atmosphere like over there? It’s full of politicians and beautiful people. So it smells good. More or less. What about Engineer Canizales? Prim and proper. All right, thanks for letting me know.
Truly, that lawyer had the heart of a playboy.
How long has the dancer been at that course? A week. Well, lucky for him he has the alibi of his life. You know what I think, only the narcos could use silver bullets, if they put diamonds in their teeth and wear all that outlandish bling, why wouldn’t they use silver bullets? Keep on like that and soon the Russians really will come for you. Is that good or bad? The detective looked at her, he liked her, so he decided not to leave her with the old joke. While he finished his shrimp and drank the spicy broth he explained a few things about being a detective.
She listened attentively. Why wasn’t he married? What should she make of the rumors she heard sometimes at headquarters?
Mariana Kelly lived on Valadés Parkway in a modern apartment building. This time Mendieta did not want to get out of the car. Five minutes later, Toledo returned with the news that she was not at home. According to the doorman, a man of fifty or so, she usually spent weekends in Altata with her dog and with Señora Valdés and her son.
What shall we do? Get the telephone number.
At headquarters they found a copy of News from the Empire by Fernando del Paso with a note from Guillermo Ortega: “Jack the Ripper.” He had heard a lot about the book, so he decidedto take it home. Zelda found the number in the directory and called. The caretaker answered, they were not there, nor were they coming. Mendieta knew that he should not hold her up, that she had a date with her boyfriend, yet he made her suffer right up to the moment he left for Navolato.
Twelve
The kid with the bike stamped into the room where the wake for Paola Rodríguez was under way. Aroma of roses. People everywhere. Packed in. His gang was by the entrance for whatever might be needed. The father was beside the coffin; once in a while he moved his head and a tear ran down his cheek. The mother sat in the front row, lifeless. Utterly lifeless. Flower wreaths beribboned with the names of the donors overflowed the usual space. Everyone was talking. In one corner Beatriz’s friends commiserated with her about Jesús González Dávila’s play My Dearest Girl and the pitiful audiences it was attracting: Being the best dramatist in Mexico isn’t enough, so what that he’s a human rights advocate, people don’t know what that means. All the effort we put into acting is useless too, we live in one big dusty hovel. He positioned himself in the farthest corner and observed the crowd, most of them friends of the family because she was never very outgoing. Dante and his buddies from the university were drinking brandy, talking, one of them was telling jokes. Only her father and I loved her, the kid thought, me more than him, more than all of them, more than I love myself. Too bad the last cannot be first.
I said no, I don’t want sex, I don’t want anything. Girl, what’s wrong, don’t you see the way I am? Quit bugging me, and stop slobbering, you don’t know how to kiss, you just drool all over me, you pig, you savage, don’t touch my bra, no! Leave me alone, Zeke, please, I’m at the end of my rope. I love you, Paola, I’m crazy about you, I’ve got to have you, I want to be the love of your life. Not today, not now, stop, I couldn’t care less what you want from me, sweet fuck-all; less than sweet fuck-all.
Beatriz sat down beside him. Babe, he said, you must be happy, there’s one thing going around and around in my head, sometimes I think you’re the one who sent her packing. Oh, no, she did it on her very own, and now you’ve run out of excuses, my king. I may not have any but I need time. What for? Everything is crystal clear. If I say I need it, I need it, babe, don’t push me. As long as it’s not too much time, oh, and I
Truly, that lawyer had the heart of a playboy.
How long has the dancer been at that course? A week. Well, lucky for him he has the alibi of his life. You know what I think, only the narcos could use silver bullets, if they put diamonds in their teeth and wear all that outlandish bling, why wouldn’t they use silver bullets? Keep on like that and soon the Russians really will come for you. Is that good or bad? The detective looked at her, he liked her, so he decided not to leave her with the old joke. While he finished his shrimp and drank the spicy broth he explained a few things about being a detective.
She listened attentively. Why wasn’t he married? What should she make of the rumors she heard sometimes at headquarters?
Mariana Kelly lived on Valadés Parkway in a modern apartment building. This time Mendieta did not want to get out of the car. Five minutes later, Toledo returned with the news that she was not at home. According to the doorman, a man of fifty or so, she usually spent weekends in Altata with her dog and with Señora Valdés and her son.
What shall we do? Get the telephone number.
At headquarters they found a copy of News from the Empire by Fernando del Paso with a note from Guillermo Ortega: “Jack the Ripper.” He had heard a lot about the book, so he decidedto take it home. Zelda found the number in the directory and called. The caretaker answered, they were not there, nor were they coming. Mendieta knew that he should not hold her up, that she had a date with her boyfriend, yet he made her suffer right up to the moment he left for Navolato.
Twelve
The kid with the bike stamped into the room where the wake for Paola Rodríguez was under way. Aroma of roses. People everywhere. Packed in. His gang was by the entrance for whatever might be needed. The father was beside the coffin; once in a while he moved his head and a tear ran down his cheek. The mother sat in the front row, lifeless. Utterly lifeless. Flower wreaths beribboned with the names of the donors overflowed the usual space. Everyone was talking. In one corner Beatriz’s friends commiserated with her about Jesús González Dávila’s play My Dearest Girl and the pitiful audiences it was attracting: Being the best dramatist in Mexico isn’t enough, so what that he’s a human rights advocate, people don’t know what that means. All the effort we put into acting is useless too, we live in one big dusty hovel. He positioned himself in the farthest corner and observed the crowd, most of them friends of the family because she was never very outgoing. Dante and his buddies from the university were drinking brandy, talking, one of them was telling jokes. Only her father and I loved her, the kid thought, me more than him, more than all of them, more than I love myself. Too bad the last cannot be first.
I said no, I don’t want sex, I don’t want anything. Girl, what’s wrong, don’t you see the way I am? Quit bugging me, and stop slobbering, you don’t know how to kiss, you just drool all over me, you pig, you savage, don’t touch my bra, no! Leave me alone, Zeke, please, I’m at the end of my rope. I love you, Paola, I’m crazy about you, I’ve got to have you, I want to be the love of your life. Not today, not now, stop, I couldn’t care less what you want from me, sweet fuck-all; less than sweet fuck-all.
Beatriz sat down beside him. Babe, he said, you must be happy, there’s one thing going around and around in my head, sometimes I think you’re the one who sent her packing. Oh, no, she did it on her very own, and now you’ve run out of excuses, my king. I may not have any but I need time. What for? Everything is crystal clear. If I say I need it, I need it, babe, don’t push me. As long as it’s not too much time, oh, and I
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