Chapter 32 – The hearing

Diego arrived at the pueblo the next day in the carriage with Felipe. He needed his presence so nothing inappropriate could happen while visiting an empty house with Victoria, but he didn't tell the youngster the real reason. He was ashamed of himself because he was so out of control, like a teenager would, but he couldn't help it. All that time of sexual abstinence while Cristina recovered after giving birth and his hesitation to resume their love-life didn't help the situation with Victoria at all. Despite he was so much in love with Cristina, his longing for Victoria had the nasty habit of reappearing. In this particular occasion, too strongly.

"Good morning, Victoria," he saluted when he arrived at the tavern, trying to be casual and calmed.

"Good morning, Diego. Felipe. Thank you for coming. What happened to your face? Are you all right?" she said, alarmed when she saw Diego's nose, which was swollen and purple after the blow with the door the day before.

"Yes, I am all right, Victoria. The alcalde came into the office right after you left, and hit me with the door. It was an accident."

"Oh, yes. I passed him by on my way back to the tavern yesterday. Are you sure you are all right? That looks painful."

"Well, yes, it was really painful to start with, but I am all right now, don't worry," he said, smiling reassuringly.

"Should be go to see that house now? Or do you want to have a drink first?"

"We can go now, and maybe have a drink later. Where is the house? Is it far away from here?"

"No, it's at the end of the pueblo. We can walk."

Victoria came out from behind the counter. When she passed the kitchen, Pilar walked through the curtains.

"Are we going to see that house now, Victoria?"

"Thank you, Pilar, but I think it would be better if you continue your work here."

Pilar nodded when she saw Felipe standing behind Diego.

"Very well, I'll stay here. I will see it another day after you buy it. Diego, Felipe," she saluted, and came back into the kitchen.

Victoria tried her hardest to contain the blushing when Diego gave her an understanding look. It was too obvious, and a real shame, neither of them was keen to be alone with each other anymore.

ZZZ

The owner had been at the tavern earlier and had lent her the key so she could visit at a convenient time during the day, because he was busy at his hacienda, away from the pueblo. The property Victoria was interested in was the last one in the row of houses, at the end of the broad way in the middle of the pueblo. It was a small house, with a corral and a small portion of land at the back, fenced.

"And this will be my garden," Victoria said when she walked through the back door after showing Diego and Felipe the interior of the house. "What do you think?"

"It is a nice little house," Diego said. Felipe agreed, nodding. "Strong, and well built. And it's convenient if you are planning to keep managing the tavern."

"Yes, it will be perfect. I didn't like the idea to have little Alejandro at the tavern all the time if I moved back into my old room upstairs. He can stay here with the nanny for a while when I am at the tavern, and I can come to check on him easily."

"Who is the owner?"

"Don Manuel Martínez."

"All right. If this is really what you want, I'll talk to him later and we'll agree on the sale. Are you sure?"

"Yes, Diego, I am. Thank you."

"Very well. Let's go back to the tavern and we'll have that drink, shall we?" he said, tapping Felipe's back while guiding him back to the entrance.

ZZZ

The next day, Victoria was the first witness to be called to the stand. The auditor thought it would be better if the widow could testify first and then leave the improvised court, so she didn't need to listen to the details given by the other witnesses. He knew that it would be too upsetting for her. He liked her, and he hoped not to end the day finding out she was cheating on her husband, and involved somehow in the murder.

"I was at home, doing some house chores…" Victoria said, starting her account while fidgeting with her hands on her lap, hesitant. She had befriended an outgoing, friendly merchant at the market, and now that man looked like a different person: well-groomed and shaved, serious, and dressed in an elegant black suit. He looked too intimidating now. "…when I saw that man standing in the main room. I didn't hear him coming into the house, and it frightened me so much I dropped the dishes I was carrying. I didn't recognize him at first, not until he started to ask me about Zorro. Then I realized he was the Russian, one of the bounty hunters that had chased Zorro in Los Angeles. But, he was supposed to be dead, at the bottom of the ravine, and for a moment I thought he was a ghost." She stopped her account, annoyed by the rumours of laughter in the crowd.

