Which meant soon.

Albini’s modus operandi was to find such abandoned locales for his crimes but to travel to and from them only in the dark, to avoid being seen. The mastermind usually checked out his lairs ahead of time, and Ercole’s exhaustive detective work had found a witness up the road, a farmworker, who’d reported that someone fitting Albini’s description had examined this building two weeks ago.

“He was behaving in most suspicious ways,” the grizzled man had said. “I’m certain of it.” Though Ercole guessed that the conclusion was only because the worker has been speaking to a police officer. It was how he himself might have spoken to a cop when he was young and hanging out in the Spaccanapoli, or a nearby Neapolitan square, and a Carabinieri or Police of State officer would ask him, in a bored voice, if he’d seen what street thug had made off with a purse or had cleverly lifted an Omega off a careless wrist.

Whether the intruder had acted suspiciously or not, though, the farmworker’s observation was enough to follow up on, and Ercole had spent much time conducting surveillance of the farmhouse. His supervisor thought long shots like this should not take as much time as Ercole allotted to them. Still, he could behave no differently. He pursued Albini the way he would have sought the notorious serial murderer, or murderers, known as the Monster of Florence, had he been an officer in Tuscany many years ago.

Albini’s crimes would not go unpunished.

Another flicker of shadow.

Now a frog called, hoping to impress a mate.

Now a tall stand of neglected wheat bent in a breeze like parishioners before a priest.

Now a head appeared in the window. And yes! It was the villain he’d worked so hard to capture. Round, porcine Antonio Albini. Ercole could see the bushy hair surrounding the bald pate. His urge was to duck, escaping the demonic gaze from under wizard’s brows. The suspect was not looking outward, though. He was gazing down.

The lamps inside went dark.

And Ercole’s heart twisted with dismay.

No, no! He was leaving now? While it was still light? Perhaps the deserted nature of the area gave him confidence that he would not be seen. Ercole had thought he would have plenty of time, after verifying the identity of the occupant, to call for backup.

So the question became this: Should he apprehend the man alone?

But, of course, he realized that it was no query at all.

He had no choice. Arresting Albini was his mission and he would now do what he needed to, at whatever risk, to snare the prey.

His hand dipped to the Beretta 9mm on his hip. He took a deep breath and continued through the field, picking his steps carefully. Ercole Benelli regularly studied the procedure books of the Carabinieri, as well as those of the Police of State and the Finance Police—not to mention the law enforcement agencies of other countries and Europol and Interpol, as well. While he had not had many opportunities to effect arrests by himself, he knew the approved techniques to stop and control a suspect.