Part 25 (1/2)
Silence.
”Is that correct?” I said.
”Yes.”
”And he worked as a police profiler.”
”That's right.”
”He worked for the Detroit police.”
”That's correct.”
”He worked on Mob cases, right?”
”Yes, Isabel.” She was growing a little weary now. Any witness being cross-examined gets to that point-where they are simply tired of it. That was fine. I knew exactly where to go from there.
”And at the time my father died, he was working on the case of the Rizzato Brothers, is that right?”
A pause. Then, ”That's right.”
”The Rizzato Brothers were Camorra.”
She glanced over my shoulder as if she were looking for someone. ”That is what I've heard.”
I followed her gaze. We were still alone on the deck. ”You're not sure?”
”No, I suppose that is correct.”
I heard my trial professor-Always get an exact answer to your question.
Elena s.h.i.+fted slightly on the chair and adjusted her silver sungla.s.ses.
”Elena,” I said, ”would you mind removing your sungla.s.ses?”
Though I'd said it kindly, it was a rather forceful request from a niece to an aunt, but my aunt complied. Her eyes, brown and flecked with green, were sad, and a little confused. I hated that confusion, and yet it was exactly what I needed to see.
”So, I'll ask again. The Rizzato Brothers were known to be members of the Camorra, right?”
”Yes, Isabel. Why all these questions?” Another glance over my shoulder.
”Just give me a few more minutes. I'm trying to figure out something.”
She bowed her head a little as if to say, Continue.
”Thank you. Now, the Brothers Rizzato, who were Camorra-they were from Ischia, correct?”
”I suppose I have heard that.”
”You've heard that?”
”Yes.”
”Okay. And Ischia is outside of Naples, isn't it?”
”Yes.
”And Naples is the home of the Camorra, right?”
Elena nodded, and in that instant, I felt as if I were back in the courtroom. I could see myself standing at a distance from the witness, then moving closer.
”And last night in Naples,” I said as I scooted forward on the lounge chair, leaning a little toward Elena. ”I was chased by two men with guns.”
She shook her head quickly, her eyes blinking. ”Is that true? Did that happen?”
”It happened. In Naples. And do you know, Elena, that the day before I was at the antimafia office in Rome, asking about the Camorra?”
”I did not know.” Her eyes were alarmed.
”And at the antimafia office, I asked about my father. I also mentioned the fact that he was working on a Camorra case when he was killed.”
Elena dropped her head in her hands. When she looked back up at me, her eyes were in agony. ”Is that true?”
”It's true. What is also true is that your family, this family-” I pointed to my chest ”-has believed their father to be dead for all these years. It is true that I-” once again I pointed to myself ”-will not stop asking about him. I will not stop asking questions. I will never, never stop. So let me ask you a simple question now-Isn't it, true, Elena, that you do not want your family to be in torment?”
”No,” she said. ”Of course, I do not.”
”And you do not want your family to be in danger, do you?”
”No. I do not.”
”And you do not want your family to live like this anymore, do you?”
Elena began to cry, or rather, a single tear slipped from her right eye. She acted as if it hadn't happened. She didn't move to brush it away.
”I was thinking about something this morning,” I said. ”You didn't go to his funeral.”
She didn't reply. And right then I decided to deviate from cross-examination rules and go for it. ”You didn't attend the funeral, because you knew it wasn't true. You knew he wasn't dead. Isn't that right?”
She didn't reply right away. But she did respond-she nodded.
37.
A mericani. You could tell even from this distance.