The Tortilla Curtain

At the car dealership, the salesman tells Delaney that cars are stolen all the time. The culprits are often professionals who get orders from Mexico for specific makes and models that they send back across the border. Delaney is frustrated with the man’s lack of shock and outrage, an attitude he also encountered with the police and Jack Jardine. He grieves the loss of his car and drives away in an exact replica with just 38 miles on the odometer. 

He is running late for lunch, and Kyra has already ordered by the time he arrives. Delaney reflects that he is missing the usual rush of well-being he feels after a big purchase and wishes he could tell Kyra about the “stab of racist resentment” he felt handing over the new keys to the Latino parking attendant (149). They eat quickly, and Kyra wants to see the new car before she goes back to work. However, in the parking lot, she is distracted by a barking dog locked in a hot car. Kyra is immediately whipped into a righteous rage and starts looking for the car’s owner. She accosts him when he appears at the valet stand, demanding accountability. The man tells her to “just fuck off,” leaving both Kyra and Delaney shaking.