'There's a briefcase on the back seat, which wasn't touched by the steel rods,' said the Guardia Civil. 'And there's a cool box in the boot. We haven't opened either of them.'

'This is why we need an Organized Crime Response Squad in Seville,' said Jorge.

'We're running this for the moment. They're sending someone up from the Costa del Sol GRECO and an intelligence guy from CICO,' said Falcon. 'Let's take a look at this money. Elvira called me on the way to say he's got Prosegur to send a van out.'

The Guardia Civil opened the boot. There was suddenly a crowd.

'Joder,' said one of the motorbike cops.

The visible money was in used notes and bound in packs of €100- and €50-denomination notes. Some of the packs had burst open on impact from the steel rod, but there was no loose money outside the vehicle.

'Let's have some room around here,' said Falcon. 'Glove up. Only the forensics and I will touch this money. Jorge, bring a couple of bin liners over, one for each denomination.'

They counted out the packs of money, avid eyes looking on. At the bottom of the suitcase were several layers of €200-denomination notes and below them two layers of €500 notes. Jorge went to get two more bin liners. Falcon made his calculations.

'Not counting this loose money, we're looking at seven million, six hundred and fifty thousand euros.'

'That's got to be drug money,' said the Guardia Civil.

'More likely people-trafficking and prostitution,' said Falcon, who was calling Comisario Elvira.

As he gave his report the Prosegur van pulled up in front of the last Nissan 4?4. Two helmeted guys lifted a metal trunk out of the back. Falcon hung up. Felipe had taped up the packs of money into tight black blocks and was marking up the bin liners with white stick-on labels. They put the four blocks into the trunk, which was locked with two keys, one given to Falcon, who signed for it.