"[And thus did God shape man from the mud of the earth... [... and blew into his face the breath of life." "[Genesis, 2,7." "BREATH OF LIFE" "[I could still feel her warm caresses." "I had to go to Armero to make sure she was dead" "[I had to, in order to keep on living." "[I could still smell it." "[A smell out of hell." "[Of sulfur and burnt flesh." "I need a bathroom." " Again?" " Yes." "We can't stop all the time." "You must have a prostate problem." "Son of a bitch!" "Look at what you did to the car you ass!" "Mind the child." "Hello." "Welcome, gentlemen." "Go ahead, have a seat." "I'm buying." "Another time." "We're passing through." "So what?" " Half a bottle of aguardiente." " Right away." "I'll take you to the john, blind man." "Call me "Mago" or Evaristo." "Let me help you." "Let's go!" "The smell will lead me." "The bastard thinks he knows everything." "Ask him about the results of the Bogota lotto." "4- 5- 7" " And those of Tolima?" "4- 9- 9." "Those numbers hadn't come up in six months." "Arley!" "Give me a light." "I like it when you light my fire." "That's why I brought you, boy." " You want a drink, "Mago"?" " No, thanks." "That blind man is strange." "Leave him alone." "It's up to him." "Play something merrier, it sounds like a funeral!" "No, why don't you play "tejo"?" "Arley!" "Give me the Walkman." "Watch the car, man." "It stinks in here!" "Stinks of you." "Take off your jacket, we're not in the North Pole." "Want a beer, Mago?" "Why not take off your jacket?" "['cause there's a hole in my shirt..." "Back then, I went by the name of Emerson Roque Fierro." "How's that?" "What's your real name?" "It's not important." "I took the name during a dangerous missión." "And I kept it after being fired from the police." "Why did they fire you?" "I was onto something big." "Some money disappeared during a bust and was later planted in my room." "Not all, of course." "That's typical of the cops!" "Well go on, mister..." "Fierro." "Back then, I was living in a dump downtown." "Come on man!" "Come to bed, I have to go!" "Can you tell me where Mr. Emerson lives?" "At the end to the right, next to the toilet." "Edwin!" "Edwin!" "Come in, the door is open." "I'm listening." "My son got arrested." "They say he killed a girl in a hotel." "They're going to put him away." "So?" "I heard you're a cop." "Absolutely not." "Sit down." "What's his name?" "Where is he?" "He's called Oscar Lopez." " Professión?" " He was a boxer." "He quit ten years ago." ""El Martillo Lopez"..." "Exactly." "And I thought everyone had forgotten his name." "Not me." "Where is he?" "Hotel Las Nieves." "[When I was asked to save "Martillo", it was too late." "[His right uppercut was crushing." "[But let's face it, he was slow." "[His glory was short-lived... [... which is the case of many promising boxers." "Camargo!" "Hold it right there, Emerson!" "I can't let you in." "Get out of the way, Estupiñan!" "Don't make trouble, you won't come in." "You're no longer on the force." "Maybe I'm back." "I don't think so." "Anyway, this ain't your beat." "Ain't your beat, my ass!" "Do you remember Altos...?" "What's going on, Estupiñan?" "This scumbag tried to force his way in." "Not without my consent." "I'm Emerson Roque Fierro." "You were with me on the Quiroga case." "He was fired, he's a thief." "He stole the money in Altos del Pinar." "I'd rather say nothing." "What are you doing here?" "I defend the accused." "I'd like to ask him some questions." "I want to prove his innocence." "He's yours." "Good luck!" "It's just like talking to a wall." "Come, Jacinto tell me about the girl." "Let's see, young man I am listening." "Your honor nobody knows anything about anybody." "I should know, I see so many people come through here." "What was the girl's name?" "Why did you kill her?" "Did you love her?" "Did you hate her?" "Who would've imagined her locked up with that giant!" "She seemed so nice..." "I would go up every morning." "She'd open the door and pay the room for the day." "I'm just asking you to move your head, yes or no." "That's all." "Let's see..." "You didn't kill her?" "Mr. Boxer if I can call you so, after your Barranquilla fight." "I'm not doing this for the money but 'cause I have a heart of gold." "I can't stand to see a mother