“If you say so, Lieutenant,” Tony said, not liking it at all.
“Consider it an order, Lieutenant,” Clete said, and then had another thought. “And speaking of orders: I told you to stay away from me. So what were you doing at the Guest House?”
Tony looked very embarrassed.
“It was a personal matter, forget it.”
“I don’t want to forget it, Tony. I want to know what was so important you went to the Guest House after I told you to stay away.”
Tony looked even more uncomfortable. He looked at Enrico.
“Does he speak English?”
“No.”
“I got a girl in trouble,” Tony blurted.
Jesus Christ, is he serious?
“You did what?”
“I got a girl in trouble.”
You certainly didn’t waste any time, did you?
And you’re really upset about it.
For the girl. This is not “Oh, shit, I knocked up a girl and her father wants me to marry her.”
“Do you mean what I think you mean, Tony?”
Tony looked confused for a moment, then his expression changed to outraged innocence.
“It’s nothing like that. Jesus, Clete, she’s not that kind of a girl! Christ, I’ve never even tried to cop a feel.”
“Then how is she in trouble?”
“Her boyfriend saw us in El Tigre. Or, really, some sonofabitch saw us in El Tigre, took our picture, and showed it to her boyfriend, and he’s a real prick.”
“Tony, I don’t understand what the hell the problem is. Is the boyfriend coming after
you?”
“He’s not exactly her boyfriend,” Tony said uncomfortably.
What the hell is he talking about?
“What exactly is he?”
“I mean, I don’t think she even really likes him. He’s sort of, like, supporting her.”
Oh, Tony. You poor bastard. You’ve got yourself hooked by a clever whore who saw what a wholly decent and damned naive kid you are!
“This man is supporting her? Then she’s not your girlfriend? You’re not in love with her?”
“Of course not. I mean, no, I’m not in love with her…”
Like hell, you aren’t. You just don’t want to admit it to me. Or maybe even to yourself.