They found a real estate agency and the agency quickly found what they wanted. It was a low-slung five-bedroom ranch-style house nailed to the side of a hill above Cliff Boulevard and offering sprawling views of two cities—El Paso on this side of the Rio Grande, Juárez on the Mexican side—plus the nearby Franklin Mountains as a backdrop. Available now, to rent fully furnished. Owner had gone to Africa to write a book about elephants. Might be gone a long time. Very big, elephants. They were in the office, signing papers, when the head man said: “Congratulations. You’re our one hundred thousandth client,” and he held up the keys and stuck out the other hand, so Luis shook it and a photo flash went off. “One for the family album. And there’s a complimentary case of champagne waiting at your new home.” Luis didn’t like sneaky photographers but it seemed churlish to complain. He took the keys and cranked out a two-star smile. By then, Frankie Blanco was living in a big old wooden roominghouse with an uninterrupted view of the tracks of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
What do You think about Operation Bamboozle (2013)?
