Legacy of Sorrows

by Roberto Buonaccorsi

  Enzo thought for a moment. ‘What about Carlo Togneri, where does he stand in all this?’

  Anna was expecting this question. ‘Carlo is a confirmed communist. Although never militant, he was nevertheless intellectually in tune with their ideology. He always was and always will be, but he is also retired Special Branch and knows what is expected of him. Although I think a quiet word in his ear from you would be appropriate just to remind him of what that is. He has not been told about the letters, although he may have guessed by now.’

  Enzo mulled this over before replying, ‘Make contact with your superior in SISI and ask for authorisation, tell them to supply the back up as we don’t want any leaks from this end. Also tell them what Corti has asked for in assurances and I will deal with Togneri.’ Anna nodded in agreement and left the office.

  Once again she did not pay any attention to the secretary outside, although this time she had been waiting until Anna had turned her back to her and walked away. The secretary then got up from her seat, reached for her jacket and walked to the Commandante’s door. She knocked twice and entered. ‘Yes, what is it?’ the gruff voice asked her. ‘If it’s all right with you I would like to go to lunch now,’ she meekly requested. The Commandant, still preoccupied with his last conversation, brusquely waved his hand in agreement and the secretary left.

  Enzo looked at his watch and thought it was time for his medication. He reached into his desk drawer and took out tablets for Cholesterol, blood pressure, and for a prostate problem. He had been to the doctor two days ago for his annual checkup, and had been reprimanded for being overweight. Jesus, he thought, why can’t they give me a tablet for that?

  The Secretary walked along the narrow cobbled streets until she reached the Via Santa Anna and turned down it. She continued until she came to a small bar on the left and went inside. She saw the person she was looking for, a bearded man, sitting with two companions at a corner table drinking espresso coffee. She went up to him and sitting down beside him, they entered into an animated conversation. She told the bearded man that she had put the Commandante’s phone on open line before his meeting and had heard everything he and Anna had said to each other through her own phone. The Commandante’s desk was so untidy that he had never even noticed the small red light on it was switched on.

  When she had finished her conversation, she got up, left and returned back up the Via Santa Anna where she bought a panino and ate it sitting on some church steps.

  Anna finished her phone call, on a secure line, to SISI. She felt quite pleased with herself that everything was falling into place. Marco had proved to be, not only a positive asset, but also a very handsome and charming one at that. Her SISI superior had given the expected authority for a retrieval mission for the letters, and had agreed to the assurances that Marco had asked for.

  They had also told her that a complete veil of secrecy had to be placed on the operation and that no other person, officer or civilian could be involved, or have knowledge of it, with the exception of the Commandante. They stressed that SISI would send two of their own operatives tomorrow to work alongside her, leaving Anna in overall control of the operation. She felt that this was a feather in her cap, and she was determined that it would all go well.

  She walked along the long corridor again to Enzo’s smoke filled office and knocked on the door, this time she felt she was being watched. She turned in time to see the secretary’s cold eyes looking at her with open disdain before looking away. Anna was taken aback by the look. She was puzzled by it but there were other things on her mind at that moment, so she committed it to memory for another time.

  She opened the door to the Commandante’s office and she sat down again in the same seat as before. She repeated what SISI had told her and about the expected arrival of the two SISI officers.

  As she was talking, she happened to glance through the cigarette smoke around Enzo’s desk and noticed a small red light on the desk phone. She motioned to Enzo to be silent, as she walked quietly to the door. As she opened it, her suspicions were confirmed. The secretary was sitting with her back to office door listening through her own phone to their conversation.

  Anna strode up to the desk and took hold of the secretary’s arms. As she struggled, Anna took her handcuffs from her belt and managed to put them on the secretary’s wrists. The secretary began shouting at the top of her voice, ‘you have no right to do this, let me go at once.’ Enzo came rushing out of his office and taking in the scene before him, he immediately understood the situation. He called some of the station officers over and told them to arrest the secretary and put her in a cell on her own.

