"That narrows the search area, huh?" Remo suggested.
Lupe picked up a CB-style dashboard microphone. "It would until you understand that Mexico City is the largest city in the world."
"Oh, right. Forgot about that," Remo said.
Lupe began speaking rapid words in Spanish, asking questions and getting answers as Remo tooled his way through the colorful Zona Rosa.
"Take the Paseo de la Reforma," she said suddenly.
"Glad to," Remo shot back. "What is it and where is it?"
She replaced the mike. "Two streets more, then right."
Remo went up a street called Hamburgo and found himself on the same broad avenue where he had earlier lost the bread truck.
"We are passing the American embassy," Lupe said suddenly.
"Is that so?" Remo said, glancing at the flag-draped building.
"Did you not tell me that you worked for the American embassy?" Lupe said harshly.
Remo's face assumed a guileless expression. "We do. Sort of. We're cultural attaches."
"That means CIA."
"No flies on you," Remo said.
"Que?"
"Another expression. The rough translation is, yes, I do work for the CIA. I even have sortie ID on me. Satisfied?"
"No."
"So where to now?" Remo asked casually.
"Follow Reforma," Lupe said. "I am told a Bimbo Bread truck has been found parked near the Zona Hotelera. It has been abandoned."
"Damn," Remo said softly. He pressed the accelerator to the floor. "That's our only lead."
They skirted Chapultepec Park on one side and the Museum of Anthropology with its battered stone idol on the other, and whizzed past several more humanistic statues Remo didn't recognize.
"The truck will be found on the left, past this next crossroad," Lupe said, pointing.
"We call them intersections," Remo said, slowing down.
Beyond Chapultepec Park, in the shadow of the Hotel Nikko, was a shopping center. They found the truck there, guarded by two stone-faced local policemen toting shotguns.
Officer Mazatl led Remo and Chiun up to the truck, saying, "These norteamericanos are with me."
The cops withdrew under Lupe's hard stare and superior credentials. She threw open the back doors.
Loaves of bread tumbled out, several of them torn open and spilling half-eaten slices of thin-sliced bread.
Remo grabbed one bag as it tumbled out. It was crushed, as if stepped or sat upon.
"Looks like someone was in back, in the dark, having himself a pretty plain meal," Remo suggested.
"The true President," Chiun hissed.
Lupe went around to the driver's seat and threw open the door. She looked under the cushions, felt the floorboards, and came back, her face unhappy.
"There are no traces of anyone," she said, sullenvoiced.
"Assuming this is the right truck," Remo asked her intently, "where could they have gone?"
Lupe looked around. "Into any of these places," she said, gesturing toward the cluster of boutiques, theaters, and nightclubs around them. "Or"-her other arm indicated the other side of the Paseo de la Reforma, which hummed with cars and buses and mini-vans--"perhaps into the hotel district. The best hotels in the city are to be found there."
"I don't suppose you could organize a building-to-building search?" Remo wondered, daunted by the task.
"I do not think so," Lupe added unhappily. "I cannot get the local comandante to help us. With these burros we must plow."
"What's that?"
"A-how you say?-expression."
Remo winced. "How about these guys?" he suggested, pointing to the police officers standing out of hearing.
"I will speak with them."
Lupe engaged the two officers in earnest conversation and returned to Remo and Chiun.
"They say they are under orders to guard this truck, and not to interfere," she reported.
"Interfere with what?" Remo demanded.
"They refused to say."
"Is something going on?" Remo wondered.
"Something is always going on in Mexico City. It is a cesspool of intrigues. That is why I work in Tampico. There is less money to be had in Tampico, but also less intrigue. I do not understand what is going on."
"Well, nothing to do but to fan out and look around," Remo said morosely. "It's all we have." He turned to Chiun. "Are you up to this, Little Father?"
"No. But anything to get us out of this land of unbreathable air and unfeminine women."
"What did he say?" Lupe demanded.