“Yes, that’s it. Thanks to you, Miraflores confessed his villainy to me, his plot to assassinate our president, to overthrow the rule of law. He had his gun in his hand and I had to kill him to defend myself. . No, to defend our president and our institutions. .”
Del Valle walked over to the telephone.
“Don’t move,” García said.
“What do you want now?”
“You, yourself, Mr. del Valle, the first time we talked, you ordered me to get to the bottom of this affair, and if there was truth to the rumors, to act according to my best judgment. I am carrying out your orders.”
“But. . things have changed completely —”
“As for me, one death more or less doesn’t matter. The only death that does matter happened this afternoon, Mr. del Valle. .”
“I told you, I didn’t give those orders, I didn’t know anything —”
“Maybe. But we can’t be left with any doubts. I can’t. And then, you just killed General Miraflores.”
“You forced me to, García.”
“General Miraflores came with me, Mr. del Valle, to arrest you for conspiring against the life of our president, and you killed him in cold blood. I killed you, trying to save General Miraflores.”
“You can’t kill me, García.”
“I can’t?”
“You just made me kill a man. .”
“Yes, I did. It was good for you to know what it felt like and for me to know what I can expect from you.”
“I can give you whatever you want, García. You yourself say I’ll have other opportunities to become president. I can make you rich when I’m president —”
“President of hell, Mr. del Valle.”
He fired one shot. The bullet entered del Valle right between the eyes, smashed his face, and shattered, along with his eyeglasses, the appearance of a venerable and important man. García placed the gun in the dead hand of the general and put away his own. Then he went to the telephone on the desk and dialed a number:
“Colonel, García here.”
“It’s seven minutes after ten, García. I told you to call me at ten on the dot.”
“Any orders, Colonel?”
“We haven’t been able to arrest the Toad or the gringo, but I’m certain you were right. We picked up the rifle —”
“Any orders, Colonel?”
“Yes. We have to arrest them, arrest them any way we can. I’ve changed all the guards, just in case. I’ve asked the FBI to send reinforcements to station guards in the windows overlooking the square. But we have to arrest the leaders. .”
“That will no longer be necessary, Colonel.”
“What do you mean? This is an order. .”
“I’m at del Valle’s house. Seems there was a disagreement, words were spoken, and they shot each other.”
“Are they dead?”
“Yes.”
“Wait for me there.”
“I’m sorry, Colonel, but there’s a couple of things I have to do.”
He hung up the phone, left the room, and reached the door to the street. He had put his gun back in its holster. When he opened the door, he found himself face-to-face with two men. Both had their guns drawn.
“Don’t move,” one of them said. “Inside. .”
García stepped back, without taking his eyes off them. The two men entered behind him.
“We heard some shots. Where are Mr. del Valle and General Miraflores?”
“There, inside,” García said.
“You’re García,” one of the men said. “I’ve seen around.”
“Yeah, and you’re the Toad. .”
“So, this is the guy,” the other said in English.
“And this gentleman is Mr. Browning.”
“Let’s go to the office,” said the Toad.
They went to the office. The gringo let out a quick whistle when he saw the corpses.
“You did them both in,” the Toad said.
“They killed each other,” García said.
The gringo, without letting go of his gun, approached the general and took his.45 out of its holster.
“He hasn’t fired,” he said in English, smelling the butt.
“I received your message,” García said. “When I arrived home this afternoon, I received your message.”
“We haven’t sent you any message, García. But right now we’re going to send you straight to hell.”
“You didn’t go to my house this afternoon?”
“We don’t even know where you live. We’ve been running around all day. They descended on us at the hotel —”
“Shut up,” the gringo said. You, Mister García, you are going to die today. .”
“If we’d known where your house was, we’d have gone there to kill you,” the Toad said. “Anyway, I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, ever since you killed Luciano Manrique.”
“How did you know it was me?”
“Mr. del Valle told me. And now, sit still, this won’t hurt, just like the doctors say —”
At the open door, Laski’s voice rang out.
“Need some help, Filiberto?”
The gringo turned quickly and Laski’s bullet hit him right in the heart, throwing him backward. The Toad jumped on García, but he already had his knife out and the Toad fell on it, pushing it into his chest. García pulled it out and stabbed him again. Laski grabbed his arm.
“Let’s go, Filiberto.”
García picked up his gun, and they ran out. They could hear the police sirens a ways away.
“Let’s take your car,” Laski said.
They got in. At that very moment, two police patrols arrived at Mr. del Valle’s house. García started the engine.
“Thanks,” García said.
“Are you hurt?” Laski asked.
“No.”
“I understand that this business was between Mexicans, Filiberto, but I found myself obliged to intervene. You are my friend.”
“I thought you weren’t sentimental.”
Laski chuckled.
“I need you. For what I told you at noon. And when I need something, I take care of it, like my Luger.”
“Thanks, anyway.”
“I’ve managed to find out who the phone number 3-5-9-9-0-8 belongs to,” Laski said.
García looked at him, surprised.
“Yes, Filiberto. It’s the number that Chinese man dialed, when he asked for the money he was going to bribe us with. The phone belongs to another Chinese man, someone named Liu, who lives on Dolores Street.”
“Yeah.”
“And Miss Fong worked for that man, before going to you.”
“So what?”
“I want you to help me with this investigation. They’ve told me you are a friend of Liu’s.”
“I’m done with my investigation.”
“No, no, you aren’t.”
“Yes, yes, I am.”
“Miss Fong is dead, Filiberto.”
There was silence. Yes. Marta is dead, and alone with her death. There in my bed. And me here alone with my life. And del Valle and the general and all the others are also alone with their deaths. And me, alone with my life. It’s like they’re leaving me behind. It’s like I’m always standing at the door, opening it for others who are already alone with their deaths. But I stay outside, always outside. And now Marta already went inside and I’m still outside.
“Look, Filiberto, I think Liu sent Miss Fong to watch you, to keep an eye on your activities, thinking that you were investigating this business with Cuba. .”
“Who killed her?”
“A Chinese man entered your house around five this afternoon. Shall we go find Liu?”
“Yes.”
They reached Dolores Street. The shops and restaurants were closed and nobody was outside. They probably took my advice and everyone’s hiding. It’s like everyone decided to leave us alone. And Marta alone with her death and me alone with my life.