temptation in florence 03 - bankers death

by boeker, beate

  She got up. But where should she turn? Family was out of the question, and even her friends would soon be ferreted out. She knew all about Garini's efficiency.

  A hand on her arm made her jump. She whipped around and stared at Garini's lean face. Too late to run.

  His gaze searched her face, then he frowned.

  How angry he looks. Carlina felt her courage sinking and wanted to take a step back, but for some reason, she was rooted to the ground.

  “Come here.” His voice was tender, at odds to the expression on his face. He took her into his arms.

  Carlina felt a sob rising inside her. She buried her head in his shoulder and inhaled his familiar scent of leather and soap. Stolen time. The words flashed through her mind. As soon as he hears the truth, he'll fling me out of his arms. He'll never look at me again.

  His hands caressed her back with long, soothing strokes.

  She clung to him as if she was sinking. Stolen time. “Stefano.” Her voice sounded brittle. “I have to tell you so much, and it's not pretty.” She arched her back so she could see his face.

  He shook his head. “I suggest that we call the police station and let a colleague take over. Then I won't have any loyalty conflict.”

  They'll ridicule him forever. The thought stabbed her. Imagine, your lover is cheating on you, and every colleague knows. They might even believe that Garini did it out of jealousy. She gasped at the thought.

  His gaze searched her face. “What?”

  She braced herself. Four sentences. I just have to tell him four sentences. It can't be too hard to do that, can it? “We found Valentino stabbed this evening in . . . “

  “Commissario!” Out of nowhere, Fabbiola appeared and threw herself between them. “I'm so glad you came immediately!”

  “Mama!” Carlina glared at her mother. “Stefano will not take this case. He's . . . “

  “Never mind, never mind.” Her mother grabbed Garini by the hand and pulled him after her, in the direction of Via delle Pinzochere. “Just follow me quickly, otherwise, we'll have tons of tourists at our house, and that won't help, either.”

  Carlina blinked. Tourists? What on earth had her family done now? She hurried to keep up with her mother.

  “I won't take this case, Signora Mantoni-Ashley.” Garini said.

  Fabbiola didn't react. Instead, she pulled him across the piazza with increased speed.

  Garini and Carlina exchanged a look, then Garini shrugged.

  Fabbiola marched them down the street and around the corner, so they could see the entrance to their house further down on the cobbled street. She had not exaggerated. In front of the door, a group of excited people had gathered, and several neighbors were hanging out of their windows already, gaping at something on the front step.

  “Police.” Garini shouldered through the group. “Let me pass.” One minute later, he bent over the huddled body on the front step.

  Valentino was fully dressed.

  Carlina felt faint. A hand on her arm made her turn around. “Emma! Don't tell me . . .”

  Emma held up a hand and pulled her to the side. “We figured it might be better if he was found here,” she spoke so low that only Carlina could hear her. “I hope you had the sense not to say anything to your Commissario yet?”

  Carlina shook her head. “No, but . . . “

  “Good.” Emma gave her a short nod. “Benedetta, Simonetta, and Maria are upstairs, cleaning your apartment.”

  “Maria is here, too?”

  “Yes.” Emma nodded again. “She arrived the minute you had left. It was a great shock to her. For a minute, I thought she would faint, but they all pulled themselves together, and we came up with a plan in less than a minute.”

  She looked at the body with satisfaction. “Doesn't it look good? Mama and Benedetta held up umbrellas while we shifted him, so the neighbors from upstairs wouldn't see us if they happened to glance out of the window, and Uncle Teo held watch on the balcony for any passers-by.”

  Out of nowhere, a quote she had once heard flitted through Carlina's mind - A good friend will help you move. A great friend will help you move a body. “You'll never be able to hide the truth from Garini.” Her mouth felt dry. “Don't you know they can read blood spatters and all kinds of things from a dead body?”

  Emma rolled her eyes. “Have some sense, Carlina. At least, he'll be able to suppress everything that's inconvenient now. If he had found the body in your apartment, it would have been too embarrassing for everybody concerned.”

