“Dottore, you and I have known each other for many years. And I’ve never asked you for a thing. If I tell you that it’s urgent, trust me. It’s urgent and it’s very, very important.”

“Sollima!” shouted the warden. The door swung open again and the guard’s bearded face reappeared. “Take the inmate back to his cell.”

“To the dining hall, actually,” Sergio corrected him.

“Wherever it is!”

The two men left the room. Martinelli went back online to get the photo of that Amelia. In any case, he wanted to make a note of the girl’s cell phone number.

DEPUTY INSPECTOR CATERINA RISPOLI ENTERED THE CONFERENCE room in police headquarters where Antonio and Italo were waiting for her. She carried two small plastic cups.

“What am I going to tell Schiavone?” she asked as she set the espressos down for her colleagues.

Antonio grabbed his espresso. “What do I know? Just tell him what happened to me. Anyway, the Carabinieri were there and they’re following Cremonesi. Then Schiavone can figure what it all adds up to.”

“It’s a strange thing,” said Italo after sampling the cup of bilge from the vending machine. “It seems to me that there are maneuvers going on here that we don’t understand. What should I do? Report it to the judge?”

Caterina thought it over. “No. For now, let’s just tell Schiavone about it. But he insists on keeping his cell phone switched off.”

“Okay, but what am I supposed to do?” asked Antonio. “Do I go on following Cremonesi?”

“Forget about it. Let’s wait for Rocco,” said Italo, tossing the little plastic cup into the trash can.

“Anyway, I printed the photos I took of those four people.”

“Put them in the deputy chief’s drawer. We’ll show them to him as soon as he gets back,” Caterina ordered. Antonio nodded.

“I have something to say . . . but, actually, it’s a little embarrassing, you know?”

“Go ahead, Italo,” Antonio urged him.

“Yesterday I had to take some medicine to my aunt up in Nus. I was on my way back when I saw Pietro Berguet, Chiara’s father.”

“What’s so strange about that?” asked Caterina.

“The strange part is that he was coming out of the Hotel Pavone . . .” And he shot a little smile at Antonio.

“Why are you laughing like a fool?” Caterina upbraided him. “Well?”

“Oh, come on, Caterina, don’t you know? The Hotel Pavone is famous, or at least notorious.”

Caterina shook her head. “Famous for what?”

Antonio came to his colleague’s rescue. “It’s a love hotel. Guys take their lovers there.”

Caterina incinerated Italo with a glare. “And how would you know about this?”

“Everyone knows.”

“Everyone who engages in this filth!”

“Well then, you can get mad at Antonio, too. He knows about it.”

“What did I do wrong?” Scipioni asked defensively.