Free Winter in Madrid by C. J. Sansom

know they’re sending mining equipment out, and mercury and other chemicals; scarce resources.’
    ‘Sandy was always interested in geology,’ Harry said. ‘At school he had a thing about fossils, he used to go off and try to find dinosaur bones.’
    ‘Did he now?’ Hillgarth said. ‘Didn’t know that. He never got himself any formal qualifications that we know of, but he’s working with a man who has. Alberto Otero.’
    ‘The man with experience in South Africa?’
    ‘Just so.’ Hillgarth nodded approvingly. ‘Mining engineer. They gave you some reading up on gold mining back home, I believe.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’ It had been odd, grappling with the heavy textbooks in the evening in his little room.
    ‘So far as Forsyth’s concerned, of course, you know nothing about gold. Babe in arms on the subject.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’ Harry paused. ‘Do you know how Forsyth and this Otero came together?’
    ‘No. There are a lot of gaps. We only know that while he was working as a tour guide Forsyth got in with the Auxilio Social, the Falange organization that handles what passes for social welfare here.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘It’s corrupt as hell. Rich pickings, with supplies so short.’
    ‘Does Forsyth still keep in touch with his family?’
    Hillgarth shook his head. ‘His father hasn’t heard from him in years.’
    Harry remembered the one time he had seen the bishop; he had come down to the school after Sandy’s disgrace to plead for his son. Looking from the classroom Harry had seen him in the quadrangle, recognized him by the red episcopal shirt under his suit. He looked solid and patrician, nothing like Sandy.
    ‘Forsyth supported the Nationalists, then?’ Harry asked.
    ‘I think it was the rich pickings he supported,’ Hillgarth replied.
    ‘You weren’t a Republican supporter, were you?’ Hoare gave Harry a searching look.
    ‘I didn’t support either side, sir.’
    Hoare grunted. ‘I thought that was the great dividing line before the War, who supported the Reds in Spain and who the Nats. I’m surprised at a Hispanicist supporting neither side.’
    ‘Well I didn’t, sir. A plague on both their houses was what I thought.’ He’s a tetchy little bully, Harry thought.
    ‘I could never understand how anyone could think a Red Spain could be less than a disaster.’
    Hillgarth looked irritated by the interruption. He leaned forward. ‘Forsyth wouldn’t have known any Spanish before coming out here, would he?’
    ‘No, but he would have picked it up quickly. He’s smart. That was one reason the masters hated him at school; he was bright but he wouldn’t work.’
    Hillgarth raised his eyebrows. ‘Hated? That’s a strong word.’
    ‘It got to that, I think.’
    ‘Well, according to our man he’s got in with the state mining agency. Does wheeler-dealing for them; negotiating supplies and so on.’ He paused. ‘The Falange faction dominates the Ministry of Mines. They’d love Spain to be able to pay for food imports, instead of begging us and the Americans for loans. Trouble is, we’ve no hard intelligence in there. If you could get directly to Forsyth it could be of incalculable help. We must find out if there’s anything in these gold stories.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    There was a moment’s silence, the oily swishing of the ceiling fan suddenly loud, then Hillgarth went on. ‘Forsyth works through a company he’s set up. Nuevas Iniciativas. It’s listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange as a supply procurement company. The shares have been going up, Ministry of Mines officials have been buying in. The firm has a little office near Calle Toledo; Forsyth’s there most days. Our man hasn’t been able to get his home address, which is a blasted nuisance – we just know he lives out in Vigo district with some tart. Most days at siesta time he goes for coffee to a local cafe. That’s where we want you to make contact with him.’
    ‘Does he go by himself?’
    ‘Apart from him there’s