im6 The Scent of the Night (2005)

by Andrea Camilleri

  The commissioner thanked everyone, from God in Heaven to the bailiff, for the efficiency and dispatch they d demonstrated in carrying out... etc Prosecutor Tommaseo asserted that all possibility of there being any sexual motive for the crime must be ruled out and therefore he couldn't care less about the whole affair. Actually, he didn't really say the last part of that sentence, but he clearly implied it in his facial expression. Vanni Arqua, chief of forensics, let it be known that at a glance, the car must have been in the water for over a month. The one who spoke most was Guarnotta, but this was only because Zito, like a good reporter, realized that the broadcast was going to the dogs and that it was up to him to ask the right questions to make the best of a bad situation.

  Inspector Guarnotta, has the body discovered inside the car been identified with any certainty?'

  'No official identification has been made yet but I think we can say that in all probability, the body belongs to Giacomo Pellegrino.'

  'Was he alone in the car?'

  It's impossible to say. There was only the one body inside, but we can't rule out that there might have been another person who was thrown out of the car upon the vehicle's impact with the water. Our divers are actively searching the whole area.'

  'And might this second person have been Emanuele Gargano?' 'Possibly.'

  'Was Giacomo Pellegrino still alive when the car fell into the sea, or was he murdered beforehand?'

  'That's what the post mortem will tell us. But, you see, it's not absolutely certain that we're dealing with a crime here. It might have just been an unfortunate accident The land around here, you see, is very--'

  He wasn't able to finish his sentence. The cameraman, who'd already panned out managed to capture the scene. Behind the group, a broad strip of land collapsed and fell into the sea. As in a well-choreographed ballet everyone shouted and leapt forward in unison. Montalbano half jumped from his armchair, as he often did when watching adventure films like Raiders of the Lost Ark When they were all on safer ground, Zito resumed the interview.

  'Did you find anything else inside the car?'

  'We haven't had a chance yet to search the whole inside of the car. But very near the car we recovered a motorbike.'

  Montalbano pricked up his ears. But that was the end of the broadcast

  What could that last statement mean? Very near the car. He'd seen the motorbike in the boot with his own two eyes. No mistake there. And so? There could only be two explanations: either a diver had removed it from where it was, maybe even without any particular reason for doing so; or Guarnotta was deliberately saying something he knew to be false. But, if the latter, for what purpose? Did Guarnotta have his own idea of things and was he trying to make each detail conform to his overall conception?

  The phone rang. It was Zito again.

  'Did you like the broadcast?'

  "Yes, Nicolo.'

  "Thanks for letting me screw the competition.' 'Did you manage to get any sense of what Guamotta's thinking?'

  'That was no problem, because Guarnotta doesn't hide what he's thinking. He speaks clearly. But only off the record. He thinks it's too early to make any public statements. In his opinion, Gargano stepped on some toes in the Mafia. Either directly -- that is, by pocketing some mafioso's cash -- or indirectly -- by taking over some turf he should never have sowed or ploughed.'

  'But where does that poor kid Pellegrino come in?'

  'Pellegrino had the bad luck to be with Gargano at the wrong moment This is still Guarnotta's theory, mind you. And so they killed them both, stuck 'em back in the car, and plunked them into the sea. Afterwards -- or even before, it makes no difference -- they threw the motorbike into the water as well. It's only a matter of hours, supposedly, before we find Gargano's body around the car, unless the currents have dragged it further away.'

  'You buy that story?'

  'No.'

  Why?'

  'Can you tell me what Pellegrino and Gargano were doing in that godforsaken place at that time of the night? People only go there to fuck. And as far as I know, Gargano and Pellegrino were not---'

  'Well, as far as you know isn't far enough.'

  Nicolo made a kind of sucking sound, his breath cut short.

  'Do you mean to tell me--'

  'For further details, please come to the Vigata Police Station at eleven am,' said Montalbano, faking the voice of a department-store PA system.

  As he was hanging up, something came to mind that forced him to get dressed and go out before he'd had a chance to wash and shave. He got to Vigata in just a few minutes, and when in front of the office of King Midas, he finally felt a little calmer, as it was still dosed. He parked the car and waited. Then, in his rear-view mirror, he saw a yellow Fiat 500, a collector's item, come up behind him. The car found a parking spot a short distance ahead of him. Out of it demurely stepped Miss Mariastella Cosentino, who went and opened the front door of King Midas Associates. The inspector let a few minutes pass, then went in. Mariastella was already at her post; motionless, a statue, right hand on the telephone, awaiting a call, the one call that would never come. She was unwilling to give up. As she had no television, and possibly no friends, either, it was likely she still didn't know that Pellegrino's body and Gargano's car had been found.

