The Age Of Doubt

wound.”

“And how do you explain the water in the lungs?”

“A precautionary measure.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Don’t you see what kind of shape you’re in? Why don’t you retire? Can’t you see for yourself your time is up? Here is what happened, in my opinion. The killers-because there were at least two of them-grab the guy and dunk his head into the water to the point where he almost drowns and-”

“But the wharf is tall!”

“What makes you think they killed him there?”

“Where’d they kill him, then?”

“On the boat, of course! They take him aboard, shove his head into a basin or something like that full of water, let him have a good drink, then pull him back out, choking his guts out, deal him the fatal blow, take him to the appointed place, and chuck him into the water from the wharf.”

“I still don’t understand why you called it a precautionary measure.”

“Do you see how seriously impaired your brain is? It was to make it look like he took in the seawater in the few seconds of life he had left.”

There wasn’t anything else to be learned here. On top of that, Montalbano couldn’t stand the bastard’s provocations any longer.

“Thank you, Doctor. I’m sorry, but have you informed the commissioner’s office of the results of your autopsy?”

“Of course. I did my duty as soon as I’d finished my work.”

If Dr. Pasquano’s reasoning was correct, and it did seem to make a great deal of sense, then the killing, with all the commotion of shoving the guy’s head repeatedly into a bucket of seawater, could not have taken place aboard the yacht, no way. The risk would have been too great. Mimi Augello might hear something, however involved he was in bedroom gymnastics with La Giovannini at that moment.

It’s possible they did, at first, intend to carry out the killing on the yacht, but when La Giovannini appeared with Mimi on her arm, they would have been forced to change their plans.

Thus, when Captain Sperli, while waiting for Shaikiri to return, saw Augello come aboard, his only course of action would have been to race over to the Ace of Hearts and tell them of the hitch in their plans.

But there was no escaping it: if the killing did not take place on the yacht, it could only have occurred on the cruiser. Definitely not on the wharf-or, at least, only the last phase could have taken place on the wharf: moving the corpse and then chucking it into the water.

And this brought up something very important for the investigation: namely, that there was some sort of amorous correspondence between the Vanna and the Ace of Hearts. No question but that there were strong elective affinities between the two boats. In less literary terms, they must have been complicit in affairs so shady as to lead to murder.

If that was how it was, however, it implied something unexpected: that La Giovannini was completely in the dark as to the premeditated killing. Otherwise she would not have taken Mimi back to her cabin but gone to his place instead.

Was La Giovannini therefore innocent?

Wait a second, Montalba. Try, as Pasquano warned, not to jump to conclusions.

Indeed, one could even hypothesize the exact opposite on the basis of the fact that La Giovannini brought Mimi on board. While they’re dining in Montelusa, the lady gets an idea for creating an ironclad alibi. She’ll be rolling in the hay when the killing takes place.

No, that won’t work.

It won’t work because the alibi would be stronger if she went to Mimi’s place.

And so?

Maybe La Giovannini didn’t want the Arab to be liquidated aboard her yacht. Maybe she wasn’t opposed to killing him, but wanted, in one way or another, to be left out of it. Mimi’s dinner invitation therefore came at just the right time, providing her with a unique opportunity.

By bringing him into her cabin, she forced all the others to change their plan of action.

Mimi said they had run into the captain in the mess room purely by chance. But that meant nothing. If they hadn’t crossed paths with him, La Giovannini would probably have gone to talk to him, coming up with whatever excuse she could think of, so she could let him know that an outsider would be spending the night with her.

***

He went into his office, locked the door behind him, and rang Laura on the outside line.

As he was dialing, his heart started beating so wildly he was afraid he might be having a heart attack. How could he possibly be reduced to such a state at his age, like some adolescent in love for the first time?

“Hi. How are you?” he asked, his throat dry.

“Fine. And you?”

“I’m great. I wanted to tell you…”

Damn! He’d prepared a little speech that had worked like a charm in his head, but as soon as he’d heard her voice it had all vanished.

“What is it?”

“Well, I was about to go out to lunch, and was wondering…”

He got stuck, unable to speak. She came running to his assistance.

“If I could come out with you? I really wish I could, but I can’t leave the office. I’ve got some stuff to do. But we could…”

“Yes?”

“… see each other this evening, if you feel like it.”

“Of… of course I feel like it. Where?”

“I’ll come to your place and we can decide.”

Why, suddenly, was she no longer uncertain? Why, suddenly… No, no more questions. Enjoy the sound of the bells. Ding dang dong, ding dang dong.

***

At Enzo’s he gorged himself without restraint.

Apparently love whetted his appetite. Therefore a stroll along the jetty became a question of life or death.

He took the roundabout way, and as soon as he was within sight of the Vanna he realized with utter horror that the Ace of Hearts was not at its berth. It was gone, and there was no sign of it anywhere in the harbor.

Now a heart attack became a real possibility.

Matre santa! The boat had left, and it hadn’t even grazed the inspector’s consciousness that the Ace of Hearts could come and go as it pleased, since, officially at least, its owners had no connection to the murder.

He ran back to his car and left. Entering the station, he dashed past a startled Catarella and yelled:

“Get me Lieutenant Belladonna at the Harbor Office on the line!”

“She’s not a liutinnint, Chief.”

“No? Then what is she?”

“A woman.”

He couldn’t waste any time on Catarella and continued into his office. He’d barely sat down when the call went through.

“What is it, Salvo?”

The sound of her voice sent him reeling, as usual. But he made an effort and pulled himself together.

“Sorry to disturb you, Laura, but it’s important. As far as you know, has the Ace of Hearts