. They say nobody called from there . . . an’ no client complained . . .’
‘Maybe he had an accident or got ill.’
The woman shook her head and pointed to a small table with a telephone and a phone book on it. ‘All the hospitals,’ she said. ‘Nothing.’
Montalbano thought things over for a moment.
‘Maybe it’s best if you file a missing-persons report.’
She shook her head again forcefully.
‘Why not?’
‘Because if I file a missing-persons report he might go missing for sure.’
There was no countering this argument.
‘Do you have a picture of your husband?’
The woman stood up with effort and left the room. She returned with an ID-format photo and handed it to the inspector. Then she sat back down, put her arms on the table, and laid her head in her
arms.
Montalbano lightly stroked her hair and left.
*
As soon as he got back to the office, he called Fazio and told him what Tumminello’s wife had said to him.
‘The whole thing worries me,’ said Fazio.
‘Me too. But before we imagine the worst, I think it’s best if you look into Tumminello’s private life. Here, take his photo.’
Fazio looked at it. The photo showed a man of about forty with an anonymous face: no moles, scars, nothing, one of those faces you forget barely five minutes after you’ve seen it.
‘He doesn’t look like a man with any troubles,’ he said.
‘Faces are deceptive, we know that from experience.’
Fazio went out and Augello came in. He was wearing a dark expression.
‘What’s wrong with you?’
‘I’m still upset over that bastard Ragonese, I can’t help it.’
‘Then prepare for the worst.’
After Montalbano told him in great detail about his meeting with the commissioner, his facial expression turned even darker.
‘So the eminent lawyer and honourable Member of Parliament Mongibello wants to bring a thing like that onto the floor?’
‘It’s understandable.’
‘But what does he get out of it?’
‘Are you kidding? It’s the perfect excuse for him, Mimì! He’s certainly not going to pass up an opportunity like this!’
‘Explain what you mean.’
‘There is no doubt that Mongibello will have the support of his own party, the majority party, in Parliament. There is no doubt that the Minister of the Interior, who is from a different
party but is of the same ilk as his allies, will promise immediate action. And such action will mean, at the very least, the transfer of the commissioner and an early retirement for me. And you
know what that means?’
‘That you’ll finally be out of everyone’s hair.’
‘That too, of course. But above all, it will mean a thousand points in the Cuffaro family’s favour, and they’ll come out of this stronger than ever before, with due thanks to
the government.’
‘But don’t they realize this?’
‘Some, maybe not; others, definitely.’
‘Well, if anything like that happens, I’m going to resign,’ said Mimì.
‘Don’t make me laugh. Let me ask you the same thing you asked me: what will you get out of that? You’ll just add a few more points in the Mafia’s favour. Whereas you need
to keep fighting.’
‘It’s not easy, on two fronts.’
‘
Two
fronts? Count them carefully. There are four.’
‘Four?!’
‘Yes indeed. One: common criminality; two: the occasional murder; three: the Mafia; four: the members of Parliament in collusion with the Mafia.’
‘You know what I say? I say I resign right now.’
‘And what’ll you do?’
‘I’ll find something. I could get a job as a municipal police chief in a town somewhere.’
‘Listen, between the time you put in a request and the time they accept you, you’ll be probably over the hill. Therefore, in the meantime you’d better cover your back. Draw up
a report for the commissioner, straight away, so he can read it when he wakes up.’
‘What should I write?’
‘The facts. Everything from the moment you got to the supermarket; Borsellino’s
‘Maybe he had an accident or got ill.’
The woman shook her head and pointed to a small table with a telephone and a phone book on it. ‘All the hospitals,’ she said. ‘Nothing.’
Montalbano thought things over for a moment.
‘Maybe it’s best if you file a missing-persons report.’
She shook her head again forcefully.
‘Why not?’
‘Because if I file a missing-persons report he might go missing for sure.’
There was no countering this argument.
‘Do you have a picture of your husband?’
The woman stood up with effort and left the room. She returned with an ID-format photo and handed it to the inspector. Then she sat back down, put her arms on the table, and laid her head in her
arms.
Montalbano lightly stroked her hair and left.
*
As soon as he got back to the office, he called Fazio and told him what Tumminello’s wife had said to him.
‘The whole thing worries me,’ said Fazio.
‘Me too. But before we imagine the worst, I think it’s best if you look into Tumminello’s private life. Here, take his photo.’
Fazio looked at it. The photo showed a man of about forty with an anonymous face: no moles, scars, nothing, one of those faces you forget barely five minutes after you’ve seen it.
‘He doesn’t look like a man with any troubles,’ he said.
‘Faces are deceptive, we know that from experience.’
Fazio went out and Augello came in. He was wearing a dark expression.
‘What’s wrong with you?’
‘I’m still upset over that bastard Ragonese, I can’t help it.’
‘Then prepare for the worst.’
After Montalbano told him in great detail about his meeting with the commissioner, his facial expression turned even darker.
‘So the eminent lawyer and honourable Member of Parliament Mongibello wants to bring a thing like that onto the floor?’
‘It’s understandable.’
‘But what does he get out of it?’
‘Are you kidding? It’s the perfect excuse for him, Mimì! He’s certainly not going to pass up an opportunity like this!’
‘Explain what you mean.’
‘There is no doubt that Mongibello will have the support of his own party, the majority party, in Parliament. There is no doubt that the Minister of the Interior, who is from a different
party but is of the same ilk as his allies, will promise immediate action. And such action will mean, at the very least, the transfer of the commissioner and an early retirement for me. And you
know what that means?’
‘That you’ll finally be out of everyone’s hair.’
‘That too, of course. But above all, it will mean a thousand points in the Cuffaro family’s favour, and they’ll come out of this stronger than ever before, with due thanks to
the government.’
‘But don’t they realize this?’
‘Some, maybe not; others, definitely.’
‘Well, if anything like that happens, I’m going to resign,’ said Mimì.
‘Don’t make me laugh. Let me ask you the same thing you asked me: what will you get out of that? You’ll just add a few more points in the Mafia’s favour. Whereas you need
to keep fighting.’
‘It’s not easy, on two fronts.’
‘
Two
fronts? Count them carefully. There are four.’
‘Four?!’
‘Yes indeed. One: common criminality; two: the occasional murder; three: the Mafia; four: the members of Parliament in collusion with the Mafia.’
‘You know what I say? I say I resign right now.’
‘And what’ll you do?’
‘I’ll find something. I could get a job as a municipal police chief in a town somewhere.’
‘Listen, between the time you put in a request and the time they accept you, you’ll be probably over the hill. Therefore, in the meantime you’d better cover your back. Draw up
a report for the commissioner, straight away, so he can read it when he wakes up.’
‘What should I write?’
‘The facts. Everything from the moment you got to the supermarket; Borsellino’s
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