The Abduction: A Novel Read Free Page B

the ladder Piola caught the sound of raised voices. Looking over his shoulder, he saw four people standing under the arc lights. One was a young Carabinieri lieutenant who Piola didn’t know. He was flanked by Sergeant Pownall and a big, thickset man wearing a bulging business suit, incongruously topped with a high-visibility jacket and a hard hat several sizes too small. The fourth was a woman.
    “… which is why I need to examine the remains in situ ,” she was saying forcibly. “There are clear procedures for moving bones, and the most important one is this: don’t move anything at all until it’s been sifted and mapped.”
    “Well, it’s in the hands of the Italian police now,” the big man said.
    “Or rather, the Carabinieri,” Piola agreed, joining them. “Good morning. I’m Colonel Piola.”
    The big man stepped forward, effectively using his bulk to mask the woman, and thrust out a meaty hand. “Sergio Sagese, Transformation Director.” Although his Italian was fluent, there was a twang that told Piola he was more used to speaking American. “Do you have what you need? We want to facilitate a speedy resolution for you people any way we can.”
    “Thank you.” Piola looked around Sagese’s shoulder to the woman, who now appeared even more furious. “And you are?”
    “Dottora Ester Iadanza, forensic archaeologist.” Piola noticed her unusual use of the female “-a” ending, as opposed to the more usual “Dottoressa”. Some feminists, he had heard, had started avoiding the latter, which had traditionally been used to denote any woman with a university degree, or even a doctor’s wife. “I’m attached to this construction project,” she added. “Supposedly.”
    “Only for the preparatory stages,” Sagese interjected. “And as it turned out, your involvement was never actually required.”
    Dr Iadanza spoke directly to Piola. “It was a condition of work going ahead that my team be given access. Not surprisingly, having been given not a shred of cooperation, we’ve found very little.”
    “Did you think you might?” Piola asked, curious. “I hadn’t realised this area was of particular significance.”
    “Archaeology doesn’t just mean ancient history, Colonel. This airfield was used by both the Italian and German air forces in the Second World War. Anything relating to that might be of great interest to a historian.”
    “And what is it – exactly – that you want, Dottora?”
    “I want to examine the remains, and sift the soil they were found with, metre by cubic metre,” she said promptly. “And if there’s any evidence that they actually came from a different part of the site, I want to do the same in that location too.”
    “Surely there’s no suggestion—” Sagese began, but Piola cut him off.
    “Speak to Dr Hapadi, Dottora. He’s already expressed a desire to work with a specialist on this. If he has no objection, neither do I.”
    “Thank you. I’ll get suited up.” She turned and headed off into the mist.
    Sagese cleared his throat, although the sound that came from his thick neck sounded more like a growl. “This won’t affect construction, Colonel, will it?”
    “In what respect?” Piola said.
    Sagese jerked out his elbow to inspect the watch strapped to his massive wrist. “In exactly seventy-five minutes, our next shift comes on site. I just want to be certain there’ll be no obstacles to them doing a proper day’s work.” He gave the word “obstacles” a disdainful sneer.
    Clearly, Piola thought, any Carabinieri investigation of more than a few minutes would represent just such an impediment in Sagese’s eyes. “It will be necessary to stand them down, for the time being,” he said politely. “I’ll let you know how soon you can expect to resume work when I have a better idea myself.”
    Sagese shook his head in exasperation. “Let me just explain what we’re dealing with here, Colonel. This project involves the construction of over