‘So how long are you in Nogales for?’ He sucks on the cigarette. ‘I can show you plenty of things, take you anywhere you wanna go. Nogales is a great little town.’ He leans into Duval. ‘Listen, bro, I mean it, whatever you want. Drugs, scrips, a clean hotel, Reuben is the guy to get it for you.’

‘I’ll settle for the information, thanks.’

‘Sure, and I have your information so relaaax, but I also have Prozac, Valium, Phenterime.’ He sends a sly look in my direction. ‘Viagra too . . . very good prices, you know? Just tell Reuben what you need.’ He swigs expansively on his beer.

Duval just waits, a muscle working in his cheek.

‘Okay, okay.’ He caves in grudgingly – ‘So how much information do you want?’ – as though preparing to whip out a pair of scales and weigh it by the kilo. Duval lays two $20 notes on the table and Reuben’s good eye flickers greedily. He looks quickly round the tables then back to us. ‘El Turrón is a powerful man, many men work for him,’ he begins.

Duval listens expressionlessly.

‘He was born in Nogales, but he works mostly in Tijuana. He has a lotta business there. He has not been working here in Nogales for many years.’ He fingers the ceramic medallion around his neck. ‘He has been in prison in the US.’ He looks at Duval expectantly. ‘For the drugs,’ he adds, somewhat put out by our lack of reaction.

‘I know all this.’

‘Okay, so you know that, fine, fine.’ Reuben adopts crafty expression. ‘But did you know El Turrón has a brother?’

‘I couldn’t be happier for him.’ Duval puts his fingers on the edge of the dollar bills.

‘Wait, my friend, wait.’ Reuben is breathing hard now. ‘His brother is a man with authority. A powerful man. More powerful even than El Turrón.’

‘What do you mean exactly?’

‘He has many contacts. He helps Turrón but Turrón is afraid of him. It was the brother who sent Turrón to Tijuana because he didn’t like the mess he was making here.’

‘Why not?’

‘It was very bad for his business.’

‘What is his business? Drugs? Who is he?’

‘This I don’t know.’ Reuben’s eye is now sealed together with a yellow caterpillar of mucus. ‘No one knows, but if you find him, I guarantee you will find Turrón.’ He leans even closer. ‘But let me warn you too, amigo, if you get too close to Turrón, the brother will make it his business to find you first.’ He puts his hand on the other end of the twenties and Duval releases them. In a shot, he’s up and out of his seat, zigzagging his way through the tables to the door and out into the shadows.