It appeared, the Questore continued, that for an unspecified time, years perhaps, Mailer had eluded Violetta, but getting wind of his being first in Naples and then in Rome she had chased him, finally establishing herself on the postcard beat outside S. Tommaso.

‘I have spoken with this Irish Dominican,’ said the Questore. ‘It is nonsense for him to say that no one could escape their vigilance going or coming from the places below. It is ridiculous. They sell their cards, they sell their rosaries, they add up their cashes, they visit their stores, they sleep, they talk, they say their prayers. A man of Mailer’s talents would have no difficulty.’

‘What about a woman of Violetta’s talents?’

‘Ah-ah. You speak of the shadow on the wall? While I am sure that she could elude the vigilance of these gentlemen, I doubt if she did so. And if she did, my dear colleague, where was she when they made their search? I have no doubt the search was thorough: of that they are perfectly capable and the lighting is most adequate. They know the terrain. They have been excavating there for a century. No, no, I am persuaded that Mailer recognized you and, being aware of your most formidable and brilliant record in this field, took alarm and fled.’

‘Um,’ Alleyn said, ‘I’m not at all sure I struck terror in that undelicious breast. Mailer seemed to me to be, in a subfusc sort of way, cocksure. Not to say gloating!’

‘Scusi? Subfusc?’

‘Dim. It doesn’t matter. Do you mean you think that at some moment when we were groping about in the underworld, recognition came upon him like a thunder-clap and he fled. There and then?’

‘We shall see, we shall see. I spread my net. The airports, the wharves, the stazioni.’

Alleyn hurriedly congratulated him on all this expedition.

‘But nevertheless,’ Valdarno said, ‘we make our examination of these premises. Tomorrow morning. It is, of course, not my practice personally to supervise such matters. Normally if a case is considered important enough one of my subordinates reports to one of my immediate staff.’

‘I assure you, Signor Questore—’

‘But in this case, where so much may be involved, where there are international slantings and above all, where so distinguished a colleague does us the honour—Ecco!’

Alleyn made appropriate noises and wondered how great a bore Valdarno really thought him.

‘So tomorrow,’ the Questore summed up. ‘I leave my desk and I take the fields. With my subordinates. And you accompany us, is it not?’

‘Thank you. I shall be glad to come.’

They whipped through the routine of valedictory compliments and hung up their receivers.

Alleyn bathed and dressed and wrote a letter to his wife.