Agustina was red-eyed, having gohree weeks without sleeping well, eating properly, and g every night over the loss of her baby. Her beautiful child was fotteo some trickery by an arrogant member of w enfort.

  -Even in the world of the 'whities,' there's corruption, - Agustina thought despoly, wiping the tables in the pce.

  Then, two older meered, in character. Because Spencer barely touched 35 years old, he was anything but young, raised among the elderly, his soul aced to the age of his years.

  -She's w, and I don't think it's right to disturb her, - Spencer said.

  Jerry Wrexler kneeople; a housewife was the least of his problems. Everyone fell uhe right words; the gesture of his hand pointing to the woman was enough for Speo run to call her. But she respoo Spencer's exact call almost timidly, unize him, and only saw him from afar, attending to the gentlemen.

  -Good afternoon from the Irish bar. It's a pleasure to assist you. How may I help you? - Agustina asked, lookiated.

  A mother's love.

  -Bring me a pint of beer and a good side dish. For my panion, the same. I want a dark beer, - Jerry Wexler said.

  -All right, - Agustina replied, without jotting anything down.

  -I thought you would talk to her about... 'business'? - Spencer said, somewhat surprised.

  -We will, but all iime. For now, we 't be rude and just talk like that. If the manager passes by and sees us talking with nothing in hand, he'll think the young dy is inviting her friends. The point is to attract less attention, - Jerry Wexler said.

  Spencer inteo unicate that he didn't drink beer, not very fond of the pleasures of alcohol, but he kept quiet. Something deep iold him that Jerry was too rushed to hear his pints. The fiasco of transferring Billy ged pns from heaven to earth, and now they had to act with more force, disrupting the process, but in his possession was a tract worth more than aaurant or car. The st time a tract was signed was a long time ago and for an offer that o be made.

  Jerry articurly silent, like a winter night. Sheltered in a facade of serenity, while Spencer used the table to grade some quick assigs from his uy students; duty was a thick gss to swallow.

  --Gentlemen, -- Agustina said with two pints in her hands and a tray of fries and wings. -- If you need anything, just let me know. --

  -Wait a moment, young dy. If I wish, I have something important to unicate to you, - Jerry Wexler said, raising his e as a signal to stop.

  -Is there any problem? - Agustina asked defensively. Her voice was sharper, but only due to the sore throat she had.

  -You see, even if you don't know him. This is Spencer, and his son Billy is your student. We're deeply moved by Billy's injustice, and we want to help you, - Jerry said smoothly.

  Agustina's brown eyes widened in aowledgment; Jerry mao hit the mark to get the woman's attention.

  -Now I remember the teacher, - Agustina said.

  -Mrs. Carson, I apologize for disturbing you at work, - Spencer said.

  Jerry halted.

  -Let's get to the point of the matter. I'm a very important music producer; I mobilize my wyers to get my future artist out month. But even if I do, the process will take three months, and well, the legal battle with the state is never pretty, the irregurities reported are strange, - Jerry Wexler said.

  -Irregurities! What are you talking about, sir? - Agustina asked.

  -Yes, the case. There are quite a few tradis pointed out by Spehat help us with the case. My wyer will go tomorrow to review them as long as he gets the quick approval. But as you know, I 't just move around like that, - Jerry Wexler said.

  -Damned white folks, - Agustina muttered in Spanish, tinged with a clear South Ameri at.

  -I uand some Spanish, ma'am. Please don't use profanity, -- Jerry said, in Spanish, marked with the at of non-natives. -- My Spanish is somewhat rusty. But please, feel free to ask any questions you may have, - Jerry said.

  Agustina blushed with decy but didn't admit her mistake. She only raised her with pride.

  -Well, that's what I think. Everyone wants to take advantage of Billy, - Agustina said.

  Jerry sighed; his wife would know what to do in these moments; she atient.

