Legacy of Sorrows (27 page)

Enzo had been happily married for forty years and had five children to prove it. His ruby wedding was in August and he dreaded to think of what the celebration was going to cost him.

‘I've just come back from interviewing Marco Corti, the man who requested a meeting with SISI. I think we may have something here of interest.' Anna said, as she sat down in a chair facing his untidy desk.

Enzo took a long draw on his cigarette before stubbing it out in an ashtray. He reached for another one and let it dangle unlit from his lips. ‘What do you think you have?'

Anna paused for effect. ‘Mussolini's letters between him and Churchill.'

Enzo's eyes opened wide with surprise. ‘Do you think he's for real?'

‘Yes I do' she said without any hesitation, ‘his father was a member of Mussolini's bodyguard during the war and was a close friend of Sergio Rossi.' Enzo knew who Sergio Rossi was. After the war there was a lot of speculation as to the whereabouts of the letters and the name of Sergio Rossi was frequently mentioned in connection with them. Enzo also knew that Sergio had consistently denied knowing anything about any letters.

He lit his cigarette with an old American Zippo lighter he had picked up years ago from a GI stationed in Lucca. ‘What does he want from us? ‘he growled.

‘Nothing much,' Anna said, ‘Just some assurances they won't disappear again and that scholars and museums would have access to them.'

‘Is he on the level Anna, or is he publicity seeking? Anna thought for a moment, ‘I believe him Enzo, and I think we should pass this onto SISI for authorisation. If they agree, we could wind this up quite quickly. I think a couple of plain clothes officers would be enough to provide back up as there appears to be no one else aware why Signor Corti is here.'

Enzo thought for a moment. ‘What about Carlo Togneri, where does he stand in all this?'

Anna was expecting this question. ‘Carlo is a confirmed communist. Although never militant, he was nevertheless intellectually in tune with their ideology. He always was and always will be, but he is also retired Special Branch and knows what is expected of him. Although I think a quiet word in his ear from you would be appropriate just to remind him of what that is. He has not been told about the letters, although he may have guessed by now.'

Enzo mulled this over before replying, ‘Make contact with your superior in SISI and ask for authorisation, tell them to supply the back up as we don't want any leaks from this end. Also tell them what Corti has asked for in assurances and I will deal with Togneri.' Anna nodded in agreement and left the office.

Once again she did not pay any attention to the secretary outside, although this time she had been waiting until Anna had turned her back to her and walked away. The secretary then got up from her seat, reached for her jacket and walked to the Commandante's door. She knocked twice and entered. ‘Yes, what is it?' the gruff voice asked her. ‘If it's all right with you I would like to go to lunch now,' she meekly requested. The Commandant, still preoccupied with his last conversation, brusquely waved his hand in agreement and the secretary left.

Enzo looked at his watch and thought it was time for his medication. He reached into his desk drawer and took out tablets for Cholesterol, blood pressure, and for a prostate problem. He had been to the doctor two days ago for his annual checkup, and had been reprimanded for being overweight. Jesus, he thought, why can't they give me a tablet for that?

The Secretary walked along the narrow cobbled streets until she reached the Via Santa Anna and turned down it. She continued until she came to a small bar on the left and went inside. She saw the person she was looking for, a bearded man, sitting with two companions at a corner table drinking espresso coffee. She went up to him and sitting down beside him, they entered into an animated conversation. She told the bearded man that she had put the Commandante's phone on open line before his meeting and had heard everything he and Anna had said to each other through her own phone. The Commandante's desk was so untidy that he had never even noticed the small red light on it was switched on.

When she had finished her conversation, she got up, left and returned back up the Via Santa Anna where she bought a panino and ate it sitting on some church steps.

Anna finished her phone call, on a secure line, to SISI. She felt quite pleased with herself that everything was falling into place. Marco had proved to be, not only a positive asset, but also a very handsome and charming one at that. Her SISI superior had given the expected authority for a retrieval mission for the letters, and had agreed to the assurances that Marco had asked for.

They had also told her that a complete veil of secrecy had to be placed on the operation and that no other person, officer or civilian could be involved, or have knowledge of it, with the exception of the Commandante. They stressed that SISI would send two of their own operatives tomorrow to work alongside her, leaving Anna in overall control of the operation. She felt that this was a feather in her cap, and she was determined that it would all go well.

She walked along the long corridor again to Enzo's smoke filled office and knocked on the door, this time she felt she was being watched. She turned in time to see the secretary's cold eyes looking at her with open disdain before looking away. Anna was taken aback by the look. She was puzzled by it but there were other things on her mind at that moment, so she committed it to memory for another time.

She opened the door to the Commandante's office and she sat down again in the same seat as before. She repeated what SISI had told her and about the expected arrival of the two SISI officers.

