Villarrubia decided to step up his examination of La Solita. Except for movement he had observed on its fields, the ranch was still a mystery. It was closed to visitors. Neighbors who wanted to visit had to call the house in advance to arrange an appointment—and give the Germans time to activate their security mechanisms. The main house was hidden deep on the large property and surrounded by tall trees, which made movement in the house impossible to see. In fact, Villarrubia’s only glimpse of the main ranch house had been from the air, when he and Fuentes rented an airplane in March.

Frustrated at his lack of progress after months of investigation and acting on a whim, Villarrubia decided on a more radical course of action: enter La Solita. Perhaps, he reasoned, he could spot Paul Schaefer. An opportunity arose when Villarrubia suggested to one of Hugo Placente’s laborers that they take his new calf to La Solita to be vaccinated. The Germans had both the knowledge and the equipment to handle such matters, so the farm worker quickly agreed.

Villarrubia

Finally, the two men were allowed onto the grounds.

Villarrubia

Terrified, Villarrubia consulted with friends in Buenos Aires to figure out what had happened to his camera. The Germans, it turned out, as soon as Villarrubia rang the doorbell had activated an electro-magnetic field around La Solita to neutralize any recording activity.