Scott stared at the blank monitor. "We just saw the deputy attorney general of Mexico give the northern third of your country to the Sinaloa cartel."
"With the help of your CIA," Benny snapped.
Scott started to formulate a response in defense of his country. But he quit before he'd even formed the words. She was right. She knew it. And he knew it. "How did Ramirez die?"
"He went to work every day in an armored car with a police escort. One night when the car pulled up to his apart-ment building in Mexico City, there was a well-dressed cou-ple kissing by the main door. When Ramirez got close to them, the couple stopped kissing. They had a machine gun pressed between them. The man shot Ramirez and his two bodyguards, and the woman threw hand grenades at the po-lice cars. Then two motorcycles picked up the man and woman and they all got away."
"It had to be Los Zetas," Scott said. "They found out Ramirez cut a deal with Gutierrez to give the entire border to Sinaloa."
"Maybe it was the CIA."
"They had no reason to kill him. They had what they wanted, a three-way deal between the CIA, the Mexican government, and the Sinaloa cartel."
"Why would the CIA want a deal with the Sinaloa?"
"Sinaloa and Los Zetas are the two biggest dogs in the pit," Scott said. "And the war they've been fighting with each other and with the Mexican government is what knocked the National Action Party out of power and put the PRI back into the Presidential Palace."
"Why not let them all keep fighting each other?"
"Because what the CIA wants is control, and the fewer things you have to control, the more time you can devote to controlling each one. One is easier than two, two is easier than three, three is easier than four, and so on and so on. Every time you divide your focus, you divide your effective-ness. One political party in Mexico City and one cartel on the border gives the CIA exactly what it wants."
"Which is?"
"Stabilized instability."
"What does that mean?" Benny asked.
"For governments the CIA can't control, like Nicaragua, Cuba, the old Soviet Union, they want instability, everybody at each other's throats. But for governments they can control, they want stability, but not too much. Not enough so they lose their control but enough so that the government doesn't change hands. Stabilized instability."
"How do you know all this?"
"I majored in political science and history," Scott said. "And I learned to read between the lines."
She nodded.
He gave her a long look. "Now I have a question for you."
"What?" She looked nervous.
"How did Mike Cassidy get that video?"
"He got it from-"
A light knock interrupted her. Scott turned and saw Fa-ther Rodrigo standing in the open doorway. "I didn't mean to intrude," he said. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to bed. If I'm lucky, someone will show up for early Mass."
Scott checked his watch and saw it was almost 2:00 a.m. "I'm sorry we kept you up so late, father. And thank you again, for everything."
"I was glad for the company."
"I need to email someone," Scott said. "Can I use your Internet connection?"
"I'm sorry," Father Rodrigo said. "We don't have that here. We're a poor parish." He looked at Benny. "Donde esta Rosalita?"
Benny sprang to her feet. "Dios mio!"
"What?" Scott said.
She turned to him. "My neighbor is watching my daugh-ter. I told her I'd be back before midnight. I've got to call her." She turned to Rodrigo. "Tío, necesito su telefono?" Uncle, can I use your phone?
"Of course," he said and stepped out of the way as she rushed past him toward the kitchen.
Scott bent under the desk and pulled the flash drive from the USB port at the back of the computer. When he straightened up, Father Rodrigo was staring at him. "You're both welcome to stay the night." A look of embarrassment crossed his face. "But I only have the one spare bedroom."
"The sofa is fine for me."
Rodrigo nodded.