The House of Wolfe (26 page)

We've instructed Chino in his responses to questions he thinks he might get asked when the call comes, and have impressed on him the necessity of keeping cool. Charlie has promised him that if he botches things in any way, the last person he'll see in this world is the dwarf.

At a small park two blocks over from Belmonte's street, Rayo's in the brown Jeep SUV Charlie and I used earlier, waiting for the surveillance guys to let her know when Belmonte leaves the house.

35 — ESPANTO

On this afternoon of persistent drizzle, there are but a handful of other patrons in the Casa Toltec, all of them seated at a distance from him. It will get dark very early. That the day has passed so slowly and seemed almost boring is testament, Espanto reflects, to how well everything has proceeded. He has received no calls from Chato or Chino since their reports that the money had left the banks, and no calls of concern or complaint from either of the hold houses since the locksmith's arrival at the Beta site. He had thought to call Barbarosa to see what they'd found out about the stink, but decided against it. Whatever it was, it was sure to be something that could not be remedied today, and there was no need to aggravate Barbarosa with another call about it.

Just a short while ago he spoke with El Galán, who was pleased that the phones have been so idle all afternoon. In less than an hour Belmonte will call Galán to get his instructions for making the first ransom delivery, and the operation will accelerate into its final phase. Three hours from now the whole business will be done with and Los Doce will be celebrating their biggest payday ever and by far—and raising their glasses to their imminent admission to the Zeta organization. Until a few weeks ago Espanto had never envisioned himself rising so high. Not bad, he thinks, for a kid from the east-side barrios.

It's nearly time to depart for the Alpha house. When Belmonte gets there with the first payoff, Espanto will dismiss Rubio and Cabrito to go join Galán at El Nido. Gallo and Apache will remain with Belmonte and the Alpha captives while Espanto goes to the Beta house to await Sosa's delivery of the rest of the money. Once he gets it, he will call Gallo and they will cuff and blindfold both groups, drive them both to the Alameda park, help them out of the vehicles, and leave them to the assistance of the first passersby inclined to offer it.

And that, as they say, will be that.

He has paid his bill and as always tipped Betina liberally, and she winks at him from her stool at the kitchen entrance where she and another waitress are watching the TV news. He puts the audio receiver/recorder and the ear buds in the laptop's carrying satchel, then turns off the laptop and closes it and puts it in the satchel too. His phone goes into his inside jacket pocket, opposite the shoulder-holstered Glock. As he gets up and hangs the satchel on his shoulder, Betina says, Oh, my dear God. She's staring at the TV, on which a small crowd of onlookers is standing aside to give the camera a clear shot of a blackened ragged corpse in a muddy street. The camera then moves past a police car and a pair of fire department water tankers and pans up and down the block, showing damaged roofs and vehicles.

He recognizes the neighborhood.

That poor barrio, Betina says to no one in particular.

Espanto moves closer to better hear the audio. The camera is now on a young woman reporter questioning a uniformed police officer. A razed structure is visible behind them, its smoldering ruins reduced to the foundation but for a small low portion of wall. Espanto comprehends that he's looking at what's left of the Beta house.

The cop is saying that the cause of the explosion appears to have been a drug laboratory operated by a gang of young thugs who, according to neighbors, came and went at all hours. No, he says, there were no survivors. He doubts any of the remains can be identified, but who cares? Punks are punks, he says, all of them the same. The curse of Mexico.

The camera moves in for a close-up of the reporter as she solemnly intones that it's one more tragic instance of young criminals trying to get rich fast but only making a fast trip to a pauper's grave.

Espanto hastens out to the Sierra pickup in the rear parking lot and calls Barbarosa. A recording informs him that the subscriber is no longer on the network. He calls Flaco and gets the same message, and then the same thing for Cisco's number. He had hoped at least one of them might have been out of the house when it blew up, although if that had been so, the survivor would have called him by now. So would anybody else in Los Doce who'd heard about this. Should he call Chino? Chato? What for? It would only distract them for no purpose. First see what Galán wants to do.

