Plot
A man named Javier Alonso-Cruz and his sister Angie dispute the future of their family bodega, as his wife Alandra watches his son Maximo (Maxi). Javier expresses his desire for a different future for his son compared to their current lives; Angie works at a salon, and it is later revealed Javier works at a gas station while Alandra runs the bodega.
While Alandra tends to Maxi in their apartment above the bodega, a Chupacabra strikes. Alandra and Maxi are presumably unharmed. She calls Neves, her cousin, and the group come to visit. On the way to the bodega, Skylar and Rocky argue, and are rebuked by Imani and Neves. Millie gets startled by a shadow, and Skylar sees a logo that looks vaguely familiar to her.
Alandra serves them lunch, getting a Halal meal for Rocky. She explains her relationship to Neves, whose first name is Izabel. Neves and Alandra are maternal cousins of Brazilian origin. Alandra says she is from Rio Grande do Sul; Neves’s father came from Bahia, and she grew up in São Paulo.
They discuss the Chupacabra, and Alandra explains it is a legendary creature in Puerto Rico, translating to “goat sucker.” Javier’s family lived on the outskirts of Caguas in Puerto Rico, and their farm was impacted by the Chupacabra attacks of the 1990s. Javier enters then, and after a brief exchange, the couple leave the group to work.
Neves notes that Angie has always been unsympathetic to Alandra, before they find a slip of leathery fabric. The Chupacabra strikes; while Rocky attempts to contain the Chupacabra, it knocks over a lamp. Rocky is injured in the event, and after the Chupacabra leaves, Neves and Rocky get into a fight.
Imani rebukes both of them, and splits up the group to work on two separate tasks away from each other.
Alandra explains that there is a new company moving into the neighborhood, and that the wave of new, better paid workers will price them out.
Skylar and Neves go by the grocery store, and encounter a banana mascot. The new store is called Organixx. Everything is organic and ethically sourced. Neves and the mascot get into a dispute regarding the pricing of the products.
Millie tries to lighten Rocky’s mood. Rocky apologizes and expresses that she thinks Millie is a good friend. She explains that she doesn’t think any of them, except perhaps Imani, appreciate it.
They overhear an altercation between Javier, Alandra and Angie. Angie insists their father will never forgive Javier for giving up the store. Javier responds by saying their father understood the importance of sacrifices to give the younger generation a shot at a better future. He goes on to say he would suggest she marry someone to make her happy but he can see why nobody would want her.
Alandra is appalled by this, and they overhear escalation within the store before Javier throws Angie out.
The group reunites to discuss. Imani reveals the Chupacabra’s skin is made from leather fabric matching a jacket. She mentions the popularity of deadstock from major companies. Neves reveals Angie has a similar leather jacket, and wanted to be a fashion student. She says Javier and Alandra could not pay for her schooling, but they wanted to pay for Maxi’s.
The Chupacabra returns. Rocky fights it first, and Neves shoots it with a paintball gun. It is discovered that the Chupacabra is a man named Ignacio Quattrocchi. Ignacio is a model who was mistaken to be Italian, although he is from Argentina. After being exposed, he was abandoned by the modelling industry.
However, Skylar explains that there is a bigger picture. Neves tells the Alonso-Cruz family that there was an attempt to push them out of the neighborhood. This is because bodegas like theirs offered cheaper food options. As a new company prepared to move in, hopes were high that there would be a market justifying bigger, and also more expensive chain grocery stores.
Ignacio’s primary motivations were to support himself, support his family in Argentina, and attempting to renegotiate custody of his children. While disgraced, as a modelling insider, he was chosen through a discreet recruiting process. Seeing potential in him to help the family eventually, Skylar suggests they help rehabilitate his career.
Alandra and Javier are agreeable to this, and Javier’s reunion with Angie is hopeful. Everyone goes their separate ways afterwards. Rocky and Neves hang out together afterwards. They talk about the lamp, and Neves’s family. Neves also apologizes to Rocky.
She also asks Rocky about if she ever wishes ‘things were like the way they were before.’ Rocky tells her she thinks they needed to go through those things.
Characters
Rukshana ‘Rocky’ Abdelaal
Imani T. Jackson
Izabel Apôlonia Neves Azevedo
Skylar Tong
Mildred ‘Millie’ Bianchi
Javier Alonso-Cruz
Javier Alonso-Cruz is the official owner of the bodega. Javier was born in a small town on the outskirts of Caguas in Puerto Rico. Javier took on the role of family patriarch after his father’s death. He is well meaning, but at times his sister thinks him domineering. They especially clash on their views of the store.
Alandra Cristiana Costa Silva
Alandra Cristiana Costa Silva is Neves’s cousin, leading them to this mystery. Called Ala by Neves, she is a caring woman. She instructs her husband, even with their tight budget, to get takeout Rocky can eat. Alandra grew up in Rio Grande do Sul, and moved to the U.S. before Neves. Prior to marrying her husband, she worked as a translator. She is the one who runs the bodega’s daily operations while caring for her son with the support of Javier’s abuela.
Angela ‘Angie’ Alonso-Cruz
Angela ‘Angie’ Alonso-Cruz is Javier’s younger sister by three years. She is an ambitious young woman, although she was not able to accomplish her academic dreams. This is a sore point between her and her brother, although they do love each other. Angie works at a salon near the bodega. She is a bit distant from Alandra, as she sees Alandra and Javier’s family with her as the reason her opportunities were limited.
Maximo ‘Maxi/Max’ Alonso-Silva
Maximo ‘Maxi/Max’ Alonso-Silva is the son of Javier and Alandra. Usually called Max by his father and Maxi by his mother, he is a cheerful baby.
