“No news. They found it abandoned in . . . let me look at the note . . . Carretera de las Aguas, in Vallvidrera. Is that in Barcelona?”

“Above Barcelona, to be precise.”

“Above? As in the sky?”

“Something like that. Any trace of Valls, or of his driver, Vicente?”

“Drops of blood on the passenger seat. Signs of violence. Not a trace of either man.”

“What else?”

“That’s it. What about you? What do you have to tell me?”

“That I’m the one missing you,” said Alicia.

“This business of returning to Barcelona has gone to your head. Where are you now? On a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Montserrat?”

“Almost. Right now I’m staring at the shop window of Sempere & Sons.”

“Very productive. Have you spoken to Leandro, by any chance?”

“No. Why?”

“Because he’s been pursuing me all morning, asking after you. Please phone him and wish him a Merry Christmas. He’s not going to get off my back otherwise.”

Alicia sighed. “I will. By the way, I need you to do something for me.”

“Apparently that’s the new purpose of my life.”

“It’s a rather delicate subject.”

“My specialty.”

“I need you to use all your contacts in headquarters to find out in a discreet way what someone called Ricardo Lomana was up to before he vanished into thin air.”

“Lomana? The one who disappeared? Bad type.”

“You know him?”

“I know of him. Nothing good. I’ll see what I can do.”

“That’s all I’m asking.”

On the other end of the phone, Vargas sighed. “I guess I’ll be there tomorrow morning. If you like, we can have breakfast together, and I’ll let you know what I’ve found out about your friend Lomana—if I do discover anything, that is. Will you behave yourself and keep out of trouble until I arrive?”

“I promise.”

7

Marcelino was still watching her from afar, mixing his morbid fascination with quick glances to the street in search of her mysterious follower. Alicia winked at him and made a sign with her forefinger. “Another quick call, and that’s it . . .”

She dialed the direct number of the hotel suite. The phone didn’t even ring once. He must have been sitting next to the phone, waiting, thought Alicia.

“It’s me,” she murmured.

“Alicia, Alicia, Alicia,” Leandro’s voice intoned sweetly. “I don’t like you to avoid me. You know that.”

“I was going to call you right now. There was no need to send a chaperone after me.”

“I’m not following you.”

“Somebody is. Haven’t you set someone up to shadow me?”

“If I had, it wouldn’t have been someone you could detect that easily on your first morning. Who is it?”

“I don’t know yet. I was hoping it was one of yours.”

“Well, it isn’t. Unless it’s something to do with our friends at the central police station in Barcelona.”

“The local supply must have dried up, for them to have sent me this whiz kid.”

“It’s not easy to find good people. I should know. Would you like me to make a call and get him off your back?”