“I have to finish him myself, Vasquez.”

“Yeah. That’s what I heard. Like some kind of vendetta deal. You had something going with Cahuella’s bitch, didn’t you?”

“Subtlety’s not your strong point, is it, Red?”

I saw Dieterling wince. We walked on in silence for a few more paces before Vasquez stopped and turned to face me.

“What did you say?”

“I heard they call you Red Hand Vasquez behind your back.”

“And what the fuck business of yours would it be if they did?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. On the other hand, what business is it of yours what went on between me and Gitta?”

“All right, Mirabel.” He took a longer than usual drag on his cigarette. “I think we understand each other. There are things I don’t like people asking about, and there are things you don’t like people asking about. Maybe you were fucking Gitta, I don’t know, man.” He watched as I bridled. “But like you said, it wouldn’t be my business. I won’t ask again. I won’t even think about it again. But do me a favour, right? Don’t call me Red Hand. I know that Reivich did something pretty bad to you out in the jungle. I hear it wasn’t much fun and you nearly died. But get one thing clear, all right? You’re outnumbered here. My people are watching you all the time. That means you don’t want to upset me. And if you do upset me, I can arrange for shit to happen to you that makes what Reivich did seem like a fucking teddy bears’ picnic.”

“I think,” Dieterling said, “that we should take the gentleman at his word. Right, Tanner?”

“Let’s just say we both touched a nerve,” I said, after a long hard silence.

“Yeah,” Vasquez said. “I like that. Me and Mirabel, we’re hair-trigger guys and we gotta have some respect for each other’s sensibilities. Copacetic. So let’s go drink some pisco sours while we wait for Reivich to make a move.”