“So I did. And then, he tells me to lick his boots. And then he takes off his shoes and tells me to lick his damn feet clean. So I did it. I couldn’t look at anyone in the eye and I felt Belén staring at me all day long. I thought of running to the subway and throwing myself on the tracks.”
He raised his head and looked at Atl, his eyes very large and honest. “That’s when I left the street kids. I went away and started collecting garbage. Everything was better. Only she wouldn’t leave with me. She stayed and she’s with the Jackal.”
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“It’s fine,” he said with a cool firmness that made him sound beyond his age. “Things change. I’m glad they’ve changed. Besides, I’ve met you and you’re pretty nice.”
His words were devoid of malice or deceit; they made her grimace, slicing through her composure. She wanted to touch him and so she extended her hand, meaning to lace her fingers with his, snatching it back at the last minute.
“You have too high an opinion of me,” she said. “One day, I think you’ll realize that.”
CHAPTER
19
It was late in the afternoon by the time Ana found the needle in the haystack. She’d combed through recent police reports and moved to sanitation reports. A fresh one had just come in, courtesy of an eager, anal worker who filed it pretty darn quick.
Domingo Molina. Male, 17, no ID papers, no health issues, required to visit nearest health unit to register himself. Has pet, biomodified Doberman. Also not registered, also required to visit health unit for registration.
Ana pulled out the envelope Kika had given her and found the photo she was looking for. It was the girl, Atl, with her dog. She had a large Doberman with a tessellation of light running down its neck. The report talked about a boy, but Ana felt sure she’d hit the jackpot.
She raised her head and looked at the desks around her, glanced at Castillo’s office. The door was closed. Quickly she gathered her things and headed out.
The cab dropped her around the corner from the apartment she was looking for. There were a couple of kids standing in front of the entrance. She showed them Atl’s photo, but neither one recognized her. Ana went around the block, showing the picture to other people, but they shrugged.
She was dying for a smoke. A few blocks up the street there was a busy avenue and she found a convenience store. Once inside she hesitated, and in addition to the cigarettes grabbed a diet soda and a yellow puff pastry wrapped in cellophane. She doubted it contained a single natural component, but sometimes synthetic is what you are after. The cashier rang the items.
“Hey, have you seen this girl by any chance?” she asked, holding the photo up.
The cashier stared at the photo, frowning. “Yeah, I’ve seen her a couple of times. What she do?”
“Runaway,” Ana said. “When was the last time you saw her?”
“A few days ago, I think. She didn’t take her change. It was a big bill.”
“Thanks.”
Ana stepped outside and lit her cigarette. She enjoyed the smoke for a few minutes before she took out her cell phone and sent a text message.
She grabbed a cab and waited at a twenty-four-hour automat, which was baby blue throughout, from the tables to the chairs and the machines dispensing the food. The whole retro vibe was very much in these days. It was too early for the late-night club hoppers to stream inside, so Ana had the place pretty much to herself, unless she counted the homeless guy asleep near the entrance.
Ana slid her credit card into a slot and pressed the touch screen. A sandwich came tumbling down. She moved to the drinks area, placed a cup under a spigot, and pressed the right code for coffee.
She sat in the back and glanced at the ornate carved ceilings, remnants of the 1910s. They were playing 1950s music, “Aquellos Ojos Verdes” by the Trío Los Panchos. A clash of styles and eras.
Kika walked in briskly, sporting a long red coat and matching lipstick. She sat across from Ana, resting her elbows against the plastic table. She looked terribly perky, as if she’d just had two coffees and an energy drink mixed with a bit of coke to top it off.
“This is a bit casual,” Kika said, looking around. “You could afford a better dinner now that we are partners.”
“I like sandwiches,” Ana replied dryly. “I also have a lead, partner. I think I found where she’s staying.”
“You think or are you sure?”
“It would take more time for me to be sure, and I assume you’d like me to be quick.” Ana took out her notebook, scribbled the address, and showed it to Kika.
Kika nodded and took out a cigarette. “Smoke?” she asked.
“I’m fine.”
Kika shrugged. She lit her cigarette. Kika wasn’t very old. Mid-twenties perhaps. Atl and Nick were pretty young too. She recalled the savage pictures she’d seen and wondered what, if anything, separated her own daughter from kids like these.
I am what makes a difference, she thought. And I’ll make sure she never deals with any of this.
“Do you have any leads on Nick?” Kika asked. She slipped out her phone, her fingers flying as she texted.