by Beate Boeker
“No. I only got the instructions to hand it over in case the aforementioned circumstances should arise.”
The solicitor's convoluted way of speaking got on Garini's nerves. “And when Olga was dead, you never considered giving this letter to me?”
The solicitor's gaze didn't waver. “My instructions were clear.”
Yeah, sure. “What would have happened with the letter if Ugo had not been arrested?”
“Then I would have kept it and would have burned it upon my retirement.”
“These were Olga Ottima's instructions?”
“Indeed.”
Without another word, Garini shook his head and broke the seal, then pulled out the single sheet, covered with elegant handwriting.
If you are reading this, it's clear that you have made a bungle of clearing up my supposed murder. Yes, you're reading correctly. I made sure that Fabbiola would be the one to take the blame – she doesn't deserve anything better – but it's possible that by some unlucky chance of fate, she got off free, even though I made sure to take her stupid knitting needle with me when I jumped. Maybe it'll enter my body somewhere during the impact. I don't think I'll feel it, and I counted on it being the final straw to convince you to arrest her. However, as I said, if you're reading this, you managed to ignore even this perfect clue. It should have been proof enough for you.
I'm not stupid, and I know that the next suspect in line would be my son, particularly because he knows about the life insurance policy. I should have held my mouth, but the words slipped out when I was talking to him recently. Unfortunately, Ugo never knew how to hide the truth, so you will know all about it. Still, he's harmless, and even you should have seen that, but what can you expect of the police?
So, here it is: I killed myself. I didn't have much of a choice, and I decided that if I had to go, at least it would be with a big bang, and by taking the one with me who doesn't deserve any better. By stealing Nico from me, she pushed my life off course, and from then on, everything went wrong. It's amazing how one little bite by an insignificant viper can destroy everything. I underestimated that. However, I vowed that Fabbiola would suffer for it one day. I waited a long time, and if you're reading this letter, my revenge is not quite as complete as I would have wished, but that can't be helped anymore. If I can come back to haunt her, I will. You tell her that.
I have decided to jump to my death. It's more difficult than you would think, to find a quiet place to jump to your death in Florence, but I have decided to use the Tower San Niccolò. It will be ideal, but only if the weather is bad. I'll have to wait for the right day and finish the last preparations on the morning of my death.
Now go and release my son!
Olga Ottima
Garini swallowed with a dry throat. What a bitter, hateful life she must have led. What a lot of fear and unhappiness she created all around her. He lifted his head. “You are aware that I will have to check this letter in depth, aren't you? Do you have any other documents that show her signature, so we can compare it and make sure that the document is authentic?”
Enterolazzi inclined his head. “Certainly.”
“Then please send them to me as soon as possible.”
Enterolazzi remained seated and looked at Garini with an expectant air.
Garini pretended not to see it. “Thank you, Signor Enterolazzi.” He got up and held out his hand. “Can you find your way out or do you want me to call the receptionist?”
Enterolazzi raised himself from the chair in slow motion, picked up the handkerchief, shook it, folded it into a neat square and nestled it back into his trouser pocket. Then he turned to Garini. “Are you going to tell me the contents of the letter?” It was clear that the words cost him.
Garini met his gaze steadily. “I don't have any instruction to do so.”
As soon as the solicitor had gone, Garini called the pathologist Roberto. “Are you done with that murder victim from last Monday, Roberto?”
“Not quite.” Roberto sounded peeved. “Listen, my dear friend, the next time you send me a body, make sure it's in better shape. Here I go to a special training to discover the finer secrets in a body; I come back full of enthusiasm, eager to test my new knowledge, only to be served a body that is so mangled up that no finer secrets can be discovered at all. That's disheartening for a chap, I tell you. You should remember not to discourage your colleagues in such an odious way in the future, when they return to work full of fire and willingness to serve the old state. All my enthusiasm evaporated into nothing the second I clasped my eyes onto your precious body.”
Garini's hopes evaporated as well. “You mean you can't tell me if she was ill?”