"Please, continue," the auditor said while taking notes. Even if he had two official notary escribanos recording every word the witnesses said on paper, he still took his own notes while listening to their testimonies. Sometimes he would record their reactions and attitude, rather than their words, or his own impressions.

"He attacked me, and threatened to kill me and my baby if I didn't tell him the name of the man behind the mask. But the truth is, I couldn't tell him, because I never found out. Zorro always kept his identity secret, to protect me. Or that's what he said. I guess he was right."

"How long were you involved in a romantic relationship with Zorro?"

"Four years."

"And in those long four years, you never found out his identity?"

"No."

"That's hard to believe, señora."

"Maybe, but it is the truth. I don't know who Zorro is. That's why I could not tell the Russian. Or you, or anyone else. Anyway, even if I had known the name, I would not have told Vladimir. That man was crazy."

The auditor wrote some more notes. She says she doesn't know who Zorro is. Odd, but I believe her.

"What happened next?"

"There was a knock on the door, and I cried for help. The Russian pushed me, and I hit my head on the floor. I don't know how long I had been unconscious for, but when I woke up, my baby was crying, and Diego de la Vega was fighting with the Russian. Well, more than fighting back, he was struggling, beaten to a pulp by that horrible man."

She paused and looked at Diego, embarrassed to make him look weak, but Diego nodded to her with encouragement, as she was getting more and more agitated as her story progressed to the conclusion.

The auditor noted their brief glance exchange. Maybe they could be lovers after all. But, doesn't she like Zorro too?

"I grabbed the poker from the fireplace and I hit the Russian's head from behind as hard as I could. Then, Diego told me to get my baby and get out of there, which I did." Her voice was trembling now.

"Did you think it was unusual for Don Diego de la Vega to have travelled all the way to Monterey unannounced? You were not expecting him, were you?"

"No, I wasn't expecting him. And I didn't have much time to think if it was odd or not that he was there. I was only grateful that he was fighting with that man."

"Now, in retrospect, why do you think he was there?"

"I don't know. I guess he had finally accepted my invitation to visit us, maybe? He didn't tell me, and I didn't ask him. We don't talk about what happened. It's too painful."

"Sorry, señora, but I have to ask you this: did you see your husband get killed?"

Victoria could not keep herself together any longer and she started crying, shaking her head.

"No, I didn't," she said while sobbing. "I ran to the street carrying my baby, and I saw Juan coming home. I asked him to help Diego, but he didn't understand what I was talking about. In the end, he reached for his sword and ran to the house, while I continued my way to hide in the church. That was the last time I saw my husband alive."

She stopped talking, crying inconsolably. The auditor addressed her gently.

"Thank you very much for your statement, señora Ortiz. You can leave the stand now, and this room, if you wish."

Victoria nodded, stood up and walked up to the stairs, to get to her old room. Diego, who was sitting at the end of the first row, close to the stairs, stood up and tried to reach her, but the auditor called him to the stand.

"Don't go anywhere, señor De la Vega. You are next."

ZZZ

Diego, like all the other witnesses at the stand, swore on the Bible to say only the truth. He was calmed, and looked at his father reassuringly, nodding. As it was a preliminary hearing and no formal charges had been issued against any of the witnesses yet, there were no lawyers involved to protect their client's interests. Don Alejandro was not happy about this, but there was nothing he could do. Besides, his son had done nothing wrong, and with his general knowledge of the Spanish Law, he could defend himself pretty well even in a formal Court.

The auditor started Diego's questioning with a bang.

"Don Diego de la Vega, do you at this moment in time, or did you at some point in the past, have an affair with señora Ortiz?" he asked, out of the blue.

The public rumoured about it, as they had always suspected Diego had been in love with Victoria. Diego, surprised by that opening question, shifted in his chair, uncomfortable. Only a little, but it was just enough for the well-trained auditor to perceive.

"Why do you ask me that?"

"Please, answer the question."

"No, I don't have an affair with Victoria, nor did I before. She is a friend of the family." He looked briefly in her direction.

He likes her. A lot, the auditor thought, scribbling in his papers. Then Ernesto looked at Cristina, who had blushed bright red, up to her ears, and looked quite cross. And his wife knows about it. How interesting.

