Says I gotta take a concourse in pewters. Whattya think, boss?’
Tm happy for you, Cat. Take the course, you can become a specialist. You’re just the right man for pewters.’
‘Thanks, Chief.’
‘Hello, Judge Tommaseo?
Montalbano here.’
Inspector, I’ve been looking all over for you.’
‘Forgive me, I was very busy. Remember the investigation into the body that was found in the water last week? I think you were duly informed about it.’
‘Any new developments?’
‘No, none whatsoever.’
Montalbano sensed the judge’s silent confusion. The exchange they’d just had was entirely meaningless. As he’d expected, the judge didn’t linger on the subject.
‘I wanted to tell you I tracked down the widower, Dr Licalzi, in Bologna, and, tactfully, of course, gave him the terrible news.’
‘How did he react?’
‘Well, how shall I put it?
Strangely. He didn’t even ask what his wife died of. She was very young, after alL He must be a cold one; he hardly got upset at all’
Dr Licalzi had denied the raven Tommaseo his jollies. The judge’s disappointment at not having been able to relish a fine display of cries and sobs — however long distance — was palpable.
‘At any rate he said he absolutely could not absent himself from the hospital today. He had some operations to perform and his replacement was sick. He’s going to take the 7.05 flight for Palermo tomorrow morning. I assume, therefore, he’ll be at your office around midday. I just wanted to bring you up to date on this.’
‘Thank you, sir.’
As Gallo was driving the inspector to work in a squad car, he informed Montalbano that, on Fazio’s orders, patrolman Germana had picked up the damaged Twingo and put it in the police station’s garage. ‘Good idea.’
The first person to enter his office was Mimi Augello.
I’m not here to talk to you about work. The day after tomorrow, that is, early Sunday morning, I’m going to visit my sister. D’you want to come, too, so you can see Francois? Well drive back in the evening.’
‘I’ll do my best to make it.’
‘Try to come. My sister made it clear she wants to talk to you.’
‘About Francois?’ ‘Yes.’
Montalbano became anxious.
He’d be in quite a fix if Augello’s sister and her husband said they couldn’t keep the kid with them any longer.
‘I’ll do what I can, Mimi.
Thanks.’
‘Hello, Inspector Montalbano? This is Clementina Vasile Cozzo.’
‘What a pleasure, signora.’
‘Answer me yes or no. Was I good?’
‘You were great, yes.’
‘Answer me yes or no again.
Are you coming to dinner tonight at nine?’ ‘Yes.’
Fazio walked into his office with a triumphant air.
‘Know what, Chief? I asked myself a question: with the house looking the way it did, like it was only occasionally lived in, where did Mrs Licalzi sleep when she came here from Bologna? So I called a colleague at Montelusa Central Police, the guy assigned to the hotel beat, and I got my answer. Every time she came, Michela Licalzi stayed at the Hotel Jolly in Montelusa. Turns out she last checked in seven days ago.’
Fazio caught him off balance. He’d intended to call Dr Licalzi in Bologna as soon as he got into work, but had been distracted. Mimi’s mention of Francois had flustered him a little.
‘Shall we go there now?’
asked Fazio.
‘Wait.’
An idea had flashed into his brain utterly unprovoked, leaving behind an ever-so-slight scent of sulphur, the kind the devil usually likes to wear. He asked Fazio for Licalzi’s telephone number, wrote it down on a piece of paper which he put in his pocket, then dialled it.
‘Hello, Central Hospital?
Inspector Montalbano here, from Vigata police, in Sicily. I’d like to speak to Dr Emanuele Licalzi.’
‘Please hold.’
He waited, all patience and self-controL When he appeared to be running out of both, the operator came back on the line.
‘Dr Licalzi is in the operating theatre. You’ll have to try again in half an hour.’
‘I’ll call him from the car’
he said to Fazio. ‘Bring along your mobile phone, don’t forget.’
He rang Judge Tommaseo and informed him of Fazio’s discovery.
‘Oh, I forgot to tell you,’
Tommaseo interjected. ‘When I asked him to give me his wife’s number here, he said he didn’t know it He said it was always she who called him.’
The inspector asked the judge to prepare him a search warrant. He would send Gallo over at once to pick it up. ‘Fazio, did they tell you what Dr Licalzi’s speciality
is?’
‘Yes, he’s an orthopedic surgeon.’
Halfway between Vigata and Montelusa, the inspector called Bologna Central Hospital again. After not too long a wait, Montalbano heard a firm, polite voice.
‘This is Licalzi. With whom am I speaking?’
‘Excuse me for disturbing you, Doctor. I’m Inspector Salvo Montalbano of the Vigata police. I’m handling the case. Please allow me to express my sincerest condolences.’
‘Thank you.’
Not one word more or less.
The inspector realized it was still up to him to talk.
‘Well, Doctor, you told the judge today that you didn’t know your wife’s phone number here in Vigata.’
‘That’s correct.’
‘We’ve been unable to track down this number ourselves.’
“There could hardly be thousands of hotels in Montelusa and Vigata.’
Ready to cooperate, this Dr Licalzi.
‘Forgiye me for insisting.
But hadn’t you arranged, in case of dire need—’
‘I don’t think such a need could have ever arisen. In any case, there’s a distant relative of mine who lives in Vigata and with whom my poor Michela had been in contact.’
‘Could you tell me—’
‘His name is Aurelio Di Blasi. And now you must excuse me, I have to return to the operating theatre.
I’ll be at your office tomorrow, around midday.’
‘One last question. Have you told this relative what happened?’
‘No. Why? Should I have?’
FOUR
‘Such an exquisite, elegant lady, and so beautiful!’ said Claudio Pizzotta, the distinguished, sixtyish manager of the Hotel Jolly in Montelusa. ‘Has something happened to her?’
‘We don’t really know yet.
We got a phone call from her husband in Bologna, who was worried.’
‘Right. As far as I know, Signora Licalzi left the hotel on Wednesday evening, and we haven’t seen her since.’
‘Weren’t you worried? It’s already Friday evening, if I’m not mistaken.’
‘Right’
‘Did she let you know she wouldn’t be returning?’
‘No. But, you see, Inspector, the lady has been staying with us regularly for at least two years, so we’ve had
