“Your Honours, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I want to specify in the first place that the Prosecutor’s Department 173objects strongly to every request of the defence that consists of a repeat of what was done at the original trial. In the absence of explicit, solidly based reasons for what seems a mere time-wasting repetition, all requests to submit new evidence, in parte qua, should be rejected. I refer in particular to the request to call Signora Delle Foglie, the defendant’s mother, and the police officers already examined. It is hard to see what they could add to the substance of their original testimonies. I also object to the calling of police officers not examined at the original trial – I refer in particular to the then head of the Homicide section of the Flying Squad – since it is not clear as to what is the evidential novum that would require calling this person as a witness.

“Essentially, then, the only request to which I do not object is that of calling as witnesses Sabino Arcidiacono, who is I gather the person met by the accused in a cafe just before the murder, and Gaetano Rafaschieri, an acquaintance of the victim. I consider such requests basically irrelevant, but I have no objection to them. Nor do I have any observation to make regarding the request to call the accused to the stand, since at his first trial his testimony was limited to statements.”

Judge Marinelli gave me the chance to speak, asking me to be concise. I was starting to feel nervous, but I forced myself not to adopt an adversarial tone towards Gastoni. I hoped Marinelli wasn’t going to go back on the promises he’d made me – promises he might not have told Gastoni about, judging by what we’d just heard.

“Thank you, Your Honour. Without wishing to be argumentative, I would say in the first place that suggesting there is time-wasting involved in the defence of someone in detention, without considering the length of that detention and with respect to court proceedings that would require three 174or four hearings at most, seems to me misplaced. As for the other points: the requests to re-examine certain witnesses already examined at the original trial arise from the need to ask them questions not asked during that trial, questions connected to what we expect to emerge from the testimonies of the new witnesses. If you wish, Your Honour, I can go further into the specifics of each request.”

“No, thank you. We’re fine as we are. We shall now retire to decide, and meet again in half an hour.”

When the judges disappeared behind the door of their chambers, Gastoni left, leaving the case file and her robe on her seat.

“Could they reject the request?” Lorenza asked me when we joined her in the corridor. “Didn’t they tell you they agreed to reopen the case?”

“That’s what Judge Marinelli told me.”