to prod at this, so the officer was forced to continue. ‘The other men, sir, it’s not like they’re glad I’m back.’ Perplexity was evident in his unlined face.
‘Why do you say that, Alvise?’
‘Well, no one said anything. About my being back.’ He managed to sound both surprised and pained.
‘What did you expect them to say, Alvise?’
Alvise tried on a smile, but it didn’t work. ‘You know, sir, something like, “Welcome back”, or “Good to have you here again.” Something like that.’
Where did Alvise think he had been, Patagonia? ‘It’s not as if you haven’t been here, Alvise. Had you thought of that?’
‘I know, sir. But I wasn’t part of the squad. I wasn’t a regular officer.’
‘For a time.’
‘Yes, I know sir, only for a time. But it was sort of a promotion, wasn’t it?’
Brunetti folded his hands and pressed his teeth against his knuckles. When he could, he took his mouth away and said, ‘I suppose you could see it that way, Alvise. But, as you say, you’re back now.’
‘Yes. But it would be good if they’d say hello or act like they’re glad to see me.’
‘Maybe they’re waiting to see how easy it is for you to adjust to the working rhythms of the squad again,’ Brunetti suggested, though he had no idea what that meant.
‘I’d thought of that, sir,’ Alvise said, and smiled.
‘Good. Then I’m sure that’s it,’ Brunetti said with gruff forcefulness. ‘Give them a little time to let them get used to you again. They’re probably curious to see what new ideas you’ve brought back with you.’ Ah, what the stage lost when I opted for the police, Brunetti thought.
Alvise’s smile widened and, for the first time since he came in, seemed real. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t want to do that to them, sir. After all, this is sleepy old Venice, isn’t it?’
Again, Brunetti’s lips consulted with his knuckles. ‘Yes. Good of you to keep that in mind, Alvise. Easy does it. Just try to go back to the old ways of doing things for now. It might take them a while to adjust, but I’m sure they’ll come round. Maybe if you were to invite Riverre out for a drink this afternoon, ask him what’s been going on, you could sort of reintroduce yourself. You were always good friends, weren’t you?’
‘Yes, sir. But that was before I was pro . . . before I was given the assignment.’
‘Well, ask him out, anyway. Take him down to Sergio’s and have a real talk. Take your time. Maybe if you went on patrol for a few days together, things would be easier for him,’ Brunetti said, making a mental note to ask Vianello to see that the two were united again, and to hell with the idea of efficient policing of the city.
‘Thank you, sir,’ Alvise said, getting to his feet. ‘I’ll go down and ask him now.’
‘Good,’ Brunetti said, smiling broadly and happy to see that Alvise was already beginning to look more like his old self.
Alvise pulled his feet under the chair prior to standing, and Brunetti gave in to the impulse to say, ‘Welcome back, Alvise.’
The officer stood to attention and snapped out a salute. ‘Thank you, sir. It’s good to be back.’
11
The Questura and the thought of the murdered man he had never met went home to dinner with Brunetti. Paola noticed their presence during the meal, when her husband failed to praise, and then to finish, the coda di rospo with scampi and tomatoes, and left a third of a bottle of Graminé undrunk when he went into the living room to read.
The dishes took a long time to wash, and when Paola joined him, he was standing at the windows, looking off towards the angel atop the campanile di San Marco, visible to the south-east. She set their coffee on the table in front of the sofa. ‘Would you like grappa with this, Guido?’ she asked.
He shook his head but said nothing. She went and stood beside him, and when he failed to put his arm around her, she nudged him gently with her hip. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘Why do you say that, Alvise?’
‘Well, no one said anything. About my being back.’ He managed to sound both surprised and pained.
‘What did you expect them to say, Alvise?’
Alvise tried on a smile, but it didn’t work. ‘You know, sir, something like, “Welcome back”, or “Good to have you here again.” Something like that.’
Where did Alvise think he had been, Patagonia? ‘It’s not as if you haven’t been here, Alvise. Had you thought of that?’
‘I know, sir. But I wasn’t part of the squad. I wasn’t a regular officer.’
‘For a time.’
‘Yes, I know sir, only for a time. But it was sort of a promotion, wasn’t it?’
Brunetti folded his hands and pressed his teeth against his knuckles. When he could, he took his mouth away and said, ‘I suppose you could see it that way, Alvise. But, as you say, you’re back now.’
‘Yes. But it would be good if they’d say hello or act like they’re glad to see me.’
‘Maybe they’re waiting to see how easy it is for you to adjust to the working rhythms of the squad again,’ Brunetti suggested, though he had no idea what that meant.
‘I’d thought of that, sir,’ Alvise said, and smiled.
‘Good. Then I’m sure that’s it,’ Brunetti said with gruff forcefulness. ‘Give them a little time to let them get used to you again. They’re probably curious to see what new ideas you’ve brought back with you.’ Ah, what the stage lost when I opted for the police, Brunetti thought.
Alvise’s smile widened and, for the first time since he came in, seemed real. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t want to do that to them, sir. After all, this is sleepy old Venice, isn’t it?’
Again, Brunetti’s lips consulted with his knuckles. ‘Yes. Good of you to keep that in mind, Alvise. Easy does it. Just try to go back to the old ways of doing things for now. It might take them a while to adjust, but I’m sure they’ll come round. Maybe if you were to invite Riverre out for a drink this afternoon, ask him what’s been going on, you could sort of reintroduce yourself. You were always good friends, weren’t you?’
‘Yes, sir. But that was before I was pro . . . before I was given the assignment.’
‘Well, ask him out, anyway. Take him down to Sergio’s and have a real talk. Take your time. Maybe if you went on patrol for a few days together, things would be easier for him,’ Brunetti said, making a mental note to ask Vianello to see that the two were united again, and to hell with the idea of efficient policing of the city.
‘Thank you, sir,’ Alvise said, getting to his feet. ‘I’ll go down and ask him now.’
‘Good,’ Brunetti said, smiling broadly and happy to see that Alvise was already beginning to look more like his old self.
Alvise pulled his feet under the chair prior to standing, and Brunetti gave in to the impulse to say, ‘Welcome back, Alvise.’
The officer stood to attention and snapped out a salute. ‘Thank you, sir. It’s good to be back.’
11
The Questura and the thought of the murdered man he had never met went home to dinner with Brunetti. Paola noticed their presence during the meal, when her husband failed to praise, and then to finish, the coda di rospo with scampi and tomatoes, and left a third of a bottle of Graminé undrunk when he went into the living room to read.
The dishes took a long time to wash, and when Paola joined him, he was standing at the windows, looking off towards the angel atop the campanile di San Marco, visible to the south-east. She set their coffee on the table in front of the sofa. ‘Would you like grappa with this, Guido?’ she asked.
He shook his head but said nothing. She went and stood beside him, and when he failed to put his arm around her, she nudged him gently with her hip. ‘What’s the matter?’
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