They walked along the sidewalk toward the plaza, Ana stopping to look at every flower and lizard and bird along the way.

Nate walked slightly behind the girls on the narrow sidewalk. "Marisa," he said about halfway there. "Tell us how you ended up in this town you keep talking about."

She turned to look at him. "It's a long story."

"I'd like to hear it," Leslie said.

Marisa sighed. "Okay. Well, I'd moved to Mexico City."

"Why there?" Leslie asked.

"That's another long story. Which one do you want to hear?"

She shrugged, and Marisa continued. "I was teaching English at a private school. It was fine, but Mexico City isn't New York, and I was wishing I could go someplace less... I don't know. Less dangerous. Less ugly, maybe. Anyway, one day this man approached me and told me his sister's kids were in my class and learning a lot from me—a lot more than they'd learned before. He wanted to know if I'd consider moving to teach English elsewhere, so his own kids could learn. He promised me a clean house and a steady job and a decent salary.

"Of course I asked for more information, and he told me where the place was. I'd hoped it was in the north where it's a little cooler." She smiled and wiped her brow. "No deal. But the pay was good, better than I was making, and with the promise of a house, I would have all the money I needed. Which is very little around here, you know?"

Marisa looked back to Nate, who smiled, though it seemed forced.

Leslie nodded. "So tell us about this guy."

"I had no idea what he did for a living, but he seemed nice." She paused, knowing they wouldn't like it. "He's a drug lord. The biggest one in town. I traveled with him and his family back to our village, and they moved me into the house across the street from the orphanage. The orphanage runs the school in town. All the kids go there."

"Did you have something going on with this guy?" Leslie asked. "I mean, surely he liked you for more than just your stellar English skills."

"He was married. He wanted me to teach his kids."

"It's not like it would be the first time a guy got a little something on the side."

"I'd like to think you know me better than that, Leslie. He was a married drug lord. You really think I'd mess around with a guy like that?"

Leslie shrugged. "Well, Vinnie wasn't exactly squeaky clean."

"I didn't know about that. And he wasn't married. And Vinnie was a good guy. He was going to do the right thing."

"Just seems like that drug dealer wouldn't give you a great job and a house for nothing."