"Fuck you, all right? You my father now?"

He held his hands up. She was right. None of his business. "Do you see Tito's truck?" Myron just couldn't call him Tit. Maybe if he got to know him better.

Mindy scanned the lot. "No."

Neither did Myron. "Do you know where he lives?"

"No."

Myron shook his head. "He deals drugs. He wears a swastika tattoo. And he has no ass. But don't tell me . . .

underneath all that, Tito is really sweet."

Mindy shouted, "Fuck you, all right? Just fuck you."

"Myron," Esperanza said by way of warning.

Again Myron put his hands up. They all sat back and watched. Nothing happened.

Mindy sighed as audibly as possible. "So, like, can I

go home now?"

Esperanza said, "I have a thought."

"What?" Myron asked.

Esperanza pulled the tail of her blouse out of her jeans. She tied it up, making a knot under her rib cage and revealing plenty of flat, dark stomach. Then she unbuttoned her top to a daring low. A black bra was now visible, Myron noticed, trained detective that he was. She pulled down the visor mirror and began to apply makeup.

Lots of makeup. Far too much makeup. She mussed up her hair a bit and rolled up her jeans cuffs. When she finished she smiled at Myron.

"How do I look?" she asked.

Even Myron felt a little weak at the knees. "You're going to walk in there looking like that'?"

"That's how everyone in there dresses."

"But everyone doesn't look like you," he said.

"Oh, my, my," Esperanza said. "A compliment."

"I meant, like a chorus dancer in West Side Story."

" 'A boy like that,' " Esperanza sang, " 'he keel your brother, forget that boy, go find another ' "

"If I do make you a partner," Myron said, "don't dress like this at board meetings."

"Deal," Esperanza said. "Can I go now?"

"First call me on the cellular now. I want to make sure I can hear everything that goes on."

She nodded, dialed the phone. He picked it up. They tested the connection.

"Don't go playing hero," he said. "Just find out if he's there. Something gets out of hand, you get out of there pronto."

"Okay."

"And we should have a code word. Something you say if you need me."

Esperanza nodded, feigning seriousness. "If I say the words premature ejaculation, it means I want you to come."

"So to speak."

Esperanza and even Mindy groaned.

Myron reached into his glove compartment. He snapped it open and pulled out a gun. He was not going to be caught unprepared again. "Go," he said.

Esperanza hopped out of the car and crossed the street. A black Corvette with flame decals on the hood and an extra-vrooming engine pulled up. A gold-chainenmeshed primate raced the engine and leaned his head out the window. He smiled greasily at Esperanza. He hit the gas again, giving off a few more deep vrooms. Esper-anza looked at the car, then at the driver. "Sorry to hear about your penis," she deadpanned.