  A startled Anna and Enzo went back inside his office and closed the door. After making sure that the phone was back to normal, Enzo said, ‘Anna we don’t know what she may have heard, or who she may have told. I don’t even know how long I can hold her on some trumped up charges, so move very quickly on this operation, okay.

  Anna agreed. ‘Do you think there’s a chance she was just being nosy?’ Enzo gave a weary smile, ‘I don’t think so Anna, she’s worked here for over 20 years and she knows more about this place than I do. Besides, she’s not the nosy or gossiping type. I really think there’s more to it, and I think I may know why.

  Some years ago, she got involved with the communist party here in Lucca, and was considering joining them until I pointed out that it was not a good idea to become too involved with political parties in that way. I said that it could also affect her position in this office. She reconsidered, and never joined them; although office rumour has it that she still holds sympathetic views, and extreme ones at that.’

  ‘Do you think she may have been a mole working for the communists in this office?’

  Enzo put another cigarette between his lips, and casually flicked the Zippo alight.

  ‘I think that is a strong possibility, and if I’m right then she will already have told others of the letters. If she has told the communists then you may have trouble on your hands. I again suggest you move quickly and be very careful. She may even have passed information onto the Red Brigades, and that would really spell trouble.’

  Anna stood for a few moments taking in what Enzo had said. ‘I’ll move on this right now Enzo.’ She said, moving towards the door. Enzo let out another puff of smoke before saying,’ Anna, it might be an idea to draw a sidearm from the armoury. Just a precaution you understand.’

  When Anna left the office, Enzo sat for a while and stared at the ceiling as if looking for some inspiration there. The business with the secretary had shaken him. If the Communists or the Red Brigades had people working on the inside of the Police then they were in serious trouble. How long this been going on for he didn’t even want to speculate, however many important meetings involving issues of national security had taken place in his office and he wondered how many had been overheard. He decided he would interview the secretary sometime tomorrow when she had time to reflect overnight on the seriousness of her position.

  He pulled out another cigarette and watched the smoke rise to meet the dark yellow ceiling. He reached for his intercom and called for his second in command to come to his office. Before long, there was a knock on the door. ‘Enter’ said Enzo.

  Mario Pisani came into the room. ‘Ah Mario, we may have a problem.’ Enzo quickly explained what had happened and gave Mario a brief run down on the letters.

  ‘I feel we should beef up our security in the station until this is all finished Mario. Don’t tell the men the real reason why, however tell them that all stations in the region have been put on alert from possible attacks from the Red Brigades. Any questions?’

  Mario just took it all in his stride and told Enzo he would make sure the secretary was kept isolated until the following day, and that station security would be increased. He got up, straightened his uniform jacket and left the office.

  Chapter 7

  It was around 7pm when Anna eventually left the Police Station. She had spoken aga
in to SISI with the latest update on the secretary and it had taken some time to sort out how to move on. SISI eventually agreed to hold the secretary under anti-terrorism legislation for 14 days without charge. The down side was it had meant a lot of extra paperwork for her and that was something she hated. With the secretary under lock and key, there was a good chance that they could recover the letters with the minimum of interference from outside sources. She was also comforted by the extra weight of the 9mm Beretta pistol in her shoulder bag although she hoped she wouldn’t have to use it.

  She walked briskly along the road to Marco’s hotel, turning up the collar of her overcoat against the chill night air. Although it was April, the nights were still quite cold, and she reflected that by the end of May the evenings would be too warm to even wear a coat.

  She was familiar with this side of Lucca. As a young girl, she had gone to school at the nearby Santa Croce primary. Those were unhappy years she thought. The memories came flooding back of her mothers’ fatal accident in a car crash in Pisa. Her father had been driving the car that night and had been unable to come to terms with her death. She remembered the night he killed himself by drinking a mixture of painkillers and whisky. That was just three months after her mothers’ funeral.