cry." "Are you deaf as well?" "And?" "There's nothing more to it!" "That's enough, Fierro!" "We're not staying here all night." "She had given a false name and had no I.D." "No I.D..." "How do you know it was a false name?" "I doubt her real name was Maria Felix." " What's that?" " Nothing." "You brute!" "You give me goose bumps." "Cute, isn't he?" "A matador, like you." "Keep it as a present." "Which one is it?" "Why do you want to see her?" "All the dead are alike." "Show her to me!" "There she is!" "That's her?" "Yes." "Can I see the report?" "There is evidence of sexual intercourse." "There were traces of different semens." "See for yourself, Sherlock Holmes." "Thanks." "My pretty hometown bird sweet honey flower my little love dove..." "Faggot!" "You pervert!" " Let the kid go!" " Bitch!" ""Martillo" must've known who she was." "Never said a word." "He remained indifferent like an old elephant in his dying place." "[Without a clue, I moved to the Hotel Las Nieves." "[They say assassins always return to the crime scene." "[That was my logic... [... and it bore fruit." "This is the best room of the hotel." "Nobody wants it anymore." "People are afraid they'll meet the young girl's ghost or something like that." "As if one could return from the dead..." "Even dead, I wouldn't be queer enough to return!" "And this is..." "Bathroom." "My name is Jacinto." "And I'm here to serve you." "Welcome to the Hotel Las Nieves!" "Which number?" "You choose." "I have a blind faith in you." "That's 1.000 pesos." "Tell me." "What do they say here about the murder of the girl?" "Golondrina." "Golondrina?" " That's how they called her." " You knew her?" "Sure, she was my girlfriend." "Your girlfriend?" "Yes, she came from my hometown." "I did errands for her." "Where are you from?" "From nowhere." "Where's that?" "Doesn't exist anymore." "One day when I was drunk, I took a bus and returned to the village." "Everything was there:" "Rosa's restaurant Toño's billiard parlor Marlene's whorehouse, everything." "Nothing had moved." "It was all there without really being there." "Just like the wind." "Armero!" "Yes, Armero." "It was my hometown." "And the girl's family?" "She had no relatives, they were all buried under the mud." "Did she have a job?" "She didn't do anything." "She spent her time at the hotel." "She didn't want anybody to know that she lived there." "They say she ran into trouble with Don Ariza." "She had worked for him in the north casino Ambassador, I think." "I'll keep you in mind." "If so, good luck." "See you around!" "Tonight is the draw!" "Buy your tickets!" "Tonight is the draw!" "Buy your tickets!" "I'm watching you, you rat!" "A ticket, please." "Focus!" "[That day I was lucky." "[The double feature had changed... [... and I hadn't seen either of two films." "[I left just in time to try my luck at the Ambassador." "Give me 5000 in chips of 500." "[What a big spender!" "[To win big, you got to play big." "[5000 to the bank." "[That's for you, sweetie." "[Thanks." "Professionals!" "[No more bets." " Worked here long?" " Two years." " And is it OK?" " Yes." " You knew Golondrina?" " Who?" "Golondrina, I was told that was her nickname." "6 is free!" "You've got the wrong place." "That name doesn't ring a bell." "By the way, where is Ariza?" "No more bets." "If you talk about Don Medardo Ariza... [... he sold this business a long time ago." "[Who's the new boss?" "Don Jose Luis Domingo." "You wanted to see Medardo Ariza?" "I'm Irene, his sister." "Can I help you?" "Let me introduce myself." "My name is Emerson Roque Fierro." "Are you a cop?" "No, ma'am, private eye." "I've always had a weakness for private eyes in films, of course." "Yes, of course." "Let's go to my office." "We can talk in private." " Do you want a drink?" " I don't drink." "I don't believe you." "Not when I'm working." " That's the case now?" " Yes, you could say so." "You're being a good boy." "Booze and work don't mix." "I never drink." "It's bad for my skin." "Your husband?" "Yes." "Do you know him?" "No, but it's obvious." "What's obvious?" "That he's your husband." "Nice kids!" "Are you nervous?" "Not at all." "Nobody here knows that girl." "Knew." "She was strangled." "She was Medardo Ariza's mistress." "She worked here in the casino." "I