be clear on that. We did not give away Vega's real identity. We did not want Vega dead. You have to believe Marty when he told you -'
'So what did you want to know?'
'We're not sure.'
'This doesn't sound very convincing, Sr Flowers,' said Falcon.
'Probably because it's the truth, and we've developed this magnificent myth about American infallibility'
'How about this for a theory…' said Falcon. 'You wanted to know his state of mind because you were worried that he had information that would further compromise more important members of the US administration of that era. The Secretary of State, for instance.'
'We were worried that if he did have something he might look for ways of using it against us, but we didn't know what it could be.'
'Who is 'us'?' asked Falcon.
'That is all I'm saying on the matter,' said Flowers. 'You told me that your concern was whether Krugman killed him, and I can tell you that he didn't. Be satisfied.'
'How can I be sure of that?'
'Because Marty Krugman was with me on the night that Rafael Vega died, from between two and five o'clock in the morning,' said Flowers. 'I have a timed and dated recording of that meeting because it took place in the American Consulate.'
Chapter 29
On the way to the Jefatura Falcon stopped for a cafe solo on the Avenida de Argentina. He felt bleary and down like everybody else in the bar. The heat had wrung all the natural
There was no sign of Ramirez or Ferrera in the office. He took the audio tapes of the interviews with the arsonists and the original videotape stolen from the Montes finca and went up to Elvira's office. He met Ramirez coming down.
'I spoke to the arsonists again and asked them how they knew Montes,' said Ramirez. 'Twenty years ago Montes used to run a youth football side for disadvantaged kids. They were on his team. I've just checked it with the inspector from GRUME and I've had a proper look at their files. Montes was involved in helping them with all their brushes with the law.'
'Did they know Montes had killed himself?'
Ramirez shook his head, wished him good luck with Elvira.
He was not allowed in to see the Comisario, not even into the secretary's office. She put him in the corridor with the single-word explanation: Lobo.
Ten minutes later he was called in. Lobo stood by the window, arms folded across his chest – tense, angry. Elvira sat at his desk, his face drawn, as if he'd been there all night.
'What have you got for us?' asked Lobo, leaping the chain of command in his fury.
'Two audio recordings of the arsonists -'
'Did they name Ignacio Ortega?'
'No, they named Alberto Montes.'
Lobo pounded Elvira's table with three devastating blows that jumped his pencils into disarray.
'What else?' said Lobo.
'One video tape with footage from a hidden camera in the finca, showing four men participating in sexual acts with minors.'
'Are any of them known to us?'
'There's a defence lawyer and a TV presenter.'
'Joder,' said Lobo.
'Ramirez can identify one of the other men – a businessman who comes from his barrio. The fourth is unknown.'
'Who knows about this tape?'
'Ramirez and myself.'
'Keep it that way,' said Lobo, still brutal with rage.
'What about the arsonists?' asked Elvira.
'I don't think they knew what they'd stolen.'
'So, the only link between Ignacio Ortega and Montes's finca is that he installed the air-conditioning units,' said Elvira. 'You have no proof that he was procuring children from the Russians for use at the finca. And you have no proof that he brought clients to the finca to participate in sexual acts with minors.'
'That is correct,' said Falcon, knowing this had all gone wrong before he'd even started. 'The only way I could establish that he was taking clients to the finca is by speaking to the men on the tape.'
'Is there anything on the video that proves the footage comes from the Montes finca?' asked Lobo.
'That's difficult to say now that the building has been completely gutted by fire.'
'Have you had a report back from Felipe and Jorge about their findings?'
'Not yet. They probably stayed up in the sierra last night. They were still working at seven o'clock in the evening when I left. The lab technicians here will be working their way through the first batch of evidence. Hopefully there will be some surviving fingerprints on-'
'I tried to call you last night,' said Lobo.
'I had my mobile switched off,' said Falcon. 'I was working on my other case – Rafael Vega.'
'What progress there?'
Falcon gave his report on his meeting with Mark Flowers.
'I think I should have a meeting with the American Consul about that,' said Lobo.
'How does that leave you with your investigation?' asked Elvira.
'Juez Calderon gave me forty-eight hours. My time is up. I'm finished. I have no suspects and, unless Sergei the gardener turns up, I have no possible witnesses or leads,' said Falcon.
'What about this safe-deposit box key you found in Vega's house?' asked Elvira.
'It belongs to a box kept in the name of Emilio Cruz at the Banco Banesto. Juez Calderon has not had time to supply a search warrant yet.'
'You'll keep us informed when he does,' said Elvira.
'You might have to content yourself with the fact that Rafael Vega was a bad man who either punished himself or got what he deserved,' said Lobo.
'I expect Juez Calderon to terminate the case when I see him later this morning,' said Falcon. 'In terms of connecting Ignacio Ortega to the finca, we have one final possibility with the two bodies buried on the property.'
'Any thoughts about what happened there?'
'In the corner of one cell by the bed I found an inscription scratched into the wall in Cyrillic script. I'm having it translated. I suspect that it has something to do with the large stain in the middle of the floor, which I did not see until all contents were removed. The stain is likely to be blood. A sample of the concrete is being tested. In the mattress of the same room I found a piece of glass. I assume there was another piece which was used by the occupants of the cell to slash their wrists. I suspect that these two bodies were suicides.
'A local Juez de Instruction was being used at the crime scene at the finca. I would suggest that a Juez de Instruction is appointed to oversee the case here, as this is where all the evidence will be processed and will be where we hope to convict Ignacio Ortega.'
'That is being discussed with the Juez Decano de Sevilla at the moment,' said Elvira. 'What do you intend to do now, Inspector Jefe?'
'The obvious move is to establish a link to Ignacio Ortega by questioning one or more of the men on the video tape. Once he's confirmed as the central figure in this paedophile network we can bring him in and proceed in the
