I had to go to the Guardia Civil today to report the spate of suspected cat poisonings in Montejaque.
The denuncia took nearly an hour, as Sargento Garcíá typed my statement with two fingers on his computer keyboard.

In went my name, passport number, parents’ names, DOB, place of birth, domicile, etc along with the details of our late kitten, Cleo.

Then I was asked to describe the circumstance’s of Cleo’s death and to provide any evidence or information about suspects, while Sgt García “translated” it into cop-speak (remarkably like English cop-speak, except in Spanish) on his computer .

¿Algo más? he kept asking.  We finally filled a full side of closely typed A4.  A quick read-through, a couple of corrections, my confirmation that the statement was correct and four copies were printed, stamped, signed by him and then by me.

As I returned home clutching my copy, I spotted the suspect poisoner scurrying away from the village with a suitcase.  Had someone tipped her off that the police were about to come knocking?  I wonder?

This is a follow-up to yesterday's blog-piece "Montejaque Murders".

©  Paul Whitelock