As she was talking, she happened to glance through the cigarette smoke around Enzo's desk and noticed a small red light on the desk phone. She motioned to Enzo to be silent, as she walked quietly to the door. As she opened it, her suspicions were confirmed. The secretary was sitting with her back to office door listening through her own phone to their conversation.

Anna strode up to the desk and took hold of the secretary's arms. As she struggled, Anna took her handcuffs from her belt and managed to put them on the secretary's wrists. The secretary began shouting at the top of her voice, ‘you have no right to do this, let me go at once.' Enzo came rushing out of his office and taking in the scene before him, he immediately understood the situation. He called some of the station officers over and told them to arrest the secretary and put her in a cell on her own.

A startled Anna and Enzo went back inside his office and closed the door. After making sure that the phone was back to normal, Enzo said, ‘Anna we don't know what she may have heard, or who she may have told. I don't even know how long I can hold her on some trumped up charges, so move very quickly on this operation, okay.

Anna agreed. ‘Do you think there's a chance she was just being nosy?' Enzo gave a weary smile, ‘I don't think so Anna, she's worked here for over 20 years and she knows more about this place than I do. Besides, she's not the nosy or gossiping type. I really think there's more to it, and I think I may know why.

Some years ago, she got involved with the communist party here in Lucca, and was considering joining them until I pointed out that it was not a good idea to become too involved with political parties in that way. I said that it could also affect her position in this office. She reconsidered, and never joined them; although office rumour has it that she still holds sympathetic views, and extreme ones at that.'

‘Do you think she may have been a mole working for the communists in this office?'

Enzo put another cigarette between his lips, and casually flicked the Zippo alight.

‘I think that is a strong possibility, and if I'm right then she will already have told others of the letters. If she has told the communists then you may have trouble on your hands. I again suggest you move quickly and be very careful. She may even have passed information onto the Red Brigades, and that would really spell trouble.'

Anna stood for a few moments taking in what Enzo had said. ‘I'll move on this right now Enzo.' She said, moving towards the door. Enzo let out another puff of smoke before saying,' Anna, it might be an idea to draw a sidearm from the armoury. Just a precaution you understand.'

When Anna left the office, Enzo sat for a while and stared at the ceiling as if looking for some inspiration there. The business with the secretary had shaken him. If the Communists or the Red Brigades had people working on the inside of the Police then they were in serious trouble. How long this been going on for he didn't even want to speculate, however many important meetings involving issues of national security had taken place in his office and he wondered how many had been overheard. He decided he would interview the secretary sometime tomorrow when she had time to reflect overnight on the seriousness of her position.

He pulled out another cigarette and watched the smoke rise to meet the dark yellow ceiling. He reached for his intercom and called for his second in command to come to his office. Before long, there was a knock on the door. ‘Enter' said Enzo.

Mario Pisani came into the room. ‘Ah Mario, we may have a problem.' Enzo quickly explained what had happened and gave Mario a brief run down on the letters.

‘I feel we should beef up our security in the station until this is all finished Mario. Don't tell the men the real reason why, however tell them that all stations in the region have been put on alert from possible attacks from the Red Brigades. Any questions?'

Mario just took it all in his stride and told Enzo he would make sure the secretary was kept isolated until the following day, and that station security would be increased. He got up, straightened his uniform jacket and left the office.

Chapter 7

I
t
was around 7pm when Anna eventually left the Police Station. She had spoken again to SISI with the latest update on the secretary and it had taken some time to sort out how to move on. SISI eventually agreed to hold the secretary under anti-terrorism legislation for 14 days without charge. The down side was it had meant a lot of extra paperwork for her and that was something she hated. With the secretary under lock and key, there was a good chance that they could recover the letters with the minimum of interference from outside sources. She was also comforted by the extra weight of the 9mm Beretta pistol in her shoulder bag although she hoped she wouldn't have to use it.

She walked briskly along the road to Marco's hotel, turning up the collar of her overcoat against the chill night air. Although it was April, the nights were still quite cold, and she reflected that by the end of May the evenings would be too warm to even wear a coat.

She was familiar with this side of Lucca. As a young girl, she had gone to school at the nearby Santa Croce primary. Those were unhappy years she thought. The memories came flooding back of her mothers' fatal accident in a car crash in Pisa. Her father had been driving the car that night and had been unable to come to terms with her death. She remembered the night he killed himself by drinking a mixture of painkillers and whisky. That was just three months after her mothers' funeral.

She was just eleven years old when she found him in the morning still sitting by the window where she had last spoken to him. Some nights the memory of his cold body sitting in that chair with his eyes closed as if in prayer still haunted her. It had taken a long time for the pain to ease from her broken heart, only to be replaced by a cold numbness.