Read Online A Florentine Death by Michele Giuttari - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michele Giuttari
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somewhere at the back of your mind. Sometimes a clue turns up out of nowhere after months or years, and you'd better be ready to grab it when it does. And anyway, the city is sorry he died, even if it doesn't know it. It's important to remember that deep down, Florence is scared. Because whatever you think of the case, there's still a killer at large. Maybe it was an 'accident', let's put it like that, and won't be repeated. But let's not forget how Micali was killed, the way the killer kept stabbing him. There was something too savage about it. It wasn't just some private settling of scores. That's my feeling, anyway'
'Mine, too. But what should I do? Hope that the killer strikes again? And how many times?' There was bitterness in his voice.
'Keep your eyes open. That's all I'm asking. What do you know about the two murders yesterday?'
'Everything. I was with Alfonsi at the old man's place. We only just got back. Poor guy made a full confession. The case is in the hands of the judges now . . . The other murder, now that's a different story. It might turn out to be as much of a mystery as the Micali case.'
'In this case, too, the killer stabbed his victim in the face and the upper part of the body'
'But the murder weapon was a gun. And there's no gay aspect, which I'm sure is at the root of the Micali murder. Alfredo Lupi was a married man with a little child.'
'That's true. Let's call in Violante and Serpico and have a brainstorming session. I don't know if you were told, but I've already been to the Via Santo Spirito.'
'Okay. I'll call them.'
While they were waiting, Ferrara asked Rizzo how he had spent the Christmas holidays, and he was about to reply when the telephone rang.
'There's someone called Beccalossi on the line,' the switchboard operator announced. 'He asked to speak to you or Superintendent Rizzo.'
'Beccalossi? Who's that?'
'The owner of the shop where Micali worked,' Rizzo whispered, his eyes lighting up with a sudden interest.
'Put him on,' Ferrara said, switching on the loudspeaker. 'Hello?'
'This is Superintendent Ferrara.' 'I can't hear you very well.'
'I put on the loudspeaker so that Superintendent Rizzo, who's here with me, can hear you,' Ferrara said, making sure he covered the rules for the protection of privacy.
'You sound distant.'
The advantages of technology!
'Don't worry, I can hear you perfectly well. Please go ahead.'
'I know it may not be important, but— well, you did say to let you know if . . . Anyway, I've just discovered there's something missing from the shop. I've been doing the end-of-year stocktake, and it turns out one of the black notebooks with a cross on the cover has vanished. The day before Micali died, there were twenty-two - he wrote it down in the ledger, he was very finicky. Since then I've sold four, and one ended up under poor Stefano's body, as I'm sure you remember. But there are only sixteen left.'
'I see. Anything else?'
'No, that's all. Is it any help to you?'
Anything might be of help. Thank you very much. And don't hesitate to call if you think of anything else. You've been a great help.'
He hung up. He remembered the forensics report, how they'd had to scrape the blood off what they'd thought at first was a little Bible or prayer book, but had turned out to be only a notebook with blank pages.
The two superintendents looked at each other disconsolately. The gleam had gone from Rizzo's eyes.
'Let's begin with the motive,' Ferrara said to start the ball rolling. 'There's always a motive, however obscure. It may just be insanity, but there's always something that drives a man to commit murder. Once we pin down the motive, we're halfway there.'
They were again sitting round the rectangular meeting table, which was near the wall opposite Ferrara's desk.
'I'd rule out theft,' Chief Inspector Violante said. 'The victim's wallet was untouched, and nothing had been taken from the till.'
And a thief wouldn't have butchered the guy like that,'
'Mine, too. But what should I do? Hope that the killer strikes again? And how many times?' There was bitterness in his voice.
'Keep your eyes open. That's all I'm asking. What do you know about the two murders yesterday?'
'Everything. I was with Alfonsi at the old man's place. We only just got back. Poor guy made a full confession. The case is in the hands of the judges now . . . The other murder, now that's a different story. It might turn out to be as much of a mystery as the Micali case.'
'In this case, too, the killer stabbed his victim in the face and the upper part of the body'
'But the murder weapon was a gun. And there's no gay aspect, which I'm sure is at the root of the Micali murder. Alfredo Lupi was a married man with a little child.'
'That's true. Let's call in Violante and Serpico and have a brainstorming session. I don't know if you were told, but I've already been to the Via Santo Spirito.'
'Okay. I'll call them.'
While they were waiting, Ferrara asked Rizzo how he had spent the Christmas holidays, and he was about to reply when the telephone rang.
'There's someone called Beccalossi on the line,' the switchboard operator announced. 'He asked to speak to you or Superintendent Rizzo.'
'Beccalossi? Who's that?'
'The owner of the shop where Micali worked,' Rizzo whispered, his eyes lighting up with a sudden interest.
'Put him on,' Ferrara said, switching on the loudspeaker. 'Hello?'
'This is Superintendent Ferrara.' 'I can't hear you very well.'
'I put on the loudspeaker so that Superintendent Rizzo, who's here with me, can hear you,' Ferrara said, making sure he covered the rules for the protection of privacy.
'You sound distant.'
The advantages of technology!
'Don't worry, I can hear you perfectly well. Please go ahead.'
'I know it may not be important, but— well, you did say to let you know if . . . Anyway, I've just discovered there's something missing from the shop. I've been doing the end-of-year stocktake, and it turns out one of the black notebooks with a cross on the cover has vanished. The day before Micali died, there were twenty-two - he wrote it down in the ledger, he was very finicky. Since then I've sold four, and one ended up under poor Stefano's body, as I'm sure you remember. But there are only sixteen left.'
'I see. Anything else?'
'No, that's all. Is it any help to you?'
Anything might be of help. Thank you very much. And don't hesitate to call if you think of anything else. You've been a great help.'
He hung up. He remembered the forensics report, how they'd had to scrape the blood off what they'd thought at first was a little Bible or prayer book, but had turned out to be only a notebook with blank pages.
The two superintendents looked at each other disconsolately. The gleam had gone from Rizzo's eyes.
'Let's begin with the motive,' Ferrara said to start the ball rolling. 'There's always a motive, however obscure. It may just be insanity, but there's always something that drives a man to commit murder. Once we pin down the motive, we're halfway there.'
They were again sitting round the rectangular meeting table, which was near the wall opposite Ferrara's desk.
'I'd rule out theft,' Chief Inspector Violante said. 'The victim's wallet was untouched, and nothing had been taken from the till.'
And a thief wouldn't have butchered the guy like that,'
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