But trying to start a casual conversation with a street kid wouldn’t work. The kid would either clam up or run. And he couldn’t just go out and arrest one. Without some kind of a charge that would stick, even a federal cop couldn’t get away with that. And, besides, where could he take him? Bringing him to Ferraz’s jail would be useless. The kid would be so terrified that he’d never open up. Taking him to the hotel would attract too much attention, and might have fatal consequences if the colonel found out about it. Arnaldo considered going to a seedy part of town and flaunting his wristwatch and wallet. But, no, that wouldn’t work either. He was a big guy, so they’d have to set on him in a group or leave him alone. If they left him alone, he’d be wasting his time. If they set on him in a group, he’d have to pull a gun, but then somebody was liable to get hurt. Finally, and somewhat reluctantly, he came up with a way to go about it.
