A Not So Perfect Crime (32 page)

In the end Núria Font didn't go to Oxford. She matriculated in an art and design school and now works for the Catalan Bank Foundation. She's put on weight, made several visits to the operating theatre and gets more and more like her mother. Her boyfriend is a young man from a wealthy household, who is a member of the youth organization of the party her father heads, and occasionally, when not skiing in Baqueira, Núria babysits for the Infanta Cristina.

Enrique Dalmau didn't stand as candidate for the party secretary-generalship and enthusiastically supported Lluís Font's candidacy. He works as a consultant for the Telefónica and enjoys semi-retirement in the Empordá with his wife, who is by the day more tanned, wrinkled and bored with country life.

Doña Mariona Castany continues to be bored and to cough. She stopped her membership of the club to which her cousin had also belonged and now devotes her time to literary
conversazione
. Spiteful tongues say she's writing her memoirs and more than one soul is shaking in his shoes.

Segimon Messegué still teaches in the same school and is now married. His mother is gradually fading away but not in great pain. The three live together in the flat that now has several fewer partition walls and a bigger kitchen. Apparently they lead a peaceful, harmonious life as a thoroughly well matched couple. Despite the remorse that sporadically hits him, Messegué the teacher is a happy man.

Lluís Font is his party's secretary-general and for a second time will stand as its candidate for the Presidency of the Generalitat, although there's not the slightest chance he will become its Right Honourable President. His new partner is a famous, wealthy antiquarian he will most likely marry, and his golf swing has improved considerably. He no longer collects paintings and now devotes himself to philately.

Pau Ferrer made a miraculous recovery from his attack of apoplexy. However, he passed away a few weeks later, following a tremendous overconsumption of pastis celebrating his recovery. The value of his work has gone through the roof and the Town Hall named a street after him in Barcelona, in Poble Nou to be precise.

Lola and Borja still meet secretively, although Borja continues to be Merche's official lover and to live in her flat, which now has a new feng-shui friendly bathroom. Lola still psychoanalyses herself, does yoga and contributes to the wellbeing of the economy of La Rioja, but she's become more of an optimist and has decided not to give up hope. She's convinced one day she'll hook my brother.

As for the business of the paintings, Lluís Font wanted to forget all about the portrait Pau Ferrer had painted of his late wife. Borja took it to Holland (fortunately, after the painter had gone to pastures new), where he sold it incognito for a goodly sum that, as loyal brothers, we divided up equally.

My mother-in-law's painting, on the other hand, didn't go away. A committee of experts declared it was a genuine Mir and valued it at an astronomical figure. To spare himself
further headaches, Lluís Font decided to donate it to Montserrat, where it now hangs on the walls of the Museum next to other, genuine, Mirs. Before it was removed, a fine arts student made us a copy (for the modest sum of one thousand euros), which we've hung back in the corner of our passage to keep Joana happy. As for the other paintings my mother-in-law finally agreed to give to Borja, I haven't a clue what he's done with them.

BITTER LEMON PRESS

First published in the United Kingdom in 2008 by
Bitter Lemon Press, 37 Arundel Gardens, London W11 2LW

First published in Catalan as
Un crim imperfecte
by
Edicions 62, Barcelona, 2006

Bitter Lemon Press gratefully acknowledges
the financial assistance of the
Institut Ramon Llull and the Arts Council of England

© Teresa Solana 2006

English translation © Peter Bush 2008

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced in any form or by any means without written
permission of the publisher.

The moral rights of Teresa Solana and Peter Bush have been
asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs, and
Patents Act 1988

A CIP record for this book is available
from the British Library

eISBN : 978-1-904-73878-7

Typeset by Alma Books Ltd
Printed and bound by
Cox & Wyman Ltd. Reading, Berkshire