don't know under which name." "Golondrina?" "Maria Felix?" "You surely know." "Was it before or after Ariza sold the casino to Jose Luis Domingo?" "To whom?" "To Jose Luis Domingo, your husband." "He is the owner, right?" "Of course." " But what's the link?" " There isn't any." "Although I found a piece of his photo at the hotel." "Only his portrait was cut out." "Which hotel?" "Hotel Las Nieves." "You wanted to speak with Medardo?" "I'd like to ask him a few questions." "And your husband as well." "He is not a skirt chaser." "Where is he?" "Travelling." "Where?" "What gives you the right to come here and interrogate people?" "Who hired you?" "A down-and-out boxer who was framed." "I got a hunch you know who did it." "Accomplices go to jail just the same." "Ask Medardo about his sluts and leave us alone." "I could arrange a meeting." "It won't be easy, he's very busy with his campaign." "Where can I get in touch with you?" "Don't worry." "Don Medardo is such an important man it won't be difficult to reach him." "[I smelt bad and had foul breath." "[Why was Estupiñan following me?" "[Certainly not to ask me about the money he stole." "[I was sure about that." "OK, tell me about the flick you saw through the hole." "The one with Maria Felix and the matador." "Your favorite actor:" "Jose Luis Domingo!" "[At first, I couldn't wait to finish my job... [... so I could watch them." "[My ideal couple... [... as I secretly called them." "She loves me a lot a little she loves me not..." "Not." "She loves me a lot she loves me." "Take my picture, matador I'll keep it as a souvenir." "[Then I got bored because they fought all the time." "I'm sick of being stuck here, Golondrina." "What's going to happen when we run out of money?" "When we're out of money, I will go back to what I was." "So I don't care." "Right now, I'm on vacation." "Shall we send the blind man for some cold beers?" "Medardo must hate me to death." "Not to mention Irene!" "I thought you loved no one but me." "Medardo is my brother-in-law." "Irene is the mother of my children with you, Golondrina I have nothing." "You'll wear out the mirror looking at it all the time." "At least, from here this room looks twice as big." "I thought you were more fun." "Since we got this room, all you do is suffer Matador!" "Us paranoids suffer twice as much." "[Singing, singing has become my only destiny... [... because... [..." "I've forgotten how to cry." "Shut up, Golondrina, you make me nervous." "[I'll sing even though you must leave." "[" " I sing because..." " Shut the fuck up!" "...I'm hurting." "[And I sing because you're leaving." "Goddammit, Golondrina!" "Shut up once and for all!" "Who did that to you, my Niño de la Ribera?" "Zurito!" "A 1000-pound beast." "One would think that fucking bull was made of bronze." "My sword hit his neck bone three times." "The third time, the blade bent and flew up in the air." "The crowd was booing and a cushion hit my face." "And I overheard the loud voice of Zabala, ABC's critic behind the barrier of the Aranjuez arena "My God he must be the only Colombian who doesn't know how to kill!"" "Blinded by rage, I picked up the sword and bent back into shape and defied the beast but this time the bull pierced my thigh with its favorite horn the right one and sent me flying with my "muleta" left me flat on the sand." "I managed to raise my eyes and I saw my silk pants ripped from hip to knees." "The whiteness of the bone..." "My poor Niño de la Ribera." "In my dreams, I still see the bull." "His eyes wide open staring at me." "He bows his head to charge." "And I stab my sword into his hump once, twice again and again..." "Who do you fear most Medardo Ariza or your bull?" "Good morning!" "Good Morning!" "Hello." "I'm looking for someone who lived here." "People pass through here all the time." "If I had to remember all their faces I'd go even more queer!" "What a lovely coat!" "Look again." "He was with the girl that got killed." "Again with that young lady!" "When she was alive no one noticed her." "I am this man's wife." "I don't know him!" "I love your coat." "Where did you buy it?" "If you're good, it's yours." " Really?" " Yes." "Rest assured, ma'am the monster who killed the girl is already behind bars." "He's a failed boxer with