  'Good morning, signorina, how are you today?

  'I'm all right, thank you.'

  From her tone of voice the inspector could tell she was still in the dark as to recent developments. Now he had to play the card in his hand very carefully, shrewdly, otherwise Mariastella might withdraw even more than usual.

  'Have you heard the news? he began.

  What? You resolve to broach the subject carefully and shrewdly, and then come out with an opening statement more brutal, direct, and banal than even Catarella could ever think up? At this rate, might as well go at it guns blazing and get it over with all at once. The only sign Mariastella gave of having heard him was to focus her gaze on the inspector. But she didn't open her mouth, didn't ask anything.

  'They found Giacomo Pellegrino's body.'

  Jesus Christ, could we have some kind of reaction?

  At last Mariastella did something to promote her from the realm of inanimate objects to the human race. She stirred, slowly removed her right hand from the telephone receiver, and joined it to her left in a gesture of prayer. Mariastella s eyes opened wide, questioning, questioning. Montalbano felt sorry for her and gave her the answer.

  'He wasn't there.'

  Mariastella's eyes returned to normal. As though independent of the rest of her still motionless body, her right hand moved again and slowly came to rest on the telephone. She could resume her wait.

  Montalbano felt a blind rage come over him. Sticking his head inside the cashier's window, he found himself face to face with the woman.

  'You know damn well he's never going to call,' he hissed.

  He felt like one of those dangerous snakes, the kind whose head you're supposed to crush. He bolted out of the office in a fury.

  The moment he entered the station he rang Dr Pasquano in Montelusa.

  'What do you want, Montalbano? Why are you bothering me? There haven't been any murders in your neck of the woods, far as I know,' said Pasquano, with the courtesy for which he was famous.

  'So Pellegrino wasn't murdered, then.'

  'Where'd you hear that bullshit?'

  'From you, Doctor, just now. Until proved to the contrary, the place where Gargano's car was found is on my territory.'

  'Yes, but the investigation's not yours! It belongs to that genius Guarnotta! And for your information, you should know that the kid was killed by a gunshot to the face. Just one. At the moment, I can't and won't say any more. Buy the paper in the coming days if you want to know the results of the post mortem. Goodbye.'

  The telephone rang.

  'Whaddo I do, pass ya the call?'

  'Git, if you don't tell me who's on the line, how can I know whether to take the call?'

  'Righ
t you are, Chief. But the problem's who's onna line wants to remain a nominus, I mean they don't wanna tell me their name.'

  'Put 'em on.'

  'Hello, Daddy?'

  It was Michela Manganaro, the bitch, using her gravelly Marlene voice.

  'What do you want?'

  'I heard the news on TV this morning.'

  'Are you such an early riser?'

  'No, but I had to pack my things. This afternoon I'm going to Palermo to take some exams. I'll be away for a little while. But I'd like to see you before I go. I have something to tell you.'

  'Come to the station.'

  'No, I'd rather not, I might run into somebody unpleasant. Let's go to that little spot in the woods that you like so much. If that's OK, meet me outside my place at twelve-thirty.'

  'But are you sure about that?' asked Nicolo Zito, who'd shown up at eleven on the dot. 'I would never have suspected. And to think that I interviewed him three or four times.'

  'I watched the video' said Montalbano. 'And from the way he spoke and carried himself, you wouldn't necessarily have known he was homosexual'

  'You see? But who told you he was? Couldn't it just be some gossip people are spreading because--'

  'No, it's from a reliable source. A woman.'

  'And Pellegrino, too?'

  'Yes'

  'And do you think there was anything between them?' 'So I'm told.'

  Nicold Zito pondered this for a moment,

  'That doesn't really change things, however, not in any significant way. They might have been partners in the scam.'

  It's possible. I merely wanted to tell you to keep your eyes open, since the situation may not be so simple as Guamotta would have it. And another thing: try to find out exactly where they found the motorbike.'

  'Guamotta said--'

  'I know what Guamotta said. What I need to know is whether this corresponds to reality. Because if the motorbike was found a short distance away from the car, it means one of the divers moved it from where it was.'

  'And where was it?'

  In the boot.'

  'How do you know that?'

  'I saw it.'

  Nicolo looked at him, flabbergasted. 'You are the Polish admiral?'

  'I never said I was Polish or an admiral,' Montalbano solemnly declared.

  A bitch, yes, but a beautiful bitch, even more beautiful than the time before, perhaps because she was over her flu. She climbed into the car, thighs flashing festively in the wind. Montalbano turned onto the second road on the right, then took the unmade road on the left.

  'You remember the road very well. Did you come back here afterward, by any chance?' asked Michela as the wood came into view, opening her mouth for the first time.

