It began with a simple cup coffee personally delivered by Mr. Martinez. Once the first perfect hot drink hit his system, something started back up again in Carlos. After over a week of silence, Carlos spoke his first words, "Thank you". Though this was all he said for the next few days, he was saying it more frequently as his visitors brought him food and love. Pepino's Mother brought him cookies, and others came him soup and bread. The people of Montage had sorted out their feelings about the murders via heated arguments and a few fist fights, but in the end everyone agreed that Carlos was not to blame. Willard had embarked on a new life. He had a job at the station and had sworn off drinking. Caring for Carlos had helped him see the other side of his own tragedy and the healing had begun. Mere days after the Chief Inspector had taken over the station, he had released Carlos on his own recognizance and at once offered the cell to both he and Willard until they felt up to moving on. With Rodriguez no longer embezzling the station's prisoner funds for himself, there was ample money for food and even clothing for Willard and Carlos. On three or four occasions Hernando had been called down to the mine to examine small gold nuggets that had been spotted. The miners had been ordered to turn westward. This would put them under the Library. In spite of their warnings, Hernando demanded that they proceed but working only when the Library was closed. The new Librarian was unaware that the banging sounds he occasionally heard were anything more than the ventilation system. Pepe had overcome his reluctance with the people at the Hacienda Esmeralda, in fact he had developed a gambling addiction there. He was now hopelessly in debt to the Hacienda. Two of Hernando's bodyguards showed up at his house and threatened to kill him if he couldn't pay off his debt. After begging for mercy, the men suggested that his teenage daughter, Cheena, could work off his debt by working "upstairs". Pepe knelt on the floor weeping as they took away his only daughter. Carlos felt a nudge as he fought to pull himself out of the morass of self-despair that was swirling around him.