inspector slept only fitfully in his bed, he had also woken up feeling like he’d run a marathon.
Only Fazio, who was closest to him, ventured to ask a question, ‘Any news?’
‘I’ll be able to tell you after twelve.’
Galluzzo came in.
Inspector, yesterday evening I looked for you over land and sea.’
‘Did you try the sky?’
Galluzzo realized this was no time for preambles.
‘Inspector, after the eight o’clock news report, somebody phoned. He said that on Wednesday evening, around eight, eight fifteen at the latest, Mrs Licalzi stopped at his petrol station and filled up her tank. He left his name and address.’
‘OK. Well drive over there later’
He was tense, unable to set his eyes on a sheet of paper, and he kept looking at his watch. What if by twelve nobody had called from Montelusa?
At eleven thirty the telephone rang.
‘Chief’ said Grasso, ‘it’s Zito the newsman.’ ‘Let me talk to him.’
At first he didn’t know what was happening. ‘Bat-ta-tum, bat-ta-tum, bat-ta-tum, tum-tum-ttmitum’ said Zito. ‘Nicolo?’
Zito had started singing the Italian national anthem in a booming voice.
‘Come on, Nicolo, I’m not in the mood for jokes.’
‘Who’s joking? I’m about to read you a press release that was sent to me just a few minutes ago. Plant your arse firmly in your chair. For your information, this was sent to us, to TeleVigata, and to five different newspaper correspondents. I quote:
Montelusa Police Commissioner’s Office.
For strictly personal reasons, Ernesto Panzacchi has asked to be relieved of his responsibilities as captain of the Flying Squad and to be placed on reserve. His request has been granted. Mr Anselmo Irrera will temporarily assume the position vacated by Captain Panzacchi. As some new and unexpected developments have emerged in the Licalzi murder case, Inspector Salvo Montalbano of Vigata police will assume charge of the investigation for its duration.
Signed: Bonetti-Alderighi, Montelusa Police Commissioner.
‘We won, Salvoi’
Montalbano thanked his friend and hung up. He did not feel happy. The tension had dissipated, of course; he’d got the answer he wanted. Still, he felt a kind of malaise, a profound uneasiness. He cursed Panzacchi sincerely, not for what he’d done, but for having forced him to act in a way that now troubled him.
The door flew open, the whole staff rushed in. Inspector.” said Galluzzo. ‘My brother-in-law phoned just now from TeleVigata, they just got a press release—’
‘We’re going to go out and buy a bottle of spumante and…’
Giallombardo, withering under Montalbano’s gaze, didn’t finish the sentence. They all filed out slowly, muttering under their breath. He had one foul disposition, that inspector …
Judge Tommaseo didn’t have the courage to show his face to Montalbano and pretended to be going over some important papers, bent over his desk. The inspector imagined that at that moment the judge wished he looked like the Abominable Snowman, with a beard covering his entire face, though Tommaseo’s bulk fell short of the yeti’s.
You must understand, Inspector. As far as withdrawing the weapons possession charge, there’s no problem, I’ve already called Mr Di Bksi’s lawyer. But it’s not quite so easy for me to lift the complicity charges. Until proved to the contrary, Maurizio Di Blasi is self-convicted of the murder of Michela Licalzi. My prerogatives in no way permit me to—’
‘Good day,’ said Montalbano, getting up and walking out.
Judge Tommaseo came running after him along the corridor.
Inspector, wait! I want to clarify—’
‘There is nothing at all to clarify, Your Honour. Have you spoken with the commissioner?’
Yes, at great length. We met at eight o’clock this morning.’
‘Then you must surely be aware of certain details of no importance to you. Such as the fact that the investigation of the Licalzi murder was conducted like a toilet-cleaning operation, that young Di Blasi was ninety-nine per cent innocent, that he was slaughtered like a pig by mistake, and that Panzacchi covered it all up. You can’t dismiss the weapons charges against the engineer and at the same time not start proceedings against Panzacchi, who actually planted the weapons in his house.’