  'I have a good memory,' said Montalbano. "What did you want to see me about?'

  'C'mon, what's the hurry?' said the girl.

  She stretched like a cat, wrists crossed over her head, bust arching backwards. Her blouse looked like it was about to burst.

  A bra probably feels like a straitjacket to her, the inspector thought.

  'Cigarette.'

  As he was lighting it for her, he asked: "What exams are you going to be taking?'

  Michela laughed so heartily she started coughing on the smoke of her cigarette.

  'I might take one if I have any time left'

  If you've any time left? What else are you going to

  do?'

  Michela merely stared at him, eyes twinkling with amusement Her expression was more eloquent than a long and detailed speech. Furious, the inspector felt himself blushing. Without warning, he wrapped his right arm around Michela's shoulders, squeezed her tightly against him, brutally sliding his other hand between her legs.

  'Let me go! Let me go!' the girl cried in a suddenly shrill, almost hysterical voice. Breaking free of the inspector's embrace, she opened the car door. She was genuinely upset and irritated. She got out of the car but did not walk away. Montalbano, who hadn't moved from his seat glared at her. Out of the blue, Michela broke into a smile, reopened the car door, and sat back down beside the inspector'

  'You're a shrewd one,' she said' 'I guess I fell for your little charade. I should have let you go on, just to see how you would have wiggled out of it'

  I'd have wiggled out the same way as last time,' said Montalbano, 'when you got the bright idea to kiss me. But anyway, I knew you'd react that way. Do you really enjoy being such a tease?'

  'Yes. The same way you enjoy playing the prude. Peace?'

  The girl had it all. including a good dose of intelligence.

  'Peace' said Montalbano. 'Did you really want to tell me something or was it just an excuse to have some fun?'

  'A little of both' said Michela. 'I was pretty shaken this morning, when I heard Giacomo was dead. Do you know how he died?'

  'Shot once in the face.'

  The girl gave a start, then two tears as big as pearls wet her blouse.

  'I'm sorry, I need some air.'

  She got out of the car. As she was walking away, Montalbano saw her shoulders heave with her sobbing. Which reaction was more normal, hers or Mariastella's? All things considered, both were normal. He also got out, then walked up to the girl, offering her a handkerchief.

  The poor guy! I feel so bad!' said Michela, wiping her eyes.

  "Were you close friends?'

  'No, but we worked together in the same room for two years. Isn't that enough?' Her proper Italian was starting to break down into dialect, 'Can you hold me?'

  For a second Montalbano didn't understand the question. Then he put his arm around her shoulders. Michela leaned against him.

  'Do you want to go back in the car?'

  'No. It's the fact it was his face that ... He cared so much about his face ... shaved twice a day ... used skin creams ... I'm sorry, I know I'm just babbling, but.. '

  She sniffled. Jesus, she was so much more beautiful this way!

  'I didn't really understand the bit about the motorbike' she said, getting hold of herself after taking a deep breath.

  The inspector tensed, paying close attention.

  The people in charge of the investigation say they found it underwater, near Gargano's car' said Montalbano. 'Why do you mention it?'

  'Because they used to put it in the boot.'

  'Explain.'

  'Well, at least that's what they did once, when Gargano asked Giacomo to come with him to Montelusa. Since he couldn't drive him back because he had to go somewhere else afterward, they stuck the motorbike in the boot, which was very spacious. That way Giacomo could come back by himself whenever he wanted.'

  'Maybe when the car struck the rock, the boot opened up and the motorbike fell out.'

  'Maybe' said Michela. 'But there are lots of things I just don't get.'

  'Such as?'

  'I'll tell you on the way back. I want to go home.'

  As they were getting back in the car, the inspector remembered that someone else had used the same words as Michela: 'a spacious boot'.

  THIRTEEN

  'There are lots of things that don t make sense to me' said Michela, as the inspector drove slowly back to town. 'First of all, why was Gargano's car found around here? There are two possibilities: either the last time he was down here he left it with Giacomo, or else he came back. But to do what? If he was planning to disappear after tucking the money away in a safe place -- which he certainly was, since the usual transfer of funds from Bologna to Vigata was never made that last time -- then why did he come and risk losing everything?' 'Go on.'

  'Also, assuming Gargano was with Giacomo, why meet in the car like a couple of secret lovers? Why not meet at Gargano's hotel or in some other quiet, safe place? I'm sure all the other times they got together it wasn't in Gargano's car. It's true that Gargano was cheap, but--'

  'How do you know Gargano was cheap?'

  'Well, cheap cheap, maybe not, but he was certainly tight I know because I went out to dinner with him one night actually twice-
-' 'He asked you out?'