Day of the Dead

How the fuck did he know all this?

‘Thanks for the compliment.’

Gary reached over to grasp the wine bottle, ready to refill her glass. Michelle put her hand on his and gave him a little squeeze. ‘What about my passport?’

She wanted to see if the gesture would rattle him at all. It didn’t.

‘Like I said before, this is about us helping each other. Here’s your chance to help me back.’

‘What if I just went to the consulate, told them I lost my passport?’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t do that, Michelle.’ His eyes widened ever so slightly, bloodshot beneath the puffy lids. ‘I really wouldn’t.’

CHAPTER EIGHT

He made it sound so simple.

‘All you have to do is keep an eye on Danny for me a couple weeks. Let me know what he’s up to, who he sees.’

‘Why?’

‘Danny’s involved in some sketchy stuff,’ he said. ‘And it’d be real helpful to us to have a better idea of the specifics.’

‘“Us” being … ?’

‘Well, it’s really better if I don’t say.’

Great, Michelle thought. ‘You can’t ask me to get involved with something when I don’t even know who you are,’ she said.

‘Actually, I can.’ He laughed, his cheeks rounded like a baby’s. ‘I just did.’

She almost got up from the table. What would happen if she just walked out the door?

‘Now, come on, don’t be mad. I’m a consultant, just like I told you.’

Cleansing breaths, she thought. ‘And if I don’t agree, you’ll have me arrested again?’

‘Now, where’d you get an idea like that?’ Gary wiped the back of his hand across his wine-reddened lips. ‘It’s the Mexican authorities who’ll have you arrested. I’m the one who’ll keep them off you. So long as you do me this little favor.’

She watched him tuck a stray gold curl behind his ear. He was vain about his hair, she’d bet. That color? Highlights.

‘You want me to spy on him?’

‘You make it sound so formal. Just spend some time with him, that’s all.’

‘And how am I supposed to do that?’

‘We’ll set you up someplace in Old Town, get you some walking-around money – I know things are kind of tight for you right now, so don’t worry about any of that. In fact …’

Gary studied her for a moment. He put his elbows on the table, leaned forward, reminding her of a time-share salesman about to make his pitch.

‘Michelle, instead of thinking of this as an inconvenience, why don’t you think of it as an opportunity?’

‘An opportunity?’

‘This is important to us. We’ll make it worth your while. Those financial problems you’re having? I’m not gonna promise I can make them all go away. But I can help.’

She opened her mouth, then closed it. She’d very nearly asked him what kind of money he had in mind.

Don’t get sucked into this, she told herself. There was no reason to believe a word Gary said.

‘Gary, look …’ She let out a sharp sigh and poured herself some more wine. This man is crazy, she thought, watching his eyes light up, his cheeks flare red, as he spun this ridiculous scheme.

He’d better not be some sort of government agent, because she hated to think that her tax money went to guys like this.

‘I barely know Danny,’ she said. ‘What makes you think he’s going to want to spend time with me?’

Gary chortled at that. ‘Come on, Michelle. You know Danny likes spending time with you.’

‘For one night.’ Now she laughed. ‘Look, it’s nice that you think I’m some kind of … I don’t know, femme fatale, but I have no idea if he wants to see me again. Especially after what happened.’

‘What, the robbery? Well, that was hardly your fault.’

‘Not just the robbery. When I went to his place to give him back his stuff …’

She thought about the pig’s head. The flies.

Gary’s idea of a joke.

That is, if Daniel had told her the truth.

‘He didn’t seem that happy to see me,’ she said.

‘Trust me, you play it right, he’ll want to see you.’ Gary leaned back in his chair, took a big swallow of wine. ‘See, guys like Danny, they can have their little brown girls whenever they want them, but someone like you doesn’t come along every day. Classy. Polished. Someone he can take to parties. Probably have celebrity stories to tell, living the life you did in L.A. He’ll love all that shit.’

‘Okay,’ she said, just to shut him up. ‘You want me to spend time with Danny. Say I do that. I’ll tell you what we do and who we see. What if all we do is go to the beach and El Tiburón? Is that enough for you?’

‘Just make a good-faith effort. That’s all I’m asking.’ He reached across the table and patted her hand. ‘And trust me. I’ll know if you don’t.’

She wasn’t sure what to say after that.

‘You should tell me what he’s involved with,’ she finally said. ‘That night in the hotel … Those men who came in – they had guns. You can’t expect me to … to …’

Gary smiled at her. ‘I wouldn’t worry about anything like that happening again.’

She shivered a little in the overly chilled air.

He might not have had anything to do with the attack. Maybe he was just using it. Using her fear.