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“Not today. A week ago, yes, with two other women. She must be valuable.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everybody was asking about her last night.”
Hunter felt her heart thump against her ribcage, “Who’s everybody? Can you describe them, those who were asking?”
“There were many, a couple of big guys, a slender guy, a dozen of the locals. Word was out: Find her and you find money.”
“Who was paying?”
“I don’t know. I couldn’t look for her, I had to work.”
“Is there anyone in town who might know?”
The man frowned in concentration, tapping his temple. When Hunter offered another twenty, the man’s face brightened and he said, “Vicente Mora, he owns the trading post. He’s into everything. I would think he knows.”
“Where is he?”
The man gave directions. Hunter thanked him and left. She saw Mora’s sign as soon as she was outside: Buy, Sell, Trade, written in both English and Spanish. Looking down the street again for any sign of life and finding none, Hunter walked to the adobe building and tried the door. It opened and she walked in to see a man seated at a large cherrywood desk, shuffling papers and drinking what looked like brandy.
“How may I help you?” he asked in English, then took a long second to look Hunter up and down, running his tongue over his lips as he finished.
“Are you Vicente Mora?” Hunter asked.
“Yes.” Mora looked behind her, “Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“You come to Outlaw Road alone?”
“I have friends who are coming, I just got here first.”
“Maybe you would like a drink?” Mora thought he was being smooth.
“Some other time. Right now, I’m trying to find a young girl, Indian, about thirteen-”
Mora held up his hand. “The Tarahumara girl, that’s who you want, huh?”
“Do you know where she is?”
Vicente drank some brandy, licked his lips again and leered at her, “What can you offer me, that I should tell you?”
“If I find her where you say, I’ll pay you.”
“I will want more than money for such information.”
“Oh, you mean like,...I should pick up that lamp over there and knock the crap out of you with it, something like that?”
Mora frowned, “You talk like that to me? To me? If I snap my fingers, men will come and beat you for saying this thing! Do you realize how dangerous it is for you now?”
“I realize you don’t know where she is.”
“So, you think I will not collect the reward for her? Hah!”
“What reward?” She wanted to see what he would say.
“The reward for finding her. All of Chihuahua is looking, and maybe I know something the others do not.” He studied Hunter, and suddenly recognition dawned on him. “You are La Tejana, aren’t you!”
