Lizzi Bizzi and the Red Witch

by Stefano Pastor

  «They’re all dead», he said flatly, without any emphasis.

  Dino had his mouth full of chips, he was on a hurry. He should not have come back home for lunch, and he kept repeating it, as if he was doing me some kind of favor. Then he swallowed without chewing. «Did you go up there?».

  «They’re all dead», I repeated.

  Again his neurons did not warn him of the danger. «Did you go up there even though I told you not to?».

  I tried to ignore what he had said. «Someone killed them, it is murder».

  Renato kicked him, I saw him wince, but it was useless. «You went all the same!», Dino shouted.

  There is a limit to everything and Dino experienced it. His face came to a plate of spaghetti, including gravy.

  «I told you so!», Renato said, trying not to laugh.

  Dino jumped up. «Why are you doing this to me?», just before he would begin to cry like a baby.

  «You had it coming», I had to admit. «I speak about serious things and you behave like an idiot».

  He used my towel to wipe. I had just taken it, and now I would have to wash it. I started to reproach him but gave up. «You hate me», complained Dino, with what looked so much like a sob.

  He hid his face, so I looked at him. «Sit down and talk», I said.

  Renato was clever, he had not said a word, nor did he care. «Let’s sit down and discuss», I repeated.

  Dino had taken it badly, I was always questioning his masculinity, and I treated him like a naughty child. He felt mature, a real man. Perhaps he even had some bimbo of which he had not told me anything.

  I raised my voice. «There are nine dead bodies, four kilometers from us, not counting the animals».

  «Huh?», Renato was alive again.

  «Someone has done them in. I have no idea how. All the farm animals have also been killed».

  «The farm animals too? On the top of the mountain?».

  I shrugged. «Everyone lives as they like; the Verdanas more than anyone else».

  Dino sniffled, tried to intrude to make it appear to follow the discussion. «They’re dead, then?».

  I ignored him. «I have not called the police», I said this casually too, as if it were an irrelevant fact.

  It was hard to endure Renato’s look. «Why, Mom?».

  «Why not give a damn?», cried Dino. «Should we put ourselves in trouble for these assholes? What do we care if they are killed?». Not content pulled me into the dance. «Don’t you, Mom?».

  «Something like that», I muttered. «There’s only loss when dealing with the police. They had better stay away».

  «But…».

  I predicted all kinds of objections. «Whoever killed them will already be who-knows-where. This has happened a few days ago».

  «Yes but…».

  Poor Renato could not speak, I interrupted constantly. «It seems obvious that someone came from outside, we are the only ones here».

  Dino was ready to give me reason. «He was a crook. He did business with criminals. Who knows what trouble he had started, we should not care».

  The voice of reason spoke. «But Mom! You said it’s full of corpses, sooner or later someone will discover them anyway».

  The Drenghis went to town very rarely, however, that was going to happen inevitably. I am not saying they would stop at Verdana’s, as they despised each other. But there was the risk of them noticing the dead animals.

  «Yeah», I admitted.

  «Do not listen to him», said Dino. «He sees everything black».

  They’re both right, it would not be easy to ignore the massacre. Sooner or later it would come to light if it failed in some other way.

  «They do not have friends», he continued Dino. «No one ever goes looking for them. If they disappear, it will not affect anyone. Not even the places where to which they sold their brew. I know; they hate them all».

  There were children; however, they went to school very rarely. Rico had come into conflict with the authorities a long time ago and no one could change his mind. Not even the teachers and principals dared to complain anymore.

  There was a bit of time left, but the solution was one.

  «Those bodies must disappear».

  The response came immediately. Renato’s eyes widened. «Are you crazy, Mom?».

  Perhaps I was really, but I could not see any other solution. Having to deal with Renato would not have been easier. «You do not approve?», I asked.

  «We did not do it».

  That phrase lacked a question mark in the end, because it sounded so much like a question. «Of course not», I answered.

  «So why not call the police?».

  Dino, who had not heard a word, was lost in bizarre reasoning. «He also has the most powerful engine».

  I was not the only one wandering. I preferred to question Dino than answer Renato. «What the hell are you talking about?».

  «Ivan’s bike, it’s a beast! It is not fair that the bastard could afford it, if he did not even know how to use it».

  He was speaking of Rico’s firstborn, maybe. He said he did not know them, but knew about them too much. I still did not understand his chatter, however. «What does that have to do with this?».

  There was some logic in it. «If all of them have died, who will use it now?».

  Fortunately for him there was not another plate of spaghetti to pull his face to. He stopped before I exploded, grabbing me by my wrist. «Listen, Mom. Those fuckers had a lot of money. They looked like beggars, I know, but it was Rico who had the bag and did not give anything to anyone. They earned a lot with the brandy».

  It took me some minutes to understand, I was even surprised that Dino had certain ideas. «So?».

  He shrugged. «I know it’s not right, but if they are now dead we can grab it for us».

  Renato was not at all upset; he was used to his brother’s crap. «Maybe that’s why they were killed. Maybe someone else has thought like you». He grinned. «Maybe it was you».

