IM8 The Patience of the Spider (2007)

by Andrea Camilleri

  He paused.

  Or else I go eat at the house of a lady friend. You would have found out sooner or later, anyway. Shes a widow Ive been seeing nowfor over tenyears. Andthere youhaveit.

  Thank you, Doctor, but my purpose, in coming to see you, is to learn a little more about your sister-in-laws illness, provided, of course, that youre able and willing

  Look, Inspector, theres no professional code of secrecy

  in this instance. My sister-in-law has been poisoned. The poisons effect is irreversible, and it will inexorably lead to her death.

  Someone poisoned her?!

  A blow to the head, a stone from the sky, a punch in the face. The sudden, violent shock of this revelation, uttered so placidly, almost without emotion, struck the inspector physically, to the point that his ears made a ringing sound. Or was that short ring actually real? Perhaps the bell of the gate had rung? Or else the telephone on the side table had made a brief ting? The doctor, however, gave no sign of having heard anything.

  No need to be so vague, the doctor said without changing expression, like a teacher pointing out a minor mistake in a students theme paper. She wasnt poisoned by just someone, but by one man in particular.

  And do you know his name?

  Of course, he said with a smile.

  No, on further inspection it was not a smile that played on Carlo Mistrettas lips, but rather a smirk. Or more precisely, a sneer.

  Why havent you reported this?

  Because there are no legal grounds for prosecution. One can only report it to God in heaven, if one believes in Him. But He, Im sure, is well aware of the situation.

  Montalbano began to understand.

  So, when you say Mrs. Mistretta has been poisoned, youre speaking somewhat metaphorically, I gather?

  Lets say Im not sticking to a strictly scientific vocabulary. Im using words and expressions that, as a doctor, I ought not to use. But you didnt come here for medical advice.

  And with what has Mrs. Mistretta been poisoned?

  With life. As you see, I keep using words that would be unacceptable in any diagnosis. Shes been poisoned by life. Or, better yet: Someone has cruelly forced her to enter an obscene realm of existence. And at a certain point, Giulia refused to go any further. She dropped all her defenses, all resistance, and gave up the will to live.

  He was well-spoken, this Carlo Mistretta. But the inspector needed to hear facts, not well-turned sentences.

  Excuse me, Doctor, but Im required to ask you more. Was it the husband, perhaps unwittingly, who ...?

  Carlo Mistrettas lips parted, uncovering just the edge of his teeth. This, on the other hand, was his manner of smiling.

  My brother? Are you kidding? He would give his own life for his wife. And when you know the whole story, youll see that your suspicion was absurd.

  A lover?

  The doctor looked dazed.

  Eh?

  I was saying, perhaps another man, some amorous disappointment, if you dont mind my

  I believe the only man in Giulias life has always been my brother.

  At this point Montalbano lost patience. Hed grown fed up with playing charades. On top of this, he wasnt too keen on this Dr. Mistretta. He was about to open his mouth to ask more questions when the doctor, as though sensing the in- spectors change of mood, raised his hand to stop him.

  A brother, he said.

  Jesus Christ! Now whered this brother come from? Whose brother?

  Hed known from the start that between all the brothers, uncles, in-laws, nephews, and nieces, this case was going to drive him crazy.

  Giulias brother, the doctor continued. Mrs. Mistretta has a brother? Yes. Antonio. And why hasnt he He hasnt been heard from in the current crisis because

  he and Giulia havent spoken for some time. A long time.

