"Maziq was staying in a residence hotel in Naples. Not a very pleasant place but serviceable. As for the events leading up to the kidnapping, he himself has no memory of what happened. The interviewer was inclined to believe him, because of the trauma of the kidnapping--the drugs and the lack of oxygen. But Daniela canvassed the hotel and a fellow refugee said Maziq told him he was planning on taking a bus to meet someone for dinner near D'Abruzzo. It's a small town in the countryside."
Sachs said, "We should find that guy he ate with and talk to him. He might have seen the Composer. Maybe tailing Maziq."
Rossi said, "There is a possibility about that. The Postal Police have analyzed the data from the phone card found where he was kidnapped. It is surely his, rather than the Composer's. He used a prepaid mobile, as all refugees do. Just before he was kidnapped he made calls to other prepaids--in Naples, in Libya and to an Italian town in the north, Bolzano, not far from the border. The Postal Police believe they can correlate the pings. You understand?"
"Yes," Rhyme said. "To find out where he was when he was at dinner."
"Precisely. They will let me know soon."
Sachs asked, "What does he have to say?"
"He remembers very little. He believes he was blindfolded much of the time. He awoke in the reservoir and his kidnapper was gone."
Unsmiling Beatrice--as womanly round as a Botticelli model--walked from the laboratory to the situation room.
"Ecco." She held up a few printouts.
Ercole picked up a Sharpie and stepped to the board. She shook her head, adamantly, and took the marker from his hand. She glanced at Rossi and spoke.
Ercole frowned, while Rossi laughed. He explained, "She has said the Forestry officer's handwriting is not the best. He will read the results of the Scientific Police's analysis in English and she will write it on our chart. He will assist her in translation."
As the man read from the sheets, the woman's stubby fingers skittered over the pad on the easel in, yes, it was true, quite elegant handwriting.
"The Composer" Kidnapping, Viale Margherita, 22, Naples
--Site: Roman aqueduct reservoir.
--Victim: Ali Maziq. --Refugee, temporarily housed at Paradise Hotel, Naples.
--Minor injuries to neck and throat from strangulation.
--Minor dehydration.
--Disorientation and memory loss from drugs and lack of oxygen.
--Trace from clothing of Victim: --Variant of drug, amobarbital.
--Residue of liquid chloroform.
--Clay-based dirt, source unknown.
--Footprints: --Victim's.
--Converse Cons, Size 45, same as at other scenes.
--Bottle, containing water. No source determined.
--Nokia phone, prepaid mobile (sent to Postal Police for analysis), EID number indicates bought for cash two days ago at tobacco store on Viale Emanuele. Phone short-circuited in water spill upon entry to site. SIM card revealed five calls earlier in day from one number, prepaid, no longer active. --DNA on phone (sweat, most likely). --Matches that of Composer.
--Trace of olanzapine, antipsychotic drug.
--Small amount of sodium chloride, propylene glycol, mineral oil, glyceryl monostearate, polyoxyethelene stearate, stearyl alcohol, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, methylparaben, butylparaben.
--Duct tape. No source determined.
--Cotton cloth, used as gag. No source determined.
--Noose, made of two musical instrument strings, E string for double-bass instrument. Similar to noose from crime scene in New York used on victim Robert Ellis.