‘I’m still examining Captain Panzacchi’s situation.’
‘Good. Examine it well But choose the right scales, among the many you keep in your office.’
Tommaseo was about to react, but reconsidered and said nothing.
‘Tell me something, for the sake of curiosity,’ said Montalbano. ‘Why hasn’t Mrs Licalzi’s body been turned over to her husband yet?’
The judge’s embarrassment became more pronounced. He clenched his right hand in a fist and stuck his right index finger in it.
‘Uh, that was … yes, that was Captain Panzacchi’s idea. He pointed out to me that public opinion … In short, first the body was found, then Di Blasi died, then the funeral of Mrs Licalzi, then young Maurizio’s funeral … Don’t you see?’
‘No.’
‘It was better to spread them out, over time … To relieve some of the pressure on people, all the crowding…’
He was still talking, but the inspector was already at the end of the corridor.
When he came out of the court building it was already two o’clock. But instead of retiirning to Vigata, he took the Enna—Palermo road Galluzzo had carefully explained to him how to find the petrol station and bar-restaurant where Michela Licalzi had been seen.
The station, located just three kilometres outside Montelusa, was closed The inspector cursed the saints, drove another two kilometres, then saw, on his left, a sign that said TRUCKERS’
bar-trattoria. As oncoming traffic was heavy, the inspector waited patiently for someone to decide to let him turn, but. seeing there was no hope in heaven, he cut right in front of everyone, amidst a pandemonium of screeching tyres, horn blasts, curses and insults, and pulled into the bar’s parking lot.
It was very crowded inside.
He walked up to the cashier.
‘I’d like to speak with a Mr Gerlando Agro.’ ‘That’s me. And who are you?’ ‘Inspector Salvo Montalbano. You phoned TeleVigata to say—’
‘Well, goddamn it all. Did you have to come right now? Can’t you see how busy I am?’
Montalbano got an idea that struck him as brilliant. ‘How’s the food here?’
‘See those people sittin’
down? They’s all truckers. Ever seen a trucker go wrong?’
At the end of the meal (the idea hadn’t been brilliant, but only good, the food remaining within ironclad limits of normality, with no; flights of fancy), after the coffee and anisette, the cashier, who’d got a boy to take his place, approached Montalbano’s table.
‘Now we can talk,’ he said.
‘OK if I sit down?’
‘Of course.’
Gerlando Agro immediately had second thoughts. ‘Maybe it’s better if you come with me.’ They went out of the building.
‘OK. Wednesday, around eleven thirty at night, I was here outside, smoking a cigarette, and I saw this Twingo pull in off the Enna-Palermo road.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘I’d bet my life on it. The car stopped right in front of me, and a lady, who was driving, got out.’
Would also bet your life it was the same woman you saw on TV?’
‘Inspector, with a woman like that, poor thing, it’s hard to make a mistake.’ ‘Go on.’
‘The man, on the other hand, stayed in the car.’
‘How did you know it was a man?’
‘See, there was a truck with its headlights on. I was surprised, because usually it’s the man that gets out and the woman who stays in the car. Anyway, the lady ordered two salami sandwiches and bought a bottle of mineral water. My son Tanino was at the cash register, the same kid who’s there now. The lady paid and went down these three steps here. But on the last step, she tripped and fell, and the sandwiches flew out of her hands. I went down the steps to help her up and I found myself face-to-face with the man, who’d got out of the car. “It’s all right, it’s all right,” the lady said. The guy got back in the car, she ordered two more sandwiches, paid, and they drove off in the direction of Montelusa.’
‘You’ve been very helpful, Mr Agro. And I assume you can also say that the man you saw on television was not the same man who was in the car with the lady.’
‘Definitely not Two totally different people.’
‘Where did the lady keep her money? In a large bag?’
‘No sir, Inspector. She didn’t have any bag. She had a little purse in her hand.’
After the tension of the morning and the hearty meal he’d just eaten, fatigue came over him. He decided to go home to Marinella and sleep for an hour. Just past the bridge, however, he couldn’t resist He stopped, got out and rang the intercom. Nobody answered.
Anna had probably gone out to see Mrs Di Blasi. Perhaps it was just as well.
At home, he phoned headquarters.
‘I want Galluzzo here at five with the squad car,’ he said.
He dialled Livia’s number, and it rang and rang to no avail He dialled the number of her friend in Genoa.
‘Montalbano here. Listen, I’m starting to get seriously worried. It’s been days since—’
‘Don’t worry. Livia just phoned me a little while ago to let me know she was OK.’ ‘Where on earth is she?’
‘I don’t know. All I know is she called personnel and asked for another day off.’
He hung up and the phone rang. ‘Inspector Montalbano?’ ‘Yes, who’s this?’
‘Guttadauro. My compliments, Inspector.’
Montalbano hung up, undressed, got into the shower, then came out and threw himself down, still naked, on the bed. He fell asleep immediately.
‘Riing riiing! a faraway sound chimed in his head. He realized it was the doorbell He got up with effort, and went and opened the door. Seeing him naked, Galluzzo leaped backwards.
‘What’s the matter, Gallu?
Think I’m going to drag you inside and make you do lewd things?’
‘I’ve been ringing for the last half hour, Inspector. I was about to break down the door.’
‘Do that and you’ll have to pay for a new one. I’ll be back in a second.’
The petrol-station attendant was a young man of about thirty with tight curls, dark, sparkling eyes and a solid, slender body. Though he was wearing overalls, the inspector could easily imagine him as a lifeguard on the beach at Rimini, playing havoc with the German girls.
‘You say the lady was on her way from Montelusa, and it was eight o’clock.’
‘Sure as death. I was closing up at the end of my shift. She rolled down her window and asked me if I could fill it up for her, “For you, I’ll stay open all night if you want,” I said. She got out of the car. Jesus, was she ever a beauty.’
‘Do you remember how she was dressed?’
‘All in denim.’
‘Did she have any luggage?’
‘She had a kind of large handbag on the back seat of the car.’ ‘Go on.’