“He slept all the way to Sao Paulo. He didn’t even wake up for breakfast.”
“So you didn’t have much of a chance to form an impression.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. There were a couple of things I noticed.”
“Such as?”
“He looked older, for one thing.”
“Older than what, Senhora?”
“Older than he does on the jackets of his books.”
“I see. Anything else?”
“He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. I didn’t think much about it at the time, but later, in the pictures of his funeral, there were three children who looked just like him.”
“Anything else?”
She thought about it for a moment, shook her head, and said, “Have you found out who murdered him? Or why?”
“Not yet, Senhora.”
“Such a pity. He seemed like a very nice man. And so… talented.”
“After he fell asleep, Senhora, did you sleep yourself?”
“I don’t really sleep on airplanes, Chief Inspector. I only doze a little. It’s not that flying makes me nervous, or anything, but I can’t seem to fall asleep unless I’m lying down.”
“So you were awake all night?”
She nodded. “All night.”
“Did you get up, move around the cabin?”
“No, I didn’t. I was in the window seat. Professor Cruz was sleeping between me and the aisle. I didn’t want to disturb him.”
“Tell me about your fellow passengers,” he said. “Who else do you remember?”
“There was a very unpleasant man at the check-in. He sped up at the last minute and pushed in ahead of me. He smelled of whiskey.”
“Luis Mansur?”
“I don’t know his name. But if you ask the man with the spot on his face, he could probably tell you.”
“Man with a spot on his face?”
“Yes. You’re speaking to all of the passengers, aren’t you?”
“We are.”
“Then I guess you haven’t gotten to him just yet. He has a mark on his face. Just here.” She touched her cheek.
“What kind of mark? A birthmark?”
“A birthmark, yes. A rather large one.”
“And why would he be likely to remember the name of the fellow who smelled of whiskey?”
“Because at a given point, the fellow who smelled of whiskey came over and sat down next to him.”
“And they spoke?”
“And they spoke. But not for long, only a couple of minutes. Then the man who smelled got up and went back to his original seat.”
“Did you hear what they talked about?”
“No. But the man with the birthmark wasn’t enjoying the conversation. He looked very displeased.”
“Do you remember any of the other passengers?”
“There was a priest; at least I think he was a priest. He was wearing a… what do you call it?” She pointed to her neck.
“Clerical collar?”
“Yes.”
“Did you speak to him?”
“No.”
“Who else can you remember?”
“I was reading most of the time. But I do recall a young man, a teenager. He was traveling all by himself in business class, and I thought that was strange. I never traveled business class until I was over forty. Even now, my husband complains about the difference in price; but frankly, he can afford it. And the tourist cabin is just too uncomfortable.”
“A teenager. Who else?”
She put a finger to her lips, remembering. “A gentleman traveling with his son. Both of them appeared to be very nervous.”
“Nervous?”
“Craning their necks to see who was getting on board, muttering to each other in voices just above a whisper. But that was before we took off. Once we were in the air, they settled down and went to sleep.”
“Like Professor Cruz.”
“Like Professor Cruz, except the two of them woke up for breakfast.”
“Who else?”
“A young man with a ponytail. Another young man with a little moustache and a gold earring here.” She touched an ear. “I think that was about it. There weren’t many people in the cabin. Oh, yes, I almost forgot, there was a fellow in his thirties with a suit and an attache case. He was one of those people who don’t make much of an impression. I forgot about him last time, as well. I wouldn’t have remembered him at all, if the woman hadn’t prompted me.”
Silva glanced at Arnaldo, who raised an eyebrow.
“What last time?” he said. “What woman?”
“Some research person. Doing work for the airlines.”
“When was this?”
“Quite some time ago. Not long after I got back. She called and made an appointment. Maybe I couldn’t have told you as much as I have if she hadn’t taken me through it once already.”
“She posed the same questions we’ve been asking?”
“Her focus was on passenger service, and the experience of flying business class over long distances. But many of the questions were similar.”
“Did she leave a business card?”
“No, she didn’t.”
“How about identification? What did she show you?”
“She didn’t offer any.”
“And you didn’t ask?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I didn’t ask you for any either, did I?” she said. “I like to be cooperative. This woman already knew, when she called, that I’d been a business-class passenger on the flight. She must have had access to records. I had no reason to be suspicious.”
“No, Senhora, of course you didn’t. What did this woman look like?”
Lidia Porto put her hands over her head and waved her fingers. “She had frizzy red hair, quite a lot of it. She wasn’t young, but she wasn’t old either, mid-thirties, I’d say. About my height, maybe a little taller. Not fat, not thin, just… normal. I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful than that.”
“Eye color?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t remember?”
“No. I don’t know. She was wearing dark glasses.”
“Dark glasses? Here, inside your apartment?”
Lidia Porto nodded. “She told me she was suffering from conjunctivitis.”
“Anything else you can remember about her?”
“Not really. Why?”