36 — GALÁN AND ESPANTO AND RUBIO

Business is also scant at El Nido on this somber afternoon. Other than Galán at his table at the rear of the room, the only patrons are an old man at the counter, nearly asleep over his coffee, and a young couple with eyes and ears for only each other at a table across the room.

Galán has just finished reading a magazine article about Baja California, replete with stunning photographs of the beauty of both of its coasts. He has never been there but is enthralled with the region. All that he's heard about it, all the pictures he's seen, the travel programs on television, have made him believe it may be the place for him. Exceptionally attractive to him is the area around Loreto, on the Gulf side of the peninsula. He has decided to fly there next week, rent a car, drive around for a few days, and see what he thinks. Talk to some realtors.

He's surprised by the phone's quiver in his jacket. Belmonte is not due to call him for about forty minutes yet, a call he intends to receive in the privacy of the silver Cherokee in the parking lot. He sees that the caller is Espanto, with whom he spoke not an hour ago.

“Dígame,” he says into the phone. Then says, No, I have not. Tell me.

As he listens, he glances at the television mounted on the opposite wall, its screen dark. It is rarely turned on except for soccer and boxing matches.

When Espanto has told it all, Galán says, I see. Hold on a minute.

He considers the incalculable turns of fortune at play in the world—like a secret meth lab in the basement of your hold house blowing up and killing three of your men and half of your hostages. It's the stuff of endless platitudes reminding us that you can't plan for everything, anything can happen, you never know, blah-blah-blah. But as another saying has it, what's done is done, and he turns his mind to the immediate problem. . . . When Belmonte and Sosa don't receive the Beta captives, they'll assume the worst and go to the police. They'll no longer have reason not to. Given the families' social standing and the disappearance of five of the kidnap victims, the police will give greater attention and faster action to this case than they give to most. What's more, because the ransomed group of captives was held in a hold house in the western slums, the cops might wonder about the multiple deaths reported in an explosion on the same day in another slum on the same side of the city. They might perform forensic exams they would normally not trouble themselves with. They'll identify the missing captives and charge their abductors with their killing. Details of no import with regard to a kidnapping in which nobody's hurt can matter very much in a murder case. The Alpha group knows what they look like. It's possible they have overheard things that might be of help to the police. All of them would testify.

Unless they can't.

All right, listen, he tells Espanto. We'll proceed as planned, except that I'll call Belmonte and tell him to take the entire ransom to the Alpha house. I'll tell him everyone at both houses will be released on its delivery, though of course we can't do that, not now.

I agree, Espanto says. What of Sosa and the wives?

They know nothing of consequence. We can leave them to mourn.

Understood, Espanto says, and starts up the Sierra.

When I let you know Belmonte's on the way, have both Chino and Chato follow him, Galán says. Let Rubio know you're coming but don't tell him of the changes. You and I will attend to that.

You're
going?

I won't place on you or the others the burden of what must be done. But I want everyone there when I arrive, so I'll wait along the route till Chino and Chato pass by and then fall in behind them.

Very well, chief, see you there, Espanto says, wheeling out of the parking lot.

Galán has no concern that the police might want to question Jorge Envordo, the owner of record of the Alpha house. Jorge Envordo does not exist. Galán bought the house for a pittance under that name expressly for use in this operation. And just in case they might have to do what now must be done.

Espanto phones Rubio to say he's en route, and asks if all is in order.

Rubio hesitates. Well . . .

What?
says Espanto.

The Apache. He went crazy. Tried to strangle the American girl. I tried to stop him but he went for a gun and I had to shoot him. He's dead. We packed him up and he's ready for riddance wherever. And listen, man, before
that
, he pounded one of the wedding guys and he's practically in a coma. I'm telling you God's truth. The fucker went crazy. Gallo and Cabrito can tell you. He was—

All right, Espanto says, recalling his uneasy intuition about the Apache. I can believe it. You did what you had to. I'll be there soon.

Rubio is relieved. As well as a little puzzled.

