Chapter 66

“Clara came today,” I say to RanRan in my cell, lying there drinking a few beers. This catches my compadre’s attention.

“I didn’t expect that,” he replies.

“No one has heard from Juan Luis for weeks. And the Monkey is missing too,” I tell him.

“Who’s running things?” he asks after taking a swig of his drink.

“The girl,” I say, and RanRan choked, “Pick up the money, count it, write it down, and put it away.”

“Fuck" he says, and, for the first time in a long time, I see him smile. I kept talking to my friend for a while; I told him about the visit, obviously, but also about Sofia and that I’m a grandfather.

“That news deserves a few drinks,” he says. “And a few girls, if there were any in this place.”

“Not a bad idea,” I say, smiling. “I’ll see what can be done, but before that, what do you think?”

“That they’re dead,” he says flatly. “You?”

“Almost the same; I prefer to think not,” I shrug, “But I don’t rule it out. At this p