  -Well, I want to help Billy. I know him; he's a person with infialent, and being in the correal facility doesn't serve me. Let's talk in utilitarian terms: I want to see your son as the singer of Atnta Records, and I want him to have a healthy life. If his mother helps me safeguard his passions and be my guide on this journey, it would be a relief. I want the boy to study music, stay away from vices, and bee a singer. He should do what he's destio do. A talent like his, I've seen it twice. And the first time was someone you've even heard of somewhere, ma'am, - Jerry Wexler said.

  He uncapped a-page trad a pen.

  -You don't beat around the bush, well, I hope you don't betray my trust. If you do, you'll never gain it back. This will take me; I know someone who review this trae, - Agustina said.

  -He'd better hurry, - Jerry said.

  -If the tract is good and trustworthy, I'll sign it and won't lie. I'll do it. Turns out the gentleman is an acquaintance; you take it yourself if you wish, or you wait for him to e. Sometimes he es to the bar to say hello; if I call him, he'll probably e, - Agustina said.

  -Call him; tell him I'll pay for the sultation myself. If that helps us avoid the sin of your son spending another day in that dangerous correal facility, - Jerry said, knowing from rumors and some data that Arizona was one of the most dangerous pces on the West Coast, with some dangerous gangs that not only recruited unsuspeg young people but also older adults and others.

  ***********************************************************

  Billy was having another cert at the basketball courts, singing, and rog with all the power of his voice. He had dohree of these certs, and now his followers were being more visible. The radius of a star was brilliantly wider than any other radius; the power of Billy's voice was enough for some people to enjoy six minutes a day of something different. Music wasn't allowed, and only occasionally would a guard turn it on to clear the dark thoughts swirling in people, caregivers, and officers.

  Billy's ies, the brutal Sam, the giant Fred niamed the troll, a rge and dangerous man with tremendous strength who could beat even the biggest with just two fists, Jimmy the sidekick, and or, who had arrived after his brutal injury. They asked him how he was, and he just shrugged, uned.

  They were joined by Joseph Marshall, known as LCD, a dealer, a troublemaker who, at fourteen, already had his entire body tattooed. His dream was to be a tattoo artist, and he didn't hesitate to say it. He was skinny, and acc to many, dangerous. A dangerous man.

  Billy breathed deeply, trying to calm down; singing had exhausted him. The strength he had put into it left him drained. It was an attempt to unify a makeshift band; or beat a paint bucket and an oval tinpte along with two old pots lined with transparent paper, simuting a drum kit. It worked, but or didn't pin; he just pyed.

  -I'm exhausted, - Billy said, catg his breath.

  -I still don't uand how you end up sweating after singing; I mean, I never expected singing to be so demanding, - Sam said, with a bck eye courtesy of a fight. Billy wasn't the only one; he had a bump on his head and a big scrat his shoulder.

  -I sing with everything I have. If I didn't do it that way, I would be pletely disappointed. It's not the force of the singing; it's the force of your soul," Billy said, rec little by little. "You see, I uand music as a spiritual principle. I vey my emotions; I make them see what they love, what they fear, or sometimes they just see me, - he said.

  -Like a superpower, - or said, who had seen some details of his life when Billy sang; sometimes he even saw a vast o.

  -Enough, Billy Wayne, and his steeds, - Sam said, moving a stick between his fingers as if it were a knife.

  -I'd like to support you; sometimes I see the park where I camped with my parents or the hospital, - Fred said.

  -Damimental giant, - Sam whispered.

  -Fred is a good and knowledgeable man, - Billy said, ughing.

  -The only one who hasn't seen anything is Sam, oh... he's embarrassed and hides in his shame, - Jimmy said, managing to make the group ugh, even a stunned or.

  Billy pacified them.

  -It doesn't matter, Sam! The fact is, you like my musiorrow or the day after, there will be a gig; I o rest my voice; I've been singing nonstop this week, - Billy said.

  Not long into the night, he had anht, nothing serious, just some punches, and other blows. He had had five fights, eight if you

  ...