since the sun was beating down on the little room.
“Maybe the key is for a safe-deposit box at a bank?” Fazio ventured when they returned to the flat below.
“I doubt it. Usually those keys have a number on them, or an imprint, something enabling the bank people to recognize it. This one is smooth, anonymous.”
“So what are we gonna do?”
“We’re gonna go eat,” said Montalbano, waxing poetic.
After a thorough bellyful and a slow, meditative-digestive stroll, one step at a time, to the lighthouse and back, he went to the office.
“Chief, djou bring me the form that he needs?” asked Catarella the moment he walked in. “Yes, give it to him.”
According to the complex Catarellian language, “him” of course meant Catarella himself.
The inspector sat down, pulled out the key Fazio had found, set it on the desk, and started staring at it as though he wanted to hypnotize it. But the opposite thing happened. That is, the key hypnotized him. In fact, a few minutes later, he let his eyes shut, overwhelmed by an irresistible desire to sleep. He got up, went and washed his face, and at that moment he had a brainstorm. He called Galluzzo into his of-fice.
“Listen, do you know where Orazio Genco lives?”
“The robber? Of course I know where he lives. I went there twice to arrest him.”
“I want you to go see him, ask him how he’s doing, and give him my regards. Did you know that Orazio hasn’t gotten out of bed for a year? I don’t feel up to seeing what kind of state he’s in.”
Galluzzo wasn’t surprised. He knew that the inspector and the old burglar were fond of each other and had become, in their own way, friends.
“Am I just supposed to give him your regards?”
“No. “While you’re at it, let him have a look at this key.” Montalbano took it out and handed it to him. “Make him tell you what kind of key it is and what he thinks it’s for.”
“Bah!” said a skeptical Galluzzo. “That’s a modern key.”
“So?”
“Orazio’s old and hasn’t been working for years.” “Don’t worry, I know he keeps informed.”
As Montalbano was drifting off to sleep again, Fazio suddenly appeared with a plastic bag in hand. “Did you go shopping?”
“No, Chief, I went to Montelusa to get what you wanted from Forensics. It’s all in here.” He set the bag down on the desk.
“And I also want you to know I talked to the phone company. I got the authorization. They’re going to try to identify the phones that those calls came from.”
“And the information on Angelo Pardo and Emilio Sclafani?”
“Chief, unfortunately, I’m not God. I can only do one thing at a time. I’m going out to make the rounds now, see what I can find out. Oh, one more thing. Three.”
And he held up the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of his right hand.
Montalbano gave him a befuddled look.
“You become some kind of kabbalist or something? What’s ‘three’ supposed to mean? You wanna play fling flang flu?”
“Chief, you remember that kid who died from an overdose? And do you remember I told you Engineer Fasulo was also killed by drugs, even though everybody said it was a heart attack?”
“Yes, I remember. So who’s the third?”
“Senator Nicotra.”
Montalbano’s mouth took the shape of an O. “Are you kidding?”
“No, Chief. It was well known the senator dabbled in drugs. Every now and then, he would shut himself up in his villa and take a three-day trip by himself. Looks like this time he forgot to buy a return ticket.”
“But is this certain?”
“Gospel, Chief.”
“How do you like that? The guy did nothing but talk about morals and morality! Tell me something: When you went to the kid’s house, did you find the usual stuff— syringe, rubber hose?”
“Yeah.”
“With Nicotra it must have been something else, some badly cut stuff. I just don’t get it. I don’t understand these things. Anyway, may he rest in peace.”
As he was leaving, Fazio practically ran into Mimi Augello in the doorway.
“Mimi!” the inspector bellowed. “What a lovely surprise! A sight for sore eyes!”
“Leave me alone, Salvo, I haven’t slept a wink for two days.”
“Is the little one sick?”
“No, but he cries all the time. For no reason.” “That’s your opinion.” “But the doctors—”
