Paolicelli confirmed this. Mirenghi told Macri to go back into the witness room. Then the three judges rose and retired to their chamber.
I stood up, too, and as I did so I turned and noticed that both Tancredi and Natsu were in the courtroom, sitting a few seats from each other.
42
Natsu stood up. I went up to her and shook her hand. It was a bit of a show. I could feel the eyes of the world on me, Paolicelli’s in particular. I held her hand for a very brief moment, but avoided looking in her eyes.
Then I asked her to excuse me because I had to talk to someone. As I walked towards Tancredi I noticed that the man who knew the score had vanished. Which made me feel both relieved and anxious in a new kind of way.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I had to go to the Prosecutor’s Department. But then I got through my business quicker than I’d expected, so, seeing as how you’ve involved me in this case anyway, I came to see what was happening. What do you think the judges will do? Will they order him to answer?”
“I don’t know. And I don’t know which is better for us, to tell the truth.”
“What do you mean?”
“If the judges order him to answer and he lies without contradicting himself too much, then it’s Paolicelli’s word against his.”
“And what if they say he can claim lawyer-client confidentiality?”
“I can make something of that in my closing argument. You saw, Your Honours, that the witness Macri refused to tell us about his conversations with his former client. He claimed lawyer-client confidentiality. Of course he was entitled to do so, in accordance with your order. But we have to ask: why? Why, when his client himself wanted him to talk about the substance of those conversations, did he refuse to do so? Obviously because there was information it wasn’t in his interest to reveal.”
Having got the technical explanation out of the way, I thought it might be a good idea to tell him about the henchman Macri had brought with him. “In any case, Signor Macri didn’t come on his own.”
Tancredi turned his head slightly, to inspect the courtroom. Macri’s friend had gone, however, so I told him what had happened before the hearing.
“I’m going to call some of my people now. When Macri’s finished on the witness stand we’ll put a tail on your pleasant colleague and his friend. If they leave by car we’ll have them stopped on the autostrada by the transport police. It’ll look like a random check; that way they won’t suspect anything. If they take a plane, we’ll alert our colleagues in the border police. We’ll be able to identify them and see if this man is only a driver and flunkey or something worse.”
That made me feel a whole lot better, I thought.
“That way,” Tancredi went on, “if anyone does bump you off, you can rest assured it won’t go unpunished. Those two will be the first people we arrest.”
I don’t know why, but I didn’t find the joke all that funny. I was looking for an effective retort when the bell rang and the judges came back into the courtroom.
43
Judge Mirenghi read out the ruling with the air of someone who thinks that a certain matter is dragging on and wants everyone else to realize it.
“Having taken note of the witness’s declaration that he wishes to exercise the right to lawyer-client confidentiality regarding all questions pertaining to his conversations with the defendant Fabio Paolicelli while functioning as his counsel; having taken note of the statement by the defendant and the observations of his present counsel, who has requested that the witness be ordered to answer since he has been released from the obligation to observe confidentiality about his conversations with his client, which alone would justify the right to remain silent; noting that the right to invoke lawyer-client confidentiality is there to protect both the client and his counsel and to guarantee the untroubled and confidential performance of the counsel’s difficult professional task; noting therefore that Paolicelli’s declaration is not sufficient to invalidate the above-mentioned right to remain silent, which is also intended to protect the defence counsel; for such reasons the court rejects Avvocato Guerrieri’s motion, declares that the witness Macri has the right to invoke lawyer-client confidentiality regarding all questions pertaining to his relationship with his former client Paolicelli, and stipulates that proceedings continue.”
Then he turned to me. I was looking at him and at the same time observing Macri’s face. He had his old expression back. He was pleased. He must have been thinking that he’d be on his way home in a few minutes.
“Avvocato Guerrieri, you have been informed of the court’s decision. If you have no other questions, I mean questions not pertaining to the substance of the conversations between the witness and the defendant, perhaps we could-”
“I accept the court’s decision, Your Honour. I only have a few more questions. Obviously on topics not covered by lawyer-client confidentiality.”
He looked at me. He was getting impatient and made no attempt to hide the fact. “Go ahead and ask your questions, but please bear in mind that the matter of their relevance will be subject to the most rigorous scrutiny from now on.”
“Thank you, Your Honour. Avvocato Macri, just a few more questions, if you don’t mind.”
I looked at him before going on. His face was telling me different things. One of these was: Guerrieri, you’re a loser. I offered you an opportunity to get out of this mess gracefully, but unfortunately for you you’re an idiot. So in a few minutes I’ll be walking out of here as cool as a cucumber, and with my money still in my pocket.
“The defendant’s wife, Signora Paolicelli, has told us that when the sequestration order on her car was lifted, you personally went and fetched it from the police pound. Can you confirm the circumstances of this for us?”
“Yes. Signora Paolicelli asked me if I’d do this for her as a favour, and as she was alone, and in a difficult situation-”
“Actually, Signora Paolicelli told it rather differently. She said it was you who offered to go and pick up the car.”
“I think Signora Paolicelli’s memory is at fault. Unless someone advised her to remember it that way.”
I felt the blood rush to my face, and I had to make an effort not to rise to the bait.
“Very well. We’ll take note that you and Signora Paolicelli have given different accounts. Now I’d like to ask you if you know a man named Luca Romanazzi.”
He controlled himself, but couldn’t help giving a slight start. The question about the car he’d been expecting. This one he hadn’t. I had the impression he was doing a quick, nervous mental calculation as to what was the best thing to say. He must have concluded – correctly – that as I had brought up the name Romanazzi I presumably had some evidence that they knew each other, so it would be a stupid idea to deny it.
“Yes, I know him. He’s a client of mine.”
“Do you mean you’ve defended him in court?”
“I think so.”
“You think so? In which court?”
“What do you mean?”
“Where was the trial? Reggio Calabria, Rome, Bari, Bolzano?”
“I really don’t remember… And anyway, what has Romanazzi got to do with any of this?”
This was a tricky moment. If Mirenghi intervened now and asked me to explain, then in all likelihood everything would go pear-shaped.
“So you don’t recall where it was. Are you sure you defended him in court, or is it possible you merely gave him legal advice on some matter?”
“That’s possible.”
“I see.”
“But I repeat, I’d like to know what Romanazzi has to do with any of this. Apart from anything else, you’re asking me questions about my relationship with a client, and I have no intention of answering such questions.”