a rough face." "Nothing like your lovely husband." "Have you lost something, Mrs. Domingo?" "What are you doing here?" "Emerson Roque Fierro." "I live here." "Wait up, I have to talk to you." "No, no, no." "I would rather come up." "I am dying to see the room." "Who were you talking to?" "Nobody in particular." "Nobody in particular?" "Just a whore going up to Dick Tracy's room." "Big mouth!" "Right now you show me your peephole." "It was here, right?" "Here what?" "Where Medardo's bimbo was strangled." "Yeah." "It's here she was killed." "Why did you choose to live here?" "Who knows, instinct perhaps." "And how's your instinct?" "I can't complain." "You must lead an interesting life." "Not really, ma'am." "Rather dull, actually." " Did you know the girl?" " No." "Did you see her corpse?" "Yes, at the morgue." "At the morgue?" "I was sure you knew her." "So why lead this investigation?" "Good question." "Maybe I'm like an old monk who never takes off his frock." "I like to investigate and go to the heart of things." "The heart of things." "I wish you good luck." "Don't you have a drink?" "At this hour?" "Isn't it bad for your skin?" "I make exceptions." "Mago!" "A bottle of aguardiente!" "What room?" "The same!" "Hey!" "Let's see the cash!" "It's on me." "The way you bet, you must be broke." "Does it show that much?" "Believe me, it does." "Catch, Mago!" "How's your investigation?" "It's coming along." "Tell me about it." "Forget it." " Why?" " Because of your husband." "He spent a month here with the victim." "They were loaded with cash." "The little bitch!" "She looked so naive..." "But it was just a mask." "Behind it the most perverse bitch that ever walked the earth." "She tricked him with her schoolgirl ways." "She made him lose his head." "She conned him into robbing the casino." "My husband thought he could upstage my brother taking away his bimbo." "Leave!" "Back to your old habits?" "Yeah, back to them but not quite the same." "It'll never be like with my little bird." "Fucking pervert!" "Thanks, Mago." "Let the blind man see." "Hurry up, I have company." "My love bird child of mercy my hometown blossom little love dove sweet honey flower..." "What a pair of legs, what a juicy pussy!" "OK, no more." "Enough!" "Here it is." "How much will it take so you drop the case?" "It's not about money." "A man of principles?" "An achiever." "What can I offer you?" "It's no use, Mrs. Domingo." "You're wasting your time." "What can I do?" "He's my husband after all." "I'd hate to see him in jail." "No, sir." "I want him by my side as always as it should be." "Just like before Medardo's bitch arrived." "I don't care if he is a murderer." "I can't forgive him for disappearing like that without a letter without a phone call." "We have children, we are a family." "These things matter." "40 days of uncertainty of solitude." "I don't deserve this." "You have to love somebody to understand it." "I did, she's dead." "Did she die here?" "Did she?" "No in Armero." "What was she like?" "I hardly knew her." "It's better." "You avoided being deceived." "What do you remember of her?" "I don't know." "Her eyes as big as almonds she could caress you with a glance." "That's beautiful!" "I feel terribly lonely." "Do you feel lonely as well?" "I got used to it." "No way!" "One never gets used to it." "Only the dead get used to solitude." "You big mouth!" "So that's my reward for covering up for you" "...I accepted to lie for forging the registers for doing your dirty work" "That's my reward: a kick in the ass!" "You butchered my mouth." "Look!" "Look!" "I can hardly talk." "That's good!" "Don't you think?" "John Jairo you are cruel and heartless." "Here you are!" "Thanks." "I forgive you." "Really?" "You're still my man?" "Surprise me tonight." "But not the Maria Felix number." "I'm sick of it!" "You barely know my repertoire." "I have more than one trick up my sleeve." "We'll see about that." "You can't even imagine what I'm capable of." "You look like a movie star." "See you tonight." "We'll kiss and make up." "That's my man!" "[I couldn't sleep... [... fearing each corpse rescued from the rubble might be hers." "[In vain, I looked for her desperately in the mud." "Her ghost still torments me." " What was her name?" " Pilar." "Pilar?" "Yes