“Ill?” Roberto's voice rose. “Ill? Are you kidding me?”
“I mean before she fell from the tower.”
“I got that, my dear friend. Of course she was ill! If ever I saw terminal cancer, this was it.”
Garini closed his eyes from sheer relief. “Are you sure?”
“Positive,” Roberto said. “I tried to reach you all day yesterday, to tell you how ironic it is that the murderer took such a risk when he could simply have waited a few more weeks with the very same effect.”
II
By evening, Garini had finished the most important report about Olga Ottima's case. All the facts were in place, and now, they only had to wait for Olga's letter to be tested and approved by the corresponding specialists. That would take some more weeks, but their first, preliminary estimation had been positive. All the other bureaucratic details could wait till later. He called Carlina with a surge of happiness. “Carlina, the case is over. I'd like to tell you about it all, but can we do this in person?”
“Is it good news?” Carlina's voice was taut.
“Yes.”
“Phew.”
He could hear the relief in her voice.
“I'm at Uncle Teo's. I've just brought him some biscuits, to cheer us up and drink a cup of coffee together. Do you want to join us?”
“Perfect. Give me ten minutes.”
Garini hurried to the Mantoni family home and used his key to slip inside without being noticed. He had no problem talking with Carlina and Uncle Teo at the same time, but he really didn't want to face the rest of the clan just now.
He took his place on Uncle Teo's faded sofa, balanced a cup on his knee and told them every little detail.
Uncle Teo sighed. “I had no idea. How can a woman be so charming on the surface, and so desperate underneath? I should have noticed something, shouldn't I?”
“I'm not sure, Uncle Teo.” Carlina took his hand and held it in a comforting clasp. “Her whole life was an act. It was natural to her. I doubt that even Ugo had an idea.”
“Yes, but Ugo is not the most sensitive of men. I should have noticed something.” Uncle Teo looked at his great-niece. “I've been wanting to apologize to you, Carlina.”
“To me?” She blinked.
“Yes, to you. When Olga said that she was only waiting for you to move out, and to install Ugo in your place, I was completely taken by surprise. You see, we had never discussed this before. However, I didn't want to embarrass her and decided to discuss this with her calmly, after you had gone. Then I wanted to talk to you and tell you that of course you can stay as long as you want, but before I could do so, Olga was killed – em, I mean, she had died – and then . . .” His words petered out, and he spread his hands in a helpless gesture.
“It's all right, Uncle Teo.” Carlina cleared her throat. “I'm sorry that she hurt you so much.”
Uncle Teo gave her a little smile. “There's no fool like an old fool, is there?”
She reddened. “I didn't say that.”
“Then Emma did. For sure.” He nodded. “But I've got a nice surprise for you.” He looked at Garini. “For both of you. At least, I hope you'll like it, but if you don't, you just have to tell me. I won't be offended. Come with me.”
He rose from the sofa and went to the door.
; Stefano and Carlina exchanged glances.
Carlina held up her hands with the palms upwards and shrugged.
They left house number ten and followed Uncle Teo to the neighboring house. He fished a large key from a bundle of keys in his hand, inserted it, and opened the door of house number twelve. The staircase looked very similar to one in the Mantoni family home, with a smooth wooden railing leading upstairs. Just the smell was different: While the staircase of house number ten always smelled of the beeswax that Benedetta used to polish the handrail, this house smelled of washing powder, summery and clean. Uncle Teo led them slowly upstairs to the third floor, then opened the door to his right. “I'm not sure if you are aware of it, Stefano,” he made a motion for them to precede him into the apartment. “But this apartment actually belongs to our house. It was sealed off on our side, and combined with the rather small apartment on this side.”
They looked around. The apartment was sparsely furnished, light and fresh.
“Didn't old Signora Tatti live here?” Carlina asked.
