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had rather hoped I wouldn’t. See you, that is.”
    “I get that a lot,” Keller said.
    “That’s what I understand from Mr. Sanchez.”
    “What exactly did he tell you?”
    “Mostly that if you showed up, it meant that he was in some kind of trouble. I assume that’s what’s happened?”
    “He’s disappeared,” Angela said.
    Delgado blew out a long breath. “Well,” was all he said. He picked up the file folder and took a piece of paper out. “Mr. Sanchez signed this when he left. It’s a release allowing me to give any information to you regarding him. If you came looking.”
    “So, you’re covered. You won’t get in any trouble,” Keller said.
    “Not with him, no.”
    “But maybe with some other people?”
    Delgado put the paper down and looked at Keller. “Mr. Sanchez said you could be trusted. Completely. Those were his words. ‘I trust Jack Keller completely. And you can as well.’”
    Keller felt a tightening in his throat. His voice felt strangely hoarse as he said “I’m not a cop. I’m not Immigration. I don’t care about whatever you might be up to. I just want to find my friend.”
    Delgado nodded. He stood up and faced the window. “I couldn’t help him. Not like he wanted. Since he’s married a citizen, maybe…and I stress maybe…I could have gotten him back in, if he’d left and gone back to Colombia to reapply. But that could take a year, maybe more.”
    “He was worried that the boys weren’t safe,” Keller said.
    “Yeah,” said Delgado. “I get that. There’s been an uptick in violence. Kidnappings. Drive-bys with innocent bystanders killed. He was worried, and I don’t blame him. But getting them here, as fast as he wanted? There was no way.”
    “Not legally,” Keller said.
    Delgado turned away from the window. He was smiling. “Surely you’re not suggesting that I would do something illegal. Even to help a man as nice as Mr. Sanchez and,” he inclined his head to where Angela was sitting, “his lovely wife. And his sons who he felt were in so much danger in Colombia.”
    “Surely not,” Keller said. “But.”
    Delgado sighed. “But.” He looked down at the desk for a moment, tapping his fingers absently. In the silence, they could hear the muted sounds of traffic in the streets below. He looked up. “Leave me a number,” he said. “I have to talk to some people first. Tell them what Mr. Sanchez said about talking to you. I’ll encourage them to do that.”
    “I need the information now,” Keller said.
    Delgado looked at him steadily. “I can’t give it to you now. Not without permission.”
    Keller stood up and started toward him. “Jack,” Angela said.
    Delgado didn’t back away. The window left him no place to go. “Mr. Keller,” he said, “all I can do is give you my word that I will do everything in my power to help you. But some of this is out of my hands.”
    Keller stopped. “If I don’t hear from you, I’ll be back.”
    Delgado shrugged. “And maybe you will beat the names out of me, and maybe you won’t. But if you do, they still won’t talk to you. And they will not take kindly to it. These are people, Mr. Keller, who it is better to have as friends than as enemies.”
    Keller stood there, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, the blood pulsing in his temples. He felt his hands curling into fists. He remembered the relaxation exercises Lucas had taught him. He took a deep breath, then another, deliberately uncurling the fingers.
    “How long before you know?” Angela’s voice seemed to come to him from far away.
    “Tomorrow,” Delgado said. “At the latest.”
    She stood up and handed him a card. “Please call at this number,” she said. “It’s my cell.”
    Delgado bowed slightly. “I promise,” he said, “I’ll get back with you as soon as I hear. Now if you’ll excuse me?”
    “Come on, Jack,” she said, “Let’s go.”
     
    A S THEY waited for the elevator, Angela stole furtive glances at Keller. He