ZZZ

Victoria had left the room in tears, but she wanted to listen to Diego's testimony, so she had left the door at her room ajar. After hearing that question and blushing at least as red as Cristina, if not more, she was glad she was out of sight from everybody.

ZZZ

"What happened to your nose?" the auditor asked next.

"I had an accident with a door," Diego said, trying to be casual.

"Are you sure? To me, that looks more like the sequel of a nasty punch," Ernesto said, scrutinizing Diego's face.

"No. As I said, it was an accident. Alcalde De Soto came into the newspaper office rather fast yesterday. Apparently, he still doesn't know he should knock first. That man has no manners." There was some laughter among the public.

"Is that true?" the auditor asked the alcalde, who also sat at the first row in the witnesses' bench.

"Yes, I hit him. It was an accident. I honestly don't know what was he doing standing behind the door," De Soto said, sniggering nervously.

Why is it I don't totally believe that explanation? There is something going on between these two, wrote the auditor in his notes.

"Don Diego de la Vega, can you tell me what made you abandon your heavily pregnant wife, who was about to give birth to your first child, to travel to Monterey with such urgency and short notice?" His wife could not look any angrier, noted the auditor.

"Yes. It was a conversation I had with Sergeant Mendoza at the tavern. He said he had heard Vladimir telling alcalde De Soto he was going to travel to Monterey. I had the bad feeling the Russian could try to reach my friend Victoria Ortiz to question her about Zorro's identity."

"Do you believe she knows who Zorro is?"

"No. I don't think she knew his identity then, nor now."

"Were you concerned Vladimir Volkov could discover Zorro's secret identity?"

"No. Not at all. My only concern was that he could harm my friends, as he did. That's why I travelled to Monterey, to warn Juan of the danger so he could take the appropriate measures."

"Why didn't you send a letter?"

"Because I was afraid it would reach them too late. The Russian had left Los Angeles three days before my conversation with Sergeant Mendoza. I thought the only way to reach Monterey before he did was to ride all the way there myself, non-stop."

"Why didn't you tell alcalde De Soto your concerns, and he could have sent a trained soldier instead?"

"I don't know. I thought he would not believe me. He has a tendency to do that. To be honest, going myself was a bad idea. When I reached Monterey, I was so stiff and sore I could hardly feel my rear end."

Everybody chuckled, trying to picture clumsy Diego riding hard for such a long time.

"Do you think alcalde De Soto himself had sent Vladimir Volkov to Monterey to find out Zorro's identity by any means?"

Diego looked at De Soto, who was agitated and worried. He had said he didn't know what the Russian was going to do, and despite all his differences, Diego believed him.

"No. I don't think so. He knew the Russian was going to Monterey, but thick as he is, he probably didn't even make the connection of that place and Victoria Ortiz." People in the public laughed again at the punch line. "I think he was just glad Vladimir was leaving. I certainly was when I saw him departing Los Angeles."

"Can you tell me exactly what happened since the moment you knocked at the door?"

"Yes. I called Victoria and Juan's names, and then I heard a woman crying for help. I heard a thud, and the cry was suddenly interrupted. I tried to open the door, but it was closed, so I charged against the door with my shoulder and I knocked it down."

Corporal Sepúlveda, sitting with Mendoza in the middle of the public, laughed at this notion of Diego de la Vega knocking down a closed door with his shoulder, on his own. Mendoza elbowed him on the ribs.

"What?" the Corporal whispered, annoyed by the blow.

"Continue," the auditor said after throwing Sepúlveda a disapproving look.

"I fell to the ground, on top of the door. Then the Russian attacked me."

"What did he do?"

"He kicked me and punched me viciously, and the only thing I could do was trying to protect myself, especially my head."

"Is it true that he had fractured your skull previously, hitting it with a musket butt?" Ernesto had heard that story at the tavern.

"Yes."

"Why did he do that?" The auditor kept writing on his paper.

"I told him to go to hell when he was flogging Felipe. He didn't like it."

"Why was he flogging Felipe?" The story was getting more and more interesting.

