"How did they contact you? Did they use a cellphone? Do you have the number?"
"Here's the number."
Julietta looked at the record of the incoming calls on Marino's cellphone. "It is an Italian number — probably a local SIM card that was purchased here. I'll have it checked because some vendors require registration and documentation."
David said, "They'd probably use the same fake passport to register the phone."
Just before leaving, David asked the owner, "Did they have any guests? Did you see any signs that other people used the apartment?"
Signor Marino was getting impatient, "I told you I only saw them twice. My wife comes in once a week to change the sheets and towels and clean a little. Our policy is not to interfere with the privacy of our guests."
Julietta adopted an official tone, "Signor Marino, we'd like to talk to your wife. Please call her and tell her to come here immediately. Don't explain why we need to talk to her. Pronto, please."
The owner shrugged and gave the AISI agent the finger — behind his back, ascertaining she didn't see it — and called his wife. Fifteen minutes later, the woman arrived. Before anyone could say a thing, she addressed her husband. In rapid Italian, she said something that didn't need translation, because the references to his dubious ancestry — the words Mama and Papa were repeatedly shouted — were clearly articulated. David suppressed a smile and asked Julietta to question the distraught woman about any evidence that there were other guests. A few sentences were exchanged between the two women, and finally Julietta switched to English and said, "Signora Marino says that during the first week there were no signs that anyone else was present in the apartment. But later, there were more towels used, and she saw signs of what she described as 'happy love-making' in one of the beds. During the final rental period, similar signs were also seen in the other bed, and the number of used towels increased dramatically. She also said that the washing machine must have been used extensively because all the detergent tablets were gone."
David said, "Does she remember seeing any men's clothes in the closets?"
Signora Marino's expression left no doubt that she was offended by the question, and the decisive head-shake clearly signified her negative answer. 'The Fish' who had done more than his share of interrogating terror suspects, drew Julietta aside, and said quietly, "Please assure her that no harm will come her way and that she'll be rewarded for any useful information. We'll all leave the room and leave the two of you alone. I believe that she is holding something back and is probably hesitant to speak up in front of her husband and the policemen."
Julietta asked all the men to leave the room and closed the door. She spoke quietly to Signora Marino for several minutes and then opened the door. "Gentlemen, our business here is done. I wish to thank Signora Marino and her husband for their cooperation." She led the way out of the apartment, trailed by the two Italian policemen and the Israeli Mossad agents. When they were back on Via Zamboni she sent the policemen back to the station and announced she desperately needed a cup of coffee.
The two Israelis followed Julietta to a small café on Largo Respighi and they sat down at a corner table. They all ordered double espressos and once the waitress served them and left their table, Julietta said, "You were right. She didn't want to admit that she went through the drawers and closets. She said she was just curious to see what kind of men cohabited with the two women. She said that in the master bedroom there were high-end men's clothes that were tidily hanging in the closet and underwear neatly arranged in the drawers. There were fancy shaving utensils and a bottle of expensive aftershave lotion in the bathroom that was connected to the master bedroom. In the other bedroom there were just a few cheap clothes — blue jeans and T-shirts. When I asked her about the size of the clothes she said that in both rooms they were extra-large. When I asked if she saw any photos of the men or women she said that there were none. She had nothing else to say about the residents of the apartment except that there were several empty bottles of expensive wine in the trash can and a couple of unopened bottles in the kitchen."
David said, "This only proves that two men joined the women a few days after the terror attacks. It also means that the Lara and Fiona, if we use this name for the unidentified woman, were not afraid of being caught. On second thought, perhaps this was a wise move because their sudden disappearance after the attacks may have raised suspicion, especially if two foreign women were suspected as the perpetrators. Based on what we know about Lara, there is a good chance that her partner, and lover I may add, was the infamous Le Docteur."
He was interrupted by 'The Fish', "The testimony from Signora Marino indicates that he joined them only after the attacks. I wonder what could have attracted him to the scene of the crime?"
"He is a devious operator. He must have had some huge incentive to place himself in the heart of an extensive manhunt, or should I say, woman-hunt."
Julietta showed that she didn't appreciate David's witticism. "Let's try to identify the other man, Fiona's boyfriend. If the two women stayed at the apartment for a few weeks and spent some time viewing the targets and preparing the attacks, they must have passed through Via Zamboni dozens of times. There is one place where people who have nothing to do like to hang around for hours every day — that's Piazza Verdi. I propose that we show the photos of the two women to the people on the square and see if any remember the women."
'The Fish' said, "As a rule, street-people do not cooperate with the police. I suggest we pose as concerned family members looking for our long-lost sister, because our mother is on her dying bed, or some such story that will raise sympathy and avoid suspicion. It is best if David and I do it — we are obviously foreigners, like the women. Italians, particularly from the police force, will not seem credible."
Julietta looked at him, "You are right. The two of you can start immediately after we finish our coffee. I would like the two of you to join me for dinner. David, we can go to the same place we went to last time."
David recalled the evening they had spent together a few days earlier, that started off at the Antica Osteria le Mura and ended the next morning in her bedroom. "I don't think 'The Fish' will like the food there."
The lurid smile of the face of the 'The Fish' implied his nonverbal approval.
David wished that Joe, the human chameleon, was also with them in Bologna, because he was an expert in extracting information from strangers but had to do his best with 'The Fish' at his side. The two Israeli agents strolled slowly down Largo Respighi until they reached Piazza Giuseppe Verdi. They surveyed the people who were sitting in the middle of the square and looked at those leaning their backs against the walls of the buildings surrounding it. Some of the youngsters looked like they were just enjoying a short break from their classes at the university — taking in the sun and fresh air before returning to the stuffy ancient buildings that housed the university classrooms. Others looked like they were permanent residents of the square — they were seated on decrepit rugs, with a small cart, probably taken from a mini-market, with all their earthly belongings in it. Some were napping, others were nursing a bottle of beer and a few had a bedraggled pet dog at their feet.
David pointed at one of the street-people who looked a little more alert than the others. 'The Fish' nodded and went into a small store with the quite improbable name of Global Alimentari and purchased some bottles of beer. He then joined David who was trying to chat up the disheveled looking man. He crouched in front of the seated man and offered a bottle of beer. The man hesitated before accepting it, and then took a long gulp that drained the bottle dry. 'The Fish' offered another bottle that was readily accepted, and the cool liquid followed its predecessor down the man's throat. The man smiled and stretched his hand toward the third bottle. Finally, he said, "Grazie" and added something in Italian.