“Please, don’t shoot! It’s me!”

Vargas took a few steps forward, and the figure stepped out with his hands in the air.

“Rovira! What the hell are you doing here? I was about to blow your brains out.”

The little spy, still wearing his shabby coat, was trembling as he looked at him.

“Put your hands down,” said Vargas.

Rovira nodded repeatedly and obeyed. “I’m sorry, Captain. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to wait for you downstairs, but someone was following me, I’m sure, so I thought—”

“Hold your horses, Rovira. What are you talking about?”

Rovira took a deep breath and waved his hands about, as if he didn’t know where to begin. Vargas closed the door and led him to an armchair.

“Sit down.”

“Yes, sir.”

Vargas grabbed a chair and sat facing Rovira.

“Start at the beginning.”

Rovira swallowed hard. “I have a message for you from Superintendent Linares.”

“Linares?”

Rovira nodded. “He was the one who ordered me to follow you and Señorita Alicia. Although I can assure you I’ve obeyed all the instructions you gave me and I’ve kept my distance so as not to bother you. And I’ve also reported the bare minimum.”

“What message?” snapped Vargas.

“When he arrived at police headquarters, Superintendent Linares received a call. Someone from Madrid. From very high up. He’s asked me to tell you that you’re in danger, that you’d both better leave town. You and Señorita Alicia. He told me to go and look for you at the morgue and tell you. At the morgue, I was told that you’d already left for the registry.”

“Go on.”

“Have you discovered anything interesting there?” asked Rovira.

“Nothing that concerns you. What else?”

“Well, I went to the registry but was also told that you’d left, so then I hurried over here to wait for you. And it was then that I noticed you were being watched.”

“Wasn’t that your job?”

“Someone else other than me.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“And how did you get in here?”

“The door was open. I think someone has forced the lock. I made sure there was no one hidden inside, and I drew the curtains so nobody could see I was waiting for you here.”

Vargas looked at him for a long time, without saying a word.

“Have I done something wrong?” asked Rovira fearfully.

“Why didn’t Linares phone me at the morgue?”

“The superintendent said the telephones at headquarters weren’t safe.”

“And why didn’t he come in person?”

“He’s in a meeting with that officer they sent from the ministry. Someone called Alaya or something like that.”

“Hendaya.”

Rovira nodded. “That’s the one.”

The guy was still trembling like a puppy. “Can you give me a glass of water, please?” he begged.

Vargas hesitated for a moment. He walked over to the chest of drawers and filled a glass from a half-full pitcher.

“What about Señorita Alicia?” asked Rovira behind him. “Isn’t she with you?”

Rovira’s voice was suddenly much closer. Vargas turned, glass in hand, to find Rovira standing right next to him. He no longer trembled, and his frightened expression had fused into an impenetrable mask.