  Carlina forced herself to look at the door again. She saw Stefano standing in front of the body, his hands deep inside his pockets, a frown of concentration on his face. He seemed to focus on something riveting. Overcoming her reluctance, she followed his gaze . . . and gasped. “Madonna! I don't believe this! You buttoned the shirt around the knife, all neat and clean!”

  Emma glared at her. “Of course we did. Nobody had the nerve to pull out the knife and stick it in again. If you object to that, I suggest you do it yourself the next time!”

  Carlina didn't know if she should laugh or cry. “But Stefano has to call in photographers. They'll spot it in a minute! It's obvious that Valentino wasn't killed here, and it's also obvious that he wasn't wearing this shirt while he was killed!”

  “So what?” Emma shrugged and showed her pearly teeth in a smile. “As long as they don't know where he was killed in reality, that doesn't matter.”

  Carlina felt her knees go soft. She looked around but couldn't find anything to sit on. This was getting worse and worse - or was it? Maybe it would help Garini if she stuck to the family tale they had so conveniently invented. She bit her lip in indecision.

  Garini looked up.

  Their gaze met and held.

  His face was set.

  She saw the challenge in his eyes, and like a flash, a silent message passed between them, as clear as if they had spoken.

  I know your family is in this.

  I won't tell you anything.

  II

  Garini waited until his colleagues had arrived, then he left them to their business. He had already seen enough to know that the victim had not been killed in front of the Mantoni house, and that Valentino had not been wearing his shirt when he had been stabbed. The pathologist could find out more details, but that would have to wait until after the autopsy.

  He gathered all members of the Mantoni family together in the hall of the family house and mounted the first two steps of the staircase. Towering over them, he said, “I'll keep this brief. Tomorrow morning, I'll try to get someone else onto this case.”

  Fabbiola opened her mouth, but Carlina grabbed her arm and whispered something into her ear. What is going on here? He let his gaze rest on the other members of the family. They all seemed in different states of excitement. Garini sensed an undercurrent he couldn't quite place, a nervousness as if they all waited with pent-up breath for something to happen. But what? For an instant, he felt as if he was the ringmaster and had forgotten his role. It seemed that a few more people than strictly family had followed his invitation. Leopold Morin was at Benedetta's side, and at the back, Simonetta and Maria, the two juggling experts, were standing as if they wanted to be living examples of the tiniest and the strongest women in Italy. Next to Ernesto, he saw Ernesto's friend Roberto, his shoulders propped up against the wall. Then he spotted Uncle Teo at his right. Deep lines were carved around his mouth, and his eyes were shadowed. He held onto the banister with one hand. He's totally exhausted. I wonder if he was fond of his nephew? Garini decided to come to the point without further delay. “As I'm on the spot tonight, I already have to ask a few questions, but I'll only cover the most urgent ground now. My successor will follow up tomorrow, so please be prepared for further interviews.”

  His approach was a bit unusual but he did not want to go into details at this point. He knew his boss. If he got in too deep now, Cervi would refuse to pull him off the case, claiming that nobody else had the same knowl
edge.

  “Who found the body?”

  “I did.” Simonetta's voice filled the hall with deep resonance.

  “When was that?”

  Simonetta hesitated and threw a helpless glance at Fabbiola.

  Fabbiola jumped in as if on cue. “Somewhere around eight, isn't that right, Carlina?”

  Carlina gave her mother a strange look.

  Stefano frowned. He couldn't read that look. Was it anger?

  Carlina shrugged. “I don't recall.”

  Garini noted the time with a question mark in his little book. “What did you do when you found the body?” He looked at Simonetta.

  “She screamed,” Fabbiola said before Simonetta could open her mouth. “You've never heard such a scream in your life, Commissario. They train them well at the opera; I have to say that.”

  Garini suppressed a sigh. “I guess. Next question: Is there anything unusual, anything urgent that I need to know right now, that can't wait until tomorrow?”

  They looked at him like children after you've asked who has eaten the forbidden cookies. Garini narrowed his eyes. Something's afoot here. “Nothing? If you don't want to say it in front of everybody, you can talk to me later.” Once again, he looked over the assembled family.

