The Scent of the Night (15 page)

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?'

‘R
ight 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 yo
u 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 exactl
y 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 tightl
y 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?'

'Of course. It was part of his seduction strategy. He enjoyed it Anyway, he took me to a trattoria in Montelusa, and I could tell from his expression that he was afraid I might order expensive dishes. And then he complained when the bill came
’

‘
You said it was part of his strategy. Don't you think it was because you're beautiful? I think all men like to be seen with a girl like you at their side.'

'Thanks for the compliment I don't want to seem mean, but I have to tell you he also took Mariastella out to dinner. And the next day Mariastella was in a complete daze, a beatific smile on her face, not knowing if she was coming or going, walking around the office knocking into furniture. And you know something?'

'Tell me
’

'Mariastella reciprocated. She invited him to dinner at her place. And Gargano went, or so I gathered, at least since Mariastella didn't say anything but merely cooed with contentment lost in the clouds
’

'Does she have a nice house?
’

'I've never, been there. It's big house, a villa, just outside Vigata, pretty isolated. She used to live there with her parents. Now she's all alone.'

Is it true that Mariastella keeps on paying the rent and telephone bills for the office?'

'Absolutely.'

'Does she have money?'

'Her father must have left her something. You know what? She wanted to pay me, out of her own pocket, for the two missing pay cheques. "The
ragioniere
will reimburse me later," she said. Actually, no. In fact, she blurted out, "Emanuele will reimburse me later," and then turned red as a beet. She's just crazy about the man and doesn't want to accept reality.'