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Finally, the old cop stopped talking, sighed in disgust, and said, "Which one?" Alex pointed to a tall brunette, pretty but starting to flesh out. "Her. Gloria!" |
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"Come!" The cop tilted his head and the girl followed along with one of the men. They went to her room where the fat detective rummaged in her dresser, turning up in a few minutes a roll of bills, Alex's wallet, empty, and jewelry.
As Alex made the identification, the fat cop said, "Bueno!" and handed it to him in a distracted manner.
He counted out the money Alex said he lost and pocketed the rest of the bills. He and the manager and the girl really started talking. For a few moments the conversation was really confused. Even the young cop looked as if he only caught part of it, and it was his language.
"Look," the cop said. "They say, okay. Was all a big mistake. You get everything back. All okay now, no?"
Alex shook his head.
The cop sighed. "Look mister. We put them in jail, they gonna be out again pretty quick. Then everybody, she is mad. They mad at me. Mad at you." He shrugged, saying silently but eloquently that he, Castella, would also be mad at this crazy American.
"They say, okay. You stay here with the girl. You guest of the house. She do everything you want, get everything you didn't get last night. All free. Okay?"
"Well ..."
At this sign of hesitation the manager burst in with another torrent of Spanish.
Castella nodded. "You don't like her, you take your pick of the girls, no?"
"How do I know they'll let me out okay?"
Castella smiled. He knew when he had a deal. "Pedro," he gestured toward the young cop, "he stay downstairs and wait for you, okay?"
"About the two women, Renee and Fran?"
Castella shrugged. "Hombre! This man say they left with the other man when you go upstairs with Gloria. It is big insult, no!"
Castella exited, leaving Alex to figure out who he meant insulted whom.