Final Challenge (14 page)

- The depth and characteristics of the tumor, together with the committed and delicate operation that has been subjected, have meant that some areas of his brain are severely damaged. For you understand me, we could say that it's just as if he had unleashed a kind of ... Alzheimer, it happens often in such cases.

- Tell me
then
what I can do to help? - Carol tone was returning to be of a person who felt powerless, unable to find a way to help the man she loved -

- Unfortunately, in his state, there
may be times when he even barely
recognize you. All you can do is f
ollow
ing by his side, giving love,
that surely he understand
s
it and that helps him. But remember, above al
l, needs rest. The medication,
chemotherapy,
is very aggressive.

Carol retired to her
room, she threw himself on the bed and began to mourn. Even being
a strong woman who always had
fought to the limits of her possibilities, she felt overwhelmed, fragile and without resour
ces. She reproached herself her
attitude, refused to accept that she could only be ready for what was coming, but was forced to admit that nothing more could do about it.

XXI

 
Kelly felt a slap of moisture going down the aircraft steps. The feeling was similar to that she had perceived in her travels to the Caribbean, except that it was accompanied by a strange smell that was hard to identi
fy. She thought people that say
that air does not smell were
not right. She liked to travel, but preferred to do in h
er leisure time. She had been in many places of
the world: Mexico, Central America, Europe, India, Nepal, Algeria, Senegal, Australia ... and she could swear that the first impact in the form of odor was never the same. It probably would be complicated to explain in a scientific standpoint, but she perceived it so. This time the smell seemed to her that was sweet but without being annoying, full of scents that made it unmistakable.

    
At the Eduardo Gomes airport did not appear that anyone was waiting for them. She looked her watch, half an hour since they had arrived and as much as s
he looked around, didn't find any
face resembling that of Joao Souza, police Capt. Manaus with whom she had exchanged her photo on the Internet to avoid complications of recognizing each other. At first it sho
uld not be difficult, unless he
had decided to shave that huge mustache that made
him look carefree and kindly.

  
She turned her head and could see Marvin standing, turning around from side to side and Hanson sitting next her, flipping through a local newspaper. She stood watching Hanson without him noticed it. She had to admit that
she felt a tingling could not remember from the time of the faculty, because long ago she had decided to isolate herself and focusing on her work, men did not attract her for long time, despite always feel flattered, focus of attention of masculine gender wherever she was. But now she was beginning to feel something that she thought was lost in her past. Hanson was undoubtedly a very attractive man, but not by physical but by his character and sense of humor. They
fit in a
perfect
way,
it was as if they knew for a lifetime. Never a long journey had become so short, she had never laughed so much and never ceased to be surprised by Hanson, because behind that inveterate seducer was hiding a romantic man, sensitive, intelligent, erudite, even in matters that had little or nothing do with his work, such as anthropology and philosophy. It was like he had two faces, one t
hat exhibited in public, and for which
he could be accused of spontaneous, frivolous, even shallow. And quite different another that he stored inside, his best kept secret that had opened her showing his depth and concerns. For hours they talked about the divine and human, putting their lives a day, as if they were aware they had been waiting so much time to meet and they might regret wasting any minute. Probably was beginning to fall in love
with
Hanson, but as in these cases, it seemed to have happened at the wrong time, in a difficult situation, now that in her life had again crossed the Platonic imag
e of her first love, her longed
, almost mythologized, Dr. Clerigan.

Carried away by her thoughts to a world that had nothing to do with her surroundings, left her slumber by a voice at her back, in correct English but with a funny accent.

- Miss Adams, I guess.

Kelly turned her
head at the same time than Hanson. A portly man of medium height, with a distinctive mustache, wearing a casual uniform of khaki shorts and a hat in his hand was smiling. Not was difficult to guess who he was. She rose to greet him.

- You guess right, Captain Souza, but I believed that I had sent you a photo front. It has a lot of merit you have recognized me by the back! - Kelly said smiling back -

- Not at all, you're unmistakably beautiful from every point of view.

- Thanks, I wasn't told that in this country were so gallant men.

- Not all, unfortunately. Sorry for the delay, I forgot t
hat today, Friday, we must send
some statistics to the headquarters.

- I present to detectives Marvin and Hanson.

- I would like to wish you are as at home - Souza said while greeted them - but I'm afraid that will not be possible.

- Surely not because you are not going to try it - Hanson interrupted smiling before Souza will explain the reason which led him to make such a claim -

- Assume that I will try it. But there is nothing that can compare to Manaus, much less to Amazon. But be sure you are going to miss it when leave, you'll see. I am here for twenty years and I only go some days to Rio for the carnival.

- Despite the fatigue of the journey we look forward to start our adjustment period - Hanson said -

- I thought so. Therefore, I propose you accept an invitation to a frugal meal followed by a tour of the city. Then I will ask you to give me your first impression.

- Count on it! - Kelly said while picking up her suitcase.