Espanto did not ask if the girl had been hurt bad. Nor seemed upset about the unconscious guy.

What the hell. . . . Good.

37 — GALÁN

Galán is on the beltway when he phones Belmonte, whose fearful surprise at receiving the early call is evinced in his voice. But he is elated to learn that Mr. X is so pleased with how ably he and Sosa have carried out his instructions that he sees no need to prolong the process and has decided to accept the full ransom in a single payment and free all the captives on its receipt. Galán tells him to go to the payoff site alone and that he will be followed all the way there. He is to take the Cadillac, which will make him easier to keep in sight.

The instructions he gives Belmonte are few and simple, so too the directions to the hold house. Should you at any point get confused, Galán says, call me on the special phone.

Belmonte thanks him, but says the directions are not complicated and he's certain he will have no trouble finding the house.

Very good, Galán says. Go now, and drive carefully. It's getting dark.

He then calls Espanto to tell him Belmonte is on the way and gives him one further instruction.

38 — RUDY AND CHARLIE

Chino's phone buzzes on the table. The three of us swap looks. It's a little early for the call Chino expects.

Charlie gestures for him to answer it and says, Don't fuck up.

Chino holds the instrument so that Charlie can have his ear at it too. “Dígame,” he says, and listens. Then says, Yes he is. He got here before me. He listens again, and says, Yes, sure, Espanto, I understand, me and Chato
both
. . . . Yes. Yes, we'll get ready right now. . . . What? . . . He gives Charlie a sidewise look and says, I sound like that because I've got a fucking cold. Been coming on since yesterday and now the damn thing—

He listens. Yes, all right, he says. See you there.

He presses the Off button and Charlie takes the phone from him and puts it in his pocket, saying, Well done, my little friend.

He tells me Belmonte's already on the way and that both Chino and Chato are to tail him, but the Espanto guy didn't explain why they had made that change in plan.

39 — JESSIE

She senses a higher tension among the captors, a keener excitement. Cabrito is now armed. He left the room for a few minutes and when he returned he was carrying a pistol in a shoulder holster, a Glock like his pals. Gallo is pacing along the windowed wall, periodically pushing a drape aside for a peek out.

They all hear the arrival of a vehicle in the alley below. Gallo parts the drape a little. “Aquí' 'stá Espanto,” he says.

Espanto. Jessie recalls the name. He's the guy whose reaction to the Apache's death Gallo was concerned about. Must be the head man.

Is it the ransom? Luz asks.

Keep quiet, Gallo says.

José sits up and puts his feet on the floor but looks at no one.

Minutes pass. Jessie supposes the Espanto guy's getting an earful from Rubio about the Apache. Maybe about her, too.

Now there are footsteps in the hallway, and then the two men enter the room. The Espanto one carries himself like an athlete. Brush mustache, short-spiked hair. Hard-faced handsome.

He goes over to Aldo and tweaks his ear between his index finger and thumb. Aldo whines softly and his face pinches in pain but he doesn't awaken.

You see? Rubio says. That's how it's been. He reacts but he doesn't come to.

Espanto sniffs the air and looks at José. “Ay, chico,” he says. Have you no shame?

The boy keeps his eyes on his own feet.

Espanto looks at the women. And holds his stare on Jessie. He goes to her cot and smiles down at her.

You are Jessica? he says, the
j
sounding almost like
y
.

Yes, she says. It's no surprise he knows her name but it unnerves her to hear him say it.

He gestures toward Rubio and says, My associate tells me you are an escape artist. Maybe we should call you Houdini. No . . . Houdina.

I don't think so, Jessie says. I'm obviously not as good as he was. Jesus, girl, she thinks,
shut up!

Yes, well, maybe with more practice. Only, no more practice with us, eh?

No, she says.

He winks at her. Then says, Listen, everyone, your stay with us is almost over. Just be patient a little longer. Think of the many good things awaiting you in your lives. However, for the brief remainder of your time with us, you ladies must be handcuffed once again. I apologize for the discomfort.