Pilar." "Why?" "I would've never imagined that name." "Names mean nothing." "The person is what matters." "Are you hungry?" "Yes." "Let's order Martillo and Golondrina's last meal." "What's that?" "Chicken with a bottle of aguardiente." "Perfect." "Mago!" "A chicken and a bottle of aguardiente!" "Let's see the cash!" "Catch!" "Come closer, detective." "Help me get rid of my ghost." "I can't replace your matador." "Nor I your Pilar." "Ouch, my knee!" "Watch it, blind man." "You won't go far if you limp." "Ah, it's you!" "You almost broke my leg." "Watch it when you open the damn door!" "And you better watch what you tell the gumshoe." "I should've guessed." "Just like a cop!" "What have you got here?" "Your favorite dish, chicken." "Listen I'm only a poor blind man who makes deliveries." "I bug no one and no one bugs me." "I hope not." "You still like it, don't you?" "What?" "Making deliveries." "That's how it is." "The girl from my village got me hooked." "If you send me out, I'll do it." "And I don't mind tips." "But nobody gives me what she gave me." "That is?" "Oh no, no." "It's a secret." "[When I got to the party... [... everyone had already gone." "[When I got to the buffet... [... everyone had already eaten." "[So don't ask me anything... [..." "I wasn't there." "[I know nothing... [..." "I just arrived." "Will you pay for a new bottle of aguardiente?" "Is it the trap's fault if the rat got caught?" "Go make your delivery and hurry up." "Have you seen the love of my life?" "No, I haven't." "Liar!" "I saw you two in front of the cinema." "I heard him alright but I didn't see him just as I don't see you either, faggot!" "He's still mad." "Did he say if he was coming?" "No money, no news." "Blind and ugly, your case is desperate!" "Really?" "I'd like to see your face the next time he beats you up." "We prefer real macho men not toads like you!" "It smells like fresh country air like wet soil after the rain." "Have a drink to warm you up." "And another one for the road." "You took your time!" "Have a good sip." "A leg is missing." "You want the other one?" "Well, why not!" "Go on, drink!" "That day, the politician went down on his knees." "They were so busy that they stood me up with the order." "It smelt different." "It seemed they were having fun in this room." "I spent time on you I taught you everything, I took you on trips." "If you come back I'll take you to Granada again." "I won't come back." "I don't ask for much just your company, for a while." "My days are numbered." "Just hold my hand and I'll make you rich." "It's not like it used to be." "You heard the lady." "Don't insist." "Keep out of this!" "Who do you think you are?" "I call the shots!" "I always pulled your strings, like a puppet!" "I snap my fingers, and you disappear!" "Why do you think you ended up in this shit hole?" "Calm down." "Thanks to you I have known paradise." "No." "Idiot!" "Why did you let him go?" "It seems he doesn't have much time left." "I was devoted to him I yielded to all his desires." "I even went to see a pro to learn some tricks." "I learned everything that pleases men." "When Medardo wasn't busy taking off my clothes I would read poems out loud to him." "Medardo would patiently correct me he would make me repeat every line until I said it right." "One day, I wanted to surprise him." "He had organized a party for "El Sevillano"." "I recited a poem I had learned in secret." "Everyone congratulated me even El Sevillano." "Maybe he did so because I was nude like a newborn baby." "Medardo was delighted, he was so happy." "Surely that's why he invited me to Spain." "El Sevillano lent us his cottage." "It was a beautiful villa with a view over the green hills where the bulls grazed." "It was a hot summer and Medardo wanted me naked all the time." "We made love wherever we wanted to no part of the house was spared." "For the staff, we were like a cow and a bull, humping all the time." "When I got back from Spain, I was pregnant." "[One day, I don't know how... [..." "I found myself in an abortion clinic in Ibague." "[He must have drugged me." "[Upon my return it wasn't the same." "I wasn't expecting you so soon." "Did it go well?" "[Something inside me was hurting." "After that I can't have children." "All men are