The Age Of Doubt

Then there was a tremendous explosion and the water all around turned red, reflecting the flames of a great fire.

So much for the Ace of Hearts, he thought. Perhaps it had been hit in the fuel tanks.

And it was by the continually changing light of that blaze, which made the water look as if it might itself turn to flame, that Montalbano spotted Laura’s body floating, about twenty yards away, moved only by the gentle rippling of the sea.

“Oh my God, my God… Oh please, God…”

Was he praying? He didn’t know, but if he was indeed praying, it was for the first time in his life.

He swam over to her. She was floating on her back, eyes open as if watching the night’s first stars, and barely breathing, her mouth wide open.

She didn’t even realize that Montalbano was now beside her and holding her head above the water with his arm under her shoulders.

With that same hand he touched the terrible wound that had rent Laura’s flesh.

They must have hit her as she was jumping into the sea.

But the important thing was that she was still breathing, and therefore he had to bring her to shore immediately.

He went underwater, swam under her body, then resurfaced.

Now they were shoulder to shoulder, and Montalbano held her tightly against him with his left arm and started swimming with his free arm and his feet.

After less than five minutes of this, a searchlight spotted them, and at once a motorboat was rumbling beside him, motor idling low, and Fazio’s voice called out.

“You can let her go, Chief. We’ll get the lieutenant ourselves.”

***

Later, at the station, he changed into the clothes and shoes that Gallo had gone to fetch for him in Marinella. And he’d already guzzled half of the bottle of whisky that he’d had Catarella buy for him, before Roberta Rollo came in, happy and triumphant.

***

Congratulations, Inspector. Thanks to your courage…

Everyone on the Ace of Hearts died in the explosion.

Why hadn’t they let him get into the ambulance with Laura?

***

The suitcase with the uncut diamonds was recovered by the Customs Police. Livia Giovannini, Captain Sperli, and Maurilio Alvarez have been arrested.

Was she suffering a lot? Would they manage to save her?

We have delivered a very harsh blow to the illegal war-diamonds trade. They won’t easily recover from it.

I intend to highlight your invaluable contribution, Inspector, in my report to the United Nations.

She’d wanted him to kiss her. Perhaps she had a premonition of what was about to happen to her?

***

Tomorrow we’re going to hold a press conference here, at the police station.

The look she’d given him when he suddenly appeared on the Ace of Hearts!

***

Things really couldn’t have gone any better than this.

Really? No better? No better for whom?

***

By the time he left the station it was past midnight.

For all those hours he had opened his mouth barely three or four times, to answer questions. And Fazio must have noticed that there was something out of kilter with him, because he kept looking over at him.

For his own part, the inspector had asked only two questions, both for Roberta Rollo.

“But did you know that Lieutenant Belladonna was still aboard the Ace of Hearts?”

“Of course! I even told you!”

It was true. Now he remembered. Rollo had started saying, “But the lieutenant…,” but he hadn’t let her finish the sentence.

His second question was:

“And would you have had them fire at the cruiser even if you’d known the lieutenant was aboard?”

“No, in fact I immediately told the Coast Guard not to open fire, even if this meant losing the game. But you took care of that. As soon as I saw you both jump into the water, I told them they could fire away.”

***

No, he couldn’t go home to Marinella without having any news of Laura. He got in his car and headed for Montelusa.

At that hour one wasn’t allowed to enter the hospital, but perhaps someone in the emergency room could tell him something.

As soon as he went in, however, he realized it was hopeless. A bus full of tourists had fallen into a ravine and there were some thirty-odd injured who urgently needed care.

He left the emergency room demoralized. As he was about to head to the parking lot where he’d left the car, he heard someone call him. Turning around, he saw that it was Mario Scala, an inspector from the Antimafia Commission.

“Hey, Salvo. I just heard a little while ago at the office about your heroic actions. Congratulations. What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to know if there was any news about a lieutenant from the Harbor Office, named Belladonna, a young woman who…”

His throat went dry and he couldn’t go on. He managed only to ask:

“And how about you?”

“I’ve got a Mafia turncoat here, a state’s witness who’s registered at the hospital under a false name. But I still worry about him, so I come and see him from time to time… What did you say the lieutenant’s name was?”

“Belladonna?”

“Wait here.”

He returned some ten minutes later after Montalbano had chain-smoked five cigarettes.

Mario Scala had a very serious expression on his face.

“They performed emergency surgery. It was a miracle she even made it to the hospital alive. She’d lost too much blood. She’s on life support now.”

“Is she going to make it?”