‘I’m still examining Captain Panzacchi’s situation.’
‘Good. Examine it well But choose the right scales, among the many you keep in your office.’
Tommaseo was about to react, but reconsidered and said nothing.
‘Tell me something, for the sake of curiosity,’ said Montalbano. ‘Why hasn’t Mrs Licalzi’s body been turned over to her husband yet?’
The judge’s embarrassment became more pronounced. He clenched his right hand in a fist and stuck his right index finger in it.
‘Uh, that was … yes, that was Captain Panzacchi’s idea. He pointed out to me that public opinion … In short, first the body was found, then Di Blasi died, then the funeral of Mrs Licalzi, then young Maurizio’s funeral … Don’t you see?’
‘No.’
‘It was better to spread them out, over time … To relieve some of the pressure on people, all the crowding…’
He was still talking, but the inspector was already at the end of the corridor.
When he came out of the court building it was already two o’clock. But instead of retiirning to Vigata, he took the Enna—Palermo road Galluzzo had carefully explained to him how to find the petrol station and bar-restaurant where Michela Licalzi had been seen.
The station, located just three kilometres outside Montelusa, was closed The inspector cursed the saints, drove another two kilometres, then saw, on his left, a sign that said TRUCKERS’
bar-trattoria. As oncoming traffic was heavy, the inspector waited patiently for someone to decide to let him turn, but. seeing there was no hope in heaven, he cut right in front of everyone, amidst a pandemonium of screeching tyres, horn blasts, curses and insults, and pulled into the bar’s parking lot.
It was very crowded inside.
He walked up to the cashier.
‘I’d like to speak with a Mr Gerlando Agro
‘Well, goddamn it all. Did you have to come right now? Can’t you see how busy I am?’
Montalbano got an idea that struck him as brilliant. ‘How’s the food here?’
‘See those people sittin’
down? They’s all truckers. Ever seen a trucker go wrong?’
At the end of the meal (the idea hadn’t been brilliant, but only good, the food remaining within ironclad limits of normality, with no; flights of fancy), after the coffee and anisette, the cashier, who’d got a boy to take his place, approached Montalbano’s table.
‘Now we can talk,’ he said.
‘OK if I sit down?’
‘Of course.’
Gerlando Agro immediately had second thoughts. ‘Maybe it’s better if you come with me.’ They went out of the building.
‘OK. Wednesday, around eleven thirty at night, I was here outside, smoking a cigarette, and I saw this Twingo pull in off the Enna-Palermo road.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘I’d bet my life on it. The car stopped right in front of me, and a lady, who was driving, got out.’
Would also bet your life it was the same woman you saw on TV?’
‘Inspector, with a woman like that, poor thing, it’s hard to make a mistake.’ ‘Go on.’
‘The man, on the other hand, stayed in the car.’
‘How did you know it was a man?’
‘See, there was a truck with its headlights on. I was surprised, because usually it’s the man that gets out and the woman who stays in the car. Anyway, the lady ordered two salami sandwiches and bought a bottle of mineral water. My son Tanino was at the cash register, the same kid who’s there now. The lady paid and went down these three steps here. But on the last step, she tripped and fell, and the sandwiches flew out of her hands. I went down the steps to help her up and I found myself face-to-face with the man, who’d got out of the car. “It’s all right, it’s all right,” the lady said. The guy got back in the car, she ordered two more sandwiches, paid, and they drove off in the direction of Montelusa.’
‘You’ve been very helpful, Mr Agro. And I assume you can also say that the man you saw on television was not the same man who was in the car with the lady.’
‘Definitely not Two totally different people.’
‘Where did the lady keep her money? In a large bag?’
‘No sir, Inspector. She didn’t have any bag. She had a little purse in her hand.’
After the tension of the morning and the hearty meal he’d just eaten, fatigue came over him. He decided to go home to Marinella and sleep for an hour. Just past the
