Death Brings Gold. Nicola Rocca

the brooding expression on Walker’s face. “Martina Pilenga is not available at the moment.”

      â€œWhat do you mean ‘is not available at the moment’ ?”

      â€œJust what I said, Chief. What our witness said, Belmond…”

      â€œBelmondo” Walker remarked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

      â€œYes, Belmondo. Like Belmondo was saying, Martina Pilenga moved in with her mother – probably following the stormy period with her husband –, but it’s been a couple of days since she’s been there. The widow Pilenga, Martina’s mother, said her daughter had told her that she was going to be away for the weekend …”

      â€œBut?” asked Walker, as if he was inevitably expecting a “but”.

      â€œBut she is pretty old,” Bassani hurried to answer. “And doesn’t remember where she’s gone. Actually, she doesn’t even remember if her daughter told her.”

      A cloak of silence fell on them again. Then it was the Chief who spoke again.

      â€œSo, let’s see if I’ve understood it well…” he grumbled. “A man is found lifeless in his flat after discovering his wife was unfaithful. The colleague who finds him states that that man was a good person, but had just found out that his wife had cheated on him. We, obviously, try to trace the wife of this poor unlucky man and, strangely enough, she’s away for the weekend and no one, not even her mother, knows where she’s gone. It could be a coincidence, of course! But I’d say something strange is going on here. Very strange.”

      The Chief took a pause. He couldn’t wait for Caslini - the detective he’d worked with since his arrival in Milan – to get back quickly enough from his holiday. It’s not that he didn’t like Bassani, he simply lacked initiative. Moreover, Walker was convinced that he was a slacker.

      â€œThat’s why I want that woman to be found asp,” Walker continued, running his fingers through his hair. Then the tone of his voice went up. “Call her girlfriends, relatives, colleagues, cats, dogs, even turtles – if she has any… I want somebody to tell me asap where the fuck this woman is. And I want her here, in my office. It’s the only lead we have.”

      â€œI’ll do my best, Chief,” the detective said. “Anything else?”

      Walker shook his head.

      The detective turned, heading towards the door. When he was about to open the door, the Chief Inspector stopped him.

      â€œBassani?”

      He turned around.

      â€œYes, Chief,” he answered.

      â€œIf that woman, for whatever reason, cannot manage to come to my office this very day” now his voice was calmer, “I at least want to speak with her on the phone.”

      Bassani gave his boss a perplexed look, and tried to answer in a way that wouldn’t disappoint him.

      â€œIt will be done, Chief.”

      Before disappearing through the door, Bassani raised his hand to wave goodbye.

      Walker stood motionless for a long time, before deciding to treat himself to a cigarette. Although by law it was strictly forbidden, as long as that office was his, he would smoke any time he felt like it.

      Smoking relaxed him, as well as helping him think.

      Automatically he let the ash fall on a little china plate which had seen better days, when he felt a sharp pain running through his arm. He clenched his teeth and grimaced with pain, tossing and turning on his chair. The wound on his shoulder was still burning. Maybe he had underestimated it.

      CHAPTER 7

      â€œWhat do you mean she’s at the spa?”

      â€œA SPA is, like…” replied Bassani, “… a sort of wellness centre, Chief.”

      â€œI know perfectly well what a SPA is,” Walker replied dryly. Then the tone of his voice mellowed. “Did you think I thought it was the Software Publishing Association?”

      Bassani smiled, shaking his head.

      Walker became serious again.

      â€œWhat I meant was… what the hell is she doing in a SPA?”

      â€œShe must have gone there to relax, Chief. Maybe to have a break from her husband, since it looks like they were on bad terms.”

      Walker nodded, remembering what Belmondo had told him about the marital instability between the victim and his wife.

      â€œSo,” the Chief Inspector considered, “Ghezzi’s wife is relaxing at a wellness centre. Sauna, Turkish baths, massage and other shit like that. All of this while her husband is resting peacefully at the morgue, after having been killed. Quite bizarre this thing.”

      â€œWell, although a mortuary isn’t a wellness centre, at least it is a calm place. Where you certainly don’t get stressed” Bassani tried to joke about it.

      â€œThat was a good joke, detective. Unlike mine”, smiled Walker. “But now, let’s be serious again. The fact that this woman is unreachable could make her a suspect. Actually, the only suspect, at this moment.”

      Bassani nodded without saying a word, allowing the Chief Inspector to continue.

      â€œWho told you that Ghezzi’s wife is at a wellness centre?”

      â€œAfter speaking with some people who knew her, one of her girlfriends told us.”

      Bassani didn’t mention the identity or details of that person and Walker didn’t care to know.” And where is this wellness centre?”

      â€œIn a town in the region of Versilia, Chief.”

      â€œSo I can assume that it would be impossible to have her in my office today.”

      â€œExactly…”

      â€œBut I did say that in that case I would have wanted …”

      The phone ringing cut the Chief’s sentence clean off . Before he could answer it, Bassani hurried to say he had called the place where Mrs Pilenga was staying.

      â€œAfter introducing myself, I told them I needed to speak urgently with Mrs Pilenga. I gave them your extension. This should be her” Bassani concluded, nodding towards the receiver that kept on ringing. For once, he felt like he had done something right.

      â€œState Police, Chief Inspector Walker speaking.”

      On the other end of the line was the tense voice of the receptionist who, after having introduced himself, passed the phone to Mrs Pilenga.

      â€œHello?” the woman said, her anxiety tightening her throat.

      The Chief Inspector introduced himself and, choosing his words carefully, informed her of the fate that had befallen her husband.

      No reply.

      After a time that seemed, according to Walker, sufficient to take in the news, he prompted Mrs Pilenga.

      â€œMrs Pilenga, are you still there?”

      â€œThis isn’t a joke, is it?” she asked faintly.

      â€œIt’s not a joke, Mrs Pilenga. My condolences.”

      â€œDead in our flat?”

      â€œYes, Mrs Pilenga,” confirmed Walker, not reminding