Chapter 30

Steele sat on the top step of the Diablo del Norte City Hall, all the way to the side so that people didn’t have to walk around him. With his feet planted two steps below, his forearms rested on his knees as he leaned forward gazing at the people walking below on the sidewalk. But his mind was elsewhere. It replayed the meeting with Mayor Lopez. Steele thought the interview with Mrs. Lopez had raised unanswered questions, but the one with her husband topped it. There was one nagging question that Steele hoped would soon be answered.

The clicking of high heels on the stone floor behind Steele caused him to turn. The woman from the information desk was walking toward him. He had only seen her from the waist up earlier. He liked the rest as much. She wore the same white frilly blouse, but now he saw the black skirt that ended four inches above her knees. The skirt hugged her hips and then flared out, flapping around her thighs as she walked like a model with one foot in front of the other, rocking her hips with each step. Sitting on the floor, Steele’s angle brought more of her shapely thighs into view. Her calves swelled from the strain of supporting her weight on five-inch heels, and her bare bronze skin, not hampered by hose, was silky.

Steele jumped to his feet. “Isn’t gringo a derogatory term?”

“It could be,” the woman said with a twinkle in her eye, “but not always. It’s used for Americans who don’t speak Spanish. That’s you, right?”

“Sí.”

The woman chuckled, flashing her white teeth. “You think that will make me believe you know Spanish?”

“I’m just trying to get on your good side.”

The woman raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”

“So you don’t run off. I’d like to have that coffee with you.”

“I’d like that, too.” She looked around. “But not here. The places here are good for breakfast and lunch, but not now. It’s the end of the work day. Soon downtown will be deserted.”

“Then where?” Steele said.

“There’s a nice diner near my apartment.”

“I’m game. Should I follow you? I don’t know how to get around town and,” Steele smiled, “as a gringo I won’t be able to ask directions.”

“I don’t have a car here. Too hard to park downtown. This parking lot is not for us so I take the bus to work. We can go in your car.”

“Great. My name is Linc, by the way.” Steele held his hand out.

“I am Catalina.” She took his hand. Hers was soft and her grip weak. Steele would have hated it in a man, but hers felt good.

“That’s a beautiful name,” he said, still holding her hand. “What does it mean?”

“In English it would be Catherine for Saint Catherine. Does Linc mean anything?”

“It’s short for Lincoln.”

“Like the president who freed the slaves.”

“Everyone thinks that, but no. Shall we go?”

Still holding her hand, Steele led her down the stone steps slowly as she wobbled on the five-inch heels. After four steps, Catalina lost her balance and toppled. Steele caught her and pulled her against his body to steady her.

“Are you okay?” Steele said.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“I’m surprised you can make it up and down these stairs in those heels.”

“I take them off when I’m alone.”

“Well, we don’t want you spraining one of those pretty little ankles.”

Steele swept Catalina up in his arms, with a forearm under her knees and another around her back. She let out a slight squeal as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“No more gringo,” she said. “From now on you are hidalgo.”

“What does that mean?”

“Gentleman.”

“I’m not much of a gentleman.”

Catalina placed her mouth next to Steele’s ear and whispered, “I hope not.” She nipped his earlobe.

Steele carried Catalina down the steps. “People are looking,” he said.

She hugged him tighter. “Let them look. They are jealous.”

At the bottom, Steele lowered Catalina to the floor. She smoothed her skirt and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, hidalgo.”

“My pleasure, my lady.” Steele bowed with a hand at his waist and the other behind his lower back.

Catalina giggled and curtsied, pinching the sides of her skirt and pulling it outward.

Steele pointed to the area in the parking lot where his car was. “This way.”

Catalina linked her arm in his and pressed close to his body. They walked like that to his car where he held the passenger door open for her.

“You are a hidalgo,” she said, tucking the back of her skirt under her as she sat in the car and swung her legs into it with her knees pressed together and tilted toward the driver’s side.

Steele closed the door, ran around to the other side, and got in. She directed him to a small diner in a residential area about fifteen minutes from City Hall. When they went inside, Steele waited for someone to seat them, but Catalina grabbed his wrist and pulled him to a booth in the back. He sat on one padded bench seat while she sat across from him.

Steele picked up the menu and then looked at Catalina. “Would you like something to eat?”

“It’s not a fancy place.”

“I’m not a fancy eater.”

“What would you like?”

Steele glanced at the menu written in Spanish and then back at Catalina. “Can I get a turkey sandwich here? With french fries and a Coke.”

“That’s what they’re famous for.”

Steele’s eyes opened wide. “Really?”

“No.” She giggled. “But it’ll be good.”

The waitress sauntered over. The way she greeted and chatted with Catalina made it clear that Catalina was a regular. The waitress kept giving Steele side glances while saying something quickly in Spanish to Catalina who either smiled or nodded a response. Catalina ordered for both of them in Spanish.

