“Casto wants to talk to you,” she said, practically in a whisper. “He’s waiting outside the door.”
“Casto?”
“Si.”
I went through the rear entrance. For a moment, I saw no one, and then Casto stepped out of the shadows.
“Someone has come to see you,” he said.
“Who?”
“Ignacio Davila.”
“Ignacio! Where is he?” I asked.
“He’s behind the pool house, waiting. You must not be seen with him,” he warned, and then disappeared into the same darkness from which he had emerged.
I hurried across the lawn toward the pool and the pool house, watching for anyone as I walked. When I got to the pool house, I paused, checked again, and went around to the rear. At first, I didn’t see him, and then his silhouette was clear at the corner. He called to me.
“Ignacio, where have you been?”
“A friend of my father’s has kept me safe,” he said.
“I am sorry you are in so much trouble. It’s all my fault.”
“No, no. It is not your fault. You were the victim.”
“What happened? Why did you hurt him so badly?”
“It wasn’t meant to be that way. He put up a big fight, and Vicente put his head down like a bull and charged at him just when he backed up in front of the window. I thought Vicente would go through the window, too, but he didn’t. We didn’t wait around after that. The girl was screaming.”
“You didn’t know how badly he was hurt?”
“We ran off. No one stopped to look. Later, when we heard, we separated. My father was very angry at me. I think he would have turned me into the police if it wasn’t for my mother. He got his friend to hide me, and I learned the others were caught. I was afraid for you, but I couldn’t come here.”
“Why did you come here now? Is it not as dangerous?”
“Yes, but I wanted to say good-bye, Delia. I can’t stay here any longer. No one will believe it was not meant to be that terrible. I’ll be sent to prison. My father believes this, too.”
“Where are you going?”
“Back to Mexico. My father has given me the money I was saving for a car, and I’m using it to pay a coyote to take me across.”
“Back to Mexico?”
“Sí, Delia. I have come to tell you I am not unhappy I met you and…”
“I must go with you,” I said quickly.
“What?”
“Back to Mexico. If you can cross over, you must take me back, too.”
“No, no, it is not a crossing for you to make. I must be smuggled through Tucson. From there, I will cross through the desert with my coyote to Sasabe, Mexico. It’s miles and miles of walking, and with this unexpected heat…”
“I will go,” I said.
“It’s too dangerous.”