He wiped his face, trying to regain the strength that was abandoning him one more time. “I had no idea how in the world I would have done it. One thing for sure was I had to be alone, as I couldn’t allow any of my crew to risk their freedom. For the night, I dismissed them all, by pretending to take care of a problem with the engine. Irina and her father arrived in the late evening and we left, knowing that at the established place, Alec would have reached us to get Irina on his boat to the territorial waters of France.”
Maurizio wasn’t convinced. A man can certainly kill another one without the need of any help, but when there’s also a boat to navigate, a corpse to dispose of, and a place to clean, one man is not enough. “How did you kill him?”
“I used a harpoon, the same one I use for big fishes, like tunas. I have no idea how I could do something like that, but I did. I think I was desperate, in a trap I put myself into and from which there wasn’t an easy way out. When Irina stated that it would have been a pity to have two deaths instead of one, I realized that the man was already dead, one way or another. The only choice I had left was whether to stay alive or join him in his destiny. Fearing she had also taken agreements with Alec, I had no other choice, but to gather all my strength and kill the man.” He buried his face within his hands and held his breath to swallow the bitterness and guilt.
“So, you navigated to a specific point...” Maurizio went on, his eyelids semi-closed, forming a small fissure from which he could spy every single movement.
“I stopped the engine and dropped the anchor. Leaving the deck, I grabbed the harpoon and rushed below deck, where Irina and Igor were waiting. Igor was seated away from me. I grabbed the chance and attacked him,” his voice hesitating.
“A dead man is heavier than a living one. How did you dispose of the corpse— did Irina help you? She doesn’t seem to be a strong woman,” Maurizio opined.
“I wrapped some weights in a nylon cloth I carried with me for the occasion. I had the time to plan everything out. That’s a job one person can take care of. She helped me to get him on my shoulders, I carried him on the upper deck. I can show you the place where he’d been dropped.”
Maurizio didn’t believe a single word. Or better, I do believe he killed the man, but he’s obviously trying to cover for the other members of the crew. Their silent behavior didn’t fit with the one of people who had nothing to do with the murder.
“Mr. Carrisi, I need to warn you that the truth will come out. I don’t know who or how many people you’re trying to cover, but certainly you couldn’t take care of everything alone in a single night.” Maurizio locked his gaze on him. “Nevertheless, we will certainly want to have the exact location where you dropped the corpse. First of all, because he still has a family who might want to give him a proper burial. Secondly, because the forensic team will have to work on him, and trust me, they will find out if there was someone else there to help you.”
Aldo remained in silence averting his gaze from Maurizio, who was reconsidering the case was far from being concluded. There were still too many players to bring in and perhaps a whole organization to dismantle.
The murder of Claudio Calvani revealed to be only the tip of an iceberg, and to bring everything to light it might have taken more than one Commissario Scala.
That thought almost caused a grin to appear on his face. One Commissario Scala is more than enough, when it’s me. His expression turned to a serious one.
“Mr. Carrisi, you’re under arrest for the murder of Igor Leonov...” he commenced, cuffing Aldo’s wrists and guiding him out of the interrogation room.
CHAPTER 24
It took another two weeks to receive the answer of the Magistrate, and luckily, the Hungarian Magistrate had to agree with the request from Italy and have her arrested and surrendered to the Italian Police to be interrogated, no more as a witness but as a suspect.
Maurizio was relieved about the chance of finally going deeper, and at least, bringing the end to the case of the murder of Claudio Calvani. The dismantlement of the whole organization of smuggling human beings and illegal goods across the border required the intervention of others law enforcement’s departments, after all that’s why we have a border police and finance Police too.
He was immersed in bureaucratic matters to be evaded for the arrival of Irina to the Precinct, when Senior officer Milani knocked at his door. “Sir, may I disturb you for a moment?”
“I would be glad if someone could save me from all of this,” he replied, stretching his back.
With a smile Senior officer Milani walked to his desk and sat down. “I have the transcription of the recording of the latest call between Luciano Calvani and Irina Leonova,” she started to explain placing a
