59 - SUSPECT...

 59 - SUSPECT...

- Good morning, Deputy...

- Your Zacarias... what good winds bring you here?

-Actually, I came at the request of Doctor Vicente, his colleague...

- Well, then he missed the trip... he is not at the moment...

- I know... actually, I came to talk to you...

- Sorry, Mr. Zacarias... now it's all tangled up... did you come to talk to Dr. Vicente or to me?

- With you...

- At the request of my colleague...

- That...

- I still do not understand...

- Well, you and Doctor Alberto witnessed some... strange things... in the morgue, didn't you?

- Sorry... I still don't understand...

- Doctor Duarte... you know that I usually collect all the strange facts that happen in our region...

- Yes, I know... everything that happens around here and doesn't have a logical explanation, you will find out to serve as a reference in the future...

- Yes... some people don't understand that... some even call me "sorcerer", behind my back...

- And you are?...

- No, of course not... I'm just curious looking to find out what might be useful for our community...

- AND...?

- And that's it, chief... after much thought, after much research, I came to a conclusion...

- Research what, Mr. Zacarias?

- Mainly the latest events... you will agree with me that lately things have been a little off the rails....

- We are already managing to realign the train, don't worry...

- No, Chief, they are not realigning anything... far from it...

- Sorry...?

- Your delegate, what we are really facing is an "upír"...

- One what? What the hell is this?

- A vampire, your deputy... an evil spirit that manifests itself through a person and comes to attack the unwary...

- Oh, no... for God's sake... supernatural attacks? That doesn't exist, Mr. Zacarias...

- You've witnessed some demonstrations and you don't want to believe that this exists... Duarte...I'm serious...

- Okay... let's say I believed in that crap... and how would we find this... vampire?

- Actually, I think I already know who it is...

- Serious? And it would be...

- Teacher Alice...

Upon hearing the teacher's name, Duarte bursts out laughing. I laughed so hard he nearly choked. Zacarias just keeps looking at the man, waiting for his reaction to pass... after some time, Duarte composes himself. He looks seriously at Zechariah….

- Mr. Zacarias, you are joking about serious things...

- I would like to be, I swear...

- How is it that you.... the teacher... such a kind person... so concerned about her students... charitable, you can't see anyone in need who is already going to help, without worrying about whoever it is...

- I know all that...

- Besides, she's a fervent Christian... she doesn't miss Mass, not even during the week...

- AND...?

- As far as I know, from the stories I hear about these beings, they can't even enter a sacred place...

- AND...?

- And they only walk at night... the sun destroys them...

- That's what the people say, Duarte... but it's not like that...

- I didn't understand...

- Yes, people say that vampires are evil beings, who only want the destruction of humanity...

- And it's not like that...?

- Sort of... you know I work for a cattle breeder...

- Yes...

- And that we take care of the cattle from birth until they are ready for slaughter...

- Yes...

- And in the meantime, we try to make the animals as comfortable as possible...

- But when the time comes, we just shoot them down... simple as that...

- Yes...

- Well, for a vampire, we are cattle... as long as he doesn't need to take our life to feed himself, he will treat us with all deference... but when the time of slaughter comes...

- You're crazy, Zacarias... I'm sorry, but what you're telling me doesn't make any sense....

- What doesn't make sense, Duarte?

- Nothing you said makes sense... how do you think the teacher... that she...

- Duarte, think a little... how long have you been working in this region?

- About ten years, more or less...

- And how long ago did these... demonstrations start?

- I would say about two years... a little more, a little less...

- Yes, that's right.... and who arrived here more or less in that period?

- Several people... people come and go all the time...

- I agree with you... but who arrived in the meantime and remains with us until today?

Duarte remains silent for a few minutes. Then he speaks, slowly, as if he had lost a battle...

- The teacher...

- Yes, Duarte... the teacher...

-But she's a normal person... she works during the day, eats the same things we do...

- I never said she wasn't normal... I said she was a vampire...

- And how do you explain that she attends mass, takes communion?

- And why couldn't she do that?

- Because it would be an impure spirit, an evil being... and could not set foot inside a church...

- You know that, in reality, it does not proceed...

- Like this?

- These beings can enter a church normally...

- That's not what I learned...

- I know... and that gives us a false illusion of security... in any case, normally they don't manifest themselves inside a church... not because they feel inhibited, but because you don't usually walk around with your plate at hand everywhere, isn't it?

Andrade was going to reply, but ran out of arguments... shrugging his shoulders, he decided to accept what Zacarias said as if it were true, not because he truly believed it... but simply because he couldn't think of anything to contradict his interlocutor's arguments ...

- All right... but do you have proof of everything you told me?

-Of course not... and actually, I suspect Alice doesn't even know she's a vampire...

-Xi ... now she spilled the broth for good ... what do you mean, "she doesn't know" ...?

- It's kind of complicated... I'll explain later... but now I need your help to investigate some things that may or may not confirm my suspicions...

Andrade takes a long sigh, resigned...

- All right... let's go, then...

And so, Zacarias began to pass on some instructions to the delegate, who sometimes listened attentively, sometimes laughed aloud, but followed his interlocutor's reasoning until the end. When Zacarias left his office, Andrade sat down in his chair, looking tired, took a glass, filled it with a good dose of coffee (I bet they thought he was going to have a cachaça) and while he sipped his drink, he stayed looking at infinity, with the air of a lost dog...