Ignacio Quattrocchi
Ignacio Quattrocchi is an Argentinian-born model of mestizo (hispano-guaraní) Paraguayan and Italian descent. All of his paternal grandparents originated in Italy, coming to Argentina in the early 20th century. Ignacio moved to the US, originally for school; he ended up dropping out in his first semester after being recruited by a local scout.
He became a professional model and married his long-time penpal, the daughter of a family friend in Paraguay. They have twin sons, and divorced as Ignacio found out he was gay. He describes himself as having known he was at least ‘bit queer’ since his youth, but did not realize he was completely gay until following his marriage.
He does speak fluent Italian, although contrary to speculation, he had already done so in his personal life.
Notes about this story:
While writing this installment, I started shaping the direction I wanted this series to go in. I want to focus on mysteries that put issues of food and environment into a somewhat realistic context. Of course this is fiction, but at the heart of these mysteries are issues that do occur in the real world. I find fiction to be an opportunity to share different perspectives and experiences the reader may or may not experience otherwise.
I also wanted to use these Behind the Sleuths segments to discuss the concepts behind each story.
Food Deserts
In this story, the bodega is based in the Bronx. The Bronx has the highest rate of food insecurity in New York City; in 2021, data was collected to gauge how many households had enough of the food they wanted to eat. At 73.9%, Manhattan was the least food insecure Borough. However, there are large wealth gaps there to be considered beyond the numbers. Queens (69.3%), Brooklyn (69.1%), and Staten Island (69.9%) all hovered around the same level. That would mean that Manhattan was roughly 4 – 4.8% separate from these Boroughs. Then, there is the considerable gap between the Bronx and Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. The Bronx was at 62.1%, which meant on average, the Bronx was the most food insecure at 7% less than Brooklyn.
Food deserts are considered communities where at least a third of the population is more than half a mile away from the closest supermarket. This makes it extra difficult for many families and individuals to access the foods they need to be satisfied that they have had enough of the food they want to eat.
Healthier foods are also statistically more expensive than unhealthy foods. From 1989 to 2005 in the US, the cost of healthier food increased by almost 75 percent, while the price of unhealthy foods dropped by over 26 percent during this timeframe. These issues are connected, as it is common knowledge healthier foods are more expensive; therefore lower income neighborhoods are not seen as valuable markets for larger supermarkets.
In the story, the supermarket is not for the local community. The supermarket is there for the highly anticipated wave of new white collar workers.
In the story, Neves makes the point that she is a scientist; she understands very well the importance of nutrients and healthy food. She also understands that consuming healthy food is not easy. The inaccessibility of healthy food is an issue that extends far beyond individual households. In the encounter with the mascot, the situation does escalate. This is indicative of the frustrations that Neves feels on behalf of the community that she understands is trying to make ends meet.
This is just not feasible for them. Over the years, there have been a lot of campaigns urging people to eat healthy food. This has its merits, but there is a co-existing piece of reality, that many people cannot afford to.
As mentioned previously, it is supported by data that many households are not eating a sufficient amount of the food they want to be eating.
On Neves, and Bahia:
Neves is Afro-Brazilian, and her father is from Bahia. Bahia’s population, including Neves’s family, largely consists of people from mixed African and European origins. In December 2023, it was reported that Brazil’s 2022 Census found Bahia had the highest proportion of Black Brazilian population. Bahia, especially Salvador, is a famous hub for Afro-Brazilian culture.
Her father is particularly from the Rencôncavo Baiano, a region within the state of Bahia. While her family is very familiar with Salvador, and have been there often, her father grew up in São Felix. Her paternal grandmother runs a well loved acarajé stand, and her uncle is a capoeira instructor.
Future stories will explore more of the details of Neves’s background, as well as the backgrounds of the other main characters.
On Ignacio’s background:
Ignacio really does consider himself Italian, at least in part. Like many Italian Americans claim the Italian heritage and culture, so does he. All his paternal grandparents were born in Italy and came to Argentina to build new lives and families. He grew up surrounded by the Italian culture, eating Italian food and speaking Italian.
For him, it all makes very much sense.
However, when in an American context, it’s kind of very simplified like, point A, and point B. Point A is where he has been most recently, which is New York. Point B is a singular point of where, and that point is not what people expect it to be.
So when people find out he’s from Argentina, they’re like oh, so you’re not Italian, you’re Argentinian. Unfortunately, this is a very big deal for a bunch of people. Many people in ‘western countries’ like the US, Canada, Australia, and of course European countries, hold Europe in a higher regard. The concept of a ‘Global South’ is highly disputed for a very wide variety of reasons. Yet, people still use it and it does impact how people are treated. It also important to note that the fashion industry spotlights the so-called ‘Global North.’ The major “Big Four” fashion weeks are also in the US and Europe exclusively.
So he’s coming from a sincere place, but it doesn’t matter for many people.
Ignacio’s ex-wife, as mentioned in the story, had tried to warn him about this. She had been in the US for some time. Regardless of fairness, she knew he would not be well understood if things went the way she predicted, and the way things did indeed go.
There are actually a bunch of prominent South American models, though. It’s more a difference in perspective combined with a lack of understanding that had impacted this situation. People believing he just lied for his career is the biggest issue here.
For this reason, Skylar is convinced he can make a comeback and make it up to the Alonso-Cruz family eventually. They just need to explain it well and ‘play their cards right’; she does have someone that knows how to do that very well, as mentioned in the story.
Not mentioned in the story, there are a bunch of people on the other side who already understand where he’s coming from. Either they’re also from Argentina, or from an otherwise Latin background and/or well informed of the lengthy history of Italian-Argentinians. Most of the people in Ignacio’s retained following come from these groups.
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K.L. Quan 