Thin Air

me.'

'Time I did,' Lisa said. 'I had a supporting role in a sixteen-millimeter film called Randy Pants.'

'Randy Pants? What kind of movie is that?'

'Porno. I had a run of porn films for a while, but I was never any good at it, all that moaning and heavy breathing, and finally the parts stopped coming, and the exotic DJ schtick wasn't going anywhere, so Woody turned me out.'

As she spoke, Luis was shaking his head, slowly, back and forth, as if he were trying to clear it.

'No,' Luis said.

'Yeah, he did.'

'No.'

'Yeah. Like your old lady, Luis. I was a whore, just like your old lady.'

'No,' Luis said again. 'No, no, no.'

He was crying, and pounding both his fists on his thighs as he said 'no,' invoking the word like a chant as if to exorcise the truth.

'No, no, no, no…' And then the crying overcame the no. He slumped toward her and pressed his face against her and she put her arm around him and patted him softly as he wept.

'Me and your old lady, both,' she said, 'me and your old lady.'

Chapter 36

It was getting dark.

Chollo eased into a more comfortable position on the front seat and said, 'You think of anything yet?'

'If we're going to go in, we need a plan,' I said.

'You think of that so quick?' Chollo said.

'Trained investigator,' I said. 'I know the place is a maze, but can you find the woman's room?'

'Si.'

'House has a stairwell in a front hall,' I said. 'I can see that from here. Probably designed originally as a three-family.'

'How you tell?' Chollo said.

'My father was a carpenter,' I said. 'It's in the genes.'

'Was he also an asshole?'

'No. That's an acquired trait,' I said.

'Well, you're right. Woman's room is off the secondfloor front hall. Should be where those windows are boarded up. There's a set of back stairs too. And a couple places where holes have been cut in the floor and ladders go down, or up, depending where you are.'

'A nice amenity,' I said.

We were quiet. The darkness settled slowly around us. Most of the street lights in San Juan Hill didn't work. The night sky was overcast. It was dark in the way it must have been dark in earlier times, except for some light that showed in the barricaded windows at the Deleon citadel.

'Who's going in?' Chollo said.

'You and me.'

'How's your plan coming?' Chollo said.

'It's probably going to have something to do with me going in with you on the deal to make Deleon Mr. del Rio's East Coast marketing manager.'

'I told you, no gringos. They won't buy it.'

'How about I'm from the local mob, to discuss the territorial fee?'

'Isn't that Freddie Santiago?'

'I'm from Boston,' I said. 'Joe Broz sent me up to see where this fits in with us.'

'Broz the stud duck around here?'

'Used to be,' I said. 'Thinks he is.'

'What if Deleon checks with him?'

'Deleon probably can't get to Broz, but no harm being careful. Broz owes me a favor.'

'You can get to Broz?'

'Yeah.'

'You big with the bad guys, Spenser. You got Santiago helping you, Mr. del Rio helping you, now this guy Broz, that I don't know, he's helping you. And I'm helping you. You sure you are a good guy?'