  For an instant, his gaze met Carlina's. She was pale and looked as if she was ready to drop. I don't want her to be involved in any of this. He closed his notebook with a snap. Failing that, I'll make sure I won't be involved with this case.

  III

  “Psss, psss!”

  Carlina stopped on the landing, on her way up to her apartment. She had just said good-bye to Garini, feeling like a murderess herself.

  Her mother looked through the door of Benedetta's apartment and beckoned to her. “Come in, Carlina; we need your help.”

  “My help?” Carlina only wanted to go to bed. She was so tired that every step upstairs was a conscious effort. At the same time, she dreaded going back to her apartment, the scene of the crime. Simonetta had told her that they had re-arranged everything and that she would be fine, but she still felt like a dog that had its basket taken away without replacement. “Can't it wait until tomorrow?”

  “No.” Fabbiola shook her head. “We're busy constructing our alibis, and you need to learn yours.”

  Oh, Madonna. Carlina shook her head. “No way.”

  “Yes!” Fabbiola grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. “Don't prevaricate.”

  Carlina decided that it took less energy to go along and followed her mother to Benedetta's kitchen, where the rest of the family, including Simonetta and Maria, were assembled. It smelled heavenly of fresh focaccia bread with black olives and bits of spicy pepperoni. Carlina saw the bread wrapped up in fresh towels in a corner of the kitchen. Obviously, Benedetta had decided to start a counter-offensive on the battlefield of bread.

  Fabbiola, who wisely ignored her sister's mouth-watering bread, pulled up a sheet of paper, sharpened a pencil with the air of someone who's about to do an act of major importance, and lifted her head. “We'll burn this paper later. Let's start with Leo.”

  Benedetta jumped. “Why should you start with Leo? Why not with yourself, or Carlina, or . . . ?”

  Carlina blinked. What on earth was happening to Benedetta? Had Fabbiola's health food period, combined with Ernesto's bungee-jumping, destroyed all her usual equilibrium? She had never seen Benedetta so out of kilter.

  “I was going through the house apartment by apartment,” Fabbiola said with dignity. “And I was starting on the ground floor, that's all. We can also start with Teo, if you should prefer that.”

  “No, no, that's fine.” Leopold Morin gave Fabbiola a soothing smile and laid a placating hand on Benedetta's arm. “I was at the library.”

  “When?”

  Leopold opened his eyes wide. “When? Well, when the murder was done, of course.”

  Fabbiola frowned at the slight Frenchman. “But how do you know when the murder was done?”

  “I object to this.” Benedetta snapped. “You are behaving as if you're the boss in this family, and it sounds as if you're all accusing us of murder. Thanks, but no thanks. I won't have anything to do with it.” She jumped up and left the room. Leo shrugged and followed her with an apologetic look.

  “Well, I say . . .” Fabbiola shook her head. “Now how are we going to arrange our alibis?”

  Carlina felt a headache coming on. “I don't want to make up an alibi. I want to tell Garini the truth.”

  “Have you gone crazy?” Her mother stared at her. “You want to tell him there was a half-naked man in your room, together with a bottle of champagne? Any lie is better than that!”

  Carlina closed her eyes. “I know, but I'm bushed. Whatever we agree on tonight, I'll forget it anyway until tomorrow. So don't count me in. Good night.” She got up and left the room as fast as she could, before anybody could stop her. Let them figure out how to do this. She'd had enough.

  Chapter 5

  I

  Stefano Garini clenched his teeth. He knew he was not going to relish the conversation with his boss, but it had to be done. He lifted his hand and knocked on the door.

  “Come in.” Cervi's voice sounded half-asleep, as usual in the early morning.

  Stefano opened the door and went in. “Buongiorno, Signor Cervi.”

  “Buongiorno, buongiorno.” Cervi waved at the chair opposite his desk and frowned. “Take a seat and make it short. I have an important meeting in half an hour.”

  That suits me. “Yesterday evening, I was alerted by a member of the Mantoni family that Valentino Canderini, a cousin, had been stabbed. He was found in front of the family home on Via delle Pinzochere.”

