Joey D. had a new friend. Seven questioned how a man with such incredible interpersonal skills had come to be alienated from his own family. He possessed the unique ability to develop a deeply personal relationship with every person he encountered.
Joey explained to Cabra that he and Seven were seeking information about the El Toro Negro distribution facility. He spoke to the boy in a mixture of English and Spanish; he told him that he needed to locate anyone in town who might have worked at the business or anyone who could give them some information about it. He retrieved a handful of cash from his pocket and handed it to the boy. Cabra took the money and quickly disappeared. Seven turned his attention back to Joey D.
“Joey, this is your territory, so I am just gonna go with the flow but I gotta ask, what’s going on with the kid?”
“Seven, you gotta understand how things work down here. No one is gonna talk to a couple of Americans about the cartel and cartel business. The drug lords run this country with an iron fist. These people live in fear of these guys. They know and understand the consequences of defying them, but they also benefit from the cartels. Most of the cartel leaders know the value and power that comes with having the local communities on their side, so they spread money throughout the poorer neighborhoods. Kind of like a Robin Hood thing. Taking money from the rich gringos in the north and spreading it around in the small Mexican towns. Through violence and charity, they develop a network of protection and information that feeds their business. No one in this town is gonna volunteer anything to us just by asking. Cabra’s a street kid. He survives by robbing tourists and hustling on the street. He knows everything and everyone is this town. He knows where to find anything or anyone we need. If there’s anything out there about your father or the El Toro Negro shipping dope or dead bodies to and from the US, he’ll find it.”