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."