“That was years ago,” Uncle Teo said. “When she got older, she moved to her daughter's in Piacenza. I rented this apartment to a young lawyer, but he was just transferred to Rome, the poor guy.” For a moment he paused. “Such a shame, no? To have to leave Florence, and to be transferred to Rome. I feel for him.” He shook himself. “But anyway, he allowed me to show the apartment to prospective visitors as he's already in Rome at the moment. He'll move out next week.” He led the way through the apartment.
The bathroom had a large window and no breath of mold anywhere. The kitchen was done in the American style, combined with the living room. Sun streamed in through the windows, showing the spacious rooms to their advantage. The floor was a mix of stone tiles and well-kept wooden floor boards. Garini knew that they had found the right apartment, even before he saw the light in Carlina's eyes.
Carlina shook her head in wonder. “I had no idea it was so modern! I'd only seen it when Signora Tatti lived here, and then, it was dark and old-fashioned.”
“Yes, the lawyer changed it quite a bit.” Uncle Teo nodded. “I allowed him to go through with all the changes because I thought--” He broke off.
“You thought what, Uncle Teo?” Carlina looked at him.
Uncle Teo turned to Garini. “I thought that maybe the younger members of the family would like to live here one day.”
Carlina's and Stefano's gazes locked.
Her look was a strange mix of entreaty and hope.
His heart made a slight somersault with joy. He turned to Uncle Teo. “Where is the old door to the Mantoni house?”
“Right here.” Uncle Teo pointed to the wall in the living room. “It has been covered with wallpaper, but it could be opened again, I guess.” He shrugged. “The door was closed before I bought the house, a long time ago.”
“Don't change anything,” Garini put an arm around Carlina's shoulder and pulled her close. “On the contrary, I would suggest that we place a nice, heavy wardrobe, or something like that, right in front of it.” He could feel her trembling with excitement.
She beamed at him. “Good idea.”
“Very good.” Uncle Teo nodded with a smile that deepened every wrinkle in his face. “Then that's settled. Let's go back. Benedetta will be waiting with dinner already.”
III
When they came through the door into Benedetta's kitchen, Fabbiola gave them a sharp look. “There you are! Finally. The Saltimbocca is about to get dry.”
Carlina sniffed the air. “We're having Saltimbocca? Nice! That's why it smells of sage! I love sage.” She took her seat and pulled Stefano forward, so he could take the chair next to her. The feeling of happiness inside her was so strong that she had the impression she was floating.
“So, do you have any news about the case?” Emma said. “Did Ugo kill his mother like all the newspapers say?”
“No.” Garini handed his plate to Benedetta, so she could fill it up. “Olga killed herself.”
“What? You must be kidding! ” Emma turned to her husband Lucio for support. “Olga wasn't the type to kill herself at all, was she? She wouldn't have considered this world to be complete without her!”
“Well, she didn't have much choice.” With a few words, Garini gave them all the details he had learned today.
Carlina smiled when she saw that for once, the Mantonis were speechless.
“She set me up!” Fabbiola banged her fist onto the table. “That's what I've been telling you all along. She was the devil incarnate, that woman.”
Carlina gave Uncle Teo an encouraging smile to make him feel better about having been taken in. “But she could also be very charming.”
“Well, of course,” Fabbiola said. “The devil knows how to present evil in a good light.”
Before anybody could comment on this profound remark, the door flew open and Aunt Violetta filled the frame, clad in a turquoise garment that, for a change, was skin-tight and gave her an unfortunate resemblance to an overstuffed sausage. Behind her, Omar towered like a black shadow.
“I've come to be arrested,” she gasped and tottered forward.
Leopold Morin jumped up and pulled forward his chair so that she could collapse into it.
The family stared at Aunt Violetta, a wonder in turquoise.
Aunt Violetta waved one hand in front of her face to fan herself, then her gaze fell onto Garini. “You!” Her tone was menacing. “I told you to come and arrest me. But what do you do? Nothing! I gave you ample time to come up with any background information you might still need to concoct, but I wait and wait and wait and . . . nothing.” She frowned at him. “So, I decided to speed things up a bit. I'm not young, and I've never liked to wait for a man to get his act together. So I decided to come here, where you would all be eating dinner together.” She spread out her arms and uttered, like a stage queen, “Here I am. Take me!”
