Suffer the Little Children by Donna Leon Read Free Book Online

his cup perhaps a bit too loudly and asked the barman for three more coffees.
    â€˜Yes, Captain, you told me that,’ answered Brunetti. ‘But what I meant was what event triggered the investigation, especially this part of it?’
    â€˜I’m not sure I can tell you that, Commissario. But I can say that the action here was only part of a series of actions in other cities that took place last night.’ He pushed his cup away and added, ‘Beyond that, I’m not sure what I can tell you.’
    Brunetti resisted the impulse to point out that one of the ‘actions’ had put a man in hospital. ‘Captain,’ he said softly, ‘I, however,
am
sure that I’m at liberty to arrest you – or whichever of your men struck Dottor Pedrolli – for assault.’ Brunetti smiled and added, ‘I’m not going to, of course, but I mention it as an example of how we need not feel ourselves bound by what we are or are not at liberty to do.’ He flirted with the idea of suggesting that the Captain’s boots were enough to cause him to charge him with impersonating a cavalry officer, but good sense prevailed.
    He tore open a packet of sugar and poured it in. Stirring gently and keeping his eyes on his spoon, he continued in an entirely conversational tone, ‘In the absence of any information about this operation of yours and thus entirely unsure if your men had any right to carry it out in this city, Captain, I’m left with no choice but to protect the safety of the people of Venice. Which is my duty.’ He looked up. ‘That’s why I would like more information.’
    Wearily, Marvilli reached for his second coffeeand pushed his empty cup and saucer across the bar. He pushed so hard that they slid off the other side and clattered, without breaking, into the sink below. ‘Sorry,’ he said automatically. The barman retrieved the cup and saucer.
    Marvilli shifted his attention to Brunetti and asked, ‘And if all this is only a bluff, Commissario?’
    â€˜If that’s your response, Captain,’ Brunetti said, ‘I’m afraid I’ll have to lodge an official complaint about the excessive violence used by your men and request an official investigation.’ He put down his cup. ‘In the absence of a warrant from a judge authorizing your entry into Dottor Pedrolli’s home, your men remain guilty of assault.’
    â€˜There’s a warrant,’ Marvilli said.
    â€˜Issued by a judge in this city?’
    After a long pause, Marvilli said, ‘I don’t know that the judge is from this city, Commissario. But I know there is a warrant. We would never have done something like this without one – not here and not in the other cities.’
    That was certainly likely enough, Brunetti agreed. The times when the police could break in anywhere without a warrant were not upon them, not yet. After all, this was not the United States.
    In a voice into which he put all the tiredness of a man woken long before his usual time and out of patience with what had happened since then, Brunetti said, ‘If we can both stop being tough guys, Captain, perhaps we could walkback to the Questura together, and you could tell me along the way just what’s going on.’ He dug out a ten-Euro note and placed it on the bar then turned towards the door.
    â€˜Your change, Signore,’ the barman called after him.
    Brunetti smiled at him. ‘You saved the Dottoressa’s life, remember? That’s beyond price, I’d say.’ The barman laughed and thanked him, and Brunetti and Vianello headed down the corridor towards the entrance hall. A thoughtful Marvilli followed.
    Outside, Brunetti felt the growing warmth of the day and observed that the pavement was damp in places: he could not remember if it had been raining when he had arrived at the hospital; while inside he had not been aware of rain. There was no sign of it now,