"Vladimir and the Alcalde came up with this outrageous way to find out who Zorro is: a lottery. And the winner, Felipe, was going to get ten lashes unless someone revealed Zorro's identity."

The auditor looked at De Soto.

"Was that your idea?"

"Yes. No. He did. Well, both. Yes. But, when nobody came forward, I stopped him and Felipe only got five lashes instead of ten." A roar of indignation rose among the public the same as it had happened at the plaza. De Soto turned to look at the public. "I don't need to justify my actions to you!"

The auditor shook his head, and kept writing notes. Then he looked at Diego again.

"What happened next? How did you manage to stop him?"

"I didn't. I couldn't. Victoria did. She hit his head with a poker. He fell to the ground, but he wasn't unconscious. I told Victoria to get out, while I was trying to stand up to flee myself from that house and look for help. In the end, he got his pistol out, and aimed at me. I thought he was going to kill me, but I managed to jump out of the way when he fired. Unfortunately, Juan Ortiz came into the house at that very moment, and the bullet hit him instead of me."

The public started rumouring again.

"Do you mean the Lieutenant's death was accidental?"

"Yes. It was."

"Who killed the Russian, who was found impaled at the wall with Juan's sword, still alive?"

"I did. Without much thinking, I grabbed Juan's sword and ran toward the Russian, who was getting his other loaded pistol ready. I stabbed him with the sword, piercing him from side to side. It was self-defence, and I still don't know how I managed to do that. I guess it was the fear I felt what helped me."

"How did Juan Ortiz die? Did he die immediately?"

"No, he died in my arms. I tried to stop the haemorrhage, but it was impossible. The bullet hit his chest, right in the middle."

"Did he say anything before he died?"

"Yes. He asked me to take care of his wife and son, which I did."

How convenient, the auditor thought. Diego's explanation looked genuine, but Ernesto was still bothered about the suspicions that Diego and Victoria loved each other.

"Thank you for your testimony, Don Diego. You are free to go, for now."

ZZZ

The next person to be called to the stand was the alcalde.

"Do you know why Vladimir Volkov travelled to Monterey?" the auditor said.

"No, I didn't know what purpose he had travelling to Monterey. He didn't tell me he had the intention to attack señora Ortiz, or I would not have allowed it," the alcalde said.

"Are you sure you didn't know?"

"Yes."

"Did you send him there to harm Victoria and Juan Ortiz to discover Zorro's identity?"

"Absolutely not," De Soto said, dead serious.

"Why did you request the services of that group of bounty hunters?"

"I didn't request their services, señoría. They offered them themselves. They promised they would capture all the outlaws in the area to get the rewards on their heads. At the time it looked like a good idea, because they looked serious and competent, and they would help me to get rid of Zorro."

"Do you mean it wasn't such a good idea?"

"No, it wasn't. They became demanding, and their methods were… inhumane, to say the least."

"Inhumane… What do you mean?"

"For example, they shot some bandits on their back. They never caught anybody alive. They were heartless killers."

"What else?

"The leader, Karl Jäger, was too aggressive. He attacked several citizens in the pueblo trying to find Zorro. He even shot the doctor in his foot, and broke his fingers."

"Is that true, doctor Hernández?"

"Yes, he did," the doctor said from the third row in the public.

Ask him about it later, Ernesto scribbled. This whole story about the bounty hunters was too entertaining. He focused on the alcalde again.

"Were you afraid of the bounty hunters, Alcalde?" De Soto shifted in his chair, uncomfortable.

"I wouldn't put it that way… I was afraid for the safety of the soldiers and the general population if they had to be confronted, yes."

Scared shitless, the auditor wrote.

"What happened to the leader?"

"He died," De Soto said, evasive. He didn't want to talk about the duel. But the auditor was like a dog with a bone.

"How?"

"Ah… he died," De Soto repeated, blank to say anything else.

"Alcalde De Soto, I know he died because you said that already. But, how did he die? Was he killed? In that case, who killed him? Answer the questions."

"He died… in a duel."

"A duel? Duelling is illegal. Why did you allow a duel in your pueblo?" the auditor said quite aggressively, pretending to be upset. He had taken part in two, himself, and he respected anybody who would defend his honour that way.