Garini opened his mouth and closed it again.
Carlina saw the expression on his face and started to shake with suppressed laughter.
Ernesto, the youngest in the room, bent forward. “But Aunt Violetta, why should Stefano arrest you?”
She gave him an exasperated look. “I would have thought that this was evident, young man. So I can take Fabbiola's place in prison, of course. Though not really in prison, thanks to Berlusconi. It'll only be house arrest, and that'll hardly make a difference for me.”
“But I'm here, Aunt Violetta,” Fabbiola said with an uncharacteristically small voice.
“What?” Aunt Violetta turned her considerable bulk so she could cast her gaze onto Fabbiola. When she had verified that it was indeed Fabbiola, she threw up both hands. “I don't believe it. Why are you here?”
“She was released from prison this afternoon,” Garini said.
“Oh. Just like that?” Aunt Violetta sounded distinctly disappointed.
“We obtained proof that she can't have committed the murder.”
“Oh.” Aunt Violetta's wrinkled mouth turned down at the corners. Then she perked up again. “But maybe one of you is the main suspect now? How about you, Carlina? You had a big fight with Olga the night before she was killed, didn't you?”
Carlina gasped.
“Oh, you needn't worry, my dear.” With a wheezing sound that reminded one of an old bagpipe, Aunt Violetta bent forward and patted Carlina's hand. “I'll take your place. Just put your trust in Aunt Violetta, and all will be well.” Her voice was loud enough to make the windows rattle.
Emma put her chin into her hand and contemplated her ancient great-aunt. “Actually, Ugo was arrested today,” she said experimentally, with a mischievous gleam in her eye.
“Ugo?” Aunt Violetta looked disoriented. “Who's Ugo?”
“He's Olga's son.”
Aunt Violetta looked like a child whose toy has been taken away. “Ugo?” she muttered. “No. I can't be arrested for someone I hardly know. What a shame.” She gripped both armrests and managed to struggle onto he
r feet without smashing the chair beneath her. “Omar! We're leaving. There's nothing left to be done here, and I'm tired.”
Omar nodded, put his arm around her shoulder and half dragged and half carried Aunt Violetta from Benedetta's kitchen.
Carlina slanted a glance at Garini. The look on his face was indescribable.
Carlina hastened to change the subject. It was better not to let him dwell too long on the extravagant behavior of the Mantoni family. “We have some private news. Some really good news.” She took Stefano's hand and smiled at everyone around the table, her happiness bubbling over and spreading over her face until she grinned from ear to ear. “Stefano and I will be moving into the apartment next door.”
“How nice!” Benedetta smiled at them. “I'm happy for you. This is a great solution, Teo!” She nodded at Teo, who was seated at the head of the table. “Very clever of you.”
Fabbiola frowned. “What apartment next door?”
“Right opposite to you, Mama. The one that has been sealed off from our staircase.”
Her mother lifted her eyebrows. “Will you open that door again?”
“No.” Carlina's voice was firm. “We'll only enter the apartment from the other side. The door will remain blocked, just like it always was.”
Ernesto pushed his red hair away from his brow, and focused on his cousin. “So, are you getting married, then?”
Carlina colored. She had not discussed the subject with Garini, and she did not want to be pushed into anything. “We're taking it slowly.” She looked at her plate. “Let's not rush things.”
“Well, when you'll finally make up your mind to get married,” Fabbiola's voice held just a hint of sharpness, “then make sure you leave me a bit of time, and I'll knit you a spectacular wedding gown.”
Carlina blanched and opened her mouth, but before she could utter a single word, Fabbiola had already swept on. “I can also invite my friends from the choir to sing for you.” She nodded with satisfaction.
“Your friends?” Garini's voice sounded odd.
Carlina gave him a searching glance. “What choir? I didn't know you sing, Mama.”
