Complicado (Queen of the South, My Season 6)

Part 16 - Free Fall

James had a kink in his neck from sleeping on the airplane. When they finally arrived in Goa, the heat blast outside the airport was the last straw, which made him walk right to the bar of the small hotel and order a 'huge' beer. Chicho didn't feel tired and left off to the police station to see if the inspector on the case would meet him this late in the afternoon.

Tony had dipped in the hotel pool and looked refreshed when he sat next to his father at the bar.

"I wonder how Mom is faring?" he said staring ahead and sipping his cold soda.

"They had arrived when I last checked my messages ...that was during the layover in Dubai." James responded. He was worried, just like Tony was, but was doing his best to hide it.

"I don't know why you didn't go with her!" the boy noted. "Marcel seems like a nice guy, but I think she needs you".

As James gave him a weird look, Tony went on: "When you're in prison, she was very much down. And she told me you literally saved her life... like 20 times...back in the day."

"I haven't counted them", James chuckled. Keeping Teresa alive had been his mission in the narco life, there was no denying it.

"Well, she has!" Tony looked at him. "And I believe her...That's why I wanted to come with you... to learn...So, that I can become like you ...when I meet the woman of my life!", he sounded so serious that James was taken aback.

"I hope you do, son!...Both learn...and meet the right woman!" he managed to say and in a moment of weakness his hand went up and he ruffled Tony's curly hair.

"That's why I'm here!" Tony repeated and James felt there was too much youthful excitement in his son's voice.

So, he said: "Do you know what her life would become if something were to happen to you here, Tony?"

Tony squinted and replied: "Do you know what it would become if something were to happen to you, Dad?"

James only sighed as there was no point going forward with the conversation: "Okay then...let's talk strategy!"

Chicho had managed to get an early morning appointment for the next day with the inspector assigned to the case of Marcel's murdered investigator. He considered this a success as the police in India was slow to begin with, and when the afternoon heat descended on the city, all life seemed to stop.

10 am in the morning was as pleasant as it would ever be in Goa, unless one was sprawled on the beach drinking cocktails and dipping in the water.

They were already sweating by the time they got out of the hot cab and entered the police station which boasted a noisy air conditioner. Inspector Agarwal was in his early 40s and looked like the thick dark coffee he was drinking had no effect on his ability to move or talk faster.

The circumstances of Oliver Shaw's death had been very suspicious as he had been followed by a dark SUV to his hotel, whereby one occupant of the SUV had acquired his room information by force from the front desk clerk and then had proceeded to surprise him and shoot him in the head. He had then exited fast, and the running SUV had left the curb side as if chased according to witnesses from the hotel lobby.

Agarwal had a very good idea of what Shaw had been investigating and had done some digging himself because he believed Shaw had been killed because of what he had uncovered. Agarwal had found Shaw's payment receipt to the chemical lab of a local college that provided soil testing services to the public. The lab had disclosed that as per the examined soil results, the land owned by Shaw's employer was moderately contaminated with substances typical for polymer and fertilizer production.