05.1 Netting

Deciduous trees stood high and green beyond the clay court in a grass covered lawn. Nobody here was dressed for sport other than the two on the court. There were mostly kids around and families enjoying picnics.

Roco’s man watched this beautiful lady on strikingly sharp legs hit the balls with good strength. Long black hair braided in single tail and an all-white sporty ensemble.

Shortly, they quit the game and sat on a bench to drink beer.

“You play very well,” praised Lucero.

“You too,” echoed Marina drying sweat from her arms, “Isn’t it too short? Didn’t know how the time flew! It’s already sundown.”

“Six-thirty. I have to drive home.”

“Do you have kids?”

“Yes,” he said, “I have four kids.”

“And a house?” delved Marina.

“Oh yes, we have a very big house,” said Lucero, “My father served in President Perón’s government twice. That time Argentina was a huge economy and a very rich country. We are kind of lucky to enjoy the luxuries. It is a very different world today.”

“I am looking forward to go to Buenos Aires after two weeks. I will go to your place. What is the name of your wife?”

“My wife!” he chuckled, “Savannah. Say, how do you like this place?”

“Beautiful. Two weeks at Silverside is a bit long for a stay,” Marina honestly expressed her thought.

“You’d love it in the city. Tell me, what was it bothering you?”

“A guy on the beach took these photos. I’ll show you,” she took the envelope from her bag, “these and he’s calling me for a date to go out,” she leaned on him, “says he can publish them on a newspaper.”

“Is this really you!” he took a deep look.

“Yes, that’s me,” she rested her chin on his shoulder.

Mind blown he uttered, “I understand your husband might not like this!”

“Certainly, he won’t.”

“What is his name?”

“Jamal.”

“Do you want me to take some action? Call the police?” he asked.

“No, no, I just want to evade him. In few days, maybe, he might stop.”

“Alright, we can make it here tomorrow at four.” Lucero found great pleasure to have company of this woman. And Marina liked him too. She could not stop rubbing her breast on him.

Next day, they spent thirty minutes on the court and sat down under the trees to talk, drinking beer. Cocktail garnish on his hair and moustache that looked like a paint brush. José Lucero always wore white apparels, a reddish thin person, a married man and an executive at a busy bank. He was leaving office early to be with her.

Marina amused him in an amorous way passing quick snogs, a wet tongue and sweaty shoulders, getting too close in cuddles.

Torres, the club manager, observed all that and the manner they shared the changing room. He could hear her cackles a mile away.

On the third day, this couple spent only ten minutes on the court.

Meanwhile, Diego Lopez concentrated on pinning the doll at his home. A process that would heighten sexual activity in a woman and seek intimacy with any mate she came across. It did not have to be a Mister Fish. Lopez didn’t care if she was involved with another man in an affair.

Jamal Carreon knew of her every move but did not bother to tell Lopez because he no longer trusted his magic.

On Friday, Lucero drove her to a self-catering lodge where he could book a bed for fifty pesos. Empty roads, red flowers over the walls, better paved sidewalks and green grass. Some houses looked beautiful. Most of them empty, no sign of life, no movement of traffic. It was a ghost town, less than half a kilometre from Lugones bend.

This little lodge on Fragata 25 de Mayo stood by the corner. He parked his car on the sidewalk and collected a key from next door. They slipped in through a narrow gate under a hibiscus to this empty house. Sunlight lit the red hibiscus flowers in ferocious growth over the brick wall on the opposite side.

That evening Lucero dropped her by the gate. Marina arrived an hour late. Andrés came to help take her bag to the room. As she did on the previous evening, she unzipped the bag and took a caftan that she pulled over the tennis dress and stepped into Los Mariscos to join in dinner with the others.

Roco’s man took pictures of the couple playing tennis at the club court. Roco passed them to Castillo to find about this Arab bunch at the Silverside. Jamal Carreon did not know about it.