evening in his hotel room watching television. He might even get desperate enough to read the copy of the file that Brunetti had given him.
‘Very well. I’m staying at the Hotel Roma, just round the corner.’
‘I’ll pick you up just before six,
dottore
.’
12
A blinding flash.
‘Smile, you’re on Candid Camera!’
Vincenzo straddled the doorway in an extravagantly debonair pose, one leg cocked up behind him and a tiny metallic object held to his eye. Another flash of halogen brilliance. Vincenzo laughed and tossed the object across the room to Rodolfo, who put down his book and just managed to make the catch.
‘Wicked, huh?’
Rodolfo turned the thing over. It seemed to be some sort of camera, but smaller than any he had seen, or indeed imagined possible. But Vincenzo was clearly high, so he decided to appear underwhelmed.
‘Very clever,’ he remarked coolly. ‘How much did it cost?’
Vincenzo laughed uproariously for some time.
‘Oh, I picked it up last night after the game. Along with another little toy that’s not bad either. What can I tell you? I got lucky. I finally got lucky.’
He started pacing restlessly about the room, occasionally kicking the furniture.
‘Have you been snorting Ritalin again?’ asked Rodolfo.
‘None of your fucking business. You’re not my mother.’
Rodolfo closed the book he had been leafing through and gently palpated the sturdy, plain, well-worn leather binding. He must return it today, he thought. Volumes as rare and precious as this were not supposed to be removed from the university library, but graduate students of Professor Edgardo Ugo enjoyed certain privileges.
‘I’m trying to study, Vincenzo,’ he lied.
His flatmate grinned aggressively.
‘So are you planning to just sit here all evening reading a musty old book and then scribble some shit for that cocksucking prof to sneer at? Jesus, what a pathetic life!’
‘At least I’m getting laid.’
‘Yeah, by some illegal immigrant from Christ knows where with a temporary job as a cleaner. Congratulations,
terrone
! You’ll make a great couple.’
Rodolfo was on his feet in a second. He grabbed Vincenzo by the shoulder and slammed him against the wall.
‘Take that back!’
Vincenzo looked stunned.
‘Fuck! Can’t you take a joke?’
Rodolfo held him pinned against the wall, staring the other intensely in the eyes until he looked away.
‘Fucking southerners,’ complained Vincenzo. ‘Bunch of freaking crazies.’
‘Quite right, my friend. And if you ever allow yourself one more insulting remark about my girlfriend, or for that matter my people, you’ll find out exactly how crazy we can be.’
Vincenzo shook his head weakly.
‘
Va bene, va bene. Basta, oh!
’
Rodolfo nodded sharply and with significance, then released the other man. Vincenzo shook himself with a certain hauteur.
‘Anyway, you’re not the only ones who can be a little crazy. It’s just that up here in the north we don’t make empty threats.’
Rodolfo went back to the sofa and opened Andrea de Jorio’s
La mimica degli antichi investigata nel gestire napoletano
at the illustration he had been examining earlier, marvelling at the quality and detail of the engraving.
‘Meaning what?’ he muttered through a long yawn.
‘Meaning this evening’s service of tribute down at the stadium.’
‘You speak in riddles.’
Vincenzo laughed scornfully.
‘If you ever got your head out of the library and into the real world, you’d know the answer.’
‘Unfortunately I’m not a spoilt brat like you, Vincenzo. I can’t afford to play at being the eternal student. My father has spent a lot of money sending me up here to get a degree. He naturally expects to see some return on that investment.’
And is going to be shattered and furious when he finds out that I have pissed it away, he thought.
‘All that interpretation shit you study with Ugo?’ Vincenzo retorted. ‘Well, interpret this! Someone killed
‘Very well. I’m staying at the Hotel Roma, just round the corner.’
‘I’ll pick you up just before six,
dottore
.’
12
A blinding flash.
‘Smile, you’re on Candid Camera!’
Vincenzo straddled the doorway in an extravagantly debonair pose, one leg cocked up behind him and a tiny metallic object held to his eye. Another flash of halogen brilliance. Vincenzo laughed and tossed the object across the room to Rodolfo, who put down his book and just managed to make the catch.
‘Wicked, huh?’
Rodolfo turned the thing over. It seemed to be some sort of camera, but smaller than any he had seen, or indeed imagined possible. But Vincenzo was clearly high, so he decided to appear underwhelmed.
‘Very clever,’ he remarked coolly. ‘How much did it cost?’
Vincenzo laughed uproariously for some time.
‘Oh, I picked it up last night after the game. Along with another little toy that’s not bad either. What can I tell you? I got lucky. I finally got lucky.’
He started pacing restlessly about the room, occasionally kicking the furniture.
‘Have you been snorting Ritalin again?’ asked Rodolfo.
‘None of your fucking business. You’re not my mother.’
Rodolfo closed the book he had been leafing through and gently palpated the sturdy, plain, well-worn leather binding. He must return it today, he thought. Volumes as rare and precious as this were not supposed to be removed from the university library, but graduate students of Professor Edgardo Ugo enjoyed certain privileges.
‘I’m trying to study, Vincenzo,’ he lied.
His flatmate grinned aggressively.
‘So are you planning to just sit here all evening reading a musty old book and then scribble some shit for that cocksucking prof to sneer at? Jesus, what a pathetic life!’
‘At least I’m getting laid.’
‘Yeah, by some illegal immigrant from Christ knows where with a temporary job as a cleaner. Congratulations,
terrone
! You’ll make a great couple.’
Rodolfo was on his feet in a second. He grabbed Vincenzo by the shoulder and slammed him against the wall.
‘Take that back!’
Vincenzo looked stunned.
‘Fuck! Can’t you take a joke?’
Rodolfo held him pinned against the wall, staring the other intensely in the eyes until he looked away.
‘Fucking southerners,’ complained Vincenzo. ‘Bunch of freaking crazies.’
‘Quite right, my friend. And if you ever allow yourself one more insulting remark about my girlfriend, or for that matter my people, you’ll find out exactly how crazy we can be.’
Vincenzo shook his head weakly.
‘
Va bene, va bene. Basta, oh!
’
Rodolfo nodded sharply and with significance, then released the other man. Vincenzo shook himself with a certain hauteur.
‘Anyway, you’re not the only ones who can be a little crazy. It’s just that up here in the north we don’t make empty threats.’
Rodolfo went back to the sofa and opened Andrea de Jorio’s
La mimica degli antichi investigata nel gestire napoletano
at the illustration he had been examining earlier, marvelling at the quality and detail of the engraving.
‘Meaning what?’ he muttered through a long yawn.
‘Meaning this evening’s service of tribute down at the stadium.’
‘You speak in riddles.’
Vincenzo laughed scornfully.
‘If you ever got your head out of the library and into the real world, you’d know the answer.’
‘Unfortunately I’m not a spoilt brat like you, Vincenzo. I can’t afford to play at being the eternal student. My father has spent a lot of money sending me up here to get a degree. He naturally expects to see some return on that investment.’
And is going to be shattered and furious when he finds out that I have pissed it away, he thought.
‘All that interpretation shit you study with Ugo?’ Vincenzo retorted. ‘Well, interpret this! Someone killed
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