my children." "What do you feel like, honey?" "Some chow." "Bring us two big platters and some beer." "Real cold ones." "Hurry up if you want your tip." "I wasn't expecting you anymore, you rascal!" "I was going to eat alone." "Any longer and your dinner would've been cold..." "It's good to make a woman wait, but don't overdo it." "Here I am." "Take me to cloud nine." "Come." "The suite is ready." "You should hire me." "And what for?" "To find your matador." "You'd better not, Emerson." "Everything was marvelous." "Let's not spoil things." "Easy." "I'd like to help you." "Forget the case." "It's going to bring you trouble." "I'm broke." "With some money, I could go on with the investigation." "All right." "Find my husband." "Alive!" "Quick!" "Take me uptown." "POWER TO THE PEOPLE" "Whose flashy car is this?" "A cop's" "Why?" "Are you a cop?" "No." "It's a pleasure." "Hugo Mora, at your service." "Do you know why Maria Felix doesn't mark her wardrobe?" "No idea." "Because Libertad Lamarque's it." "Very funny..." "Where are you going?" "Don't be so indiscreet." "You smoke?" "But go ahead don't worry." "Do you think he will get out of there tonight?" "Lucky you!" "I pay you by the hour." "Who's he with?" "Maria Felix." "I understand, boss it's confidential!" "I understand." "When things go wrong let it be like this." "Relax." "Love is a battlefield." "[Twinkle, twinkle little star..." "This trick may last a while." "Where are you taking me, my general?" "To seventh heaven." "No, to cloud - nine!" "OK, to cloud - nine." "Flor, call me Flor Silvestre." "[My Goddess, I could die for you." "Don't be too rough." "Don't forget your my macho." "A girl may have balls, but she still has her heart." "[You don't love me anymore." "[You disdain me." "[My lost heart... [... will perish at your feet..." "[Farewell, Maria Felix!" "Here's our love bird!" "Follow him." "Did you hire the gumshoe?" "Bastard!" "So you know all about it." "Tell me right now." "Where is my husband?" "I don't have a fucking clue." "Then why have me tailed?" "I'm covering my ass." "And I'm covering your matador's mess." "If you are so smart tell me where my husband is." "Or did you have him killed as well?" "I'm not your husband's keeper." "If anything happened to Jose Luis, you will pay dearly." "I'll give you fucking hell." "Forget about your political career!" "I will go to the press to your political enemies." "I will holler from the rooftops "assassin" "Medardo Ariza is an assassin!"" "What did you tell the boxer at the casino?" "What brings you here, champ?" "I'm looking for a job." "Not an easy thing." "What would you like to do?" "Doorman, maybe." "Or maybe a janitor." "No, no, no." "That's no work for a champ." "I have a better job for you." "The worst of crimes is to molest a minor." ""May the culprit be cast into the sea with a millstone round his neck", the Bible says." "That's what the bastard deserves!" "I welcomed him into my house like a brother and he defiled what was dearest to me my adoptive daughter." "The daughter I never had." "A little orphan from Armero." "At this very moment, they're free-basing in some dive." "Punish him." "Punish this bastard who stole my girl." "Give him a taste of your famous uppercut, champ." "Isn't he gorgeous!" "Apparently he was a torero." "He looks like one." "Pity he's such a pervert." "The screams I heard at night, give me the creeps." "He's a real sadist..." "I pity the poor girl." "Such a sweet young thing." "See you on the way out, Hercules." "Here's a message from Medardo Ariza, you pervert!" "Let me go!" "Let me go!" "Fucking pervert!" "You brute!" "Look what you did, you motherfucker!" "Jose Luis!" "Jose Luis!" "Don't go!" "Don't give Medardo the pleasure!" "How much did he pay you for this?" "He told me he treated you rough." "That he kept you here by force." "By force?" "I'm here because I love him." "At least I try to." "Strike me." "Strike me hard." "Strike me with all your might!" "What good will it do?" "Go get your money." "You did your dirty job." "Go now!" "Leave me alone." "It's the first time I hit someone outside the ring." "You remind me of my mother when she healed my wounds after the fights." "Why don't you stay the night?" "I can't." "Why not?" "My mother will worry." "There's no