The Danger.

Chapter 26

MyheadandAlessia"ssnappedroundasifjerkedbystrings.

"Whatdidyousay?"Alessiaaskedhim,andDominicsnuggledhisfacedeeperinto Miranda"sneck.

"Hesaidciaobambino,"Isaid.

"Yes...that"swhat.i.thought."

"DoesheknowanyItalian?"IaskedMiranda.



"Ofcoursenot."

"Goodbyebaby,"Popsysaid."Isn"tthatwhathesaid?"

ItookthepictureofGiuseppeoutofthecaseagainandlaiditonthetable.

"Dominic,dearlittleone,"Isaid,"whatwasthemancalled?"

Thegreateyesswiveledmyway,buthesaidnothing.

"Washisname...Michael?"Iasked.

Dominicshookhishead:afractiononly,butadefinitenegative.

"WashisnameDavid?"

Dominicshookhishead.

"WashisnameGiuseppe?"

Dominic"seyesdidn"twaver.Heshookhishead.

Ithoughtabit."WashisnamePeter?"

Dominicdidnothingexceptlookatme.

"WashisnameDominic?"Isaid.

Dominicalmostsmiled.Heshookhishead.

"WashisnameJohn?"

Heshookhishead.

"WashisnamePeter?"

Dominicwa.s.stillforalongtime;then,slowly,veryslightly,henodded.

"Who"sPeter?"Alessiaasked.

"Themanwhotookhimforarideinaboat."

Dominicstretchedoutahandandbrieflytouchedthepicturedfacewithone fingerbeforedrawingback.

"Ciaobambino,"hesaidagain,andtuckedhisheadagainsthismother.

Onethingwascrystalclear,Ithought.Itwasn"tGiuseppe-Peterwhohadmost frightenedDominic.Thebaby,likeAlessiaherself,hadlikedhim.

Eaglersaid,"Ithoughttheboywouldn"ttalk.SuperintendentRightsworthtold mehe"dtried,b.u.t.thechildwasinshock,andthemotherwasbeingobstructive abouttreatment."

"Mm,"Isaid."Still,thatwasyesterday.TodayDominichaspositively identifiedthephotostatasbeingoneofthekidnappers,knowntohimasPeter."

"Howreliabledoyouthinkthekidis?"

"Very.Hecertainlyknewhim."

"Allright.AndthisPeter-andIsupposehe"stheonethekidnappersaretalking aboutonthosetapes-he"sItalian?"

"Yes.Dominichadlearnedtwowordsfromhim:ciaobambino."

"Luv-a-duck,"Eaglersaidquaintly.

"Itseemsalso,"Isaid,"asifGiuseppe-PeterhasafondnessforVerdi.Alessia CencisaidherkidnappersplayedthreeofVerdi"soperastoher,overandover.

DominicishummingTheSoldiers"Chorus"fromIlTrovatore,whichwasoneof them.Didyoubyanychancefindaca.s.setteplayerinthathouse?"

"Yes,wedid."Hesoundedasifnothingeveragainwouldsurprisehim."Itwas upintheroomwherethekidwaskept.Thereweretwotapesthere,andyes, laddie,onewasVerdi.IlTrovatore."

"It"sconclusive,then,isn"t.i.t?"Isaid."Wehaveapract.i.tioner."

"Awhat?"

"Pract.i.tioner.Sorry;it"swhatinLibertyMarketwecallamanwhokidnapsona regularbasis.Likeasafe-breakeroracon-man.Hiswork."

"Yes,"Eagleragreed."Wehaveapract.i.tioner;andwehaveyou.Iwonderif Giuseppe-PeterknowsoftheexistenceofLibertyMarket."

"Hisconstantenemy,"Isaid.

Eagleralmostchuckled."Idaresayyoumadethingstoohotforhiminhispart ofItaly,floodingtheplacewithwhatisobviouslyarecognizableportrait.It wouldbeironicifhe"ddecidedtomovetoEnglandandcameslapupagainstyou alloveragain.He"dbespeechlessifheknew."

"Idaresayhe"llfindout,"Isaid."TheexistenceofLibertyMarketisn"ta totalsecret,eventhoughwedon"tadvertise.Anykidnapperofexperiencewould hearofussometime.Perhapsoneofthesedaysthere"llbearansomdemand sayingnopoliceandnoLibertyMarket,either."

"Imeantyou,personally,laddie."

"Oh."Ipaused."No,hewouldn"tknowthat.Hesawmeonce,inItaly,butnot here.Hedidn"tknowthenwhoIworkedfor.Hedidn"tevenknowIwasBritish."

"He"llhaveafitwhenhefindshispicturealloverEnglandtoo."Eagler soundedcheerfullysmug."Evenifwedon"tcatchhim,we"llchasehimbackwhere hecamefrominnotime."

"Youknow,"Isaidtentatively,"youandPucinellimightbothflashthatpicture aboutamonghorsepeople,notjustput.i.tupinpolicestations.Manycrooksare ostensiblysobercitizens,aren"tthey?Bothofthekidnapsthatwe"resureare hisworkaretodowithracing.They"rethepeoplewho"dknowhim.Someone, somewhere,wouldknowhim.Perhapstheracingpaperswouldprint.i.t."

"It"sapityIcan"tcomparenoteswithyourfriendPucinelli,"Eaglersaid."I sometimesthinkpoliceproceduresdomoretopreventtheexchangeofinformation thantospreadit.EveninEnglandit"shardenoughforonecountytoget informationfromanothercounty,letalonetalktoregionalcoppersinEurope."

