CHAPTER FIVE

Lujan goes to Maria’s apartment on the fourth floor and rings the bell. Maria doesn’t say a word when she opens the door but indicates that Lujan should come in. She walks into the living room and greets the two men waiting for her.

“Ricardo and Ignacio,” Maria says, introducing them to Lujan. “They haven’t given me their last names.”

“It’s all right,” Lujan says. “The only last name that matters here is mine.”

Silence.

Ricardo clears his throat. “Well, Mrs. Stroessner, you have something to tell us?”

Lujan takes out her phone and quickly takes pictures of Ricardo and Ignacio.

“Look here,” Ignacio starts to protest.

But Lujan ignores them and puts the phone on the coffee table between them. “My name is Lujan Montoya, and I am married to Juan Carlos Montoya. My maiden name is Stroessner.”

She is dictating her statement and recording it at the same time. She knows that the phone will automatically give them a date and time stamp.

Maria leans over and speaks into the phone as well. “My name is Maria Benegas, and I am a lawyer in the fifth district of Asuncion, badge number 5623947. We are here with Mr. Ricardo….”

She pauses waiting….

“…Lucero Molino,” Ricardo finally says.

“….and Ignacio,” Maria pauses again.

This time the response is faster. “…Ignacio Sanchez Salgero,” he responds.

“These gentlemen both claim to be working for the government and in that capacity, Mrs. Montoya de Stroessner has freely consented to give her testimony about events surrounding her life in recent years.”

“And not so recent,” Lujan adds.

Ricardo and Ignacio have nothing to say. This is the price of information even though they are uncomfortable with the level of transparency.

Lujan spends the next two hours telling the whole story from beginning to end. How her parents had been killed in the revolution by Colonel Oveido, and how she had escaped to live with the Montoya family. She tells them the truth about Miguel Angel and who his biological father is. She tells them about the Simon Bertoni treasure and how she had found it with Arnold and had stolen it back from Maria. Maria confirms her story.

Lujan had talked to Maria beforehand to set their strategy and Maria had strongly suggested that she not tell them about the theft of the treasure right from under the nose of the Foundation. But Lujan wants a clean slate. She wants it all out on the table. Everything.

Lujan explains about the Stroessner Fortune and the fact that Miguel Angel is the last living male heir and that only his DNA could open the bank accounts. But he doesn’t have the codes. Without the codes, nothing can be done. She is insistent on this point. It is the whole reason she is giving this statement.
She wants “the powers that be” to know that Miguel Angel is not able to access the money.

He is missing and this is her way of fighting for him. For some reason the police are waiting, perhaps hoping that Miguel Angel can be persuaded to lead them to the Stroessner Fortune. Well, at least lead the neo-Nazis to the treasure and then take it from them. It isn’t the police really, but someone higher up, someone behind the scenes, trying to make a play for the money, on behalf of the government.

“There is no money,” Lujan says. “Or at least Miguel Angel cannot access it. His DNA is only part of the process. That was made clear to us a long time ago. We don’t have the codes and we have no idea where the codes are.”

Ricardo interrupts her with a question of his own. “And what about China Bertoni?” he asks. “Does she have the codes?”

Lujan looks at Maria. She doesn’t know what to say. She hasn’t told them that China is still alive. She has only found out a couple of days ago herself.

“Moises Bertolini worked for the Secret Service as you well know. He reportedly had the codes in his head. Photographic memory. He was confirmed dead in a car accident a short while ago.” Lujan pauses. “But you know all that already.”

“We didn’t ask you about Moises,” Ricardo says, “but about Matilde Bertoni, whom they call China. No doubt she’s involved somehow.”

“Why else would she fake her own death,” Ignacio adds with a smirk on his face. “Did you think we wouldn’t find out?”

Lujan decides to come clean and tell them everything she knows. It isn’t about the money. It isn’t even about China. It is about saving Miguel Angel.

“I only found out last night myself,” she admits. “I don’t know why she faked her own death. We have not seen or spoken to her. We were told by someone we trust that she was alive.”

“You mean Johnny, the CIA agent,” Ricardo says. It isn’t a question.

That takes Lujan and Maria by surprise.

“We didn’t know that he worked for the CIA,” Lujan says. “He said that he worked for an international security firm.”

“I see,” says Ricardo. “Regardless, if China is alive, she knows something, and I would bet it’s the codes. With Miguel Angel and the codes…” He leaves the rest unsaid.

Now it is Maria’s turn to interrupt. “Looks to me like you need to get Miguel Angel back from these neo-Nazi guys. If they accidently hurt Miguel Angel, then it doesn’t matter if you get the codes. The DNA needs to come from a verified live host. You know that.”

“Alive is the key word,” Ignacio says. “It doesn’t specify what condition he’s in.”

“Let me tell you something about Miguel Angel,” Lujan says, shaking with anger and frustration. “If you let him get hurt, or Jane, which would be much worse, believe me, he will never help you. He is a strong-willed man, and he would rather die than help anyone get the money if they hurt his family.”

“Of all the people that deserve the money,” Maria says, trying a softer approach, “the people of Paraguay deserve to get it back. Miguel Angel believes that. You can get more done with honey right now than with vinegar.”

Ricardo and Ignacio look at each other. “Are you going to give us a copy of this recording?” Ricardo asks. “We will need it to convince the people who make the final decisions.”

Lujan picks up her phone and with a few swift strokes sent the recording to Maria. “You can get the recording from my lawyer with a court order, or you can get it now if you give me your word that you will go in and rescue Miguel Angel and Jane now.”

Ricardo looks at Lujan’s phone. The recording is turned off. “We are already planning a raid, but we will move it up to tonight,” Ricardo says. “I give you my word.”

“Not that his word necessarily means anything,” Maria says. “But at least we have him on tape.” She clicks off the recording on her own phone that she had been holding next to her leg away from the two men sitting on the couch.

Ricardo stands up to take the phone away from Maria, but Ignacio grabs his arm.

“This is something we can do,” Ignacio says. “It’s a good idea.”

“Send the recording to this email,” Ricardo says to Maria, handing her his business card.

“We will be in touch.”