need to worry." "You never had a girlfriend?" "No." "I don't believe you." "Not even in brothels?" "Yeah but just once." "I couldn't do it." "I'll be all the girlfriends you never had." "I told you not to come to my house, Estupiñan!" "Let me in, please." "I'm in a jam." "Don't tell me." "How bad is it?" "Real bad." "I had to take desperate measures." "Desperate measures?" "What have you done?" "I'd rather talk in private." "Keep an eye!" "You're close to the edge, Fierro." "Do you want a drink, Fierro?" "To get you back on your feet." "Why did you get mixed in this?" "Because I'm an asshole." "You know as much as I do." "That is to say?" "You know that Jose Luis Domingo the Niño de la Ribera killed Golondrina." "I'd like to ask him myself." "As for your boxing friend he will be freed after the elections." "I guess I can't speak to Domingo till after elections." "Exactly." "After the elections, I'll deliver Domingo to you." "And let justice be done." "Where are you hiding him?" "What makes you think that?" " How can you deliver him?" " He's abroad." "Where?" "In Spain." "I don't believe you." "Check with the authorities." "Country exits are registered." "I even took him to the airport." "Another drink?" "You're no longer a cop and you're not being paid a fortune for this case." "So why bother?" "Was she a relative of yours?" "Your sister, perhaps?" "So, what's the big deal?" "Let things drag." "You won't regret it." "You'll understand, naturally, that a scandal, with my name would be a windfall for my political opponents." "It's more than a scandal." "It's well-known, you support paramilitary groups in the Magdalena Medio." "So many things have been said." "Fierro, my friend." "The boxer is a scapegoat to cover Jose Luis." "He may be a failed bullfighter unable to hold up to a calf but he is my brother-in-law." "The boxer kept quiet because it was part of the deal." "How much for your silence?" "Fill in the check yourself." "Go ahead choose the amount." "Here it's for a good cause, I assure you." "Between men, one can always reach an agreement." "I'd like my gun back." "Watch out for him." "He's got a shady past." "He's extremely dangerous." "Give him back his gun." "Don't do it, boss." " You're going to regret it." " Give it to him!" "I trust my men." " Thanks." " You're welcome." " Can I use the bathroom?" " Sure." "Go right ahead." "Traitor!" "How could I have trusted you!" "All men are the same." "Neither good nor bad." "Just plain fucking men." "You'll pay for all this!" "Yes, Irene." "Everything." "Estupiñan." "Yes sir." "You and I have to talk." "Sweet dreams wise guy!" "[Everything suggested that Medardo Ariza... [... would lose the election." "His name was in all the tabloids and he was guilty as sin." "This place stinks, I could have my car stolen..." "Don't worry I have my guardian ángel." "Cry for me, Maria Felix." "Your time has come, lover-boy!" "Don Ariza finally took the advice I gave him when we caught you pulling Golondrina's pants down." "Where do you want me to shoot?" "Between the eyes or in the heart?" "Better in the heart, you traitor!" "To die like this because of a cheap slut." "Rot in hell, motherfucker!" "Give me a cigarette." "What did you see in her?" "I became obsessed." "Like an unlucky gambler who sticks to the same number." "He bets all night and every time he loses." "Maybe it was her youth or maybe the short hair on the nape of her neck that I loved to caress." "Did she have short hair?" "Yes." "She had it cropped short." "Like a little bird." "You lost your accent, matador?" "What happened?" "They say you're afraid of bulls." "Women are much more dangerous matador." "You'll never understand what that girl meant to me." "When I met her she was only a kid, hardly a woman." "I fell madly in love with her." "I waited for her at the school gate in Armero." "Then we kissed like teenagers by the river until night fell." "Later, I'd drop her near her home and left thinking about our date the following day." "One afternoon my desire took me over and I took her virginity." "I had to go to Spain to buy fighting bulls and I took her along." "We traveled all over Andalucía." "In a beautiful cottage I spent with her the happiest moments of my life." "Everything she knew was thanks to me." "I