playing you? That won”t work.”
”Not just with that,” he conceded. ”We promise you an exclusive as soon as we find the truth, the person who wants to destroy my wife”s and her family”s reputation.” The journalist stroked his chin. Romeo was being very assertive. ”Think about it, you would be the only one who has the name of the person who betrayed us. We”re going to get to the bottom of this; neither my wife nor I are willing to let the name of this pharmaceutical company be tainted.”
”What do you want me to say, Mr. Capulet? All this sounds suspect. Why should I trust you?”
As much as I despised Sánchez, he was a widely listened to journalist, especially because, according to some, he had a certain ethic that many lacked. I weighed the strategy my husband was taking and decided it was the smartest. We needed Sánchez on our side. If we could sow enough doubt in the journalist, we might calm some of the more turbulent waters.
”Because Romeo”s son”s mother also died from Mentium and we owe our son the truth,” I interjected, capturing Jonás”s attention. My husband tightened his expression without saying anything. Okay, perhaps that was an indiscretion and too bold using the term ”son”, but I needed a dramatic impact. Fortunately, Romeo did not challenge me. ”Believe me, we want to find the person more than you do. I”ll open the doors to the laboratory for you, let you probe the official tests, see what I saw when I took over the company, that the drug was no more lethal than any other of its kind. In no case enough to justify this virulent outbreak of suicides. And I”ll do it now, without making calls you might think could corrupt the information. You will have carte blanche over any document you request.”
”I don”t know...” he hesitated. I had him, I knew I had him, just a little more and he”d be mine.
”I”m offering you something no one else has. I won”t repeat the offer. You know that with my money and influence I could make sure you never work in media again, yet I”m giving you the chance to stir up that truth you so claim to care about, isn”t that what you”re interested in?”
”If this is a trick...”
”It”s no trick, it”s a deal. If you”ve researched as much as you claim, you”ll know I”m a woman of my word. Deal?” I extended my hand. He exhaled and finally sealed the deal with a handshake.
”Deal, but if you play me, I warn you, sooner or later I will destroy you.”
I offered a smile.
”I love men who can challenge me. Shall we go inside?” I motioned toward the entrance door.
”Of course.”