Death in Tuscany (23 page)

'Don't worry, chief.'

'Good. Has Rizzo arrived?'

'Not yet.'

'Send him to me as soon as he gets here.'

Once Fanti had left the room, Ferrara went back to his files.

He had just finished dealing with the most urgent matters when Francesco Rizzo appeared. Ferrara felt relieved. A big, reserved man, with eyes that tended to be evasive, Rizzo was unfailingly loyal and generous. He gave Ferrara a sense of security. Right now, he needed him desperately.

Tm sorry if I've ruined your holiday, Francesco,' he said, noticing immediately that Rizzo hadn't even had time to get a tan.

'What's going on?' Rizzo asked, sure that whatever it was must be serious.

Ferrara filled him in, and gave him all the documents and the memo he had prepared. Rizzo looked over the memo.

OPERATION STELLA

-
 
Complete the map detailing all the buildings in the area where the girl was found.

-
 
Wait for the authorisation to see Stella's medical records and have them examined by Dr Francesco Leone.

-
 
Follow up the tests on Stella's clothes currently in progress by Forensics.

-
 
Follow up the development of all lines of inquiry already begun (drug dealers, paedophiles, illegal immigrants).

—Assess whether it is necessary to involve the Juvenile Division further in the investigation.

-
 
Follow up checks on the phone card used for the call to the emergency services.

-
 
Follow any other leads as you see fit.

'If I'd read about this, chief, I'd have come back straightaway without waiting for Fanti to call me.'

'It hasn't been in the papers. When they found her, she was just one more junkie, that's not news, and when she died she was one more dead person in a hospital with more than a thousand patients.'

'Maybe it's better that way . . . All the same

'Go on, Francesco.'

'I was thinking we could put out a press statement, with Stella's description and photo . . . unless you've already done it.'

'No, it didn't seem appropriate. Besides, as she's a minor, we have to proceed with the utmost caution

'I know, but at this point publishing the photo may be of use to the investigation. It may be that someone will come forward, even if only through an anonymous phone call.'

'You may be right, but you'll have to ask Deputy Prosecutor Giulietti for authorisation.'

'You want me to do it?'

'Yes, Francesco. From now on, Operation Stella is all yours. I have something else to see to.'

And he told him about Massimo Verga's disappearance and the murder in Marina di Pietrasanta.

'Incredible,' Rizzo commented, genuinely concerned. He was a man of few words, but as down-to-earth and solid as his physique.

'Incredible but true, unfortunately. So you understand why I can't handle the Stella case as well? Apart from the time factor, my heart isn't in it.'

'Of course!'

'I'm going to the Versilia coast today to talk to the journalist who's been covering the case. And I may stay there for a few days.'

'If you need us, chief, we're here.'

'Thanks, Francesco, I know.'

'What about Commissioner Lepri? What shall I tell him?'

'Don't worry, I'll deal with him. I'll go and see him now and explain the situation. Apart from anything else, we have jurisdiction over Pietrasanta for certain kinds of crime, and anyway the victim lived in Florence and had his business here.'

'Let's hope he understands that and doesn't just say that the Carabinieri are dealing with it,' Rizzo said. Prophetic words.

As soon as the green light came on, giving him the go-ahead to enter Lepri's luxurious office, Ferrara was hit by an unstoppable torrent of words.

'How much longer will I have to keep calling you to order, Chief Superintendent? Don't you realise your work is here, in the most important city in Tuscany, a showcase of interest to the whole world? You have duties, you can't do everything off your own bat, trampling on the rules and cheerfully ignoring the hierarchy!'

He was purple. Ferrara had never seen him like this.

'I don't—' he began.

'"I don't" what? First you get the doctors at the Ospedale Nuovo all worked up, but I close my eyes to that. Then you interfere in a Carabinieri investigation, in another town to boot, and I have to hear about it from Rome, where they may well be starting disciplinary proceedings! Well, let me tell you this: if they do, I'm not going to save your skin. On the contrary
..."

Captain Fulvi is good,
Ferrara thought.

'I haven't interfered in anyone's investigation,' he said, adding mentally:
so far.
'I went there at their request to talk to them about an acquaintance of mine.'

'Oh, yes, Massimo Verga, the heartbreaker, the
intellectual,'
Lepri said, contemptuously. 'Watch out for that one! I've been making inquiries, you know. A subversive! You make a good couple! So, you "haven't interfered" . . . Oh no! It wasn't you who questioned the Contessa Servi, it was your double. And it wasn't your secretary, Fanti, who gathered information on Ugo Palladiani, the victim of the murder the Carabinieri are investigating. He also has a double. Florence is full of doubles!'

The Contessa Servi was good, too. Well, he should have expected it. Contessa or not, she was a gossip.

'It's true, I went to see the Contessa—'

'And I'm sure it wasn't to talk about the robbery, which strangely enough you haven't solved. I had to listen to all her complaints. The thieves are living it up in Florence, Ferrara, and you go to Pietrasanta to bother the—'

A friend of mine is involved in that case.'

The Commissioner leaned back in his armchair, exhausted. 'We've talked about that, Chief Superintendent, I don't want to hear any more. Drop the Palladiani case. That's an order. The Carabinieri are dealing with it and they're the only ones who should be dealing with it. If I find out you're anywhere near there again, for any reason, I'll take measures that'll make you regret it, I assure you! And make sure you don't bother the Contessa again . . . unless it's to restore her bloody fan collection to her!'

'Don't worry, I won't bother her. In fact . . .' - the idea came to him as he spoke - '. . . the reason I came to see you was to tell you that I'm taking a few days' holiday'

'Good idea. Yes, go. I think you need it. You never take a break. It'll do you good. Go, go. Get as far away from here as you can!'

When he got back to his office, he summoned all his men and told them that he was putting Rizzo in charge. They all guessed the true reason for this sudden 'holiday'. The team's bad mood was tangible.

It was then that Ciuffi of Narcotics, as if to relieve the tension, said, 'Chief, we may be about to nab those two Albanians I told you about on Monday. They're on their way back to Florence, together with a Florentine we think they're in cahoots with. They left this morning, stopped rather suspiciously in the Versilia service area on the A12 autostrada, carried on as far as the tollbooth, then turned round and started back. I've given orders to the traffic police to stop them for a routine check as soon as they've passed the Lucca tollbooth. Some of our people will be with the patrol. If they're carrying what I think, those three are well and truly fucked!'

'Well done, Ciuffi. It certainly doesn't seem normal for someone to go for a little drive along the autostrada and then just turn round and come back! Did you see what they were doing during their stop?'

'Almost nothing. They parked in the heavy goods vehicle area, and were practically hidden in the middle of all the lorries. Our people couldn't go any nearer for fear of being spotted. But they did see them load a spare tyre in the car, so in my opinion we're on the right track. The whole scene was captured on video and in still photos. We'll be having a good look at them.'

'Good. Who knows? Once you've got the three of them, you may even be able to get them to give us a lead on the dealer who supplied the drugs that killed Stella
..."

'Possible . . . But these are tough cookies.'

Tm sure they are, but you know what they say? Where there's life there's hope.'

Ciuffi smiled. 'They also say "That'll be the day".'

'Whatever happens, report back to Superintendent Rizzo, he'll know what to do.'

'Right, chief.'

'And if you need any of the team, they're here.' Everyone nodded.

*

While Petra packed, Ferrara started phoning around in search of a hotel that still had a room available even though it was high season. At the fourteenth attempt, he had a stroke of luck: a room had become available that very day at the Principe, one of the best seafront hotels in Marina di Pietrasanta.