  She was just eleven years old when she found him in the morning still sitting by the window where she had last spoken to him. Some nights the memory of his cold body sitting in that chair with his eyes closed as if in prayer still haunted her. It had taken a long time for the pain to ease from her broken heart, only to be replaced by a cold numbness.

  Her Aunt Rina, a kindly old woman, had taken her in and brought her up as her own daughter until she had left home at eighteen for Pisa University. The effect of her parents’ death had left her with an inability to form lasting relationships with most people, especially men. Her counsellor had told her it was just an irrational fear that something may happen to them. She shivered slightly at these memories and consciously made an effort to focus on the job in hand.

  She had phoned Marco to say that she would meet him just as soon as she was finished at the Station, and she felt slightly annoyed that she had no time to freshen up from the afternoon and change into something more appropriate for dinner.

  It was only five minutes to the hotel but as she walked along, she felt an unease creep over her. She had been a police officer long enough to know it was not just her imagination. Was she being followed? She began to walk a little faster and reached the hotel within a few minutes. Instead of going straight inside, she opened the door and stood just inside the porch looking through the glass door onto the street.

  The only person walking past was a tall bearded man who didn’t seem to be interested in the hotel and who kept on walking past. Anna relaxed a little, and stood looking out onto the street for a few more minutes until the night porter came up and asked her if everything was all right. ‘Yes, perfectly fine.’ Said Anna. ‘I’m just a little early for a dinner engagement.’ The night porter saluted stiffly and walked away mumbling to himself. Anna put her experience down to a case of the jitters, and moved to the house phone to contact Marco’s room.

  There was a strange tension between Marco and Anna over dinner. Almost as if they were aware of the attraction between them, but not wanting to acknowledge it. Anna was decidedly quiet for much of the meal, and it wasn’t until Marco ordered another bottle of Chianti that she began to relax, Marco had felt the awkwardness between them all night and now wanted to find out why. ‘Are you feeling alright Anna, or have I done something wrong? Anna looked up from her plate and scanned the near deserted dining room before reaching across the table for Marco’s hand. ‘Marco, I’m sorry for being less than amiable. We may have a problem with our plans. The operation may have been compromised. The Commandante’s secretary was listening into his office conversations and we believe she may have been passing the information onto others.’

  ‘What others?’

  ‘We suspect she was a communist informer and that we could be in danger from them, or from more extreme elements of the left. I was going to tell you later on after dinner. I also think I was followed to the hotel tonight.’

  Marco sat upright in his chair, ‘Why should anyone follow you here? It’s not a secret that I’m staying at this hotel, or that you have visited me here.’

  Anna lowered her voice to a whisper, ’Perhaps because they are trying to find out what we are up to, or planning to follow us to the letters.’ Anna looked around the dining room one more time, making sure no one was within earshot before continuing,’ I said we could be in danger and I don’t think that’s putting it too strongly. We have to be very careful and alert. The secretary has been arrested on some made up charge on anti-terrorism and is now in close custody, however she may have passed the information on before she was caught.’

  Marco, who was still holding Anna’s hand, smiled reassuringly at her, ‘don’t be alarmed Anna, we may be seeing danger where there is no danger, anyway, I’m not a novice to danger. I told you I spent some time in the British Army, well I was with the Parachute Regiment, and spent some time on the streets of Northern Ireland, which wasn’t exactly a picnic.’

  ‘You were a Paratrooper?’

  ‘Yes, I was in for 6 years, then left to join the family ice-cream business.’

  ‘Anna thought for a while before saying, ‘You seem quite relaxed about this Marco? Do you have an idea of what you would like to do?

  Marco nodded in agreement. ‘We need to leave early tomorrow morning, probably around 4am. If we leave by the back door to the hotel, we should be able to avoid being seen by anyone watching out for us. They won’t know were onto them at this stage, so we should get clear without being seen.

