the boy?’
‘They’ve got him cold. His fingerprints were all over the small envelopes.’
‘Has he been charged yet?’
‘No. At least I don’t think so.’
‘What are they waiting for?’
‘They want him to tell them who he got the stuff from.’
‘Don’t they know?’
‘Of course they know. But knowing isn’t proving, as I’m sure you’re in a position to understand.’ This last was said not without irony. At times Brunetti thought Italy was a country where everyone knew everything while no one was willing to say anything. In private, everyone was eager to comment with absolute certainty on the secret doings of politicians, Mafia leaders, movie stars; put them into a situation where their remarks might have legal consequences, and Italy turned into the largest clam bed in the world.
‘Do you know who it is?’ Brunetti asked. ‘Would you give me his name?’
‘I’d rather not. It wouldn’t serve any purpose. There’s someone above him, and then someone else above him.’ Brunetti could hear him lighting another cigarette.
‘Will he tell them? The boy?’
‘Not if he values his life, he won’t,’ Luca said but immediately added, ‘No, that’s an exaggeration. Not if he wants to avoid being beat up pretty badly.’
‘Even in Jesolo?’ Brunetti asked. So big city crime had come to this sleepy Adriatic town.
‘Especially in Jesolo, Guido,’ Luca said but offered no explanation.
‘So what will happen to him?’ Brunetti asked.
‘You should be able to answer that better than I can,’ Luca said. ‘If it’s a first offence, they’ll slap his wrist and send him home.’
‘He’s already home.’
‘I know that. I was speaking figuratively. And the fact that his father is a policeman won’t hurt.’
‘Not unless the papers get it.’
‘I told you. You can be sure about that.’
‘I hope so,’ Brunetti said.
Luca failed to rise to this. Into the long, growing silence, Brunetti said, ‘And what about you? How are you, Luca?’
Luca cleared his throat, a wet sound that made Brunetti uncomfortable. ‘The same,’ he finally said and coughed again.
‘Maria?’
‘That cow,’ Luca said with real anger. ‘All she wants is my money. She’s lucky I let her stay in the house.’
‘Luca, she’s the mother of your children.’
Brunetti could hear Luca fighting the impulse to rage at Brunetti for daring to comment on his life. ‘I don’t want to talk about this with you, Guido.’
‘All right, Luca. You know I say it only because I’ve known you a long time.’ He stopped and then added, ‘Known you both.’
‘I know that, but things change.’ There was another silence, and then Luca said again, his voice sounding distant, ‘I don’t want to talk about this, Guido.’
‘All right,’ Brunetti agreed. ‘I’m sorry I haven’t called for so long.’
In the easy concession of long friendship, Luca said, ‘I haven’t called, either, have I?’
‘Doesn’t matter.’
‘No, it doesn’t, does it?’ Luca agreed with a laugh that brought back both his old voice and his old cough.
Encouraged, Brunetti asked, ‘If you hear anything else, will you let me know?’
‘Of course,’ Luca agreed.
Before the other man could hang up, Brunetti asked, ‘Do you know anything else about the men he got it from, and the ones they got it from?’
Caution returned to Luca’s voice as he asked, ‘What sort of things are you talking about?’
‘Whether they . . .’ he was not quite certain how to define what it was they did. ‘Whether they do business in Venice.’
‘Ah,’ Luca sighed. ‘From what I understand, there’s not a lot of business for them there. The population’s too old, and it’s too easy for the kids to come out to the mainland to find what they want.’
Brunetti realized it was nothing
‘They’ve got him cold. His fingerprints were all over the small envelopes.’
‘Has he been charged yet?’
‘No. At least I don’t think so.’
‘What are they waiting for?’
‘They want him to tell them who he got the stuff from.’
‘Don’t they know?’
‘Of course they know. But knowing isn’t proving, as I’m sure you’re in a position to understand.’ This last was said not without irony. At times Brunetti thought Italy was a country where everyone knew everything while no one was willing to say anything. In private, everyone was eager to comment with absolute certainty on the secret doings of politicians, Mafia leaders, movie stars; put them into a situation where their remarks might have legal consequences, and Italy turned into the largest clam bed in the world.
‘Do you know who it is?’ Brunetti asked. ‘Would you give me his name?’
‘I’d rather not. It wouldn’t serve any purpose. There’s someone above him, and then someone else above him.’ Brunetti could hear him lighting another cigarette.
‘Will he tell them? The boy?’
‘Not if he values his life, he won’t,’ Luca said but immediately added, ‘No, that’s an exaggeration. Not if he wants to avoid being beat up pretty badly.’
‘Even in Jesolo?’ Brunetti asked. So big city crime had come to this sleepy Adriatic town.
‘Especially in Jesolo, Guido,’ Luca said but offered no explanation.
‘So what will happen to him?’ Brunetti asked.
‘You should be able to answer that better than I can,’ Luca said. ‘If it’s a first offence, they’ll slap his wrist and send him home.’
‘He’s already home.’
‘I know that. I was speaking figuratively. And the fact that his father is a policeman won’t hurt.’
‘Not unless the papers get it.’
‘I told you. You can be sure about that.’
‘I hope so,’ Brunetti said.
Luca failed to rise to this. Into the long, growing silence, Brunetti said, ‘And what about you? How are you, Luca?’
Luca cleared his throat, a wet sound that made Brunetti uncomfortable. ‘The same,’ he finally said and coughed again.
‘Maria?’
‘That cow,’ Luca said with real anger. ‘All she wants is my money. She’s lucky I let her stay in the house.’
‘Luca, she’s the mother of your children.’
Brunetti could hear Luca fighting the impulse to rage at Brunetti for daring to comment on his life. ‘I don’t want to talk about this with you, Guido.’
‘All right, Luca. You know I say it only because I’ve known you a long time.’ He stopped and then added, ‘Known you both.’
‘I know that, but things change.’ There was another silence, and then Luca said again, his voice sounding distant, ‘I don’t want to talk about this, Guido.’
‘All right,’ Brunetti agreed. ‘I’m sorry I haven’t called for so long.’
In the easy concession of long friendship, Luca said, ‘I haven’t called, either, have I?’
‘Doesn’t matter.’
‘No, it doesn’t, does it?’ Luca agreed with a laugh that brought back both his old voice and his old cough.
Encouraged, Brunetti asked, ‘If you hear anything else, will you let me know?’
‘Of course,’ Luca agreed.
Before the other man could hang up, Brunetti asked, ‘Do you know anything else about the men he got it from, and the ones they got it from?’
Caution returned to Luca’s voice as he asked, ‘What sort of things are you talking about?’
‘Whether they . . .’ he was not quite certain how to define what it was they did. ‘Whether they do business in Venice.’
‘Ah,’ Luca sighed. ‘From what I understand, there’s not a lot of business for them there. The population’s too old, and it’s too easy for the kids to come out to the mainland to find what they want.’
Brunetti realized it was nothing
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