“Is this your bedroom or your brother’s bedroom?” Rudy understood the implication of the question immediately...he’s using both bedrooms. “This is my bedroom. After returning from the hospital this morning, I needed a clean bed, so I used Roberto’s room, where you found me. I was going to have the maid make up both rooms after I awoke this afternoon.”
Miller fired off the next question, “What line of work are you and your brother in?” “I am Rudolph Rodriguez, a matador, and my brother is a businessman.” Again Miller made notes in the little pad.
“You’re a matador, like in bullfighting? That’s what this stuff with the sword is all about?” Levy asked as he waived his pointed finger at the blood stained bed sheets.
“Yes,” Rudy said, nodding his head. “That’s what I’ve been telling you.”
Levy walked directly up to Rudy’s face and said, “How do we know it’s your blood and not your brother’s blood?”
“You can ask him,” Rudy said defiantly. “If you’ll take the time to check, you’ll find that Roberto is alive and active, irrespective of some snoops anonymous report to you to the contrary. I can prove I was at the hospital last night getting stitches. You’ll have to ask my brother how he spent his evening.”
Rudy went to the night table and picked up the telephone and said, “I’m calling my attorney. If you have any further questions, you’ll have to wait until I have legal counsel is present.” He dialed the number and waited for the connection.
Detective Levy instructed the forensic team to take pictures of the blood stained bed and to continue their routine evidence gathering.
Miller elected to go through the partially unpacked suitcase on the valet stand.
“Good morning, Vargas, Sanchez, and Garcia. How may I direct your call?”
“Good morning Heather, this is Rudolph Rodriguez, I’d like to speak to Juan please.”
“One moment please, Mr. Rodriguez while I page Mr. Vargas for you.” The line went to soft Spanish Flamenco guitar music.
After a moment Heather came on the line and said, Mr. Rodriguez, I reached Mr. Vargas on his cell phone and he said to tell you that he’s in the lobby of your hotel and is on his way to your suite.”
“He’s here?” Rudy questioned in amazement.
“Yes, that’s correct,” Heather said. “Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Rodriguez?”
“No, thank you Heather,” Rudy said hanging up the telephone with a questioning look on his face.
A commotion in the living room informed the group that Mr. Vargas had arrived.
“I’m Mr. Rodriguez’s attorney and no school boy in a blue uniform is going to keep me from consulting with my client.” The short, fat bald man barged past the uniformed policeman stationed at the door and into the bedroom. “Rudy, don’t say another word,” he commanded.
Juan Vargas was a bully of a man, used to having things go his way. The sixty-five year old senior partner of the law firm was the executor of Doctor Hector Rodriguez’s estate. He had personally handled the investments of the trust fund for the last thirty-one years. His success dealing in the world financial markets was only out done by his relentless greed. The trust fund had been established in 1985 with seventy-five million dollars and today had a cash value of over four billion dollars. Juan Vargas considered it his work and his money. Rudy and Roberto would inherit over two billion dollars each in two days.
Vargas moved his heavy weight to the center of the bedroom and proclaimed he was in charge of any further questioning. All the officer’s questions would be directed to him and he would then state the question to Rudy. All of Rudy’s answers would be directed to him and then he would state them to the officers.
“I need a private room to confer with my client before we can continue,” Vargas told Levy.
Levy waived his hand in the direction of the rear bedroom and said, “Tell the uniformed officer stationed there I said for him to wait in the hall while you confer.”
Vargas and Rudy made their way into the second bedroom and dismissed the officer.
“Tell me everything you told them,” Vargas barked.
“I told them that I had an accident with the sword and cut my shoulder,” Rudy said in a hushed tone. “The truth is, two thugs tried to kill me with a knife last night. I awoke and found them in my bedroom just as they were about to stab me. I fought with them and broke one’s neck and crushed the other guy’s throat. I was sure they were both dead. I left them laying in there on the floor next to the bed. They cut my shoulder pretty bad and I needed stitches, so I went to the hospital. I used the sword accident story at the hospital with the doctors. I didn’t want them to call the police. When I returned, the two bodies were gone. When the police showed up and started their questioning, the sword story was the first explanation to come to mind. Do you think I should tell the police what really happened?” Rudy took a needed breath
“No...no, stay with your original story.” Vargas said as he thought the situation through.
“Yes...okay, but they’ve asked me to show them the sword and I don’t have one here. I told them that is went missing. They’re searching the suite now, looking for it.” Rudy said without pride.
Vargas opened his cell phone and pushed a button. “Carlos, I need a Matador’s sword delivered to the Ritz Hotel pronto, a very, very sharp sword. We need for it to be found during the police search of Rudolph Rodriguez’s suite. See to it.” He snapped the cell phone closed and placed it in his jacket pocket. “Have you and Roberto had time to discuss his audit of our books for this year?”
“No...I just arrived in New York yesterday,” Rudy said. “I haven’t seen Roberto since last week in Montreal.”
Vargas grunted, as if displeased. “You know that I still have your power of attorney to handle the trust fund until you sign the audit statement on your birthday, this Monday. I must again insist that you and your brother keep the trust in tact, and that I continue to manage your father’s estate. I have made all of us very wealthy men and we can continue to make even more if we keep the money in my control. As I have said many times, we can simply increase your annual allowance from the nine hundred thousand dollars you presently are getting to...say, ten million dollars a year. Surely that’s more than you’d be able to squander away every year.”
Rudy was silent for a moment and then said, “Juan, I believe this is not the time to be having a conversation about the trust fund. I’m in trouble here and I need your help to get the police out of my life. I’m to meet Roberto this afternoon to review his report of the audits. I’ll discuss it with him at that time, and we’ll have an answer for you then. But...for now, let’s get Levy and Miller off my ass.”
Vargas motioned for Rudy to stand closer to him and said, “No matter what I say to the police after we go back in there, do not act surprised or disagree with me. Do you understand?” Rudy nodded his head yes.
Vargas grabbed Rudy’s arm and started pulling him as he walked toward the bedroom door. He whispered hoarsely, “We must do everything we can to keep this matter in the family.” Rudy removed Juan’s hand from his arm and was impressed with the older man’s grip.
Rudy