  Anna innocently asked, ‘What’s our destination Marco. Marco gave a low laugh and took Anna’s other hand in his before saying, ‘Anna, I can’t tell you just now, but I promise you it will be worth the wait.’ He looked at her earnestly in the eye, then said, ‘to save time and avoid suspicion I suggest you spend the night here.’ Anna was surprised at his suggestion and felt herself blushing.

  ‘It might be better if we just shared the one room,’ Marco said. ‘Of course, only in case some ones watching the front desk.’ Anna smiled knowingly at him. ‘Of course,’ she replied. ‘However I think it best if I go home, change clothes, and get a few hours sleep. I can pick you up at four outside the back door and we can go straight to the letters. I also have to meet two SISI agents tonight and brief them on our plans. They will also ensure were not followed to the letters tomorrow by any interested party’ Marco sighed and gestured as if helpless, ‘a man can only try,’ he said, ‘perhaps next time Anna.’ She gave him a rye smile and said ‘perhaps.’ As she stood up, she leaned over the table and kissed him lightly on the cheek. ‘See you in the morning Marco ‘and she left. Marco, feeling quite pleased with himself, finished his glass of wine then asked for the bill.

  The bearded man sitting at a back corner table put down the newspaper that had hidden his face, rose to his feet and approached Marco. ‘Signor Corti?’ he said in a heavily accented voice. ‘My name is Lorenzo, and I believe we both have a similar interest in something close to our hearts.’ Marco took in the man’s appearance. He noticed how tall he was, the expensive suit he was wearing, and the gold Omega Constellation watch on his outstretched arm. Whoever this man was he certainly gave off the appearance of wealth.

  ‘How do you know my name? ‘He asked as he shook hands with Lorenzo. Reaching for a chair, Lorenzo said, ‘may I sit down signore and I will explain.’ Marco motioned to the chair. Lorenzo sat down and joined his hands together on the table as if in prayer. ‘I understand that you may have access to some correspondence that would be of interest to many people in this country and your own.’ Marco remained silent. He decided to hear him out before saying anything.

  ‘We feel it would be wrong if the interests of the people I represent are ignored. These people are at present in Glasgow
and would not take kindly to the correspondence being given to the Italian government. Am I making myself clear signore?’ Marco felt a rush of anger and had to work hard at restraining himself from pulling Lorenzo across the table. ‘Are you threatening my family you piece of shit?’

  ‘There are no threats necessary Signor Corti, just the realisation that as we speak my associates are in a top floor flat in Queens Park Drive in Glasgow and will remain there until the letters in question are handed to me. There is nothing left to say here, so if you wish to phone your family please feel free. I will expect the letters to be handed over to me tomorrow evening at seven pm outside this hotel, and if I am apprehended by the authorities, or followed by anyone, then my Glasgow associates will not be happy. If I am allowed to go on my way unhindered then I will contact my friends and they will leave Queens Park Drive without further incident. Is this clear to you?

  Marco by this time had his head in his hands, and when Lorenzo had finished speaking, Marco angrily said, ‘I will give you the letters tomorrow night, however If you touch a hair on their heads I will promise you I will hunt you down and I will castrate you before killing you. I am more than capable of doing this’ ‘Is that clear to you?

  Lorenzo smiled nervously at Marco. ‘I’m glad we understand each other. Once we have the correspondence we will have no further interest in your parents. Until tomorrow then.’ Lorenzo got up and left without waiting for an answer.

  Outside the Hotel, Lorenzo reflected on his conversation with Marco. Lorenzo’s training in the Libyan Desert with Gaddafis’ terror squads had been of the highest standard and he had recognised in Marco a toughness that didn’t just come from bluff. Part of that training was done alongside some of the hardest and toughest individuals he had ever met. Some of them belonged to groups like Bader Mienhoff, PIRA, ETA and of course the Red Brigades. I would not be surprised if young Marco is ex military, he thought. Maybe he’s one to watch.