The Whisperer (40 page)

God is silent,
she thought.
The devil whispers
.

And in fact the sun was still shining on that perfect afternoon. The birds hadn’t tired of singing their song in the trees, and the air was still full of pollen and perfumes. The grass of the lawn was still inviting.

Around her, and everywhere, the world contained the same message.

That everything was the same as before.

Everything.

Even Frankie.

Who had come back, to vanish once more into the vast expanses of shadow.

Criminology literature began to address the issue of “whisperers” during the rise of cults and sects, but had great difficulty finding a definition of “whisperer” for use in a legal trial, because mere suggestion is so hard to prove.

Where there is no causal connection between the guilty party and the whisperer, it is not possible to envisage any type of crime for which the latter might be liable. “Incitement to criminal activity” is usually too weak to lead to a sentence. The activity of these psychological controllers involves a subliminal level of communication which does not
add
criminal intent to the psyche of the agent, but
brings out
a dark side—present in a more or less latent form in each of us—which then leads to the subject committing one or several crimes.

Often cited is the Offelbeck case of 1986: a housewife who received a series of anonymous phone calls and who then, out of the blue, exterminated her family by putting rat poison in their soup.

Anyone who sullies himself with heinous crimes often tends to share moral responsibility with a voice, a vision or imaginary characters. For this reason it is particularly difficult to tell when such manifestations spring from genuine psychosis and when they may be traced back to the hidden work of a whisperer.

Among the sources I used in the novel, apart from manuals of criminology, forensic psychiatry and texts of legal medicine, are quoted studies by the FBI, an organization with the merit of having assembled the most valuable database concerning serial killers and violent crimes.

Many of the cases quoted in these pages really happened. For some, names and places have been changed because the investigations relating to them are not closed or the trials have not yet taken place.

The investigative and forensic techniques described in the novel are real, even though in some circumstances I have taken the liberty of adapting them to the needs of the narrative.

Many people think that writing is a solitary adventure. In fact, many people contribute, however unconsciously, to the creation of a story. They are the ones who have nourished, supported and encouraged me throughout all the months of gestation of the novel and who, in one way or another, are part of my life.

In the hope that they will stay beside me for a long time to come, I should like to thank them.

To Luigi and Daniela Bernabò, for the time and the dedication that they have given to this story and its author. For their valuable advice that allowed me to mature as a writer, helping me to mold the style and effectiveness of these pages. And for putting their hearts into it. If these words have reached your eyes, I owe it mostly to them. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

To Stefano and Cristina Mauri, who invested their name in mine, believing in it until the end.

To Fabrizio, my “whisperer,” for his ruthless advice, for his kind firmness, for having loved every page, every word.

To Ottavio, the friend anyone would wish to have beside them their whole life long. To Valentina, who is truly special. To little Clara and Gaia, for the affection they fill me with.

To Gianmauro and Michela, in the hope of finding myself close to them when it truly matters. And to Claudia, my light.

To Massimo and Roberta, for their support and their sincere friendship.

To Michele. My first and best friend. It’s good to know that he will always be there when I need him. And it’s good that he knows I’m there too.

To Luisa, for her infectious smiles and the songs sung loudly at night, in the car driving along the streets of Rome.

To Daria, and the destiny she gave me. For the way she sees the world and the way she makes me see it through her eyes.

To Maria De Bellis, who guarded my childish dreams. If I am a writer, I also owe it to her.

To Uski, my peerless “companion.”

To Alfredo, volcanic companion in a thousand adventures.

To Achille, who isn’t there…but is always there.

To Pietro Valsecchi and Camilla Nesbit, and the whole Taodue.

Thanks to everyone at the Bernabò Agency, who followed the first stages of this novel. And all the friends who read this story from its beginnings and helped me to improve it with valuable suggestions.

To my whole big family. The ones who are, the ones who were…and the ones who will be.

To my brother Vito. The first eyes to meet this story, and many others, always. Even if you can’t hear it, the music in these pages belongs to him. And to Barbara, who makes him happy.

To my parents. For what they have taught me, and what they have let me learn on my own. For what I am, and what I will be.

To my sister Chiara. Who believes in her dreams, and in mine. Without her my life would be terribly empty.

To all those who have reached the end of these pages. In the hope that I have given them a gift of emotion.

Part of the proceeds from this book will go to an association for long-distance adoption.

