‘So, how would you feel about taking over Celestina’s job now that she has gone? Just the basics – cleaning, vacuuming, laundry. I would pay you a wage—’

‘Yeah, that’s fine.’

Paco returned to the kitchen with a crumby plate. ‘Did you say Celestina has gone?’

‘Yeah,’ said Tenoch. ‘Found a new situation in town.’

‘Where’d she go?’ he demanded.

‘Didn’t say.’ Tenoch began tucking into his still-warm brownies.

Paco looked directly at me. ‘Because of her?’

‘No, she just has a new situation.’

‘It is, it’s because of her, isn’t it?’

‘It’s nothing to do with me,’ I said. ‘Maybe it’s something to do with you, Paco? How ’bout dat?’

Paco looked back to Tenoch who was still non-plussed and boshing his brownies, one by one.

‘She’s a broken arrow, jefe. She could talk.’

‘She won’t,’ said Tenoch.

‘You sure?’

Tenoch stopped eating, wiped his mouth and began talking to Paco in fast Spanish that I didn’t understand. Well, I understood one part of it – falta de respeto. Disrespect. And I understood Paco’s response.

‘Si, jefe.’ Yes, Boss. Tenoch was shorter than Paco, by a clear foot. Even so, Paco sort of shrank before him.

Paco sloped back towards the living room, affording me his filthiest glare yet.

Wednesday, 17 April – Hacienda Santuario

‘Hola, señorita,’ came the little voice as I was reeling up the hose on the pool terrace one evening. It was David, Celestina’s eldest, clinging to the other side of the chicken-wire fence behind the pool house.

‘Hey!’ I cried, delighted to see him until I got closer and saw his lip was cut and his face badly bruised down one side. ‘What’s happened?’

‘We have to leave town. Paco has been threatening Mama.’ He eyeballed the pool terrace.

‘It’s OK, he’s not here. He did this to you?’ A small flame ignited in the centre of my chest. ‘Where’s Celestina? What about Saúl and Mátilda?’

‘They’re OK. But we’re scared. He found out we had gone to la casa de mi tía and he followed us there. Mama took Saúl and Mátilda into the forest and I ran but he caught me and he beat me. He wanted to know where Mama was. He said he was going to kill all of us.’

‘Why? What’s his problem with her?’ The flame expanded.

‘I heard them arguing. He wanted her to break into Tenoch’s study and find a clue.’

‘What clue?’

‘A clue for where he keeps his money. Tenoch has a lot of money but it not in a bank. And Paco wants it. He was planning to steal it and cut her in. He told Mama to spy on Tenoch but she would not do it. She is scared, of both of them. I came here to warn you. Paco will hurt you to get to the money.’