  Cervi narrowed his eyes. “Did you say Mantoni? Not that same family again?”

  Stefano suppressed his irritation. “The same. Which is why I'm here. I did everything that had to be done immediately, but now, I'd like to be taken off the case.”

  Cervi frowned. “Impossible.”

  “It's impossible to continue.” Stefano made sure his voice didn't show his feelings. “I have too many links to the family.”

  His boss grunted. “What kind of links?”

  “I'm going out with Carlina Ashley, one of the Mantoni clan. She lives in the family home.”

  “Hmm.” Cervi frowned. “She's the owner of that expensive lingerie store, isn't she?”

  “Yes.”

  “Just how much of a friend are you?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Is it serious?”

  Garini clenched his teeth. This is none of your business. “Yes.”

  Cervi shook his head from left to right like a bored turtle. He gave Garini a malevolent glance. “Can Paolo take your place?”

  “He's on vacation.”

  “Far away?”

  “Too far to come back. A safari in South Africa.”

  “Damn.” Cervi frowned. “I have the impression he does it on purpose. Every time we want him, he's at the other end of the globe. How about Sergio? Is he ill at the moment?”

  “Not right now.”

  Garini's boss picked up the receiver and bellowed a short command into it.

  A minute later, Sergio moved his massive bulk through the door. His wheezing breath and pale face showed that he had not yet quite recovered from his last angina. “Buongiorno, Signor Cervi, Stefano.” He gave Garini a quick glance, a question in it.

  Stefano shrugged.

  “Garini here says he can't take a case because he's biased.” Cervi made it sound like a major shortcoming. “You have to take over.”

  Sergio's eyebrows climbed up. “I'm in the middle of the Maccari Case.”

  Cervi made an impatient movement with his hand. “Hand it over to Garini. No doubt he'll solve it quicker.”

  Garini winced. He knew that Sergio wasn't always the quickest on the uptake, but he was thorough and reliable - if he wasn't ill.

  Sergio stiffened. “What is this case?”

  “A man w
as stabbed yesterday evening in front of the Mantoni family home.”

  “Mantoni?” Sergio's gaze flitted to Garini's and away again. “I see.”

  Garini knew that Sergio remembered the evening when he had met him with Carlina at the restaurant Gallo Nero.

  “All right.” Sergio nodded. “I'll take over.”

  A weight fell from Garini's shoulders. If only everything would be so easy. He smiled at his colleague. “Thank you. I do appreciate it.”

  Sergio put his head to one side. “Just one more question: If the victim was found in front of the family house, that may have been a coincidence. Maybe the family is not involved at all.”

  “The family is involved all right.” Garini's voice was grim. “Valentino Canderini is half a Mantoni by birth, and he--”

  Sergio gasped. “Valentino Canderini? He's dead?” His round face lit up as if he had just heard the most wonderful news. “Brilliant.”

  Cervi cleared his throat. “Can you explain yourself, please?”

  Sergio beamed at his boss. “Oh, he was a good-for-nothing, that one.” He gave Garini an apologetic glance. “I'm sorry, but . . . “

  “I agree.” Garini said.

  “It still seems to be a bit exaggerated to jump with joy when he's found dead.” Cervi's voice was dry.

  Sergio shrugged. “He once tried to get my sister in trouble. He didn't get anywhere, because my brothers and I, we saw through him just in time and managed to step in.”

  “So in fact, nothing happened at all.” Cervi sighed. “Can we please forget your private feelings and approach this case in a professional manner?”

  His subordinate flushed. “I'm always professional. That's why I didn't kill him myself. However, I can only applaud the murderer. Canderini had it coming.”

  Cervi pressed his lips together. “I think you have to consider where your loyalties are. You are, after all, a policeman, and you shouldn't condone murder as a solution to any problem.” He drew himself up as he spoke.

  Garini suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Madonna, what a pompous ass Cervi is.

  Sergio gave his boss a glance that spoke volumes. “When a man is rotten, he has a lot of potential to destroy other lives. I think it's better if he's stopped before he spends his life spreading evil.”