Foreign Deceit

Wolf and Lia followed Rossi out to the rear of the building.

“I’ll call this in right now. It shouldn’t be any trouble to find this truck and search its contents at any of the few eastern borders. You said you saw it here last night,” he said, pointing to the skid marks in the lawn. “If it left in the middle of the night, then it could be out of the country by now. According to this manifest, shipment delivery date is Monday in Cluj Napoca. Today seems a better day to leave for that delivery date. Two days travel time.” Rossi looked seriously at Wolf. “Wolf, you are sure you saw what you saw last night? I’m putting myself on the line here making this call.”

“I swear on my life. There were stolen computers and boxes packed with kilos of cocaine in the truck that made these marks,” he said, pointing at the lawn. “The owner of the Albastru pub was driving the truck, the side of the truck said ‘Albastru International Shipping Co’ and Vlad was with him.”

“And you just happened to be on a night time walk last night seeing all this?” Rossi smirked, sweeping his arm to the surrounding land.

“Yeah, I took a wrong turn on a scooter ride.”

“Madonna. You looked like a zombie after last night’s dinner. You are crazy.”

“I got a second wind,” Wolf said.

“A second…wind?” Rossi looked puzzled.

“Nevermind. Just make the calls. I swear I saw what I saw.”

Rossi pulled out his phone and began dialing.

Dr. Rosenwald’s body had been removed by the time they returned. They continued past the taped scene to the wider pathway surrounding the lake, which was still devoid of civilians.

Rossi put his phone back in his pocket. “Okay, I have every border crossing into Slovenia and Austria looking for the truck. It will be stopped, I will be notified, and it will be searched thoroughly. I’ve also sent out a, how do you say in English, notification for all law enforcement agencies for the entire northeast of Italy to look out for this truck.”

“We call that an APB in the United States.”

“Yes, now I remember that from the television shows,” he said. “If our friend Vlad decides to call the driver and turn him around before he gets to the border, it is going to be difficult to find.”

Wolf nodded his head. “I get it. Don’t get my hopes up.”

Chapter 33

Wolf’s stomach digested itself with a loud growl as they approached the car. So loud that Lia heard it.

She looked up at him and leaned back. “I guess you are hungry?”

“I thought you’d never ask. I would kill for another pizza.”

“I know just the place.” She turned to Rossi. “You coming?”

Rossi was concentrating with a pensive expression. “What?”

“Do you want to go have pizza with us for lunch?”

“Uh, no thanks. I have to go take care of some things at the station. I’ll catch up with you guys afterwards.”

“See you then. Keep Marino happy for me please. I’m supposed to talk to him this afternoon.”

“I promise nothing!”

The uncut pizza overhung the plate’s edge by two inches. Steam moistened his face as the waiter pushed it under his nose, edging aside two cans of coke, ordered just for Wolf.

Half a pizza and a full Coke later, he asked, “What does Colonnello Marino need to talk to you about this afternoon?”

Lia shifted in her chair and wiped her mouth. “I have a…deadline.”

“A deadline?”

She looked at her plate. “To wrap everything up with your brother’s case. To make you happy and want to bring your brother home.”

“I have a plane ticket on Sunday,” he said. “My brother is already on the way home.”

“I know.”

They ate in silence for a few bites.

“It’s my job to make sure you are on that plane on Sunday.”

“Believe me, it’s in my best interest to be on that plane. It’s in a lot of people’s best interest for me to be on that plane.” He looked at her without moving.

“I am sorry. I know it must be so difficult. I…I also know that I have no idea how difficult it must be.” She forked a piece of pizza. “I think you have convinced Valerio about your brother’s death — about him being murdered.”

“Yeah? And what about you?”

“I believe the evidence is looking like your brother was murdered. But you don’t need me to be convinced.” She leaned forward. “I’m just saying, if you have to go home without this situation being resolved, it would be good to have Valerio on your side. There are a lot of unseen forces at work here. Your brother’s situation has come at an interesting time in our station.”

Wolf furrowed his brow. “What does that mean?”

She dropped her fork with a huff, wiped her mouth, and looked to the ceiling. “Colonnello Marino is looking to be promoted out of the current position he is in. The Generali above him are choosing their next…successors, and he is well known to be on the top of that list. Only the top Colonnelli will be considered, and those top Colonnelli won’t have Americans coming in to question their investigations. If this gets out that you are here and somehow contributing to change the outcome of an already closed investigation, then that wouldn’t be good for him.”

“This case was going to be complicated anyways with the discovery of Rosenwald’s body.”

She nodded her head quickly and took another bite.

“I know, I know. I’m just saying everything is even more complicated now. The evidence points directly to your brother being responsible. The fact that Valerio has just stuck his neck out for you, as you Americans say, is very big. He is risking a lot by searching for this truck you saw last night.” She raised her eyebrows. “Because he is next in line for the position of Colonnello.”

“And right now it’s all tied up in a nice bow.”

“Exactly. Everything makes perfect sense. Your brother’s fingerprints are on the pipe, and it will look like a perfect explanation to Marino.” She swiped her hands against each other, another done and dusted gesture.

“Yeah, I know that. Only, it’s at the expense of my brother,” he said, shaking his head. “And my mother. I frankly don’t give a shit about Marino’s career.”

“Yes. I know. I don’t agree with it, I am just telling you what I know he is going to talk to me about this afternoon. Marino has been very angry and uptight the last month, and it gets worse with every passing day.” She forked another piece of pizza. “I know that he will not like our progress.”

They ate in silence for a minute

“What is it, election time or something for you guys?”

“Something like that, yes. Everyone is trying to keep their positions, or move up in the coming weeks and months. I do not know the exact time everything will happen, but change is in the air and everyone is well aware of it. It happens like this every year or two. Men and their power struggles…”

“Yeah,” he said. “And how about you?”

“Me?”

“How’s this big shake up going to play out for you?”

She scoffed and put her head down, forking another chunk of pizza into her mouth.

“What? You aren’t expecting to be moved up?” he asked. “You don’t have your sights set higher?”