De Soto shifted in his chair again, and pulled at his collar. Ernesto was delighted to see the alcalde in trouble.

"I didn't. I didn't know until it was finished."

Liar, the auditor thought.

"Who killed the German?"

De Soto wriggled again, and looked to someone in the public. Ernesto followed his gaze to find Diego, who looked very serious. I see.

"Don Diego de la Vega," the alcalde said, finally, giving up.

"Did he?" the auditor said, rising an eyebrow as if he was surprised. Then he addressed Diego. "Don Diego de la Vega, did you kill Karl Jäger in a duel?"

"Yes, I did."

"Why didn't you say so when you were at the stand?"

"You didn't ask. Neither had I told you I killed a cockroach yesterday."

The people in the public laughed again.

"Don't try to be clever with me, señor de la Vega," the auditor menaced, serious, pointing his finger at Diego.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to be rude," Diego apologized. Antagonizing the auditor to amuse the audience had been a bad move.

"What happened exactly? How did you kill him? And remember, you are still under Oath."

"I didn't want to fight him. He tried to drag me into a fight several times, provoking me until he slapped me with his glove in front of everybody at the plaza, the day after my wedding. In the end, we arranged a duel with pistols, and I killed him. I was lucky, I guess, but I nearly died too. He shot me through the liver."

The auditor glanced at the doctor, who nodded in agreement at Diego's words. Who would have thought? The quiet man has killed vicious killers not once, but twice. At least.

"Alcalde De Soto, why did you allow the duel to take part?" he asked again. "Why didn't you stop it?"

"I didn't know it was happening," De Soto said again, agitated.

"You are lying. Of course you knew. Probably you were hoping Don Diego could kill that man to get rid of him for you. Is that the truth? Are you ashamed of the truth?"

De Soto blushed red.

"In a way, yes. Maybe. But I didn't think it could happen. Come on, what were the odds of Diego de la Vega killing a killer?" he sniggered. "Of course I heard some rumours about a possible duel, but I didn't know about it officially. I understand duelling is illegal, especially on the military, but there has to be some leeway in cases when civilians have been offended and it is the last resort to defend their honour, like in this instance. So, I turned a blind eye on it, yes. Probably I shouldn't. However, Don Diego was arrested after the duel and stayed for a few days in jail."

"Alcalde, how can you be so miserable as to have that man risking his live to do your job, and then have the nerve to arrest him after he was injured? I don't like your methods, not at all. From implementing outrageous taxes, employing killers to do your job, harassing the people you are supposed to protect and serve… I am a representative of the Spanish Royal Navy, and I don't have the jurisdiction to prosecute you myself, but I am going to recommend a thorough investigation to the Governor." De Soto swallowed hard. "Concerning this case, you seem so incompetent I don't think you could control your subordinates at all, so probably you didn't know about Vladimir's intentions. However, did you know why Diego de la Vega travelled to Monterey?"

"No, he didn't tell me his suspicions then. I didn't know he was gone or anything until the news of the lieutenant's death reached Los Angeles."

"Thank you for your testimony. You can leave the stand for now. We'll have a recess for lunch. One hour."

ZZZ

After lunch, Don Alejandro was the first one to be called at the stand.

"Don Alejandro de la Vega, do you know why Vladimir fractured your son's skull?"

"I don't know why that Russian attacked my son at the plaza. The same I don't know why the German, his boss, tried to kill him too. They hated him for some reason."

"And what do you think that reason may be?"

"As I said, I don't know. Maybe it was jealousy of an intelligent but quiet upper class caballero, who looked like an easy target for abuse. We all know my son is the kind of person who would rather resolve any conflict peacefully. A concept these killers didn't understand."

"Was your son in love with señora Ortiz?"

Don Alejandro hesitated. He didn't like it, but after swearing on the Bible he had to tell the truth, even in front of everybody.

"Yes, he was."

As he expected, everybody started rumouring loudly. He looked at Diego, apologetically.

"How do you know?"

"Because he told me, after Victoria married Juan Ortiz."