  At this point something happened that often happened to Montalbano during the course of an investigation. That is, a variety of apparently unrelated facts all came together at once in his brain, each piece assuming its proper place in the puzzle. And this occurred even before he had full knowledge of them. Thus it was the inspectors own lips, almost entirely of their own will, that said:

  Shall we say six years? The doctor looked at him in surprise. Do you already know the whole story? Montalbano made a gesture that meant nothing. No, not six years, the doctor corrected him, but its

  true that it all began six years ago. You see, my sister-in-law, Giulia, and her brother,Antonio, who is three years her junior, were orphaned in early childhood. A terrible misfortune. Their parents died in a railway accident. They owned a bit of property. The orphans were taken in by an uncle from the mothers side, a bachelor, who treated them well and with great affection. Giulia and Antonio became very attached as

  they grew up, as often happens with orphaned siblings. Shortly after Giulias sixteenth birthday, the uncle died. He had very little money, and so Giulia left school so that Antonio could continue his studies. She took a job as a salesgirl. Salvatore, my brother, met her when she was twenty and fell in love with her. Actually, they both fell in love. But Giulia refused to marry him before Antonio had graduated and found a decent job. She never accepted the least bit of financial help from her future husband. She did everything herself. Finally Antonio became an engineer, found a good job, and Giulia and Salvatore could get married. Three years later, my brother was offered a job in Uruguay. He accepted and went to live there with his wife. Meanwhile

  The trill of the telephone shattered the silence of the villa and the surrounding countryside like a burst of Kalashnikov fire. The doctor sprang to his feet and went over to the console the phone was on.

  Hello? ...Yes, what is it? ...When? ...Yes, Ill be right over... Inspector Montalbanos here with me; would you like to speak with him?

  He was pale. He turned around and, without a word, handed the receiver to the inspector. It was Fazio.

  Chief? I tried you at the office and at home, but nobody could tell me where ...Listen, the kidnappers just called, not ten minutes ago ...I think its better if you come here yourself.

  Im on my way.

  Just a minute, said Carlo Mistretta. I need to go get some medication for Salvatore. Hes very distraught.

  He went out. Theyd phoned sooner than theyd said.

  Why? Perhaps something had gone wrong for them and they no longer had much time? Or was it simply a tactic to confuse everyone? The doctor returned with a small handbag.

  Ill go out first, and you can follow me in your car. Theres a shortcut to my brothers house from here.

  9

  They arrived in less than half an hour. A uniformed policeman from Montelusa who didnt know the inspector opened the gate. He let the doctor pass and then blocked Montalbanos car.

  Who are you?

  What I wouldnt give to know! Lets just say that, conventionally speaking, Im Inspector Montalbano.

  The policeman gave him a puzzled look, but let him drive through. In the living room they found only Minutolo and Fazio.

  Where is my brother? the doctor asked.

  Listen, said Minutolo, when listening to the phone call he nearly passed out. So I went upstairs to call the nurse, who roused him and persuaded him to go lie down.

  Im going upstairs, said the doctor.

  And he left, bag in hand. Fazio, meanwhile, had set up the equipment near the telephone.

  This ones also a recorded message, Minutolo began. And this time they get to the point. Listen, and well talk afterwards.

  Pay close attention. Susannas health is fine, but shes feeling desperate because she wishes she could be at her mothers side.

  Get six billion lire ready. I repeat, six billion lire.The Mistret

  tas know where to find it. Goodbye.

  The same disguised male voice that was in the first recording.

  Did you manage to trace the call? Montalbano asked.

  You ask such useless questions! Minutolo retorted.

  This time they didnt let us hear Susa
nnas voice.

  Right.

  And they talk in lire.

  How did you expect them to talk? Minutolo asked sarcastically.

  In euros.

  Isnt it the same thing?

  No, its not. Unless you belong to that class of shopkeepers who think a thousand lires the same as a euro.

  Whats your point?

  Nothing, just an impression.

  Say it.

  The person sending the message still thinks the old way. Its comes more naturally to him to count in lire instead of euros. He didnt say three million euros, he said six billion lire. In short, it seems to me that the man on the phone is of a certain age.

  Or hes clever enough to have us thinking that way, said Minutolo. Hes taking us for a ride the way he did when he scattered the helmet and backpack at the opposite ends of town.

  Can I go outside for a bit? I need some air, said Fazio.

  Ill be back in five minutes. In any case, if the phone rings, youre here to pick up.

