help me. You promised.'
'I will, in just a minute. Off you go.'
The kitchen door opened. Mario Querci looked different, younger, in the jeans and anorak he was wearing. The Captain had only seen him in the black suit he wore on duty at the Riverside.
'I'm sorry to disturb you at home,' began the Captain.
'That's all right. I suppose it's about Signora Vogel again—don't get up, I'll sit here.'
The kitchen was overcrowded with three adults in it. A quarrel could be heard going on in the flat next door.
'I told the Marshal everything I knew,' Querci said.
'Yes, I realize that. In fact, it's about something I read in your statement that I wanted to ask you. You said a man had been to see Hilde Vogel one night about a month before.'
'That's right. But I said at the time I couldn't remember the exact date and I've no way of checking since he wasn't a guest.'
'I understand that. What would be helpful would be a clearer description of the man.'
'I see. The trouble is, so many people come and go . . .' 'The thing that interests me is his age.'
'Well . . . I'm no hand at judging people's ages, but I'd say he was fiftyish.'
•Fiftyish . . .'
The Captain's disappointment must have shown on his face because Querci went on: 'I told you I'm no judge. I could be wrong by five years either way.'
But not by thirty years! So they were back where they started with a lot of unrelated facts.
'His hair was grey, I'm pretty sure of that,' went on Querci, still trying to be helpful.
'I see. Well, thank you. I apologize again for having disturbed you.' The Captain stood up.
It was Signora Querci who showed him out. From the tiny entrance hall he caught a glimpse of what should have been the living-room. There was a three-piece suite there but the two armchairs had been stacked, one upside down on the other, and the room had been made into a bedroom for the little girl who was lying there on a folding bed with her book and colours.
At the door, Signora Querci glanced back over her shoulder as if she would have liked to say something to him privately, but the flat was so small you could hear every word. In the end she came out on the landing.
'I just wanted to say . . you won't involve him any more than you have to? In spite of what I said, he's a good man. It's just that he's unlucky.' She seemed genuinely distressed, perhaps a little ashamed of herself. 'I shouldn't have spoken as I did, but there are times . . . cooped up here all day. I hope you understand.'
'Signora, please don't worry about it. It sometimes helps to unburden yourself to an outsider.'
'That's it exactly; To an outsider you can say things you wouldn't normally say.'
But not, thought the Captain, going back down in the lift, in this job. He was tempted to stop off for a moment at Pitti—just to keep Guarnaccia up to date—but again he reminded himself that it was the Marshal's day ofFand that he no doubt had his own problems to worry about.
'No, no! You're not following me—don't keep interrupting.' 'I'm not interrupting. All I asked was if you could hear me!'
'Don't shout. Of course I can hear you.'
But the Marshal's wife was never convinced, even though she could hear him perfectly well. To make matters worse, the line kept fading for a few seconds every so often, so that he would miss something she said, causing her to shout even more. He was growing a bit red in the face.
'What I'm trying to say is that the boys need the space more than we do. I'm not talking about moving the beds round in their room but giving them our room which is bigger—after all, where are they going to study? We can manage with less space.'
'I don't see why you can't wait till we get up there to decide. Salva? Can you hear me?'
'Because it'll be chaos. I'm trying to get things sorted out.'
'I'd rather you waited. In any case, why can't they study in the kitchen like they've always done, where I can keep my eye on them?'
'With the television there?'
'We'll move the
'I will, in just a minute. Off you go.'
The kitchen door opened. Mario Querci looked different, younger, in the jeans and anorak he was wearing. The Captain had only seen him in the black suit he wore on duty at the Riverside.
'I'm sorry to disturb you at home,' began the Captain.
'That's all right. I suppose it's about Signora Vogel again—don't get up, I'll sit here.'
The kitchen was overcrowded with three adults in it. A quarrel could be heard going on in the flat next door.
'I told the Marshal everything I knew,' Querci said.
'Yes, I realize that. In fact, it's about something I read in your statement that I wanted to ask you. You said a man had been to see Hilde Vogel one night about a month before.'
'That's right. But I said at the time I couldn't remember the exact date and I've no way of checking since he wasn't a guest.'
'I understand that. What would be helpful would be a clearer description of the man.'
'I see. The trouble is, so many people come and go . . .' 'The thing that interests me is his age.'
'Well . . . I'm no hand at judging people's ages, but I'd say he was fiftyish.'
•Fiftyish . . .'
The Captain's disappointment must have shown on his face because Querci went on: 'I told you I'm no judge. I could be wrong by five years either way.'
But not by thirty years! So they were back where they started with a lot of unrelated facts.
'His hair was grey, I'm pretty sure of that,' went on Querci, still trying to be helpful.
'I see. Well, thank you. I apologize again for having disturbed you.' The Captain stood up.
It was Signora Querci who showed him out. From the tiny entrance hall he caught a glimpse of what should have been the living-room. There was a three-piece suite there but the two armchairs had been stacked, one upside down on the other, and the room had been made into a bedroom for the little girl who was lying there on a folding bed with her book and colours.
At the door, Signora Querci glanced back over her shoulder as if she would have liked to say something to him privately, but the flat was so small you could hear every word. In the end she came out on the landing.
'I just wanted to say . . you won't involve him any more than you have to? In spite of what I said, he's a good man. It's just that he's unlucky.' She seemed genuinely distressed, perhaps a little ashamed of herself. 'I shouldn't have spoken as I did, but there are times . . . cooped up here all day. I hope you understand.'
'Signora, please don't worry about it. It sometimes helps to unburden yourself to an outsider.'
'That's it exactly; To an outsider you can say things you wouldn't normally say.'
But not, thought the Captain, going back down in the lift, in this job. He was tempted to stop off for a moment at Pitti—just to keep Guarnaccia up to date—but again he reminded himself that it was the Marshal's day ofFand that he no doubt had his own problems to worry about.
'No, no! You're not following me—don't keep interrupting.' 'I'm not interrupting. All I asked was if you could hear me!'
'Don't shout. Of course I can hear you.'
But the Marshal's wife was never convinced, even though she could hear him perfectly well. To make matters worse, the line kept fading for a few seconds every so often, so that he would miss something she said, causing her to shout even more. He was growing a bit red in the face.
'What I'm trying to say is that the boys need the space more than we do. I'm not talking about moving the beds round in their room but giving them our room which is bigger—after all, where are they going to study? We can manage with less space.'
'I don't see why you can't wait till we get up there to decide. Salva? Can you hear me?'
'Because it'll be chaos. I'm trying to get things sorted out.'
'I'd rather you waited. In any case, why can't they study in the kitchen like they've always done, where I can keep my eye on them?'
'With the television there?'
'We'll move the
Similar Books
