"gettin' kinda cranky, ain'tcha, mckenzie?"

"i'm tired. my shoulder is killing me. my ankle is killing me. my head is killing me. my hand aches. a childhood friend thinks i might be a murderer. and i've had too much to drink, or not enough, depending on your point of view."

"hungry?"

"that, too."

"i know a place not too far outta the way, you like puerto ricans."

"you're driving, herzy."

herzog walked into tres hermanas mexican restaurant and grocery and half a dozen voices shouted, "herzy." a hispanic gentleman was sitting at the end of the bar with two friends, all of them wearing hats that declared their affiliation with pipe fitters local 539. he raised his beer glass in greeting, and herzog gave him a wave in reply. an older woman wearing an apron-i guessed she was one of the three sisters-met him at the door and gave him a hug. herzog hugged her back and called her rosie, which i later learned was a derivation of rosita. it reminded me of a scene out of the tv show cheers, and it caught me by surprise. i knew herzog to be an exceedingly dangerous man who's done time for multiple counts of manslaughter, assault, aggravated robbery, and weapons charges. it never occurred to me that he would have friends, that he'd be popular, that he'd like ella fitzgerald and baseball and cozy mexican restaurants that piped mariachi music over invisible speakers and had espn deportes playing on its tvs.

"estoy feliz de verte, mi amigo," the woman said. "?como estas?"

i was surprised again when herzog answered, "bueno. 'stoy bueno. ?como va el negocio?"

"no me puedo quejar." the woman gestured at me. "?tu amigo?"

herzog waggled her hand.

"excuseme, se?ora, se?or," i said.

herzog's eyes widened, and rosie grinned.

"if i may answer your question, se?ora, herzog and i are business associates." i waved at the restaurant. "i am glad to hear that you're doing well."

"i didn' say that," rosie said. "i said i can' complain."

"my mistake."

"you didn' tell me you could speak spanish," herzog said.

"you didn't tell me that you could speak spanish."

rosie clapped her hands and laughed.

"i like ju," she said.

"thank you," i said.

"i need somethin' t' drink," herzog said.

rosie took a step forward and rested a hand on my arm. a concerned expression crossed her plump face. "?estas herido?"

"s