The Danger. Part 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."