of the arrest for a twenty-dollar bill? I figure our fat friend across the desk is the one looking for a big payday.”
I said, “Tell him it’s too much. Tell him we can’t pay.”
When Jack had finished, Obregon looked at me but talked to Jack. Jack said, “Our buddy here says it was his understanding you and your family were ricos, rich, very important businessmen and ranchers in the United States. He wants to know, if that is true, how such a sum could be so significant to you when yore brother’s life is involved.”
I said, “Offer him fifteen hundred. Total. Including his fee.”
I didn’t have to understand Jack’s words. All I had to do was watch the expression on Señor Obregon’s face. I don’t know whether the outrage was put on or not, but he made a mighty good show of it. You’d of thought we’d insulted him. Kind of made me wonder whose money we were talking about, his or this Captain Davilla. And there was the fact that he was sort of supposed to be my lawyer, although those little finer points didn’t seem to count south of the border. But I did find it interesting that, while him and Jack argued back and forth, Obregon never once turned to Davilla’s “representative” and asked his opinion. I found that passing strange.
Finally Jack leaned over to me and said, lowly, “I got him down to two thousand. But I think if we stall him a little, couple of days, say, that he’ll come down. Maybe to fifteen hundred.”
I shook my head. “No, I’ve got to get Norris out of there before he does or says something to get himself in deeper.”
“What shall I tell him?”
It was pushing for five o’clock so I figured the banks would be closed and I’d have to exercise that letter of credit to have the two thousand. I said, “Tell him we’ll have the money here tomorrow morning at eleven o’clock.”
When Jack had told him the lawyer folded his hands on his desk and looked satisfied. He still hadn’t paid any attention to the “representative.” I wondered what cantina they’d dug him up out of.
I told Jack to ask when we could expect Norris’s release. Obregon looked at me and said, smiling so broadly that for the first time I noticed he had a gold tooth, “Queekly.”
I smiled back at him. I said, “Is that a Texas quickly or a Mexican queekly ?”
Apparently he didn’t get it for he looked over at Jack and said, “Cómo?”
Jack explained what I’d meant, though I reckon he did it a little more polite. Senor Obregon said, “Very queekly. En the tarde?”
Jack said, “In the afternoon. That’ll be fast if it happens, Justa.”
I got up. “Okay,” I said. “Tell him we got a deal. We’ll be here with the money in the morning.”
We shook hands all around, formally, even the “representative,” though I was damned if I could see what part he played.
Once outside I asked Jack how much of the two thousand this Captain Davilla would see. “Not a hell of a lot,” Jack said. “Obregon will use some of it to grease the local magistrate and some for the chief of police and a little for the guards. The rest will go in his pocket. But that’s what you pay his kind for down here. They knows who to grease and how to do it. A gringo can’t operate down here like a real Mex. Don’t care how long he’s lived in the country.”
A little wind had blown up and the dust was swirling in the streets. I looked at the horses that were hitched along both sides of the streets. Mostly they were a poor, underfed-looking lot. So were a lot of the people. As we walked to the hotel I could feel eyes following us. Gringos were welcome down there as long as they brought money and left the biggest part of it.
Ben and Hayes received the news in good spirits. They were tired of Mexico and tired of worrying about Norris and just wanted to go home. I felt the same way, but I wasn’t going to do any celebrating until I saw Norris safely across the border.
That night I told the other three
I said, “Tell him it’s too much. Tell him we can’t pay.”
When Jack had finished, Obregon looked at me but talked to Jack. Jack said, “Our buddy here says it was his understanding you and your family were ricos, rich, very important businessmen and ranchers in the United States. He wants to know, if that is true, how such a sum could be so significant to you when yore brother’s life is involved.”
I said, “Offer him fifteen hundred. Total. Including his fee.”
I didn’t have to understand Jack’s words. All I had to do was watch the expression on Señor Obregon’s face. I don’t know whether the outrage was put on or not, but he made a mighty good show of it. You’d of thought we’d insulted him. Kind of made me wonder whose money we were talking about, his or this Captain Davilla. And there was the fact that he was sort of supposed to be my lawyer, although those little finer points didn’t seem to count south of the border. But I did find it interesting that, while him and Jack argued back and forth, Obregon never once turned to Davilla’s “representative” and asked his opinion. I found that passing strange.
Finally Jack leaned over to me and said, lowly, “I got him down to two thousand. But I think if we stall him a little, couple of days, say, that he’ll come down. Maybe to fifteen hundred.”
I shook my head. “No, I’ve got to get Norris out of there before he does or says something to get himself in deeper.”
“What shall I tell him?”
It was pushing for five o’clock so I figured the banks would be closed and I’d have to exercise that letter of credit to have the two thousand. I said, “Tell him we’ll have the money here tomorrow morning at eleven o’clock.”
When Jack had told him the lawyer folded his hands on his desk and looked satisfied. He still hadn’t paid any attention to the “representative.” I wondered what cantina they’d dug him up out of.
I told Jack to ask when we could expect Norris’s release. Obregon looked at me and said, smiling so broadly that for the first time I noticed he had a gold tooth, “Queekly.”
I smiled back at him. I said, “Is that a Texas quickly or a Mexican queekly ?”
Apparently he didn’t get it for he looked over at Jack and said, “Cómo?”
Jack explained what I’d meant, though I reckon he did it a little more polite. Senor Obregon said, “Very queekly. En the tarde?”
Jack said, “In the afternoon. That’ll be fast if it happens, Justa.”
I got up. “Okay,” I said. “Tell him we got a deal. We’ll be here with the money in the morning.”
We shook hands all around, formally, even the “representative,” though I was damned if I could see what part he played.
Once outside I asked Jack how much of the two thousand this Captain Davilla would see. “Not a hell of a lot,” Jack said. “Obregon will use some of it to grease the local magistrate and some for the chief of police and a little for the guards. The rest will go in his pocket. But that’s what you pay his kind for down here. They knows who to grease and how to do it. A gringo can’t operate down here like a real Mex. Don’t care how long he’s lived in the country.”
A little wind had blown up and the dust was swirling in the streets. I looked at the horses that were hitched along both sides of the streets. Mostly they were a poor, underfed-looking lot. So were a lot of the people. As we walked to the hotel I could feel eyes following us. Gringos were welcome down there as long as they brought money and left the biggest part of it.
Ben and Hayes received the news in good spirits. They were tired of Mexico and tired of worrying about Norris and just wanted to go home. I felt the same way, but I wasn’t going to do any celebrating until I saw Norris safely across the border.
That night I told the other three
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