Donato Carrisi studied law and criminology before he began working as a writer for television.
The Whisperer,
Carrisi’s first novel, won five international literary prizes, has been sold in nearly twenty countries, and has been translated into languages as varied as French, Danish, Hebrew, and Vietnamese. Carrisi lives in Rome.

“
The Whisperer
is one hell of a ride. This story screams high tension, high stakes, and high velocity. Superb.”

—Michael Connelly

“Brilliant and very creepy.…A great book.”

—Ken Follett

“A gripping read. I defy anyone to guess the denouement.”

—Laura Wilson,
The Guardian
(UK)

“
The Whisperer
employs the graceful turns of phrase common to literary fiction.…Carrisi’s villain is a suitable cohort for Hannibal Lecter, and his detectives are intelligently nuanced, each struggling, sometimes failing, to cope with the depravity into which they immerse themselves in the name of good. A haunting, disconcerting, devastating portrait of evil.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“Profiler Mila Vasquez and criminologist Goran Gavila race headlong against time, following obscure and elaborate clues laid out by a serial killer who seems almost prescient; whichever way the police turn, their quarry seems forever one step ahead, taunting them. Thanks to Carrisi’s intricate plotting, the criminal also keeps at least one step ahead of the seasoned mystery reader, ensuring a couple of major surprises as the novel draws to a close.
The Whisperer
has already won several literary awards abroad and has been a bestseller all over Europe. I predict no less for it here.”

—Bruce Tierney,
BookPage

“Donato Carrisi has a unique gift for blending fascinating forensic detail, mind-bending plot twists, and empathetic characters into a seamless, powerful narrative.
The Whisperer
intrigues, informs, and haunts simultaneously, a novel that will linger in the mind long after you’ve finished.”

—Michael Koryta

“Exquisite. Readers who appreciate manipulation, both of plots and themselves, by the author, and those who appreciate a shock of bloody horror will be absolutely enthralled by this offering.”

—
Library Journal
(starred review)

“Brutally awesome.…Thomas Harris by way of Ian Rankin.”

—Will Lavender,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Obedience
and
Dominance

“More than delivers on its ghoulish promise.…You might not want to read this alone in the house.”

—
Time Out London

“Intriguing.…An engagingly gruesome tale.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Serial killer books are a horror staple. With Donato Carrisi’s
The Whisperer,
the genre is not only receiving a breath of fresh air; the book is taking dark literary thrillers to a new level.…A great, creepy, tension-filled thriller that keeps a frenetic pace for more than four hundred pages. Carrisi’s prose is sharp and his phrasing has a distinctive literary slant that helps make even the grisly portions of the novel a pleasure to read.”

—Gabino Iglesias,
HorrorTalk

“In this stunning thriller, Donato Carrisi has created a masterful balance of good and evil, deftly shaded by the flawed humanity of those who seek to impose some order on crime and violence.…From that first eerie graveyard to the shocking ending, nothing in this tale is predictable. Shock waves tremble throughout an impressive and deeply satisfying piece of work.”

—Luan Gaines,
CurledUp

“Carrisi’s narrative is unforgettable and disturbing, one that will have you waking up at night and making sure that the doors to your home are locked and your children are safe.
The Whisperer
will take you places that you have never been by routes you will never find again. Prepare to be terrified.”

—Joe Hartlaub,
BookReporter

“A murder mystery. A puzzle. A challenge. An intriguing portrait of society, of you and me.”

—Emilina Minero,
EDGE Boston

The second thriller by the author of the prizewinning international bestseller
The Whisperer.

A young girl has mysteriously disappeared in Rome. As rain lashes the ancient streets, two men, Clemente and Marcus, sit in a café near the Piazza Navona and pore over the details of the case. They are members of the ancient Penitenzieri—a unique Italian team, linked to the Vatican and trained in the detection of true evil.

But they are not alone. Sandra—a brilliant forensics expert with a tragic past—is also working on the case. When her path crosses theirs, not only do they make headway in the case of the missing girl, but they also uncover a terrible secret world hidden in the dark recesses of Rome. A world that is as perfect as it is evil…

A spellbinding literary thriller from the author of
The Whisperer,
this novel offers a window onto the hidden secrets of Rome. Beautifully capturing the atmosphere of the city, it blends a page-turning plot with fascinating historical fact.

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