"Idon"tseewhyyoucan"t.Icantellyouhisphonenumber.Youcouldhavean interpreterthisend,standingby."

"RingItaly?It"s.e.xpensive,laddie."

"Ah."IdetectedalsoinhisvoicethereluctanceofmanyoftheBritishtomake overseascalls:almostasiftheprocessitselfwasadangerousanddifficult adventure,notjustamatterofpressingb.u.t.tons.

"IfIwanttoknowanythingparticular,"Eaglersaid,"I"llaskyoutoaskhim.

ThingsIlearnfromyoucomeundertheheadingofinformationreceived,origin unspecified."

"Soglad."

Hechuckled."Wehadourthreekidnappersincourtthismorning:remandedin custodyforaweek.They"restillsayingnothing.I"vebeenlettingthemstew whileIlistenedtoallthetapes,butnow,tonight,andwithwhatyou"vejust toldme,I"llbouncethemoutoftheirsocks."

Chapterfifteen.

EAGLERopenedhisoysters,b.u.t.theywerebarrenofpearls.Heconcluded,as Pucinellihaddone,thatnoneofthearrestedmenhadknownGiuseppe-Peter beforethedayherecruitedoneoftheminapub.

"DoesGiuseppe-PeterspeakEnglish?"Iasked.

"Yes,apparently,enoughtogetby.Hewlittunderstoodhim,rightenough."

"Who"sHewlitt?"

"Kidnapper.Thevoiceontheransomtape.Voiceprintsmadeandmatched.Hewlitt hasarecordaslongasyourarm,butforburglary,notanythinglikethis.The othertwoareinthesametrade;housebreaking,nickingsilverandantiques.

Theyfinallygavetheirnames,oncetheysawwe"dgotthemtorights.Now they"rebusyshovingalltheblameontoPeter,b.u.t.theydon"tknowmuchabout him."

"Weretheypaidatall?"Iasked.

"Theysaynot,b.u.t.they"relying.Theygotsomeonaccount,musthave.Standsto reason."

"IsupposeGiuseppe-Peterdidn"ttelephonethehouseinItchenor,didhe?"

TherewasdeadsilencefromEagler.Embarra.s.sment,Idiagnosed.

"Hedid,"Isuggested,"andgotapoliceman?"

"Well...therewasonecallfromsomeoneunknown."

"Butyougotarecording?"

"Allhesaid,"saidEaglerresignedly,"was"h.e.l.lo."MyyoungP.C.thought.i.t wa.s.someonefromthestationandansweredaccordingly,andthecallerrangoff."

"Can"tbehelped,"Isaid.

"No."

"DidHewlittsayhowGiuseppe-Peterknewofhim?Imean,youcan"tgouptoa perfectstrangerinaBritishpubandpropositionthemtokidnap."

"OnthatsubjectHewlittisyourproverbialsilentstone.There"snowayhe"s goingtosaywhoputhimup.There"ssomethings,laddie,onejustcan"tfind out.Let"sjustsaythattherearealotofItaliansinLondon,whereHewlitt lives,andthere"snowayhe"sgoingtopointthefingeratanyofthem."

"Mm,"Isaid."Idoseethat."

ItelephonedAlessiatoaskhowshewasfeelingandfoundherfulloftwo concerns:thefirst,herownplansforacomebackrace,andsecond,the predicamentofMirandaandDominic.

"Miranda"ssomiserableandIdon"tknowhowtohelpher,"shesaid."John Nerrity"sbeingthoroughlyunreasonableineveryway,andheandMirandaarenow sleepingindifferentrooms,becausehewon"thaveDominicsleepingintheroom withthem,andDominicwon"tsleepbyhimself."

"Quiteaproblem,"Iagreed.

"Mindyou,Isupposeit"sdifficultforbothofthem.Dominicwakesupcrying aboutfivetimeseverynight,andwon"tgotosleepagainunlessMirandastrokes himandtalkstohim,andshesaysshe"sgettingabsolutelyexhaustedbyit,and JohnisgoingonandonaboutsendingDominictohospital."Shepaused."Ican"t askPopsytohaveherheretostay.Isimplydon"tknowwhattodo."

"Hm...HowmuchdoyoulikeMiranda?"

"Quitealot.MorethanIexpected,tobehonest."

"AndDominic?"

"He"sasweetheart.Thoseterrificeyes.Ilovehim."

Ipaused,considering,andshesaid,"Whatareyouthinking?WhatshouldMiranda do?"

"Ishermotherstillwithher?"

"No.Hermotherhasajobanddoesn"tseemtobemuchhelp."

"DoesMirandahaveanymoneyexceptwhatJohngivesher?"

"Idon"tknow.Butshewashissecretary."

"Yeah.Well...MirandashouldtakeDominictoadoctorIknowof,andsheshould goandstayforaweeknearsomeonesupportivelikeyouthatshecanbewithfor agooddealofeveryday.AndIdon"tknowhowmuchofthatispossible."

"I"llmakeitpossible,"Alessiasaidsimply.

Ismiledatthetelephone.Shesoundedsowhole,herownproblemssubmerged underthetidalwaveofDominic"s.

"Don"tletMirandamentionmynametoherhusbandinconnectionwithanyplan shemakes,"Isaid."I"mnotinfavorwithhim,andifheknewI"dsuggested anythinghe"dturnitdownflat."

"ButyoubroughtDominicback!"

"Muchtohisembarra.s.sment.He"dsackedustwodaysearlier."

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