The Burial Hour (Lincoln Rhyme 13)

--See FACETTE facial composite rendering.

The Composer's composite picture revealed a round, bald white man, depicted both with a hat and without. He resembled ten thousand other round white men. Rhyme had worked very few cases in which an artist's rendering provided leads that resulted in an arrest.

Looking at the chart, Rossi mused, "That Post-it note, Milan...What could it be? Was it Malek Dadi's? Or does the Composer have a connection there? He might have flown in there, established a base, and then drove to Naples for his mischief."

"Is it nearby?" Rhyme asked.

"No. Seven hundred kilometers."

Sachs said, "We have to follow up."

"Someone from the Milan police," Ercole suggested. "You must know officers there, Ispettore."

"Of course I do. But one who can understand the nature of the case quickly? What to look for? I think it would be better for someone here to go. Daniela and Giacomo have other caseloads. Ercole, with respect, you are new to this game. I wonder if--"

Sachs said, "I'll go."

"That is what I was going to suggest."

Rhyme said, "But what about Spiro?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you, Rhyme," Sachs offered. "I'm on the A list. Some reporter was talking about him getting praised for the insight of flying us here from America." She lowered her voice. "He came close to smiling."

"Dante Spiro smiling?" Rossi laughed. "As often as a pope's death."

Sachs said, "I'll find somebody in the consulate there to translate for me." She looked at Ercole. "You can stay here and take care of other matters."

Other matters...

He understood, as Rhyme did, that she was talking about the Garry Soames case. There was still the student's apartment to search. Ercole looked worried for a moment, concerned that she might mention this mission in front of Rossi, but of course she did not.

She said, "The jet we flew here on is in England for the time being. Is there an aircraft of yours I can use?"

Rossi laughed. "We have none, I'm afraid. We fly Alitalia, like everyone else, except in very rare cases." He looked at Ercole. "The Forestry Corps has aircraft."

"For forest fires. Bombardier Four-Fifteen Super Scoopers. We have a Piaggio P One-Eighty. But none of those are nearby."

He said this in a tone that, to Rhyme, really meant they were not available to shuttle American detectives anywhere, even if one had been nearby.

"I will check with Alitalia," Ercole said.

"No," Rhyme replied. Then to Sachs, "No commercial flights. I want you to have your weapon with you."

Rossi said, "Yes, it would add considerable time and paperwork."

Irregularness...

Sachs asked, "Then what? An overnight drive?"

Rhyme said, "No. I have an idea. But I'll need to make a call." Then he looked Thom's way. "All right, all right. I'll do it from the hotel."

Besides, he was eager to continue his mission to acquire the acquired taste for grappa.

Saturday, September 25

V

Skulls and Bones