The ride to Tijuca was quick, but long enough for Welber to convey what little he knew. The old lady had been killed by hanging, but a preliminary investigation hinted at something more. It had happened at lunchtime. The doorman saw her come back from the market around eleven in the morning. A little before three, he rang the bell - he'd promised to fix the flusher on the toilet. He waited a few minutes and rang again. Since no one answered, he used the key to the service door Dona Maura had left with him. The body was seated and tied to one of the dining room chairs; one of her arms dangled free. She was gagged with a scarf. The cause of death was determined as strangulation, by means of the nylon rope removed from the clothesline.