“What was that about?” Steele asked when the waitress left.

“She thinks you’re cute.”

“You were doing a lot of nodding.”

“I was agreeing with her.”

“What else did you tell her?”

“That you were a gentleman.”

“Is that when she rolled her eyes?”

“Did she?”

“Yep.”

“I must have missed that.”

The twinkle in Catalina’s eyes didn’t go unnoticed by Steele. She smiled and fluttered her long eyelashes before looking down. When she looked back up, she was still smiling.

Steele asked Catalina about her job and the town. She found her job boring and the town poor with no future. The food arrived. Steele’s turkey sandwich with fries and Catalina’s salad.

They were halfway through their meals, making small talk, when Steele asked, “What’s that big building about thirty miles southwest of town?”

The forkful of lettuce stopped before reaching Catalina’s mouth. It lingered in front of her lips. “What building?”

“It’s two stories in the middle of nowhere with a wall around it. Real big.”

Catalina slid the fork between her lips and pulled it out bare. She chewed while staring at Steele. This mouthful took longer than the others to chew. She laid her fork on her plate and took a sip of water. Her eyes were no longer on Steele, but on the fork.

Steele waited.

Catalina looked up. “It’s not something we talk about.”

“Why not?”

“It’s just not.”

“It’s important to me.”

“Why would a building in Mexico be important to you? I thought you were here to talk to Mayor Lopez about his daughter.”

“I didn’t come here to see the mayor, but while I was here I decided to stop by and ask him some questions about his daughter.”

“So why are you here?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure. I followed someone from the other side of the border and he went to that place I asked you about. So I’m curious.”

“We don’t talk about it.” Catalina looked down.

What was it about that building? Mayor Lopez also reacted oddly when Steele had brought it up. Why would Deputy Sheriff Millwater go there? Maybe it was nothing. Maybe Buck Ka-e-te-nay would know.

“By the way,” Steele said, “this sandwich is really good. You were right.”

Catalina’s head shot up with a toothy smile. “I told you.”

They finished eating, not saying much after dropping the mysterious building. Catalina kept glancing at Steele and looking away. Steele was convinced she knew more than she was saying but didn’t press her. They finished eating and he paid the bill with a credit card.

“Do you need a ride to your apartment?” Steele said when they were outside the diner.

“I live on this block. Would you like to come up for a drink?”

“I’d love to. Lead the way.”

Catalina locked her arm in Steele’s like she had done at City Hall and rested her head on his shoulder. They walked arm-in-arm on the quiet sidewalk. Apartment buildings lined both sides of the street and mature trees sprouted from squares of dirt cut out of the concrete every two hundred feet. The slight breeze felt nice and the scent of something cooking wafted through an open window. It was the most peaceful Steele had felt since Elena had called him.

Catalina’s building looked like all the others on the block. Red brick. One balcony for each apartment. They climbed the three steps, went inside, and took the elevator to the third floor where they strolled to her apartment. All the while, Catalina clung to Steele. As soon as Catalina closed the apartment door behind them, she flipped the high heel shoes off and held onto Steele’s forearm as she rubbed her feet.

“These hurt so much,” Catalina said.

“Why do you wear them?”

“I like them.”

“But they hurt.”

“I haven’t broken them in yet.”

Steele looked around the apartment. It was small but nice. They stood in the kitchen and dinette area. Past it was a living room. He walked to the back of the living room and pulled the curtain to the side. They were on the top floor overlooking a grassy area with benches and swings.

Steele turned around. “Nice.”

“Yeah, a little grass in the middle of all the concrete. What can I get you?”

“Whatever you’re having.”

Catalina retrieved two glasses from a kitchen cabinet and then walked over to a wall unit in the living room where she took out a bottle of red wine that was half full. She held it up. Steele nodded. Catalina filled each glass halfway and then handed one to Steele. She held hers up and, when he did the same, clicked the glasses. They both downed the wine.

“Mind if I freshen up?” Catalina said. “It’s been a long day.”

“Should I leave?”

“No. Have another drink. I won’t be long.”

Catalina put her glass down and disappeared into the hallway leading to her bedroom. Steele poured himself more wine and took it to the rear window. He sipped it as he looked down at two teenage boys with baseball gloves running onto the grass. They separated around thirty feet apart and threw a baseball back and forth.

“Can I ask you a favor?” Catalina said from behind Steele.

He turned around and almost spilled his wine. Catalina’s hair was pulled off her face in a ponytail and pinned up to keep out of the way. She was stark naked. Her breasts were cone-shaped with the nipples pointing slightly upward. Her waist was narrow and hips full, her pubic area shaved and belly toned.

Catalina giggled. “You can close your mouth now. Am I embarrassing you?”