Then it was Ernesto Panzacchi’s turn to speak, and he repeated exactly what the inspector had heard the TeleVigata newsman say earlier. He didn’t dwell on the details, however, and seemed in rather a hurry to leave.
‘Does anyone have any questions?’ asked Dr Lattes.
Somebody raised a hand.
‘Are you sure the suspect shouted “Punish me”?’ ‘Absolutely certain. He said it twice. They all heard it.’
He turned to the six policemen behind him, who nodded in agreement, looking like puppets on strings.
‘And in a desperate tone of voice.’ Panzacchi piled it on. ‘Desperate.’
‘What is the rather accused of?’ asked a second journalist.
‘Being an accessory after the fact,’ said the commissioner.
‘And maybe more’ added Panzacchi with an air of mystery.
‘Being an accomplice to murder?’ ventured a third newsman.
‘I didn’t say that,’
Panzacchi said curtly. Finally Nicolo Zito signalled that he wanted to speak.
‘What kind of weapon did Maurizio Di Blasi threaten you with?’
Of course, the journalists, who had no idea what had actually happened, didn’t notice anything, but the inspector distinctly saw the six policemen stiffen and the half-smile on Captain Panzacchi’s face vanish. Only the commissioner and the head of his cabinet had no perceptible reaction.
‘A hand grenade’ said Panzacchi.
‘Where did he get it?’ Zito pressed him.
‘Well, it was war surplus, but still functioning. We have a suspicion as to where he might have found it, but we need further confirmation’
‘Could we see it?’
‘The forensics lab has it’
And so ended the press conference.
At six thirty Montalbano called Livia. The phone rang a long time to no avail He started to feel worried. What if she was sick? He called Giovanna, Livia’s friend at work. She said Livia’d shown up at work as usual, but she, Giovanna, had noticed she looked very pale and nervous. Livia also told her she’d unplugged the telephone because she didn’t want to be disturbed.
‘How are things between the two of you?’ Giovanna asked him.
‘Not great, I’d say,’
Montalbano replied diplomatically.
No matter what he did -whether he read a book or stared out at the sea smoking a cigarette — the question kept coming suddenly back to him, precise and insistent: what had he seen or heard at the house that hadn’t seemed right?
‘Hello, Salvo? It’s Anna. I’ve just come from Mrs Di Blasi’s. You were right to tell me to go there. Her family and friends have made a point of not coming round — you know, keeping their distance from someone with a husband in jail and a son who’s a murderer.’
‘How is Mrs Di Blasi?’
‘How do you expect? She’s had a breakdown; I had to call a doctor. Now she’s feeling a litde better; her husband’s lawyer phoned saying he’d be released shortly.’
‘They’re not charging him with complicity?’
‘I really can’t say. I think they’re going to charge him anyway, but release him on bail Are you coming round?’
‘I don’t know, I’ll see.’
‘Salvo, you’ve got to do something. Maurizio was innocent, I’m sure of it, and they murdered him.’
‘Anna, don’t get any wild ideas.’
‘Hullo, Chief ? Zatchoo in poisson? Catarella here. The vikkim’s huzbin called sayin’ as how yer sposta call ‘im poissonally at the Jolly t’nite roundabout ten aclack.’
‘Thanks. How’d the first day of class go?’
‘Good, Chief, good. I unnastood everyting. Teacha complimented me. Said peoples like me’s rilly rare.’
An inspiration came to him shortly before eight o’clock, and he put it into action without wasting another minute. He jumped in the car and drove off in the direction of Montelusa.
‘Nicolo’s on the air’ said a secretary at the Free Channel studios, ‘but he’s almost finished.’
Less than five minutes later, Zito appeared, out of breath.
‘I did what you said; did you see the press conference?’
‘Yes, Nicolo, and I think we hit the mark.’
‘Can you tell me why that grenade is so important?’
‘Do you underestimate grenades?’
‘Come on, tell me what’s behind this’
‘I can’t, not yet. Actually, you’ll probably work it out very soon, but that’s your business. I haven’t told you anything’
‘Come on! What do you want me to say or do on the news? That’s what you came here for, isn’t it? By now you’ve become my secret director.’
‘If you do it, I’ll give you a present.’
He took one of the photos of Michela that Dr Licalzi had given him out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Nicolo.
‘You’re the only journalist who knows what the woman looked like when she was alive. The commissioner’s office in Montelusa doesn’t have any photos. All her IDs, driver’s licence, or passport, if she had one, were in the bag that the murderer took with him. You can show this to your viewers if you want’
Nicolo twisted up his face.
‘You must want an awfully big favour. Fire away’
Montalbano stood up, went over, and lacked the door
to the newsman’s office.
‘No,’ said Nicolo.
‘No what?’
‘No to whatever it is you’re going to ask me. If you need to lock the door, I don’t want any part of it.’
‘Look, if you give me a hand, afterwards I’ll give you all the facts you need to create a nationwide uproar.’
Zito said nothing. He was clearly torn,
‘What do you want me to do?’ he finally asked in a low voice.
‘To say you received phone calls from two witnesses.’ ‘Do they exist?’
‘One does, the other doesn’t.’ j
‘Tell me only what the one who exists said.’ ‘No, both. Take it or leave it’
‘But you do realize that if anybody finds out I invented a witness they’re liable to strike me off the register?’
‘Of course. And in that case, I give you permission to say I talked you into it. That way, they’ll send me home, too, and we can go and grow broad beans together.’
‘Tell you what. Tell me about the fake one first If the thing seems feasible, you can tell me about the real one afterwards.’
‘OK. This afternoon, following the press conference, somebody phoned you saying he was out hunting in the area where the police shot down Maurizio Di Blasi. He said that things did not happen the way Panzacchi said.
Then he hung up without leaving his name. He was clearly upset and afraid You tell your viewers you’re mentioning this episode only in passing and nobly declare that you don’t lend it much weight, since it was, in fact, an anonymous phone call and your professional ethics do not allow you to spread anonymous rumours.’
‘And in the meantime I’ve actually repeated it.’
‘But isn’t that standard procedure for you guys, if you don’t mind my saying so? Throwing the stone but keeping the hand hidden?’
‘I’ll tell you something about that when we’re through. For now, let’s hear about the real witness.’