thrashing it out with Veblen?' Brunetti asked as he came into Signorina Elettra's small office.
She picked up an envelope and used it to mark her place, then set the book aside. 'It's not easy reading. But I couldn't find it in translation.'
‘I could have lent you mine,' Brunetti offered.
'Thank you, sir. If I had known you had it...' she began, then let the sentence drop. She wouldn't have asked her superior to bring her a book to read at work.
'Has the Vice-Questore come in yet?'
'He was here for a half-hour after lunch, but then he said he had to go to a meeting.'
One of the things Brunetti liked about Signorina Elettra was the merciless accuracy of her speech. Not, 'had to go to a meeting', but the more precise, 'said he had to go to a meeting'.
'Are you free, then?'
'As the air itself, sir,' she said, folding her hands in front of her like a diligent pupil and sitting up very straight in her chair.
'The murdered men were Giulio Bottin and his son, Marco. Both are from Pellestrina and both are fishermen. I'd like you to find whatever you can about them.'
'Everywhere, sir?'
Assuming this to mean everywhere she had access to with her computer or through her network of friends and connections, he nodded. 'And Sandro Scarpa, also of Pellestrina and probably a fisherman. See if the name Giacomini comes up in anything about them; I don't have a first name. And a Signora Follini, who runs the store there.'
At the name, Signorina Elettra raised her eyebrows in an open avowal of interest.
'You know her?' Brunetti asked.
'No, not really, no more than to say hello to.'
Brunetti waited for her to add something to this but when she did not, he went on, 'I don't know if it's a married name or not.' Signorina Elettra shook her head to indicate she had no clearer idea. 'I guess she's about fifty,' Brunetti offered, then couldn't resist adding, 'Though you'd probably have to drive bamboo shoots under her fingernails to get her to admit it.'
She looked up, startled, and said, 'That's a very unkind thing to say.'
‘I s it any less unkind if it's true?' he asked.
She considered for a moment and then answered, 'No, probably more so.'
In defence of his remark, he said, 'She flirted with me,' putting ironic emphasis on 'me' to suggest the absurdity of the woman's behaviour.
Signorina Elettra glanced at him quickly. 'Ah,' was the only thing she allowed herself to say and then just as quickly asked, 'Any other names, sir?'
'No, but see if you can find if they owned the boat free and clear.' He thought for a moment, exploring possibilities. 'And see if any sort of insurance claim was ever made on it.'
She nodded each time he spoke but didn't bother to write any of this down.
'Do you know anyone out there?' he asked suddenly.
‘I have a cousin who has a house in the village,' she answered modestly, disguising any pleasure she might have felt in finally being asked this question.
'In Pellestrina?' he asked, with interest.
'Actually, she's my father's cousin. She shocked the family, ages ago, by marrying a fisherman and moving out there. Her eldest daughter married a fisherman, too.'.
'And do you visit them?'
'Every summer,' she said. 'I usually spend a week there, sometimes two.'
'How long have you been doing this?' he asked, his mind running well ahead of his question.
She permitted herself to smile. 'Ever since we were kids. And I have even gone fishing on her son-in-law's boat.'
'You? Fishing?' Brunetti asked, as astonished as if she'd said she had taken up Sumo wrestling.
'I was younger then, sir,' she said, then, casting into the deep waters of memory, she added, 'I think it might have been the season Armani tried navy blue.'
He conjured her up then, wide-cut slacks, no doubt a mixture of silk and cashmere, cut low on the hip like the ones sailors wore. Not a white cap, certainly not that, but a captain's hat, brim covered in gold braid. He abandoned this vision, returned to her office, and asked, 'You still
She picked up an envelope and used it to mark her place, then set the book aside. 'It's not easy reading. But I couldn't find it in translation.'
‘I could have lent you mine,' Brunetti offered.
'Thank you, sir. If I had known you had it...' she began, then let the sentence drop. She wouldn't have asked her superior to bring her a book to read at work.
'Has the Vice-Questore come in yet?'
'He was here for a half-hour after lunch, but then he said he had to go to a meeting.'
One of the things Brunetti liked about Signorina Elettra was the merciless accuracy of her speech. Not, 'had to go to a meeting', but the more precise, 'said he had to go to a meeting'.
'Are you free, then?'
'As the air itself, sir,' she said, folding her hands in front of her like a diligent pupil and sitting up very straight in her chair.
'The murdered men were Giulio Bottin and his son, Marco. Both are from Pellestrina and both are fishermen. I'd like you to find whatever you can about them.'
'Everywhere, sir?'
Assuming this to mean everywhere she had access to with her computer or through her network of friends and connections, he nodded. 'And Sandro Scarpa, also of Pellestrina and probably a fisherman. See if the name Giacomini comes up in anything about them; I don't have a first name. And a Signora Follini, who runs the store there.'
At the name, Signorina Elettra raised her eyebrows in an open avowal of interest.
'You know her?' Brunetti asked.
'No, not really, no more than to say hello to.'
Brunetti waited for her to add something to this but when she did not, he went on, 'I don't know if it's a married name or not.' Signorina Elettra shook her head to indicate she had no clearer idea. 'I guess she's about fifty,' Brunetti offered, then couldn't resist adding, 'Though you'd probably have to drive bamboo shoots under her fingernails to get her to admit it.'
She looked up, startled, and said, 'That's a very unkind thing to say.'
‘I s it any less unkind if it's true?' he asked.
She considered for a moment and then answered, 'No, probably more so.'
In defence of his remark, he said, 'She flirted with me,' putting ironic emphasis on 'me' to suggest the absurdity of the woman's behaviour.
Signorina Elettra glanced at him quickly. 'Ah,' was the only thing she allowed herself to say and then just as quickly asked, 'Any other names, sir?'
'No, but see if you can find if they owned the boat free and clear.' He thought for a moment, exploring possibilities. 'And see if any sort of insurance claim was ever made on it.'
She nodded each time he spoke but didn't bother to write any of this down.
'Do you know anyone out there?' he asked suddenly.
‘I have a cousin who has a house in the village,' she answered modestly, disguising any pleasure she might have felt in finally being asked this question.
'In Pellestrina?' he asked, with interest.
'Actually, she's my father's cousin. She shocked the family, ages ago, by marrying a fisherman and moving out there. Her eldest daughter married a fisherman, too.'.
'And do you visit them?'
'Every summer,' she said. 'I usually spend a week there, sometimes two.'
'How long have you been doing this?' he asked, his mind running well ahead of his question.
She permitted herself to smile. 'Ever since we were kids. And I have even gone fishing on her son-in-law's boat.'
'You? Fishing?' Brunetti asked, as astonished as if she'd said she had taken up Sumo wrestling.
'I was younger then, sir,' she said, then, casting into the deep waters of memory, she added, 'I think it might have been the season Armani tried navy blue.'
He conjured her up then, wide-cut slacks, no doubt a mixture of silk and cashmere, cut low on the hip like the ones sailors wore. Not a white cap, certainly not that, but a captain's hat, brim covered in gold braid. He abandoned this vision, returned to her office, and asked, 'You still
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