"Did she know about it?"

"No, I don't think so. My son never told her, because she was so much in love with Zorro he was afraid he could not compete with him for her love."

Don Alejandro wished for the questioning to be over. He couldn't even look at Diego at that point, such was his shame.

"Why did she marry the lieutenant then, if she loved another man?"

"I don't know. For what she told me, she wanted to start a family. She had been waiting for him for too long, but Zorro is not the marrying kind, so she gave up on him. When Juan proposed, she accepted. They got married in a rush, and they left for Monterey the same day. Victoria is like a daughter to me. I advised her to marry Juan, rather than waiting for Zorro. At least, they had been childhood sweethearts, and she still liked him."

"Why didn't you advise her to marry your son instead?"

Yes, why I didn't, indeed, and we would not be here right now, Don Alejandro thought.

"I would have, but I didn't know he loved her then. I only found out later."

At that moment, Cristina could not take it any longer. She stood up, and headed for the tavern entrance.

"Señora de la Vega, where are you going?" the auditor asked.

"Excuse me. I need some fresh air," she said, ignoring him, and continue walking to reach the street. Outside, she started crying consumed by her overwhelming jealousy, glad Victoria was still out of sight or she would get into a cat fight with her, pulling all that raven black hair off her beautiful head.

The auditor felt sorry for Cristina, but he ignored her and continued grilling Don Alejandro.

"Why did your son travelled to Monterey in a rush?"

"He already explained that, didn't he?" Don Alejandro grunted.

"Yes, he did, but I want to know your opinion."

"I don't know. He didn't tell me at the time. I wasn't at home when he left. I didn't talk to him about it, or I would have suggested the soldiers, as you did. When I came back home, he was gone. Cristina told me he went to warn Juan about the Russian, just in case he would show up to ask Victoria about Zorro."

"Did you think it was unusual for your son to do that? Something out of character for him?" the auditor asked, still writing.

"Out of character? In a way, yes. But I understood his concerns. And he was right. He usually is, with his premonitions."

"Thank you for your testimony, Don Alejandro. You can leave the stand now."

Don Alejandro step down and walked back to his seat, beside his son. He was so ashamed he didn't look at him in the eye. Diego patted his knee, reassuringly.

"It is all right, Father. You did well," he whispered.

ZZZ

Don Francisco and several other people were called after Don Alejandro to testify. Then it was Doctor Hernandez's turn.

"Doctor Hernández, why did Karl Jäger shot you?"

"Because he was crazy," the doctor said, careful to protect Zorro.

"There must be another reason. Was he looking for Zorro?"

The doctor hesitated, but decided to tell the truth. After all, he was under Oath.

"Yes. He tortured me to get his name. He started breaking my fingers one by one. When I couldn't tell him Zorro's identity, because I didn't know, he shot my foot. Then, as the last resort, he stumped on the wound and pressed mercilessly, torturing me until he was satisfied I didn't know."

"What about now? Do you know who Zorro is now?" He unconsciously remarked that "I didn't know", the auditor noticed.

"Are you going to break my fingers and shot me for a confession too?" the doctor said, derisive.

Ah! I knew it, Ernesto thought.

"No, I am not, because you are under Oath and you are going to tell me yourself willingly. Do you know who Zorro is?"

"I have my suspicions about several men in the pueblo, yes. But even if I knew who he is, I wouldn't tell you, because that would breach the patient's confidentiality."

He knows, Ernesto scribbled. Definitely. He doesn't know how to lie.

"You are not a priest, and you didn't hear it on confession. Sure you can tell me."

"No, I can't. Sorry," the doctor said, stubborn, upset and flustered because he had got himself in that situation, and he didn't know how to get out of it without involving Diego.

"Lancers, take this man into custody indefinitely until he cooperates," the auditor said.

The public complained, booing, but the doctor was removed from the tavern and taken to jail, nonetheless.

ZZZ

In the late afternoon, it was Sergeant Mendoza's turn at the stand.

"Did you hear a conversation between Vladimir Volkov and alcalde De Soto the day the former left Los Angeles?" the auditor said.

"Yes, I did."

"What did Vladimir say?"