  Not that he really needed to go out. He just didnt feel right, listening to a conversation between his superiors.

  Go ahead, go ahead, Minutolo and Montalbano said in unison.

  But there is something new, and rather serious, in my opinion, in that phone call, Minutolo resumed.

  Right, said Montalbano. The kidnapper is certain that the Mistrettas know where to find six billion lire.

  Whereas we havent the slightest idea.

  But we could.

  How?

  By putting ourselves in the kidnappers shoes.

  Is this some kind of joke?

  Not in the least. What I mean is that we, too, could force the Mistrettas to take the necessary steps in the right direction, the one that leads to the possible ransom money. And those steps might clear up a whole lot of things for us.

  I dont understand.

  Let me sum it up for you. The kidnappers knew right from the start that the Mistrettas were not in any position to pay a ransom, and yet they kidnapped the girl anyway. Why? Because they also knew that the Mistrettas could, if necessary, get their hands on a large sum of money. Do you agree so far?

  Yes.

  Mind you, the kidnappers are not the only ones who know that the Mistrettas can do this.

  Theyre not? No. And how do you know? Fazio reported two strange phone calls to me. Have him

  repeat them to you. And why didnt he report them to me? It must have slipped his mind, Montalbano lied. Concretely speaking, what should I do? Have you informed the judge of this last message? Not yet. Ill do it right now. He made as if to lift the receiver. Wait. You should suggest to him that, since the kidnap

  pers have now made a specific request, he should put a restraining order on the assets of Mr. and Mrs. Mistretta, and then report this measure to the press.

  What would we gain from that? The Mistrettas dont have a cent, and everybody knows it. It would be a pure formality.

  Of course. It would be a pure formality if it remained between you, me, the judge, and the Mistrettas. But I said the measure should be made known to the public. Public opinion may be full of shit, as some maintain, but it matters. And the public will begin to wonder if its true that the Mistrettas know where to find the money, and if so, theyll ask themselves why they dont do what they need to do to get their hands on it. Its possible the kidnappers themselves will have to tell the Mistrettas what they need to do. And something will finally come out in the open. Because, on the face of it, my friend, this doesnt look to me like a simple kidnapping.

  What is it, then?

  I dont know. It gives me the impression of a billiards game, where one banks a shot off the cushion in front so that the ball will end up on the opposite side.

  You know what I say? As soon as he recovers a little, Im going to put the squeeze on Susannas father.

  Go ahead. But keep one thing in mind. Even if, five minutes from now, we learn the truth from the Mistrettas, the judge must still proceed the way we said. With your permission, Ill speak with the doctor as soon as he comes downstairs. I was at his house when Fazio called. He was telling me some interesting things, and I think the conversation is worth continuing.

  At that moment Carlo Mistretta entered the room. Is it true they asked for six billion lire? Yes, said Minutolo. My poor niece! the doctor exclaimed. Come, lets go have a breath of air, Montalbano invited

  him.

  The doctor followed him outside as though sleepwalking. They sat down on a bench. Montalbano saw Fazio hurry back into the living room. He was about to open his mouth when the doctor again beat him to it.

  The phone call my brother just described to me relates directly to what I was telling you at my place. Im sure it does, said the inspector. I think, therefore,

  that if you feel up to it, you need to I feel up to it. Where were we? Your brother and his wife had just moved to Uruguay. Oh, yes. Less than a year later, Giulia wrote a long letter

  to Antonio, suggesting he come join them in Uruguay. The

  work prospects were excellent, the country was growing fast, and Salvatore had won the esteem of many important people and was in a position to help him ...I forgot to mention that Antonio had got a degree in civil engineeringyou know, bridges, viaducts, roads ...Well, he accepted and came. In the early going, my sister-in-law supported him unstintingly. He remained in Uruguay for five years. Just think, theyd bought two apartments in the same building in Montevideo so they could be close to one another. Among other things, Salvatore sometimes had to leave home for months at a time for work, and he felt reassured to know that he wasnt leaving his young wife alone. Anyway, to make a long story short, during those five years, Antonio made a fortune. Not so much as an engineer, the way my brother tells it, but through his skill in manipulating the various free zones that were so numerous over there...which was a more or less legal way of evading taxes.

