The Scent of the Night by Andrea Camilleri Read Free Book Online Page B

you I can't come today’ 'That's OK, don't—'
    'An' I can't come tomorrow neither, ana day after that neither’
    ‘ What's wrong?'
    ‘ My younges' son's wife was rush to the hospital with a bad bellyache and I gotta look after 'er kids. There's four of 'em and the oldest is ten and he's a bigger rascal than 'is dad.'
    It's OK , Adelina, don't worry about it’
    He hung up, went into the bathroom, grabbed a small mountain of dirty laundry, including the sweater that Livia had given him, the one all caked with sand, and threw everything into the washing machine. Unable to find a clean shirt, he put on the same one he'd worn the previous day. He thought he'd have to eat out for at least three lunches and three dinners, but he swore to himself he would resist temptation and remain faithful to the San Calogero. Thanks to Adelina's phone call, however, his bad mood was now overflowing, convinced as he was of his inability to take care of himself or his house.
    At the station there seemed to be dead calm. Catarella didn't even notice his arrival, involved as he was in a phone conversation that must have been rather trying, since from time to time he would wipe his brow with his sleeve. On his desk he found a scrap of paper with two names on it, Giacomo Pellegrino and Michela Manganaro, and two corresponding telephone numbers. He recognized Mimì 's handwriting and immediately remembered that these were the names of the employees of King Midas Associates, along with, of cou rse, Mariastella Cosentino. Mimì , however, hadn't added their addresses, and the inspector preferred to talk to people face to face. ‘ Mimì ,' he called.
    Nobody came. The guy was probably still in bed or drinking his first cup of coffee. ‘ Fazio.'
    Fazio showed up at once. Isn't Inspector Augello here?'
    'He's not coming in today, Chief, and not tomorrow or the next day, either.'
    Just like his housekeeper, Adelina. Did Mimì likewise have grandchildren to look after?
    'And why not?'
    'W hat do you mean, why not, Chief’ Have you forgotten? He's on marriage leave, starting today.'
    It had completely slipped the inspector's mind. And to think it was he who'd introduced Mimì — even if it was, in a sense, for unmentionable reasons — to his future wife, Beatrice, a fine, beautiful girl. So when's he getting married?’
    In five days. And don't forget, 'cause you're supposed to be Inspector Augello's witness.'
    ‘I won't forget. Listen, are you busy?'
    ‘I’ll be with you in a second. There's some guy here, Giacomo Pellegrino, who came in to report some acts of vandalism against a small villa he just now finished building.'
    When did this happen?'
    'Last night.'
    'OK, take care of it and come back.'
    So he, Montalbano, was the vandal Hearing his exploits described that way, here, inside the police station, he felt a little ashamed of himself . But how could he ever set it right? He couldn't very well go over to Fazio's room and say: 'Listen, Mr Pellegrino, I'm very sorry, I'm the one who—'
    He stopped. Giacomo Pellegrino, Fazio had said. That was one of the names Mimì had written down with the phone number on the piece of paper in front of him. He quickly committed Pellegrino's phone number to memory, got up, and went into Fazio's office.
    His sergeant, who was writing something down, glanced up at Montalbano. They barely looked at each other, but they understood. Fazio kept writing. What was it Mimì had said about Giacomo Pellegrino? That he was a young guy, a graduate in business economics. The man sitting in front of Fazio's desk looked like a shepherd and must have been at least sixty. Fazio finished writing, and then Pellegrino, with some difficulty, signed the paper. Business economics, my eye. This guy d never got out of primary school Fazio took the report back from him, and at this point the inspector, intervened.
    'Did you leave your telephone number?' Montalbano asked.
    ‘ No,' said the man.
    Well, it's always better to have it.