Who better qualified for such a task than a former inmate who lived in the same area of the love triangle, Pindobaçu, around 240 miles from Salvador, capital of the northeastern state of Bahia, a region internationally renowned for its beaches, colorful architecture and strong cultural syncretism.
But the contracted Carlos Roberto de Jesus not only was fond of the to-be victim Lupita, and occasional lover, he actually needed money to begin a more stable relation.
So far from confessing to Maria such a passion, he accepted the job and later invited ‘Lupita’ to conspire and share the reward.
The plan was simple: make-up the killing and the scene of the crime. Jesus had Lupita on the floor with bandaged eyes and hands tied behind her back and then smeared her with abundant ketchup.
The contracted ‘murdered’ then took cellular phone pictures of the victim covered in ‘tomato blood’ and went off for the much deserved reward for having finished with the love triangle, 1,000 reais (US$ 575).
However the would be killer committed a major mistake: he proudly showed himself in town walking next to ‘victim’ Lupita, now on a more stable relation.
The scammed contractor was furious and immediately went to the police station to file a claim and the disappearance of the 1,000 reais.
However she also forgot that the newly stable couple, and partners in crime, still had the pictures of the ‘contracted job’ in their cellular phone.
End of story: the three might end up in jail, Maria for planning a crime and the Carlos Roberto/Lupita couple for extortion.