Thin Air

'I could consider that,' Santiago said. 'Have you a plan?'

'Nothing so formal,' I said. 'But I've been thinking.'

Santiago smiled. 'Tell me,' he said.

'You tell him, Chollo, in Spanish. I want everything clear when the time comes. Give him the layout, make sure he knows where everyone is likely to be.'

Chollo spoke in Spanish.

When he was through, Santiago said, 'That is all? A show of force?'

'And nothing more. And when we say so,' I said.

'Do you wish me to have the police to seal off the area?'

'You,' I said. 'Your people. I don't want the Proctor cops within a mile of the place.'

'Certainly,' Santiago said. 'Will you tell me how this fits into your plan?'

'No,' I said.

Santiago nodded.

'If I were you, I would say the same. Plans are best when few people know them.'

'You are very wise, Jefe,' I said.

Santiago smiled.

'Si,' he said. 'But you should remember that I am a very vengeful man, and if things turn out to be different than you promised that they would be, I will find each of you and kill you…' He paused, made a searching gesture with his hand, and looked at Chollo.

'Pavoroso?'

Chollo grinned. 'Gruesome,' he said. 'Terrifying.'

'Gee,' I said. 'I can't speak for everybody, but that sure seems fair to me.'

'I enjoy laughter, too,' Santiago said. 'But don't mistake me.'

'I think I'm getting it,' I said.

'Good,' Santiago said. 'When do we, ah, cause this diversion?'

'Soon. How much time you need to put your men in the field?'

Santiago smiled gently and looked at the gray-haired man with glasses.

'Five minutes,' he said.

'I'll give you more notice than that,' I said. 'Just remember, everything goes right and you get San Juan Hill to keep.'

'Everything will go right,' Santiago said.

'If it does, all will be hunky-dory. If it doesn't, I may get a little pavoroso myself.'

'That might be interesting to see,' Santiago said.

'No,' I said. 'It wouldn't be.'

She sat on the floor still, leaning forward, hugging her knees. Luis stood and walked back and forth slowly, never very far from her. He was calmer now. There were no tears, though his face was still childlike.

'How did you change from Angela to Lisa?' Luis said.

'Pomona Detox,' Lisa said. 'Couple of Sheriff's deputies picked me up and took me there. Booze, mostly. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, you know? There was a social worker, used to talk to me every day, and after a while when I was sober and walking around she passed me on to a woman shrink, real upper class, had a little French accent, lived in Beverly Hills, and made a fortune listening to movie stars whine. Once a week she did pro bono work with whatever they swept up and dumped in detox. She liked me, or felt bad for me, or whatever, and she started seeing me two, three days a week. She saved my life.'

'Pro bono?'

'Yeah, for free, you know? Good works.'

'A woman?'

'A woman doctor,' Lisa said.

'What did she do?'

'We talked,' Lisa said.

'That's all?'

Lisa smiled softly. 'That's all.'

'This Woody,' Luis said. 'Do you know where he is?'

'No.'

'I will have him killed.'