Free The Blue Line by Ingrid Betancourt Page B

taking her by the arm to steady her. “You’re not pregnant, are you? The timing isn’t exactly perfect, but I’d be the happiest man alive. . . .”
    Julia’s eyes sparkled with a strange intensity. She let him kiss her.
    They spent the rest of the evening at Julia’s parents’ house. Anna was transfixed by her sister. She had to admit that Julia was completely transformed. She and Theo made an unsettling couple; they gave off so much energy it almost made Anna feel uncomfortable. From the moment of her arrival, Julia had been monopolized by her brothers, who fired questions at her from every angle. Eventually Anna took her sister off into the kitchen. They embraced with heavyhearts, not really knowing why. They wanted to talk to each other but couldn’t recapture the language of their intimacy, perhaps in the confused sensation that their childhood was over.
    The only one who understood their emotion was their father. He had been watching them and guessed at Anna’s conflicting feelings because they resembled his own. Julia had become a woman, and he felt in this realization something of a paradise lost.
    The next morning Julia was up at dawn. She wanted to stop by the Chapel of Christ the Worker again before going to school to see if she could speak to Father Mugica. This time she had better luck. She saw him from far off, in jeans and an old turtleneck, busy helping the
villeros
* transport building materials to the site of a planned new community canteen. She suddenly felt stupid, unable to remember what she had come to say. The sun was climbing higher in the sky, giving the world a substance that diluted her visions.
    Father Mugica saw her approaching and once again mistook her hesitation for embarrassment. He went up to her.
    â€œFather, I’m sorry, but I have to talk to you. It’s a matter of urgency and importance.”
    Father Mugica’s eyes widened. “Do you want to meet me after school? I could come to the health center if you like. Oryou could come to Villa Luro this evening. I’ll be saying Mass at San Francisco Solano.”
    Julia thought for a moment. “Father, I think I’ll come to see you in Villa Luro. There’ll be fewer people there, right?”
    He smiled at her. “If you feel more comfortable in Villa Luro, that’s fine by me.”
    Julia thanked him, adding: “I’ll bring my grandmother along, if you don’t mind.”
    â€”
    Julia found a satisfied Mama Fina waiting in her green velvet armchair in the living room. She had gathered some new information. A high-ranking police officer friend, Commissioner-Major Angelini, had helped with her search. Mama Fina explained that they had known each other for years. She had warned him about a bombing conspiracy, which had been foiled as a result, and he had subsequently informed her of a raid by security forces to evict her
villeros
friends. She had seen to it that urgent measures were put in place to head off a potentially bloody clash. They were both from Naples, which gave them a sense of solidarity, given that the vast majority of
porteños
* were of Genoese origin. Both were also members of the San Juan Evangelista parish in the neighborhood of La Boca.
    â€œIt’s possible your man is a small-time crook,” Mama Fina burst out. “If your sketch is a realistic likeness, it bears a strong resemblance to a man known as El Pibe. * He has close links to the minister for social welfare.”
    â€œEl Brujo, you mean?”
    â€œYes, exactly. He was kicked out of the police force a few years ago and reinstated recently out of the blue. He’s just been promoted to subcommissioner. It’s rumored he’s recruiting professional marksmen for an organization they call the Triple A, which they want to keep under wraps.”
    â€œMama Fina, I recognized the place. It’s calle Zelada in Villa Luro, right across from the church of