His federal police fellows in Manaus called Joao Souza Da Lima by the nickname "the diplomat". It was helped not only by his poise and diction, but by his past. Souza was born into a wealthy family in Barra da Tijuca, one of the most elegant neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. He had traveled half the world with his family since his father, a career diplomat, rarely stayed in the same destination for  more than three years. He learned to speak a perfect English, French, Spanish and some Italian. When he came of age, and as a first step to follow in the footsteps of his father, he moved to Rio to study political science, where he fell in love with Davinia, a girl of good family and refined manners. He married her a year before finishing the career, settling in the house of her parents. There began his ordeal.
Davinia, in counterpoint to her
frail appearance, took a strong character and unruly, which until then she must have hidden. What's more, Souza felt at a complete disadvantage in-laws house. Diplomatic career
was long and expensive, so he
decided to run a competition for diplomatic officer, getting the number one, and was assigned to the consulate of Argentina in Rio.

Thus managed
to convince Davinia to get her
out from her parental home
at last
and rent an apartment in Ipanema. No luck.  Of quiet and peaceful character, Souza hated continuous discussions and the whims of spoiled child of her wife whose only concern was app
earance and social relations, so much as
that she spent twice what Souza won. Taking also on account that his work as an officer didn't satisfy  him at all, and in his desperation to escape his reality began to dabble in nature, not  was so strange that one day he filed for sep
aration from his wife and then
he presented to a competition for sergeant of the federal police in Manaus.

From stage of crisis in life one can only get out by two ways: unfavorably or reinforced. In the case of Souza happened the latter, in fact he always wondered how he would not have noticed before. He liked his work, relationship with his companions was fine and he felt so comfortable in
Manaus that he hadn't changed
it for anywhere else in the world. From time to time
he went
alone or with some friend to enjoy the night, and never lacked female company. Although somewhat shy and reserved, he hadn't trouble to tune in with the female gender, but n
either he didn't like to abuse
of the night nor was a spendthrift, despite earning more money than the money he had time to spend.

There was no doubt that they hadn't found better host than Souza. They thought that if he knew the heart of the Amazon a hundredth part of good than Manaus, success was assured. He could have made
a living of tour operator, instead of choosing another much more risky prof
ession. That city in the middle of jung
le was a surprise for the three
. A world of contrasts, equipped with a tourist infrastructure at the level of places like Aruba and Curacao.
Five-star hotels with all facilities, gyms, swimming pools, sports areas and meeting rooms, at the purest style of the great resorts in the Caribbean surrounded by a lush forest, next to slums in the suburbs where pove
rty was obvious.  Souza took them
to discover the modern Manaus, a place where, if nobody say you where you are an
d take you there
blindfolded, when they remove the blindfold
you might think you're in the midst of a major European city or American. A cosmopolitan city with wide avenues, buildings and parks, malls, where Kelly was particularly impressed that they could get perfumes and clothes of the most famous designers in the world. Not to mention the traditional sites where you could buy typical products, from natural medicinal products to exotic souvenirs from the Amazon.

Then introduced them the historic Manaus, with a colonial flavor that was evident in each and every one of its streets, its buildings, most of which retain the imported architecture of nineteenth century Europe when Manaus became the legendary capital of rubber. Souza showed them its landmark buildings, the houses of the great merchants of the time, the cultural center, the old market square on the harbor, whose design is attributed to Eiffel (a replica of the former Les Halles in Paris), the floating dock, that can accommodate up to thirteen meters d
ifferences in water level. As
Kelly and Hanson remained h
ighly impressed, Marvin barely
was paying attention, neither participated in the talks. He was immersed in an emotional state that could be assimilated to that of a shock, had not yet recovered from the blow. But he knew he had to be ready for that adventure of which the life of Susan
depended
. 
But when they finished that tour in the gre
at Opera House, close to their
hotel, Marvin
, big Opera fan, could not avoid to
ask a question of Souza.

- It's awesome, majestic, almost in the jungle, in the middle of nowhere. Who had the idea, the audacity of doing something similar?

- It was late last century, when Manaus was rich and envied by many European cities. The project was the brainchild of a visionary named Domenico de Angelis, who had the whim to attend concerts of opera in a palace in midst of the jungle. Most surprising is that the materials were all, all brought from Europe, including marble, to the point you could say there is no single stone that does not have that source.

- Fascinating. And have also been able to bring here great figures? ...

- No, not so many - Souza replied smiling - It's a little difficult to convince large companies to act in the middle of the jungle. Anyway Pavarotti could not resist temptation during a tourist visit in 1995, although restricted to a small group of officials and authorities. Also Spanish tenor Carreras sang at its reopening in 1996.

- Admittedly, this city is a luxury. - Kelly pointed out -

- Yes, folks, for something is known as the "Paris of the Amazon." But there's yet more. I know you must be more than tired, but it's getting late and the helicopter is waiting.

-  Helicopter?,,, - Hanson no friend of the air ride,
said, surprised,
in fact the company of Kelly had helped him
to
overcome his phobia
but other trip by air wasn’t between his plans
-

- I thought you would like to know surroundings - said Souza -

- Yes,
yes, of course - replied Kelly
smiling, realizing the fears of Hanson - I think that bed must wait a bit yet.

- And tomorrow we have to start working - Pointed out Marvin -