"Will the gypsies help us?"
"We don't need their help. All we will ask of the gypsies is that they give no help to our enemies. They will not deny us that. They will not act against lobombre."
Roy's body tensed, but he began to relax as Marcia used her fingers on him, then her mouth. In a little while there was no more rebellion in him.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
In the morning after the bloody business in Cabana 12, the sun had barely cleared the mountains behind the Palacio del Mar, but the grounds and the lobby were alive with people. There were members of the Mazatlan police force along with people from the State of Sinaloa and the Mexican government. The sightseers had not started to arrive yet, since the morning papers were not out with the news.
At a table in the dining room, Karyn sat over sweet rolls and coffee with Chris Halloran and a worried-looking Luis Zarate. They looked around furtively, like conspirators, and talked in low, guarded voices.
"I understand you said last night you could help us," Chris said.
Luis' eyes darted around the room. "I did not say that exactly."
"Well, what exactly did you say?"
"What I was going to say is that I know somebody who maybe can help you."
"Damn it, man, get on with it. Do we have to drag every word out of you?"
Karyn laid a hand on Chris's arm. "Please, Chris, let Luis tell us in his own way."
"Gracias, Senora," said the taxi driver. "The one I know, the one who may help you, lives in the mountains back of the city of Mazatlan. She is a gypsy. Very old. Her name is Philina."
"What the hell good is an old gypsy lady going to do us?" Chris demanded. "We're talking about werewolves, not tea leaves. I thought you understood that."
Luis pushed his chair back from the table. With as much dignity as he could summon, he started to rise. "If the Senor is not interested, I will take no more of your time."
"Please, Luis, sit down," Karyn said. "We want very much to hear what you have to say." She frowned at Chris.
"I'm sorry, Luis," he said. "I'm just upset. We don't want any more people to die. And we need all the help we can get, from anyone who will give it. I truly appreciate your offer."
Luis eased back into the chair. "Muy bien. Philina is, like I told you, a very old gypsy. She is full-blooded gypsy, not just little part like me." He blinked a smile on and off, then continued. "Philina sees things in your hand. She knows things that are going to happen. If there is anyone who can help you fight lobombre, it is Philina the gypsy."
"Can you take us to her?" Karyn asked,
"I can take you some of the way - as far as the road goes. After that there is a mountain trail that leads to her cabin."
"That's no good," Chris said. "We haven't time to go hunting through strange mountain country for some old woman. If we are caught out after dark, we'll be at the mercy of the werewolves."
"The journey can be made in the daylight hours if one starts early," said Luis. "I have a cousin who lives at the end of the road. He keeps burros for mountain travelers. He will let you have two of them for a small price. The burros know the way up the trail. It is the only one leading up the mountain."
"If we started now, could we make it today before dark?" Karyn asked
Luis glanced through the window, checking the angle of the sun. He nodded.
Karyn and Chris looked at each other. "What do you think?" she said.
"To tell you the truth, I think it's a waste of time, I can't see what good an old gypsy fortuneteller can do us."
"Chris, we have nothing else."
"But palm-reading. Do you believe in that?"
"Do you believe in werewolves?" Karyn said quietly.
"Touche," said Chris.
"Even if the old woman can do nothing for us, all we've lost is one day. And it's just possible that she's for real, and can somehow help us. I think it's worth trying."
Chris rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "Okay," he said. "I'm game if you are." And to Luis: "How soon can you be ready to go?"
"I am ready now, Senor. My taxi is parked just outside."
"Good. Karyn, I think it would be best if you stay here while I go check out the gypsy lady."
"Not a chance," Karyn said. "I'm going with you." When Chris started to protest she held up a hand to stop him. "Please don't go all macho and protective on me. This is more my fight than it is yours, and I'm not going to sit in my room wringing my hands while you're out doing things."
"All right then," Chris said reluctantly. "We'll both go. While you put on something suitable for burro-riding, I'll go try to head off trouble with Audrey."
Audrey Vance sat up in the bed and held the sheet wrapped tight around her lithe body as she listened to Chris tell her he was going to leave her this morning. Her gray eyes were like chips of granite.
"I know this isn't a lot of fun for you," he said. "But please believe me when I tell you it's super important."
Audrey stared at him coldly before answering. "And you have to be gone all day."
"Most of it, probably."
"With your ex-girlfriend."
"Karyn is not my ex-girlfriend."
"Whatever the hell you want to call her, then."
Chris sighed heavily. "Yes, Karyn will be with me."
"Very cozy."
"I can't help what you think."
Audrey turned away, letting him see her best profile. "Maybe it would be better if I just went back to Los Angeles alone."
After a moment Chris said, "As a matter of fact that might be the best thing to do."
Audrey turned toward him quickly. She reached out her arms, letting the sheet fall away from her high, firm breasts. "I didn't mean it, Chris. I don't want to go back without you. Look at me, I promised you I'd never be jealous, and here I am doing exactly that. Look, if you've got something important you have to do with the woman, go ahead. I'll find something around here to keep me busy today."
Chris relaxed. He placed his hands flat against the girl's sides, feeling the ribs outlined under the firm flesh. "Thanks, honey. I'll tell you all about it sometime when there's no pressure. If I tried to explain it now, take my word for it, you wouldn't believe me."
Audrey locked her hands behind his head and tried to pull him down with her on the bed. "At least you can leave me with a little something to think about."
He held himself back. "Sorry, honey, I just haven't got the time."
She released her hold immediately and looked up into his eyes. Little white tension lines appeared at the corners of her mouth. "Jesus, thanks a lot."
Chris tried a smile. "When I go to bed with you, I want us to have time to do it right. You don't want to start knocking off quickies, do you?"
"Just go on and do whatever you have to do." Audrey gathered the sheet around her again. "I'll see you when you get back."
Chris stood for a moment looking at her. When she would not meet his eye he went out and closed the door firmly behind him.
Karyn was waiting on the veranda with Luis when Chris returned. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a lightweight jacket over a sweater.
"How did it go?" she said.
"Not too good."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. That's my problem."
As they started down the steps Karyn touched Chris's arm. "There's that policeman who talked to us last night. I want to see him for a minute."
She walked up the path to where Sergeant Vasquez stood talking to a young uniformed policeman, who nodded several times, then hurried off.