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around, he felt uneasy. Anyway, my aunt called the
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doctor, who gave him a shot of sedative. He s in a
deep sleep right now. I m very sorry for him, you
know. He was probably too attached to Father.
I understand. But if you see your cousin, tell him
I really do need to talk to him. No hurry, though,
nothing important, at his convenience.
Of course. Ah, Mama, who s right next to me,
tells me to give you her regards.
And I send mine. Tell her I Your mother is an
extraordinary woman, Mr. Luparello. Tell her I respect
her immensely.
I certainly shall, thank you.
/000000000000
Montalbano spent one hour signing papers and a few
more hours writing. They were complicated, and use
less, questionnaires for the public prosecutor s office.
Suddenly Galluzzo, very upset, not only didn t knock,
but threw open the door with such violence that it
crashed against the wall.
What the fuck! What is it?
Montelusa headquarters just called. Counselor
Rizzo s been murdered. Shot. They found him next
to his car, in the San Giusippuzzu district. If you want,
I ll find out more.
Forget it, I m going there myself.
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Montalbano looked at his watch eleven o clock
and rushed out the door.
/000000000000
Nobody answered at Saro s flat. Montalbano knocked
next door, and a little old lady with a belligerent face
opened up.
What is it? What you doin , botherin people like
that? she said in thick dialect.
Excuse me, signora, I was looking for Mr. and
Mrs. Montaperto.
The mister and the missus! Some mister and mis
sus! Them s garbage people, scum!
Relations apparently were not good between the
two families.
And who are you?
I m a police inspector.
The woman s face lit up, and she started yelling in
a tone of extreme contentedness.
Turiddru! Turiddru! Come here, quick!
What is it? asked a very skinny old man, ap
pearing.
This man s a police inspector! Doncha see I was
right! D ya see who the cops are lookin for? D ya see
they were nasty folk! D ya see they ran away so they
wouldn t end up in jail?
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When did they leave, signora?
Not half an hour ago. With the li l brat. You go
after em right now, you might still catch em along
the road.
Thank you, signora. I m going after them right
now.
Saro, his wife, and their little son had made it.
/000000000000
Along the road to Montelusa the inspector was stopped
twice, first by an army patrol of Alpinists and then by
another patrol of carabinieri. The worst came on the
way to San Giusippuzzu, where between barricades
and checkpoints it took him forty-five minutes to go
less than three miles. At the scene he found the com
missioner, the colonel of the carabinieri, and the entire
Montelusa police department on a full day. Even Anna
was there, though she pretended not to see him. Jaco
muzzi was looking around, trying to find someone to
tell him the whole story in minute detail. As soon as he
saw Montalbano, he came running up to him.
A textbook execution, utterly ruthless.
How many were there?
Just one, or at least only one fired the gun. The
poor counselor left his study at six-thirty this morn
ing. He d picked up some documents and headed to
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ward Tabbta, where he had an appointment with a
client. He left the study alone this much is certain
but along the way he picked up someone he knew in
the car.
Maybe it was someone who thumbed a ride.
Jacomuzzi burst into laughter so loud that a few
people nearby turned and stared at him. Can you
picture Rizzo, with all the responsibilities he has on
his shoulders, blithely giving a ride to a total stranger?
The guy had to beware of his own shadow! You know
better than I that behind Luparello there was Rizzo.
No, no, it was definitely someone he knew, a
mafioso.
A mafioso, you think?
I d bet my life on it. The Mafia raised the
price they always ask for more and the politicians
aren t always in a position to satisfy their demands.
But there s another hypothesis. He may have made a
mistake, now that he felt stronger after his recent ap
pointment. And they made him pay for it.
Jacomuzzi, my congratulations, this morning
you re particularly lucid apparently you had a good
shit. How can you be so sure of what you re saying?
By the way the guy killed him. First he kicked
him in the balls, then had him kneel down, placed his
gun against the back of his neck, and fired.
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Immediately a pang shot through Montalbano s
neck.
What kind of gun?
Pasquano says that at a glance, considering the
entrance and exit wounds and the fact that the barrel
was practically pressed against his skin, it must have
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