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Spiro cut Ercole short with a glare and continued to Rhyme: "The legal lesson is this: Lawyers from America do not win cases in Cioccie del Lupo. Lawyers from Cioccie del Lupo win cases in Cioccie de Lupo. And you are Americans firmly in the city center of Cioccie del Lupo at the moment. You will not win an extradition, so it will be better for you if that thought vanishes from your mind."
Rhyme said, "Maybe we should concentrate on catching him. Don't you think?"
Spiro said nothing but slowly withdrew his phone and sent a text or email.
Rossi stirred a bit, uneasy at the exchange.
Ercole said, "Procuratore, Inspector, I have a thought and I would like to pursue it."
After a moment Spiro put his phone away and lifted an eyebrow toward the young man. "Si?"
"We should set up surveillance at the place where we found Maziq. The entrance to the aqueduct."
"Surveillance?"
"Yes. Of course." Ercole was smiling at Spiro's apparent inability to see what was obvious to him. "There has been no press announcement. The police have left the area. There is tape on the door, but you must get close to see that. He might return to the scene of the crime and when he gets within the area, slap! We can arrest him. When I was there I noted hiding places across the street where one could remain concealed."
"You don't think that would be a waste of our resources--which we know are more limited than I would hope for."
Another grin. "Not at all. Waste? How do you see that?"
Spiro flung his arm in th
e air. "Why do I even bother? Is that what you do in the woods, as a Forestry officer? Disguise yourself as a stag, a bear? And wait for a poacher?"
"I just was..." Then Italian trickled from his mouth.
Rhyme glanced at the doorway and noted that another officer stood in the hallway, watching the exchange. He was a handsome young man, dressed quite stylishly. He was studying Ercole's blushing face with a neutral expression.
"I simply thought it made sense, sir."
Rhyme decided to end the mystery. "He will not be back."
"No?"
"No," Spiro said. "Tell him why, Mr. Rhyme."
"Because of the water that spilled when you and Sachs opened the door."
"I do not understand."
"Do you see what the water drenched?"
Ercole looked toward the pictures. "The phone."
"The Composer set up the table and the items on it very carefully. Anyone opening the door--especially quickly--would knock the bottle of water over, shorting out the phone."
Ercole closed his eyes briefly. "Yes, of course. The Composer would call every fifteen minutes or so and as long as the mobile rang he knew no one was there. When he called and it was dead, he would realize that someone had breached the door. And it was unsafe to return. So simple, yet I missed it."
Spiro cast a glance down his nose at Ercole. Then he asked, "Where is Maziq now?"
"A protective cell," Rossi said. "Here."
"Forestry Officer," Spiro said.
"Yes, sir?"
"Make yourself useful and find our Arabic-speaking officer. I am interested in that substance, the electroconductive gel."