was proud of her." "I can still see her now..." "At parties with my close friends naked by the swimming pool reciting poems by the great Garcia Lorca with the purest Andalucian accent." "I got an injunction to exhume the corpse." "Take off your hat." "Pilar!" "OK, understood." "HQ had sent me to the Magdalena Medio where things were as hot as the climate." "Where are you going?" "I don't know." "In the same direction as you." "I'm going to Honda." "That's fine with me." "What's your name?" "Let's say Pilar." "From now on, my name is Pilar." "I don't get it." "Do you have another name?" "Names mean nothing." "The person is what matters." "I like Pilar." "And you?" "Do you like Pilar?" "Yes." "It's a nice name." "[It was love at first sight." "[A week later... [... a priest gave us his blessing without any papers." "[A shadow on her waist... [... she dreams at the balustrade." "[... green flesh... [... green hair... [... with eyes of cold silver." "[... green, how I wish you green." "[... under the gipsy moon... [... things look at her... [... but she cannot see them..." "Pilar..." "[My mother is ill..." "[I have to go." "[I'll be back from Armero on Sunday." "Pilar." "I die almost every day." "Ever since I've known about my cancer living has become a silly habit." "You know, sometimes I wake up as though I'm dying..." "Here and here and here." "With every breath I'm dying." "[No one forgets their first love." "[Why should it be any different for Golondrina... [... or Pilar or whoever?" "[Before they could arrest him... [... the senator took justice into his own hands." "[He left a laconic note ending in a brutal line... [... "life isn't worth shit!" "[Thank God, I have no children. "" "[He couldn't stand being replaced by someone... [..." "like "Martillo" Lopez." "[He then ordered the killing... [... "Get rid of the horny bitch, Estupiñan!" "[And let the stupid moron take the heat." "[That burned-down boxer. "" "[Estupiñan took care of everything." "[During their honey moon, Mago unknowingly... [... gave the lovers a dose of scopolamine to drug them up." "I regret I have to keep your gun, Mr. Fierro." "I'm sure you will pay your bill shortly." "Take good care of it." "Keep it, I'll look after it like my own." "But it is not yours." "I wish to make that clear to you and your boss." "Before I forget, Mr. Fierro..." "This envelope is for you." "[It was about time, I got in touch with you." "[How ungrateful of me!" "[Since Medardo's death and Jose Luis's return... [..." "I've had so many things to do." "[Thanks to you, we are a happy family again." "[Jose Luis took over Medardo's business... [... and recovered from the trauma of the kidnapping." "[He's currently preparing the return to the arena... [... of The Niño de la Ribera." "[I'll never forget your support during the hard times." "[I confess, I would be scared to see you again." "[I know, I would tremble all over." "[This check is little compared to all you did... [... for me and my family." "[With my eternal gratitude." "Irene." "[P.S. I could've told you Golondrina was your wife... [... but you would've kept a bad memory of me." " A last one for the road." " OK." "Emerson..." "We have to go." "You're right, Mago how much is it?" "The bill's on me!" "Thanks a lot, Sir." "Thank the Yankees!" "Thanks." "Our guests are leaving!" "Leave me alone, I'm sleeping!" "Always at your service." "Be careful." "May God protect you!" "Take care of yourselves!" "Wake up, don't leave me alone!" "Wow!" "Those aren't fireworks!" "We see a lot in this trade." "It's a bit like being a whore." "You pick up a john and get it on till the next one." "And what happened to "Martillo"?" "Martillo he got out of jail and vanished." "They say he's unloading crates at the central market." "At least he found a better job." "[Daughters of Jerusalem... [... do not weep for me... [... weep for yourselves and for your children... [... for the day will come when you shall say... [... blessed are the sterile women... [... and the wombs, which have not given birth... [... and the breasts which never fed... [... then you will tell the mountains... [... tumble down upon us... [... and to the hills, bury us... [... for if this is how green wood is treated... [... what will become of the dry wood?""