'Oh, nothing in particular/ Iolanda stared at her intently. Her tears had dried up.
'You expect me to believe that he fell for you?' she demanded with a harsh laugh. 'Oh, sure! And you started your period too, I suppose. Another miracle of San Gennaro!'
Libera shrugged modestly.
'Miracles sometimes happen, nevertheless.'
'Stop pissing me about!' exclaimed Iolanda. 'Let's face it, there's no way those two are ever going to come across for the likes of us.' 'I suppose you're right/ replied Libera. 'That must be why he gave me this…'
She displayed the key, dangling on a chain around her neck, and the address inked on her wrist. Iolanda stared at them in silence.
'That cunt/ she said at last.
Rolling up off the sofa, she strode rapidly to the door.
'Where are you going?' Libera asked in a tone of alarm.
'Back to the streets! At least there I can turn an honest trick and make some honest money/ Libera ran and grabbed her.
'Are you crazy? Do you want to throw away the money Zembla promised us when it's practically in our hands?'
'I've had it, understand? All this bullshit about love is driving me round the bend/ She threw herself back on the sofa and burst into tears.
'I'll fetch Dario/ said Libera, heading for the door. 'I'm sure he'll have some ideas. Stay right here!' 'I feel like I'm being torn apart,' Iolanda muttered to herself. 'And there's no one I can confide in or ask for advice, no one at all. To fall for a client! The shame of it! I'll be the laughing-stock of Naples.'
She sat up and sniffed loudly.
'But it won't happen. I'll just forget the bastard, wipe him out of my memory for ever Her face collapsed as she started to weep again.
'Only I can't! Whatever I do, I think of him. Whatever I look at, I see his face.'
The door swung open and in came Libera with Dario De Spino, who had been having a nap in the upstairs flat.
'I hear we have a little problem,' he said with an encouraging smile.
'Piss off, you asshole!' shouted Iolanda.
'Now, now, calm down, signorina. Your sister tells me that she's managed to win over Sabatino, but that you can't seem to make any impression on Gesualdo. Is that right?'
With a shriek of impotent rage, Iolanda hid her head under the sofa pillows.
'Don't take it so personally, darling,' said Libera, gesturing languidly. 'You don't really think that any man could resist a woman like me, do you? I don't want to boast, but … well, the fact remains that some of us have got what it takes, while others…'
'You bitch!' screamed Iolanda, hurling an ashtray at her head.
Libera stepped back just in time and the projectile flew past and out of the window.
'Grazzie assaje, duttd/ called an elderly male voice from the house opposite. 'First the cigarettes, now the ashtray.
Too kind, I'm sure. But listen, next time just give me a call and I'll come over and pick it up, OK?'
'Ladies, ladies!' De Spino remarked in a soothing tone.
'We mustn't let a little setback like this ruin everything.
Don't worry, we can still wrap up this little scam before I find some more, ah, permanent employment for you.'
XXIII
Gesualdo was shaking down a small-time scippatore and sneak thief when Sabatino caught up with him. The proceedings had started with Gesualdo reminding Ciro that he was behind with his payments for the para-legal intervention which had kept him out of Poggioreale after being caught in a Carabinieri sting operation designed to clean up the centre for the Gj conference.
Under pressure — a discreet knee in the crotch, a teasing glimpse of a holstered pistol, the pitiless glint in his interlocutor's eyes — Ciro had conceded that there was indeed a substantial discrepancy between the terms mutually agreed at the time (100,000 lire per week for six months) and the actual reimbursements which had been effected 10 lire per week for two months). But it was not him that was at fault, he protested, it was the market.
'They promised us rich pickings once the politicians went home! The tourists were supposed to start coming again, they said. The city was going to be a major holiday destination, its bad old reputation a thing of the past, right? You know what? It's worse than ever! Because they cracked down so hard while the big shots were here, everyone had to make up for the lost income afterwards.
There was a spate of muggings, the foreign press ran scare stories and now there's almost nobody worth robbing in town! I'm sorry, Gesua, but there's only so much I can do. This is a market economy, like they say. When times are bad, we all have to tighten our belts.'
Gesualdo grinned at him.
'You don't need to do that, Ciro. If you don't come up with the cash by the end of the week, we'll tighten your belt for you. So fucking tight that your lungs are sticking out of your mouth like bubble-gum while your intestines fill your pants at the other end. Understand?'
'You'll get the money, no problem! Just give me a couple of days. Trade is starting to pick up again. If only the cops hadn't made a big deal of cleaning up the streets, everything would be just fine.'
Gesualdo nodded.
'Speaking of which, what have you heard about that?'
The thief shifted his ferrety gaze this way and that.
'About what?'
'About 'Clean Streets'.'
Ciro shrugged hastily.
'Nothing. Nothing at all.'
Gesualdo ran his forefinger along the side of Ciro's throat.
'I just thought I'd mention it/ he said casually. 'Because if you do hear anything, it might help in regard to the arrears we were just talking about. Question of a couple of notches on the belt, so to speak. The capo is in a bit of a snit about this. Don Ermanno was a close associate of his.'
Ciro's expression of terrified confusion grew even more marked.
'But…' he began, and then thought better of it.
'But what, Ciro?'
'Nothing.'
Gesualdo laughed heartily, as though at a shared joke, and embraced the thief. Ciro emitted a loud groan, covered by Gesualdo's laughter, and collapsed in a limp heap on the cobbles. Grasping his ears good-naturedly, Gesualdo hauled him to his feet.
'For the love of Christ!' the thief moaned.
'To every thing there is a season, Ciro,' Gesualdo remarked pleasantly. 'A time to live and a time to die, a time to talk and a time to shut up. This is a time to talk.'
Ciro nodded.
'It's just — forgive me, I'm obviously ill-informed — but I've been told — no disrespect intended.. / Gesualdo stared at the man's sweating face.
'What have you been told, Ciro?'
'Ididn'tbelieveit,understand?Notforamoment,but.. / 'What were you told?'