"He told the alcalde he was going to Monterey, but he didn't say what for."

"Are you sure? Did he mention Juan or Victoria Ortiz?"

"No, he didn't. Or at least, I didn't hear that, señoría."

Shut up, Mendoza. Just say "no", the alcalde thought.

"What did you think about Vladimir?"

"That man was crazy. Loco," Mendoza said, twisting his index finger at the side of his forehead. "He was obsessed with finding Zorro's identity, and he insisted Don Diego is Zorro, which is absurd."

People in the audience started rumouring loudly again.

Oh, Sergeant, don't go there. Why did you have to mention that? The alcalde didn't, Diego thought, closing his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply to keep calm. He opened them again and looked at the soldier. Whatever was going to happen, he could not blame him. His friend was a simple soul, who sometimes should just keep his big mouth shut.

"Did he?" the auditor said, with his hand stroking his chin. That was a notion he was starting to consider himself. He could not stop wondering how Diego de la Vega, a man so notoriously known for his lack of fighting skills, more inclined to quiet activities rather than action, someone who everybody insisted would not be able to kill a fly, had managed to kill two of the most dangerous men that had ever set foot in California. It would all fit nicely if Diego de la Vega was Zorro. He could have killed his lover's husband, then kill the only man who suspected his secret identity, and managed to blame the murder on him. He could have committed the perfect crime. However, he didn't look like a killer, or a criminal. Something didn't add up.

"Sergeant Mendoza, do you think Don Diego de la Vega is Zorro?" the auditor asked. Mendoza laughed at the notion.

"No, señor, I don't think so."

"Why not?" Ernesto pressed.

"Well, for example, Don Diego hasn't got a scar in his arm. The Russian said he had wounded Zorro with his sword, and he and the alcalde checked all men in Los Angeles. Don Diego didn't have that scar. Besides, Don Diego is nice, and gentle, unskilled with the sword, and…. clumsy." People laughed at his words. Somehow, he was describing himself. "No way can he be Zorro."

"Thank you very much, Sergeant. We'll have a short recess now," the auditor said. He stood up and approached the escribanos while people headed for the counter to get a drink. They whispered a few words that Diego could not hear, but it didn't matter. He knew what would come next.

ZZZ

"Although a formal indictment is still pending, I consider there are enough evidences to bring charges against Diego de la Vega, suspected of criminal activities carried out disguised as the outlaw named El Zorro," the auditor said after the short recess.

"This is preposterous!" Don Alejandro cried, jumping up from his seat. A loud rumour spread at the tavern, with everybody talking at the same time.

"Quiet!" the auditor shouted. He looked at the old don with cold eyes which issued a warning for the interruption. Sheepishly, the old don asked politely then.

"Señoría, may I speak up, please?"

"Briefly," conceded the auditor.

"My son cannot possibly be Zorro —I would have known. He would not have been able to hide that from me," Don Alejandro said, agitated. "But I don't understand the turn this enquiry is taking. This was an investigation about the tragic death of Lieutenant Juan Ortiz. I don't understand how it has drifted to wild, unfunded accusations about my son being Zorro."

"I don't know how it has happened myself, but due to the testimonies and the evidences, it is a possibility I need to address."

"Excuse me, señoría. May I speak?" Diego interrupted. The auditor nodded.

"Yes?"

"I thought this is a preliminary hearing, and not a trial. Isn't it?"

"Yes." There he is, the scholar talking, Ernesto thought, annoyed.

"So, you are not officially pressing charges against me yet, or otherwise I would need a lawyer. Is that correct?"

"Yes. But I will press charges if it is appropriate when we finish here, and you'll have to travel back with me to Monterey to stand trial. From now on, and until the end of this hearing, you are under custody," Ernesto said, nodding at the two menacing, well-armed alguaciles —who up to that moment had been watching the proceeding from the bottom of the tavern, inconspicuously leaning against the wall. They moved closer to Diego, and stood behind him. De Soto smiled, amused by this humiliating treatment.

"Thank you. That's what I needed to know," Diego said, sitting down again while Don Alejandro stood there, out of words.

"But… but…"

ZZZZZ