  Why did he leave?

  He said he was terribly homesick for Sicily. And he couldnt stand being away any longer. And that, with all the money he now had, he could start up his own business over here. My brother later suspected, though not at the time, that there was a more serious reason.

  What was that?

  That maybe hed made a wrong move and feared for his life. In the two months prior to his departure, his moods had become impossible, though Giulia and Salvatore attributed this to the fact that he was leaving soon. They were like a single family. And Giulia, in fact, suffered a great deal when her brother left. So much, in fact, that Salvatore accepted an offer

  to go work in Brazil just so that she could live in a new and

  different environment.

  And they didnt see each other again until

  Are you kidding? Aside from the fact that they continually called and wrote to each other, Giulia and Salvatore came to Italy at least once every two years and spent their vacations with Antonio. Just think, when Susanna was born . . . At the mention of her name, the doctors voice cracked. . . . When Susanna was born rather late in their marriagetheyd given up hope of having childrenthey brought the baby here so she could be baptized by Antonio, who was too busy to travel. Eight years ago, my brother and Giulia finally moved back. They were tired. Theyd been all over South America and they wanted Susanna to grow up in Italy. On top of this, Salvatore had managed to put aside a good deal of money.

  Could you say he was a rich man?

  Frankly, yes. And it was I who took care of everything. I invested his savings in stocks, land, real estate . . . As soon as they arrived, Antonio announced that he was engaged and would soon be married. The news took Giulia entirely by surprise. Why hadnt her brother ever mentioned having a girlfriend he intended to marry? She had her answer when Antonio introduced Valeria, his future wife, to her. A beautiful child, barely twenty years old. Antonio, by this point, was pushing fifty, and he went head over heels for the girl.

  Are they still married? Montalbano asked with involuntary malice.

  Yes. But Antonio quickly d
iscovered that to hold on to her, he had to cover her in gifts and fulfill her every desire.

  Did he ruin himself?

  No, thats not what happened. Operation Clean Hands happened.

  Wait a minute, Montalbano interrupted. Operation Clean Hands started in Milan over ten years ago, when your brother and his wife were still abroad. And before Antonio got married.

  True. But you know how things go in Italy, dont you? Everything that happens up northFascism, liberation, industrializationtakes a long time to reach us. Like a long, lazy wave. Anyway, a few magistrates finally woke up down here as well. And Antonio had won quite a few government contracts. Dont ask me how, because I dont know and I dont want to know, though its not hard to imagine.

  Was he investigated?

  He made the first move himself. Hes a very clever man. To save himself from an eventual investigation that would surely have led to his arrest and conviction, he needed to make some papers disappear. He confessed this, in tears, to his sister, one evening six years ago. And he added that the operation would cost him two billion lire, which he needed to find in a months time, because he didnt have the cash at that moment and didnt want to borrow from the banks. Those were days when anything he did could be interpreted the wrong way. He said the whole thing almost made him laughor cry because two billion lire was a trifle compared to the huge sums that often passed through his hands. And yet those two billion lire represented his salvation. And they would, of course, be only a loan. He pledged to repay the entire sum within three months, supplemented by any losses incurred by the hasty sell-off. Giulia and my brother stayed up an entire

  night discussing this. Salvatore would have given the shirt off his back to keep his wife from despairing. The following morning they phoned me and told me of Antonios request.

  And what did you do?

  I must confess that I reacted badly at first. Then I had an idea.

  What?

  I said the request seemed senseless, insane, to me. All he needed was to have Valeria sell her Ferrari, her boat, and some jewelry, and they would have their two million quite easily. Or, if he had trouble reaching that figure, Giulia and Salvatore could make up the difference. But only the difference. In short, I was trying to limit the damage.