The Burial Hour (Lincoln Rhyme 13)

Ercole looked up.

Spiro said, "It is a hobby of mine. I like very much American cowboy stories and I read many of them. I have from the time I was a boy. You know Italy and American Westerns are inextricably linked. Sergio Leone. The Clint Eastwood movies. A Fistful of Dollars. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Then there is the masterpiece Once Upon a Time in the West. Sergio Corbucci's Django, which starred Franco Nero. And of course there are the scores for so many of those films by Ennio Morricone. He even scored a most recent movie by Quentin Tarantino.

"I particularly enjoy Western novels written by women in the nineteenth century. Did you know some of the best were written by them?"

Didn't have a clue, Rhyme reflected. And don't much care. But he nodded agreeably.

Ercole, perhaps relieved not to be inscribed in the prosecutor's book of doom, said, "Fascinating, Procuratore."

"I believe so too. Mary Foote wrote a clever novel about mining in 1883. Helen Hunt Jackson wrote Ramona, quite famous, the next year. And one of the most interesting is by Marah Ellis Ryan, Told in the Hills. It is as much about race relations as it is an adventure story. I find that remarkable. Well more than one hundred years ago."

Spiro nodded at the book, which Ercole continued to read. The prosecuter said, "I too try my hand at Westerns and have created that character, Belle Walker. A society woman from the East who becomes a hunter of outlaws. And, ultimately, in future books, a prosecutor. So, as you can see, Forestry Officer, you do not need to worry about ending up in the pages of my book. Though, this is not to say that the least failing on your part will not result in catastrophic consequences."

"Yes, yes." The young officer's eyes then dropped once more to the pages.

Spiro lifted the book out of his hands.

"But, please, who were the train attackers, Procuratore? Savages? Bandits?"

Spiro waved his hand with a grimace, and Ercole instantly fell silent.

"Now, we have two cases to work on. And at the moment Captain Rhyme wants you to arrange for Beatrice to run a further analysis regarding the Garry Soames case...What would this be?"

Rhyme answered, "I was reading the charts and the accounts of the crime. And I would like a full analysis of the wine bottle found at the smoking station."

"The contents were checked for the date-rape drug and the outside for fingerprints and DNA."

"I understand but I would like an examination of trace on the surface of the bottle and the label."

Spiro said to Ercole, "Do that now."

"Yes, I will see Beatrice about this. Where would the bottle be?"

"The evidence facility is up the hall. She will know. Is there anything else, Captain Rhyme?"

"Lincoln, please. No, I think that will be enough for now."

Spiro looked him over. "You have a question about the wine served at the party. I myself find another question equally intriguing."

"And what is that?"

"This third person, who broke into Garry Soames' apartment, might have planted the evidence to shift guilt to an innocent man either to protect the actual rapist or to visit revenge on Soames."

"Yes. That's one theory."

"There is another, you know: The intruder might also be a friend of Soames who committed the break-in in hopes that we would come to the very conclusion we just have: that he is being framed...when in fact he's guilty as--what do you Americans say?--guilty as sin."

Sunday, September 26

VI

The House of Rats

Chapter 44

The G6 jet settled low on the approach to Naples airport, smooth as a Cadillac in soft-suspension mode.

Amelia Sachs was the only passenger today and the flight attendant had doted.