“In this letter, two ladies whom the minister can refuse nothing, ask him, and he in turn asks me, to quash this entire matter. What interest can these two ladies have in the affair?”
“I don’t know. If I knew who they were, perhaps....”
“They are Señora de Braganza and the Marchioness of Buendía.”
“Ah, then I understand the whole thing. The proprietors of the Círculo where the boy used to work are anxious lest he speak of the gambling house. One of the proprietors is the Colonel’s wife, who must have gone to see these ladies, and then the ladies must have had recourse to the minister.”
“And what’s the connection between the Colonel’s wife and these ladies?”
“She lends out money. This Señora de Braganza once forged her husband’s name, and the Colonel’s wife has the document in her possession.”
“And the marchioness?”
“As to her, that’s another matter. You know that her most recent lover was Ricardo Salazar.”
“The former deputy?”