In short, he added a good dose of fuel to the fire. It was a good thing for Montalbano that Livia didn’t have any churchgoing girlfriends who could tell her what Father Stanzilla thought of the whole affair.
o o o
On the Free Channel News, Nicolo Zito announced to one and all that Antonio Peruzzo, in the face of this specific obligation, was suddenly nowhere to be found. Once again, the engineer had behaved true to form.This flight from a life-and-death matter, however, not only did not absolve him of his responsibility, it made it weigh all the more heavily upon him.
o o o
On TeleVigata, Pippo Ragonese proclaimed that since Peruzzo was a victim of the communist judiciary who had managed to remake his fortune thanks to the new government’s initiatives to spur private enterprise, it was his moral duty to show that the confidence the banks and institutions had placed in him was well-founded. Especially since rumor had it—and it was certainly no secret—that he was considering running for public office among the ranks of those currently renovating Italy. Any gesture that could be interpreted as a re-jection of public opinion on his part could have fatal consequences for his political aspirations.
o o o
Titomanlio Giarrizzo, venerable former presiding judge of the Court of Montelusa, declared in an unwavering voice to his associates at the local chess club that if the kidnappers had appeared before his bench, he would have condemned them to the harshest of punishments but also praised them for having exposed the true face of that notorious scallywag, “Engineer” Antonio Peruzzo.
o o o
And Signora Concetta Pizzicato, who had a stand at the fish market with a sign that read cuncetta the clairvoyant fortune-teller’s live fish, replied to any and all who asked if Peruzzo would pay the ransom:
o o o
“Hello? Progresso Italia? This is Inspector Montalbano. Have you heard from Engineer Peruzzo, by any chance?”
“No. No news.”
It was the same girl as before, except that now there was a shrill, almost hysterical tone to her voice.
“I’ll call back.”
“No, please, look, it’s useless. Mr. Nicotra has ordered all telephones to be cut off in ten minutes.”
“Why?”
“We’re getting dozens and dozens of calls . . . full of insults . . . obscenities.”
The girl was about to burst into tears.
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11
Around five in the afternoon Gallo reported to Montalbano that a nasty rumor had spread about town which, if there was still any need, turned everyone against Antonio Peruzzo. The gossip had it that the engineer, to get out of paying the ransom, had asked a judge to freeze his assets. And that the judge had refused. The story didn’t seem to hold water, but the inspector decided to check it out anyway.
“Minutolo? Montalbano here. Do you know, by any chance, what the judge intends to do about Peruzzo?”
“Look, he just called me up and was beside himself.
Somebody told him there was a rumor—”
“I’ve already heard.”
“Well, he told me he’s had no contact of any sort, either direct or indirect, with Peruzzo. And that, for the moment, at least, he’s not authorized to freeze the assets of any of the Mistrettas’ family, friends, acquaintances, or neigh-bors . . . He went on and on, like a river overflowing its banks.” “Listen, have you still got Susanna’s photo?”
“Yes.”
“Could you lend it to me till tomorrow? I want to have a better look at it. I’ll send Gallo for it.”
“Still fixated on that business about the light?”
“Yes.”
It was a lie. The point wasn’t the light, but the shadow.
“Okay, Montalbano, but don’t lose it. I mean it. Otherwise, who’s going to deal with the judge?”
o o o
“Here’s the photo,” said Gallo half an hour later, handing him an envelope.
“Thanks. Send Catarella in here.”
Catarella arrived in a flash, tongue hanging out, like a dog responding to his master’s whistle.
“Your orders, Chief!”
