'You've no idea how crucial this detail is, Jose. Just tell me.'
'The Imam called them on his mobile. They said they'd come round on Monday morning and take a look and tell him how much it was going to cost. I mean, that's what I assume from the questions the Imam was asking.'
'And you were there on Monday morning?'
'The guy turned up at eight thirty, took a look at the fuse box-'
'The guy was Spanish?'
'Yes.'
'Description?'
'There was nothing to describe,' said Duran, searching amongst the empty tables and chairs. 'He was an average guy, about 1.75 metres tall. Not heavy, but not thin either. Dark hair with a side parting. No facial hair. There was nothing particular about him. I'm sorry.'
'You don't have to try to tell me everything now, but think about it. Call me if anything occurs to you,' said Falcon, giving him his card. 'Did the guy say hello to Miguel Botin?'
Duran blinked. He had to think about that.
'I'm not sure that Miguel was there at that point.'
'And later, when he turned up with the other guys?'
'That's right, he needed help. The Imam wanted a socket in the storeroom and he had to cut a channel from the nearest junction box which was in the Imam's office,' said Duran. 'Miguel was with him in the office. I presume they said hello.'
'What about the other guys, the labourers-were they Spanish, too?'
'No. They spoke Spanish, but they weren't Spaniards. They were from those Eastern bloc countries. You know, Romania or Moldavia, one of those places.'
'Descriptions?'
'Don't ask me that,' said Duran, running his hands down his face in frustration.
'Think about them, Jose,' said Falcon. 'Call me. It's important. And have you got the Imam's mobile phone number?'
24
Seville-Wednesday, 7th June 2006, 20.30 hrs
Falcon called Inspector Jefe Barros to see if anybody had searched Miguel Botin's apartment. Nobody from the CGI had been there. He called Ramirez, gave him Botin's address, told him to get round there and look for the electrician's card. He called Baena, gave him the Imam's mobile number and told him to get the phone records. He called Esperanza, Miguel's partner, she'd never heard of any friends of his who were electricians. By the time he'd made these calls he was at the doors of the Iglesia de San Marcos. It wasn't quite 9 p.m. He flicked through his messages to see if Serrano had called. He had. At the museum they'd remembered Ricardo Gamero at the ticket desk. Two security guards had seen him speeding through rooms taking no notice of the exhibits. A third security guard had seen Gamero talking to a man in his sixties for some twenty minutes. The guard was now at the Jefatura with a police artist working up a sketch of the older man.
Father Roman was in his early forties. He was out of the robes of office and in an ordinary dark suit with the jacket folded over his arm. He was standing in the nave of the brick interior of the church, talking to two women dressed in black. On seeing Falcon he excused himself from the conversation, went over to shake hands, and led him up to his office.
'You look exhausted, Inspector Jefe,' he said, sitting at his desk.
'The first days after something like this are always the longest,' said Falcon.
'My congregations have doubled since Tuesday morning,' said Father Roman. 'A surprising number of young people. They're confused. They don't know when this will end or how it can possibly end.'
'Not just young people,' said Falcon. 'But I'm sorry, Father, I must press on.'
'Of course you must,' said Father Roman.
'You may know that one of your congregation committed suicide today-Ricardo Gamero. Did you know him?'
Father Roman blinked at the swift devastation of this news. It left him dumb with shock.
'I'm sorry I wasn't able to break it to you more gently,' said Falcon. 'He took his life this afternoon. Obviously you knew him. I understand he was a very…'
'I met him when my predecessor was taken ill,' said Father Roman. 'They were very close. My predecessor had helped him resolve a number of issues to do with his faith.'
'How well did you know Ricardo?'
'He didn't appear to be seeking the same sort of relationship with me as he'd had with my predecessor.'
'Did you know what these issues to do with his faith were?'
'That was between them. Ricardo hasn't spoken to me about them.'
'When was the last time you saw Ricardo?'
'He was here on Sunday for Mass, as always.'
'And you haven't seen him since?'
Silence from Father Roman, who looked as if he was coping with a distressing nausea.
'Sorry,' he said, snapping out of it. 'I'm just trying to think of the last time we spoke…and if there was any indication that he was still troubled to the same extent as he had been in my predecessor's time.'
'You didn't happen to see him today, did you, Father?'
'No, no, not today,' he said, distracted.
'Have you heard of a company called Informaticalidad?' asked Falcon.
'Should I have done?' asked Father Roman, frowning.
'They actively recruit personnel from amongst your congregation,' said Falcon. 'Is that without your knowledge?'
'Forgive me, Inspector Jefe, but I find it rather confusing the way this conversation has developed. I'm feeling the pressure of your suspicion, but I'm not sure about what?'
'It's better just to answer the questions rather than trying to understand what they're about. This has become a very complicated situation,' said Falcon. 'Have you ever met a man called Diego Torres?'
'It's not such an unusual name.'
'He happens to be the Human Resources Director at Informaticalidad.'
'I don't always know the profession of the members of my congregation.'
'But you have someone of that name who attends this church?'
'Yes,' said Father Roman, squeezing it out like a splinter. Falcon went through the list of board members of Informaticalidad. Four out of the ten were members of Father Roman's congregation.
'Would you mind telling me what exactly is going on here?' said Falcon.
'Nothing is 'going on here',' said Father Roman. 'If, as you say, this company is using my church as an informal recruiting agency, what can I do? It is the nature of people that they will meet at a church and that there will be a social exchange. Quite possibly invitations are made and it's conceivable that jobs might be offered. Just because the Church seems to have less influence in society, doesn't mean that some churches don't perform in the way that they used to.'
Falcon nodded. He'd overreached himself in his excitement at finally realizing a connection, only to find it a little too loose.
'Did you know Ricardo Gamero's profession?'
'I knew from my predecessor that he was a member of the police force, but I have no idea what he does, or rather, did. Was he a member of your squad?'
'He was an agent with the CGI; specifically, the antiterrorism group,' said Falcon. 'Islamic terrorism.'
'I doubt that was something he talked to many people about,' said Father Roman.
'Did you happen to notice if he mixed with any of the people I mentioned who worked for Informaticalidad?'
