“I’m a friend. He came to see me ten days ago. Since then, I haven’t seen him.”

“Does he owe you money?”

“That, too . . .”

“Yeah, well, you can go whistle for the money. Chalk that up as a lesson.” Roberta looked at the man’s hands. He had a tattoo on his thumb. Five dots. He wasn’t from the police. “Anyway, he was here, just ten days ago. He slept here, too. Then, God willing, he left and he isn’t coming back.”

“And you haven’t heard from him since then?”

“If he ever decided to call, I’d hang up in his face. Can I ask why you’re looking for him? Aside from the money, I mean . . .”

“It’s a nasty story. The less you know about it, the better. Do you have any idea where he might be?”

“No. I don’t know. As far as I know, he was supposed to be behind bars. But instead, he’s out on the loose. So he must be hiding out somewhere. If you happen to find out where he is, let me know. That way I can tell the police and they can put that rat back in prison where he belongs!”

Flavio knew that Enzo Baiocchi tended to leave a bad taste wherever he’d been, but to hear what the guy’s own daughter thought of him shook him up a little. “Aside from you, Signora, does he have any other family?”

Roberta thought it over. “No . . . I don’t think so. Aside from an elderly cousin, a lady who lives in the country, and who knows if she’s even still alive. When I was a little girl, I went to see her once. Half crazy, she was. Lived with twelve cats and a nanny goat. She was his aunt’s youngest daughter. But she’s gotta be dead by now.”

“In the country, where?”

“Huh . . . hold on a second and let me think . . . see if I can remember.” Then she turned to look at her son. “Tommà, what’s the name of that town where your grandpa’s cousin lives? The one I told you about, who lives with all the cats and the nanny goat?”

The little boy thought it over for a second. “Pitocco!” he said, in a low, rheumy voice, the last sound you’d have expected from him.

“There, that’s right. Pitocco.”

“Where’s that?”

“Near Guarcino.”

Flavio smiled faintly. “Do you remember the name of this aunt of his?”

“No. But you just ask where the house of the crazy woman is. They’ll be able to point you in the right direction. Want some free advice? Just forget about my father. He’s nothing but trouble.”

“Yeah, I sort of noticed . . .”