  Dino did not even know what humor was, he grabbed his brother by his shirt’s collar. «Take back what you said».

  I intervened immediately. «Leave him! You are wrinkling it, and then it’s me who has to iron it».

  Was there any money in that house? Now it was gnawed by woodworms. They looked as if they were starving, just like us, maybe the money was only Dino’s head, suffering from loneliness in that great empty space.

  «Even if there were it would be stealing», I concluded.

  «Why, Mom? They’re dead, they will not use it».

  Renato started to reply, but Dino silenced him, with a regurgitation of genius. «I wonder what’s in that house. Maybe even a computer, such as what you want from life».

  We were not yet at that level, of looting the dead. However, Dino had a point; whatever was in that house would be wasted. For all I knew there were no other immediate relatives, Rico only had a brother who was already dead.

  Not a motorbike, with its chassis number and license plate, maybe even a computer was risky, but a roll of money had no owner, it belonged to whoever found it. I was beginning to regret not to have looked around.

  «Let’s call the police, it’s better», said Renato.

  It could not be done without him; I was not such a distorted mother, unless I could convince him somehow. «We can bury them and that would be it», I suggested.

  Dino grimaced. «Everyone? You just said they were nine, do you know have much it will take?».

  I had not thought of the many decapitated animals. It would be a tough blow if they saw them. It would not be easy to hide all the clues.

  Renato was getting upset. «Why? Will anyone tell me why are we acting like idiots?».

  It was my turn, necessarily. «Because this is our mountain and I don’t want the police to set a foot on it. I think I have been very clear».

  «Yes, but why? What do we have to hide?».

  Unfortunately he got it; he was not dumb at all. I strove to sound c
redible. «They could send you away. They could say this is not our house and that we cannot live here».

  He stood, mouth open. «But this is our house, isn’t it?».

  «It’s your father’s, at least that’s what he said. But he is gone and there are no documents. At least I haven’t found any».

  «But it’s been more than six years, you must have done something!».

  I was walking on the edge of a razor. «What can I tell you? There was nothing at the land register».

  He looked at me even more distrusting. «Is it not our house?».

  It was true that there were no documents, hence I was not at risk of being refuted, but the land register had never set foot in here, did not know what this was. At least I was able to plant some doubt in his curious little head.

  «Let’s leave everything as it is, Renato. It’s better like this, listen to me».

  He was full of doubt. «But there has been a murder!».

  «Some days have passed, maybe more than a week. The assassins, whoever they were, could be on the other side of the world. Nobody cares about the Verdanas; no one will search for them. In some months we will not even remember they had ever existed».

  «Yes, but…».

  «What could the police do, according to you?».

  «Arrest the culprits».

  «What do you care? Did you have any interest in them? Do you miss them? Do you miss their assassins?».

  «No, but…».

  «Then let’s leave things as they are, we do not care».

  I understood that I had failed by looking in his eyes; Renato had not believed one word of it. «Will you tell me truth sooner or later?», he asked me.

  Dino did not understand, fortunately, his head was filled with bikes and SUVs. You had to shake him up to make him came back to reality. «Wake up, work awaits, you are already late».

  He watched the time with a grimace. «Do I have to? Isn’t there anything else to do?».

  The corpses had surely not escaped. «It’s not certain yet. Tomorrow is Sunday, we have the whole afternoon». I took a look at Renato. «We have to talk about it first. Be certain of what we want to do».

  Dino stood up, still with a grimace, frowned on his brother and told him: «Idiot». Maybe the insult was not so appropriate.

  I was tempted to restrain him, because the worst was about to happen. Sadly, he left us and Renato’s eyes through me. «So, Mom, what’s going on?».

  I began clearing. «Don’t you have work to do?».

  He did not move. «Don’t take me for a fool».

  «Does it seem like I’m joking to you? Don’t say you can do them tomorrow, there’s the possibility of us being busy».

  «Burying the dead or hunting for a treasure?».

  «Don’t joke about certain things».

  «It seems to me you are taking it lightly. Are they really dead? Have you found the Verdanas massacred and you haven’t moved a finger? You haven’t called the police?». He stood up. «I can’t believe you came back to cook the meal. What are we talking about now?!».

  «If I had called the police, what would have changed?».

  «These are stupid questions, Mom. That’s enough!».

  He was outraged and had every reason to be. «Can’t you accept that I didn’t do it?».

  «You did not tell me anything about the house».

  He was right, I gave him that. «I don’t like the police, okay? I don’t want them here. You get ‘til here».

  «What have you done?».

  «I don’t want to tell you. Shit, I don’t want the police not to have to tell anyone!».

  My son annihilated me. «Some around here say that you killed Dad and you buried him somewhere».

  It was a variation of a gossip about me. In recent years it had become somewhat disused. I was not surprised that he had heard it.

  «So? What do you care about him, he was gone before you were born».

  «Was he gone or was it you who was liberated?».

  «Do these seem like questions to make your mother?».

