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right-wing group you thought were watching you, the Centinelas ?’
    She stared, suddenly anxious, trying to keep her voice natural. ‘What about them?’
    â€˜We made extensive inquiries. They don’t exist.’
    â€˜But Judge Delgado was investigating them.’ Galíndez frowned. ‘I gave him some evidence about them.’
    â€˜Don’t you read the news? Judge Delgado was impeached for improper use of public funds six weeks ago. I think you’ll find he’s going to be occupied for quite some time as he tries to clear his name. Those cases go on for ever.’
    â€˜But we also had Guzmán’s diary,’ Galíndez persisted. ‘It was written in code.’
    â€˜No, it wasn’t.’ Fuentes opened a drawer and took out a slim package wrapped in brown paper. ‘Here, you can keep it. You were right, it seemed to be in code but cryptographics finally concluded that it’s just a diary.’ He slide the package towards her. ‘The message from the top is no more Guzmán.’ He met her gaze and held it. ‘Got that?’
    Galíndez chewed her knuckle, wondering whether to argue. ‘I’ve got it, jefe .’
    â€˜That’s the spirit,’ Fuentes said, more cheerful. ‘On a different note, I wondered if you’d like to come over to our place for a meal? Mercedes thought after all that’s happened, you might like some home cooking. Would Sunday suit you?’
    â€˜That would be great, jefe . I haven’t seen your girls since you brought them in last year.’
    â€˜They’ve grown.’ Fuentes smiled, ‘and they’re twice as much trouble. Inés still wants to be a forensic scientist.’
    â€˜She’s a bright girl.’ Galíndez nodded. ‘Should I go and start work, then?’
    â€˜Not yet. You’ve some leave left over from last year. I think you ought to take it.’
    â€˜But I’ve only just come back.’
    â€˜I think you’re going to want to take a couple of days off.’ Fuentes waved to someone standing outside the office. The door opened and Mendez came in.
    â€˜Has she recovered from the shock?’ Mendez asked.
    Fuentes nodded. ‘I think so, Sargento . Probably time to give her another, I think.’
    Mendez held out a file. ‘Present for you, Ana.’
    Galíndez opened the file. ‘What’s this, a welcome-back card?’
    â€˜We got a message from a guardia post in the Basque country,’ Mendez said. ‘The boss thought you might be interested.’
    â€˜And what was this message from Euskadi?’ The change in Galíndez’s voice as she pronounced the Basque word wasn’t lost on the other two. They knew how she felt about Basques. After what had happened to her father, no one blamed her.
    â€˜Just this and that.’ Mendez smiled, noncommittal.
    â€˜I’m not going to beg.’
    â€˜ Jesús , just tell her, will you?’ Fuentes grumbled.
    â€˜OK,’ Mendez said. ‘I got a call from a Sargento Atienza. He’s based near a place called Legutio. It’s near Vitoria. There’s a reservoir with water sports, fishing and stuff.’
    Galíndez raised an eyebrow. ‘You booked me a holiday?’
    â€˜Legutio used to be called Villarreal back in the Civil War,’ Mendez said, ignoring her. ‘It’s where they started the final invasion of the Basque country in 1937.’
    â€˜Water sports and history. My lucky day.’
    â€˜Atienza says there was a village nearby that was shelled heavily during the fighting.’
    â€˜This is like those programmes on hotel TV,’ Galíndez cut in. ‘But less interesting.’
    â€˜They’re knocking down what’s left of the old village to build a sports complex,’ Mendez continued, ‘but when they came to demolish one of the houses, they found it was built on top of an older building with a