Читать книгу Offering to the Storm - Долорес Редондо, Dolores Redondo - Страница 14

She hurried along the corridor, fighting the impulse to break into a run, acknowledged the guard manning the next security gate, and continued to the main entrance, where she had recognised one of the guards when she arrived. Still, she waited to retrieve her bag and gun before asking to see the prison governor.

‘He’s not here. He’s in Barcelona, at a conference on prison security, but you can speak to his deputy if you want,’ said the man, reaching for the phone.

Amaia reflected for an instant.

‘No, don’t bother. It’s not important.’

She climbed into her car and took out her mobile, glancing suspiciously at the CCTV cameras dotted about the prison. She put the phone down and drove off, found a parking space several streets away, then dialled a number she had never used before.

Judge Markina’s calm voice answered at the other end of the line.

‘Inspector, this is the first time you’ve ever called me on this—’

‘This is official business, your honour. I’ve just left the prison in Pamplona after interviewing Berasategui …’ Conscious of the tremor in her voice, she broke off and took a deep breath to compose herself.

‘Berasategui? Why didn’t you tell me you were going to see him?’

‘I’m sorry, your honour, this was an informal visit, I wanted to ask him about … Rosario.’

She heard him click his tongue in disapproval.

‘All the information we have points to him and Rosario stopping off somewhere that night, at a safe house where she was able to change her clothes, somewhere they could hide in case things didn’t go according to plan … I refuse to believe that a man as organised as Berasategui wouldn’t have factored in a contingency like that.’

Markina was silent at the other end of the line.

‘But that isn’t why I called. The interview went well, until I asked him if Rosario was still alive … Then he gave me a message from her.’

‘What! Amaia, the man’s playing with you, he’s an arch manipulator!’ he burst out, abandoning his usual restraint. ‘He hasn’t any message from your mother – you gave him an opening, he recognised your weakness, and he pounced.’

She heaved a sigh, starting to regret having mentioned it to him.

‘What exactly did he say?’

‘That’s not important, it’s what happened next that worries me. While he was passing on the so-called message, he grabbed me by the throat.’

‘Did he hurt you?’ Markina broke in, alarmed.

‘The two guards who were in the room with us didn’t move a muscle,’ she went on. ‘No, he didn’t hurt me, I freed myself and retreated to the door, but the guards wouldn’t budge, even when I yelled at them to open the door. They waited until Berasategui authorised them to do so.’

‘Are you sure you’re okay?’ If he hurt you—’

‘I’m fine,’ she interrupted. ‘The point is, they acted like a pair of trained monkeys. He even joked about how stupid they were, and they remained completely submissive.’

‘Where are you? I want to see you. Tell me where you are, I’ll come straight away.’

She glanced about, disoriented.

‘The prison governor is at a conference, and I don’t know his deputy, but we need to act now. Who knows how many other guards he has under his thumb.’

‘I’ll see to it. I have the director’s mobile number right here. I’ll call to recommend Berasategui be moved to a maximum-security unit and placed in an isolation cell. The problem will be solved in ten minutes. But right now I need to see you. I need to know you’re okay.’

Amaia leaned her head against the steering wheel, trying to order her thoughts. Markina’s response had unnerved her; he appeared genuinely concerned, and she found his reaction to the possibility of any harm coming to her at once infuriating and flattering.

‘Have you received the pathologist’s report about the Esparza case?’

‘No. I want to see you now.’

‘My sister told me you’d called her.’

‘Yes. She left a message with my secretary, and I returned her call out of politeness. She wanted to know whether I considered it appropriate to hold a funeral service for your mother. I told her I saw no objection. And now, can I see you?’

She smiled at his insistence; she should have known Flora’s version would be somewhat doctored.

‘I’m fine, honestly. Anyway, I need to go back to the police station to see the pathologist’s report, which should be arriving any minute.’

‘So, when?’

‘When what?’

‘When can I see you?’

‘I have another call,’ she lied. ‘I need to hang up.’

‘All right, but promise me: no more visits to Berasategui on your own. If anything happened to you …’

She ended the call, staring at the blank screen for a while without moving.