“I really don’t know. . . . I’d have to ask . . .”

“I imagine the company has a fleet of cars. Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re right. We have four or five cars, if—”

“Is one of them a Mercedes-Benz? Black? A fifteen- or twenty-year-old model?”

A shadow of anxiety crossed Sanchís’s face. “Yes . . . It’s the car Valentín drives. Has something happened?”

“Valentín, you say?”

“Valentín Morgado, a driver who works for this firm.”

“Your own private driver?”

“Yes. For years now. . . . May I ask what—”

“Is Señor Morgado in the office now?”

“I don’t think so. He had to take Victoria to the doctor first thing this morning.”

“Victoria?”

“Victoria is my wife.”

“And your wife’s family name is . . . ?”

“Ubach. Victoria Ubach.”

Vargas raised his eyebrows in surprise. Sanchís nodded, vaguely irritated. “Daughter of Don Miguel Ángel, yes.”

The policeman winked at him, as if he wished to imply that he admired the golden marriage that had taken him to the top of the company.

“Captain, please explain what this matter is about . . .”

Vargas smiled in a friendly, relaxed manner. “As I was saying, it’s nothing important. We’re investigating an accident that took place this morning on Calle Balmes. Someone was run over, and the suspect’s car sped off. Don’t worry, it’s not yours. But two witnesses have declared that they saw a black car parked right there, on the corner, and the car fits the description and license plate of the black Mercedes driven by . . .”

“Valentín.”

“Exactly. In fact, both witnesses have declared that when the accident took place, the driver of the Mercedes was inside the car. That is why we’re interested in locating him, in case he was able to see anything that could help us identify the driver who fled the scene.”

Sanchís looked concerned as he listened to the story, although he also seemed visibly relieved that his car and his driver were not involved in the accident. “That’s terrible. Any fatalities?”

“Yes, unfortunately there is one. An elderly lady who was taken to the Hospital Clínico, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.”

“I’m terribly sorry. Of course, whatever we can do to help to—”

“All I need is to be able to speak to your employee, Valentín.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Do you know whether Señor Morgado took your wife anywhere else this morning, after the visit to the doctor?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think so. Yesterday Victoria mentioned that she had visitors coming to the house around lunchtime today. . . . Maybe Valentín had gone out to do some errands. Some mornings, if my wife or I don’t need him, he delivers documents or letters from the office.”

Vargas pulled out a card and handed it to him.

“Would you be so kind as to ask Señor Morgado to get in touch with me as soon as possible?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he’s located and gets the message. I’ll do that right away.”