'That's why we make the copy – because they're already treading,' said Falcon. 'But they're in ballet shoes at the moment.'
'You wait,' said Ramirez. 'When they hear about this tape, especially if there's someone important on it, they'll be down here in their cuban heels.'
Ramirez drummed the floor of the interrogation room with his feet.
'Who knows you've got the tape?'
'Nobody. The TV and video recorder were dumped inside the arsonists' front door. It was only when I got them back here that I thought to look and see if the video was loaded.'
'Good. Then we copy the tape, hand over the original, and see what happens.'
'Do you know how to copy tapes?'
'I know you need two VCRs.'
'And we can't do it here,' said Ramirez. 'And we can't ask anybody to explain how it's done in small, easy to understand words, or the whole Jefatura will know.'
'You've got a machine at home and so have I,' said Falcon. 'Get one of your kids to explain to you how to copy a tape and bring your machine over to my place where it's quiet.'
Falcon set up the video ready to show the interviewees what they'd stolen. Ramirez gave him the vehicle details, the record of its sightings in the garages, a copy of the CCTV tape and the hat worn by one of the arsonists, who was called Carlos Delgado.
'Have we got a photo of Ignacio Ortega to show them?' asked Ramirez.
'Not a clear one,' said Falcon. 'But they'll know his name and they'll be very scared to say it, I'm sure. Knock on the door when you need to use the tape.'
'First one to get a confession. Loser buys the beer,' said Ramirez.
The two arsonists were brought down. Ramirez took Pedro Gomez. Falcon sat down with Carlos Delgado and made the necessary introductions to the tape recorder.
'What were you doing on Saturday night and early Sunday morning, Carlos?'
'Sleeping.'
'Were you with your friend Pedro?'
'We live in the same apartment.'
'And he was with you that night?'
'He's in the next room, why don't you ask him?'
'Was anybody else there?'
Carlos shook his head. Falcon showed him a shot of the pick-up.
'Is this yours?'
Carlos looked down, nodded.
'Were you using this vehicle on Saturday night or Sunday morning?'
'We went to see Pedro's aunt in Castillo… about eleven o'clock on Sunday morning.'
'Do you know who was using your vehicle on Saturday night, Sunday morning?'
'No.'
'Is this your hat?'
'Yes,' said Carlos. Then, after a few beats: 'Who are you guys with? You ask about my car… my hat. What the fuck's all this about?'
'We're investigating a very serious sex crime.'
'A sex crime? We haven't committed any sex crime.'
Falcon asked him to come over to the TV screen while he played the CCTV tape from the garage. The screen revealed the grey images of the pick-up arriving, Carlos getting out, filling up the jerry cans and going to pay in the shop. Javier froze the frame.
'That pick-up has the same registration as the one on the table, which you said is yours.'
'We didn't commit any sex crime.'
'But that is your pick-up?'
'Yes.'
'And this person is you, paying for the petrol?'
'That's me, but I didn't -'
'That's OK. That's all I need to know.'
'What's this sex crime?' asked Carlos. 'Somebody rape the girl in the shop?'
'What did you do with the jerry cans, once you'd filled them up?'
'We went home.'
'Straight away?'
'Yes. We bought the petrol for Pedro's aunt.'
'But you'd been to this garage before, and a couple of other ones where you filled two jerry cans in each. And you filled up others at petrol stations on the way out to the turn-off to Aracena. What were you doing out there?'
Silence.
'Why did you drive all the way up to Almonaster la Real with all that petrol in your pick-up?'
'We didn't.'
'You didn't,' said Falcon. 'You know, Carlos, arson is a serious offence, but that's not the only thing we're interested in at the moment. What we want to do is put you away for a very long time for a sex crime as well.'
'I haven't committed any -' 'When you were picked up in your apartment, Inspector Ramirez searched it and found a television and a video recorder in your possession.'
'They're not ours.'
'What are they doing in your apartment with your fingerprints on them?'
'That stuff isn't ours.'
'Come with me.'
'I don't want to come with you.'
'We're just going to the television.'
'No.'
Falcon pushed the television closer. He removed the CCTV tape and put in the other tape. He turned up the volume and pressed play. The scream from the television even made him jump. Carlos Delgado kicked his chair back, waved his hands at the screen and then gripped his thick, curly hair, as if for support.
'No, no, no. Stop it. That's nothing to do with us,' he shouted.
'It was in your possession.'
'Turn it off. Just turn it off.'
Falcon stopped the tape. Carlos was shaken. They sat.
'Child abuse is a very serious offence,' said Falcon. 'People convicted of such crimes go to prison for a long time and have miserable lives there. Most choose to go into solitary confinement for the seven to ten years of their sentence.'
'We stole the television and the video recorder,' said Carlos.
'Where from?'
Carlos told the story. They'd been paid 1,500 euros to buy petrol and been given directions and a key to the finca. They'd set fire to the place, as they'd been asked to do, and they stole the stuff on the way out. That was all. They had no idea what was in it. They just wanted a bit of extra cash for the equipment. Falcon nodded, encouraging more exonerating detail.
'Who paid you the fifteen hundred euros to do this?' he asked.
'I don't know his name.'
'How do you know him? How does he know you?' asked Falcon. 'You don't ask just anybody to burn a house down. That's a serious thing, isn't it? There has to be some trust. You only trust people you know.'
Silence from Carlos as he swallowed hard.
'Are you afraid of this man?' asked Falcon.
Carlos shook his head.
'How old are you?'
