Death in Sardinia Read Free Page B

still coasting on the money he’d made on a successful scam in Greece.
    The following Sunday morning Bordelli had gone to see him at the Murate prison. A guard accompanied him down the long corridors, opening and closing gates along the way. Water dripped from the ceilings, and the floor was scattered with dirty little piles of sawdust. The doors of the some of the cells were open, and the inmates walked about the corridors in groups, dragging their feet. Under the general murmur of voices the inspector heard the distant sound of an ocarina. After the umpteenth barred door, the guard pointed to a man scrubbing the floor at the end of a long, deserted corridor. It was Ennio. The inspector went up to him and tapped him on the shoulder.
    ‘Ciao, Botta, how’s it going?’
    ‘Inspector! What are you doing here?’ Ennio asked, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
    ‘How much time did they give you?’
    ‘Fourteen months, Inspector. I’m supposed to come out in March of next year, but by now I know how these things go. If I’m good, they’ll let me out for Christmas.’
    ‘And the money from Greece?’
    ‘The horses, Inspector. It’s the last time, I swear.’
    ‘I certainly hope so, for your sake.’
    ‘Fourteen months for a television set … Though I must say it was a Voxon, one of the best.’ Botta sighed histrionically.
    ‘Why don’t you ever call me when you have a problem, Ennio? You know I’ll help you if I can.’
    ‘But you already own a television set, Inspector! A beautiful Majestic …’
    ‘That’s not what I meant.’
    ‘And I hadn’t even stolen it myself ! I was just lending a friend a hand … You know who gave it to me?’
    ‘I don’t want to know. Listen, I’m here to ask you a favour.’
    ‘A nice Greek dinner at your place?’
    ‘That too … but there’s something else.’
    ‘What is it, Inspector?’
    ‘I want you to pick a lock for me,’ Bordelli said, lowering his voice.
    ‘Did you lose the keys?’ Botta asked, laughing.
    ‘I want to get inside the flat of someone who should be in here instead of you.’
    ‘And what about all those things I taught you?’
    ‘It’s the kind of lock that calls for Botta.’
    Ennio puffed up with pride.
    ‘No problem, Inspector, as soon as I get out of here I’ll open it for you.’
    ‘Just so it’s clear, what we’re going to do is illegal. If they catch us, they’ll bugger us both.’
    ‘No problem all the same, Inspector. If you’re there it’s fine with me.’
    ‘Thanks.’
    ‘At any rate I assure you, Inspector, you’ve got a real knack for it. I mean it.’
    ‘What are you talking about?’
    ‘You’d make a pretty decent burglar yourself.’
    ‘Well, coming from you, that’s a compliment.’
    ‘I’m not kidding, Inspector, it’s the truth.’
    ‘You’re too kind, Ennio,’ Bordelli said, and as he shook Botta’s hand before leaving, he slipped two thousand-lira notes in his friend’s shirt pocket.
    ‘This may come in handy.’
    ‘I owe you one, Inspector,’ Ennio said, winking.
    ‘Don’t forget to give me a ring as soon as you get out.’
    ‘You’ll have to be patient, Inspector, I’ve still got thirteen months to go. And even if I get out at Christmas, that still leaves ten.’
    ‘We can wait. Break a leg, Ennio.’
    ‘Thanks.’
    For some time thereafter the inspector had carried on his personal investigation of Badalamenti, without results. He had discreetly tried to initiate a review of the city’s banks, in order to comb through the usurer’s accounts, but without a court order it would have been like trying to empty the ocean with a spoon. He had even thought of having Badalamenti’s phone tapped, but it was too risky and, most importantly, would have involved other people. He didn’t feel like taking anyone else into his unsteady boat. And it was anyone’s guess whether it really would have helped. Badalamenti was very shrewd and seemed to feel quite protected by his acquaintances. As Ginzillo