Free Silver Bullets by Élmer Mendoza, Mark Fried Page B

month ago my car was stolen, I reported it to the insurance company, and the only thing they’ve done is give me the runaround, I probably spent more money chasing after the things they want than I should have; tell me if there is any way I can oblige them to pay me or failing that for the police to find the car, the fact is I’m fed up with all the back and forth. I’m in Homicide, Professor, go to headquarters and look for Señor Urrea in the Department of Stolen Vehicles, tell him I sent you, see if something can still be done. Rendón thanked him and went back to his table to continue drinking beer.
    While he was paying, he thought how great it was that Samantha was bisexual, he did not think there was a man or woman anywhere in the world who could turn her crank. There are women for whom everything will never be enough.

Sixteen
    The kid with the bike and Beatriz were talking in bed after making love. They were smoking marijuana and drinking cold beers, which they took out of a small green cooler. They were in a motel.
    I don’t feel right, he muttered after toking on the freshly rolled joint. Well, I do, at last I’ve got that brat off my back; you have no idea what hell it was living with her, she was like a vacuum cleaner sucking up all the affection, all the money, all the ideas, all the opportunities; nothing saw the light in that house unless it fit her atrocious taste; even when she was little she was insufferable and I was the one who had to take care of her because my mother never loved her; I’ve had to be careful, but these days have been the best days in my life, first because I have you all to myself and second because I don’t have to share the house or the hallways with anyone; the other bedroom is for me now, in a few days I’ll move over there so you can climb in the window, since you already know the way; I’ll hang some heavy drapes to keep out the curious. They smoked, the kid kept his eyes closed. That damn witch turned the pictures around so there would be no witnesses, can you believe it? Nothing could be sicker thanthat; Papa is drinking a bit, but that will pass and then I’ll be his princess. The kid recalled: Zeke, turn those pictures, turn them around, you animal! I don’t want them to see the way you abuse me and I don’t want to be looking at Bruno. You aren’t seeing straight, babe, to put it another way, you are absolutely nuts. About you, I’m not going to deny it, I live life fully, the human drama, I swear I finally understand Shakespeare, when are you going to see the play? I already saw it. But when are you going to go again? Too much effort, those friends of yours are pathetic, all of them, and that idiot that kisses you is falling for you, you know? Try to make him chill out. That’s acted, don’t believe it. Well, I don’t like it, he grabs you by the ass like he wanted something else and at the funeral parlor I saw him put his arm around your waist. I love it when you get jealous. You’re going to love it more if one day I bust that guy’s fucking chops. If he stops kissing me will you come and see it? I didn’t say that. But I’m asking, you have to do something to forget her, I forgave you for getting involved with her, I haven’t told you but I spied on you two a lot, I’d hear you come in, listen to your moans, and I heard how she would put you down, it really bothers me that you’re still stuck on her. I could give a fuck, remember you didn’t seduce me, you tricked me when you pretended to be her in her bed, so I don’t know which of you two is more of a pervert. The bros say you wouldn’t hurt a fly, but the fly you should have killed has polluted half the planet and caused three epidemics with thousands of victims. She kissed him happily, having confirmed that every angel is terrifying.
    He smoked, passed her the joint. Why this bad vibe? It’s not like he was the son of a lowlife, right? Paola had always mocked him, treated him like a loser, she