Leblon, Rio de Janeiro

The lights, the music and the drunkenness of the casino made him somewhat dizzy and short of breath, but it wasn't too hard to find Suzane sitting next to the bar. Vini rushed to get to the chair beside her, but remembered his heels. He couldn't handle walking in those stupid shoes anymore. So, he almost fell down as he sat down next to her in a desperate attempt to get near her. Still, could be worse.

- Can I have a Guaraná? - Vini asked, referring to a very famous soft drink in the country, made from the typical Guaraná fruit.

Suzane looked away and was surprised.

- A Guaraná? How unusual.

- Oh, I don't drink alcohol. - Vini defended himself.

Which was actually true.

- Excuse my saying so, but do we know each other? - Suzane asked, suspicious. - You look a lot like someone I know.

- Oh, don't worry, I get that a lot. "Oh, you look like Thalía and Danielle Campbell. It depends on the day.

The person who said that is certainly enjoying his vacation in a mental institution.

- Earlier this morning I saw you going into the club. Is the Jaguar yours?

- Yes, it is.

- Oh, it's a wicked car. Too bad the English didn't start the war, we could all be driving a Jag today.

A very Enzo thing to say.

- Yeah, I guess. - Suzanne found the joke a bit exotic.

- Diane. - Vini held out his hand.

- Suzane.

- Nice to be meeting you.

- If you don't mind, are you new here? I've been around for a while and I don't remember seeing you at all.

- I signed up today with another friend. I'm new in town.

- Oh, really? That's great. Welcome.

- Thank you.

- Where do you live?

- Barra da Tijuca.

- It's a great neighborhood, although the people there are kind of snobby.

- Yeah, i've been told from time to time.

- And where is your friend?

- Sarah? She's so screwed up that she must have gotten lost in the salon. I was in a hurry, so I left her. But I believe she is going to find me. Who can tell?

- You... I'm sorry, but you do not seem to be from Brazil.

- Oh, hell no. I am not. I am from Mexico. You know how it is. Those hypocritical shithead teenagers who complain about the governments and buy drugs that finance the drug traffic, which kills and tortures thousands of innocent people. I had a plan to leave my hometown as soon as possible because of the violence and the dominance of the cartels.

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Suzane made a face.

- And you came straight away to Rio de Janeiro?

- I didn't say it was a good plan. But it's better here. At its worst it's very similar. Gated communities, 24 hour security. If you change the colors of the flag and start speaking Spanish I will feel quite at home.

Suzane laughs at the statement and offers a drink, but Vini repeats.

- I do not drink, Suzane.

- Oh yeah, I apologize. - She was silent for a while. - Look, I have a bit of time, I can show you the club while you wait for your friend.

Vini smiled.

- Fine by me.

Vini and Suzanne left the casino around noon, but she immediately remembered to pick up her son. Or nearly.

- He can get a ride.

Certainly, the question is with who he was going to come home.

- Suzane, let me ask you a curious question. If you don't want to answer, that's fine.

- You can ask. It's just a question, what could it matter?

- This club seems to me to be very exclusive. Just look in the parking lot. I haven't seen so many expensive cars since the car show in Acapulco.

- I'm a business woman, Diane.

- Business?

- I have my investments and my husband has his. We just try to stay out of each other's business.

- Why is that?

- Because my husband prefers to do things anonymously. Do you know how it is?

- Sort of. The cartel guys are not afraid to mutilate people and kidnap children in broad daylight.

- Wow, that is fucked up.

- Yeah, it really is.

By sheer luck, Vini read a story about the San Fernando massacre, which left him traumatized, but was very useful for his character, although Diane living in Mexico was a total improvisation on his part.

- You know, Suzane. - Vini continued. - I can read people very well. If you tell me your secrets, I'll tell you mine. And believe me, there are a lot of them.

And counting.

Suzane smiled. She didn't seem willing to trust Vini completely yet, but maybe with some time, she would lower her barriers. Vini soon understood that Suzanne was hiding something. It seemed obvious that this whole investment thing was just baloney. There was something more peculiar, something obscure and mysterious... And Vini really wanted to learn about it. But for this, he needed Suzane on his side. But first, there was one more small thing that was missing.