Interview with Carlos Ortega
Carlos Ortega, Gina Ross and Sally Schumacher’s former superintendent, currently resides at the Crossgate Senior Living Facility in Albany. I elect to rent a car and conduct the interview in person.
Ortega has to be at least eighty-five. Assisted by a walker and a nurse, he meets me in the facility’s community room.
Carlos Ortega: Oh. Well, everything I recall, I told the police back then. That might be a better record than anything I tell you today. I’m still sharp, but not that sharp, you know?
Madeline: Totally understand. You do seem sharp, though, so really anything you can share with me would help.
[He laughs.]
Carlos Ortega: All right. You’re sharp, too, I can see.
I, ah, was working the midnight shift that night.
I was the superintendent of the building.
I did mention that, didn’t I? I’ll tell you, I worked my way up the ranks, from being handyman to running the place, worked the night shift steady for two years before the promotion.
That was how we did things back then, but that next generation, pfft.
[He waves his hand.] One of my doormen, young kid, quit that January, no notice, nothing.
As a building super, you’ve gotta pick up the slack, you know, so there I was, forty-four years old, working the graveyard shift myself until I could hire someone permanent.
Anyway, Ms. Ross and Ms. Schumacher and their crowd…
they would come in at all hours. That was the way of comedy, they used to tell me, always howling at the moon.
They’d come in doing their, you know, their acts, trying out material on me.
I figured half the time they were three sheets to the wind, but I’ll tell you, it helped pass the time, all those late hours!
In fact, that night, Ms. Schumacher had come in with an inebriated fella going on and on about a marriage proposal that had ruined his life.
Lost a girlfriend, was my guess, but I couldn’t really tell, he was so far gone.
He could hardly talk, was leaning on Ms. Schumacher like she was a life buoy.
That was the middle of the shift, and then at the end, in comes Ms. Ross with… with herself. Alone. She…yeah.
[Carlos starts to cough. I grab him a glass of water.]
Madeline: You were saying when Ms. Ross came in—?
Carlos Ortega: Ah, she was upset. Very upset. She’d gone to Ms. Martin’s apartment and not found her! You know? Ms. Ross was crying, telling me we needed to call the police right away, so that was what she…what we did. You know, dear, I’m feeling very tired.
[He tries to stand, lurching for his walker.]
Madeline: Hold on, please. I can help.
Carlos Ortega: I’m sorry, I don’t remember anything more.
[He almost falls out of his chair trying to escape. As I leap up to assist, the nurse comes back in.]
Nurse: I believe that’s enough catching up for one day. Thank you, Miss Cohen. Can I see you back to your room, Mr. Ortega?