  Who knows for how long those questions were racing in his mind, he was missing that massacre to bring everything back. «See? This proves I’m right! I do not want the police here, I’m sure they think like you!».

  «Did you kill him, then?».

  «I won’t answer to you because I don’t want to get angry. I expected some sympathy from you».

  «What are you saying? You are talking about plundering the dead, purloining corpses, about… I must be in the wrong house; I surely am in a nuthouse».

  «I’m not saying anything, and you are not forced to do anything, if you don’t want. Your brother… you know how impulsive he is».

  «You will not let him take anything, I hope! If he is seen riding about with that bike we will all end in jail, even I who did nothing!».

  «Certainly not! We won’t take anything. Tomorrow we’ll just go to take a look. Later on we’ll decide what to do».

  «You cannot bury them, Mom. Sooner or later someone will search for them and it will be worse. We are risking getting ourselves in trouble».

  He was not completely wrong. «We made a case, nothing else. Tomorrow we will decide. You too can say yours».

  He shook his head. «That’s all? Do you have anything else to tell me? Do you insist on this madness?».

  There was nothing to say. «Go study, now. So tomorrow you will come with us».

  «Mom!», he shouted, and there was everything in that word: disappointment, depression, rage, discomfort; even impotence, so much of it.

  I pushed him into the room and closed the door.

  Everything was programmed, every moment of my life. I prepared a great soup and a stew with potatoes. Dinner was the most important meal. Renato did not show himself for the whole day, him studying was not something I could be sure of, but him not making many questions was enough for me.

  That afternoon I passed every stage, alternatively giving reason to one of my children or the other. If there was money in that house, it would be useful. The cart was really about to give up, and Renato insisted on a scooter. I did not feel like a thief by taking it, who was I stealing from anyway? They were all dead, there was no one anymore.

  Throughout the time, I was facing that massacre with detachment. Deep down, we did not care. Whether it was crazy passerby or a vengeance by business comrades, for us it was of little importance, these events were extraneous to our existence. The assassins would never be found, whether I called the police or not.

  I would have just attracted their interest. They would have taken our fingerprints, checked our past, everything would have come back. They would finally have a reason to control the mountain. They would have destroyed me, piece by piece.

  No, that was off the table, the police could not know. Would a killer make it clear? I could not care less. Renato did not have a voice on this, he had to resign.

  Consequently, those corpses had to disappear. It would not be easy, we did not have much time, but it was a sacrifice that had to be done. Even Renato had to help. We would spare him from the most unpleasant work but nothing else. He had to understand that it could not be done any other way.

  When Dino had returned home I already had programmed the upcoming days, inserting the Verdanas’ burial along our household chores, as if it was not different. Renato had still not showed up and I had not set the table. I looked at the clock in surprise.

  «Do not get scared now», Dino began, almost as if he was keen on my health. After those words I was already angry.

  «It’s nothing», he continued, and only then did I see the arm banded.

  Other than scaring me, I smacked him. «What did you do?», I yelled. «Now that I need you, you play injured?».

  «It’s nothing!», Dino retorted. «It’s a tiny cut. I got some stitches, but I’m already better».

  There were no tiny cuts in the sawmill, it was already a miracle that he still had both hands. «I was overwhelme
d», he apologized. «I had a moment of inattention».

  I hugged him, after having smacked him, because he really frightened me. «We will fix it», I comforted him.

  «Do you want to postpone?». He asked uncertainly. Maybe he even hoped for it. Despite his exuberant style deep down he was a coward.

  «We’ll manage, there’s also Renato».

  «I don’t think he’ll be with us», Dino said, and for that he got another smack.

  «Have faith in your brother; don’t treat him like that anymore!», I yelled, just as he walked in.

  The perfect nerd went to sit at the table, head low.

  I had no doubts about him, he had never had a girl, and it was a shame, because of both my children, he was the most beautiful one. He was not even stupid, but the world is strange, he was lacking something to be complete; a father, maybe.

  «Let’s eat now», he said, interrupting any argument.

  Dino stood in front of Renato, showing bandage as if it were a trophy of war. He tried and retorted, without getting anything. As I brought the soup into the table, he exploded. «This is stupid, he doesn’t care about anything».

  Renato maybe exaggerated as he showed himself indifferent, but the only one looking like an idiot was Dino, with his incredible jokes.

  «Tell your brother that you are sorry for him having cut his arm like an idiot», I spurred him.

  «Mom!», shouted Dino. And chimed: «It was your fault; you have upset me; and also his!». He pointed at Renato.

  «Let’s eat now», he answered coldly.

  We did not talk much during meals in our house. To be honest there was never much to say, but even in those rare occasions where there was an interesting discussion, we preferred postponing it until the evening, in front of the fireplace; it being lit or not did not matter.

  «Do you think they are over there dead still?», Dino said, with a foul smile.

  I was thinking about it and I did not even have to use my imagination. I had seen them around that table, just like we were. «Neatly sat», Dino replied.

  They were; all nine of them, neatly sat as fine statuettes. This was disturbing; very disturbing.