Part 5 (1/2)

'Maurizio?' she asked, Brunetti thought rather unnecessarily.

'Yes'

'I met him a couple of times. At Roberto's house. And once at a party.' 'Did you like him?'

She looked across at one of the etchings and, as if its violence had somehow inspired her, said, 'No' why?'

She shrugged dismissively at a memory from so long ago. 'I don't know. He seemed arrogant to me' Hearing this, she added, 'Not that Roberto couldn't be like that sometimes, but Maurizio was just... well, he always has to tell everyone what to do. Or that's how it seemed to me.'

'Have you seen him since Roberto disappeared?'

'Of course,' she answered, surprised at the question. 'Just after it happened, he was there with Roberto's parents. All the time, when the notes came. So I saw him'

'I mean after that, after the notes stopped' mean after that, after the notes stopped'

'No, not to talk to, if that' s what you mean. I see him on the street sometimes, but we don't have anything to say to one another'

'And Roberto's parents?'

'No, not them, either' Brunetti doubted if the parents of the kidnapped boy would remain in contact with his former girlfriend, especially after her marriage to another man.

Brunetti had nothing else to ask her, but he wanted her to remain open to the possibility of answering more questions, should they arise. 'I don't want to keep you from your baby, Signora' he said, glancing down at his watch.

'Oh, that's all right, I don't mind' she answered, and Brunetti was surprised at how much he believed her and at how much that fact made him dislike her.

He got to his feet quickly. 'Thank you very much, Signora. I think that will be all for now.' 'For now?'

'If it does turn out to be Roberto's body, then the investigation will have to be reopened, Signora, and I suspect that everyone who had any knowledge of the original kidnapping will be questioned again.'

She pulled her lips together in a tight grimace of irritation at how much all of this was intruding on her time.

He went towards the door so as not to give her the chance to complain. 'Again, thank you, Signora' he said.

She got up from the sofa and came towards him. Her face fell back into the curious immobility he had noticed when he first met her, and the beauty she'd shown disappeared.

She saw him to the door, and as she opened it, the baby wailed out from somewhere at the back of the apartment. Ignoring it, she said, 'Would you let me know if it really is Roberto?'

'Of course, Signora' Brunetti answered. He started down the steps. The baby's cry was cut off by the closing of the door.

8.

Brunetti glanced at his watch as he left the Salviati house. It was twenty to one. He took the traghetto traghetto again, and when he came out at San Leonardo, he crossed the again, and when he came out at San Leonardo, he crossed the campo campo and took the first left A few empty tables stood in the shade in front of the restaurant. and took the first left A few empty tables stood in the shade in front of the restaurant.

Inside, a counter stood to his left, a few demijohns of wine on a shelf in back of it, long.rubber tubes flowing from their tops. To the right, two arched doors opened into another room, and there, at a table against the wall, he saw his father-in-law, Count Orazio Falier. The Count sat, a gla.s.s of what looked like prosecco in front of him, reading the local paper, Il Gazzettino. Il Gazzettino. Brunetti was surprised to see him with such a newspaper, which meant either that his opinion of the Count was higher than he realized, or of the local newspaper, lower. Brunetti was surprised to see him with such a newspaper, which meant either that his opinion of the Count was higher than he realized, or of the local newspaper, lower.

'Buon di' Brunetti said as he approached the table.

The Count peered over the top of his paper and got to his feet, leaving the pages spread before him.

'Ciao, Guido' the Count said, extending his hand and clasping Brunetti's. 'I'm glad you could come' Guido' the Count said, extending his hand and clasping Brunetti's. 'I'm glad you could come'

'I asked to talk to you, remember' Brunetti answered.

Reminded, the Count said, 'The Lorenzonis, eh?'

Brunetti pulled out the chair opposite the Count and sat He looked down at the paper, and, although the body was still unidentified, he found himself wondering if the story could somehow already be printed.

The Count interpreted his glance. 'Not yet' He took the time to fold the paper neatly in two, and then in two again. 'It's become so bad, hasn't it?' he asked, holding the paper up between them.

'Not if you like cannibalism, incest, and infanticide' Brunetti answered.

Did you read it today?' When Brunetti shook his head, the Count explained. There was a story this morning about a woman in Tehran who killed her husband, ground up his heart, and ate it in something called ab goosht' ab goosht' Before Brunetti could register either surprise or disgust, the Count went on, 'But then they opened a parenthesis and gave the recipe for Before Brunetti could register either surprise or disgust, the Count went on, 'But then they opened a parenthesis and gave the recipe for ab goosht: ab goosht: tomatoes, onions, and chopped meat' He shook his head. 'Who are they writing for? Who wants to know that sort of thing?' tomatoes, onions, and chopped meat' He shook his head. 'Who are they writing for? Who wants to know that sort of thing?'

Brunetti had long ago abandoned any faith he had ever had in the taste of the general public, and so he answered, 'The readers of II Gazzettino, II Gazzettino, I'd say I'd say

The Count looked across at him and nodded. ”I suppose you're right' He tossed the paper on to the next table. 'What is it you want to know about the Lorenzonis?'

'This morning, you said that the boy had none of the father's talent. I'd like to know what that talent is?'

'Ciappar schei' the Count answered, slipping into dialect Immediately at ease at the sound of Veneziano, Brunetti asked, 'Making money how?'

'In any way he can: steel, cement, s.h.i.+pping. If it can be moved, the Lorenzonis can take it there for you. If it can be built, the Lorenzonis can sell you the materials to build it.' The Count thought about what he had just said and added, 'Be a good slogan for them, wouldn't it?' When Brunetti nodded, the Count added, 'Not that the Lorenzonis need to advertise. At least not anywhere in the Veneto'

'Do you have dealings with them? The firm, that is.'

'In the past, I used their trucks to take textiles to Poland and to bring back - I'm not sure about this; it was at least four years ago - but I think it was vodka. But with the loosening of border controls and customs regulations, I'm finding it cheaper to move things by rail, so I don't have any business with them any more/ 'Do you know them socially?'

'No more than I know a few hundred people in the city' the Count said and looked up as the waitress approached their table.

She wore a man's s.h.i.+rt tucked into crisply pressed jeans and had hair cut as short as a boy's.

Though she wore no make-up, the impression she gave was anything but boyish, for the jeans curved over her hips, and the open top three b.u.t.tons of the s.h.i.+rt suggested that she wore no bra but might have been well advised to do so.' Count Orazio' she said in a deep contralto full of warmth and promise, 'if s a pleasure to see you here again.' She turned to Brunetti and included him in the warmth of her smile.

Brunetti remembered that the Count had told him the daughter of a friend ran this place, so perhaps it was as an old family friend that the Count asked, 'Come stai, 'Come stai, Valeria?' His use of the familiar 'tu', however, sounded anything but avuncular, and Brunetti watched the young woman to see how she responded. Valeria?' His use of the familiar 'tu', however, sounded anything but avuncular, and Brunetti watched the young woman to see how she responded.

'Molto bene, Signor Conte. E Lei E Lei?' she answered, the formality of the words wildly at odds with her tone.

'Fine, thank you, my dear.' He waved an open hand towards Brunetti. This is my son-in-law'

'Piacere,' he said to the young woman, and she returned the same word, adding only a smile..