The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri Page A

anyone knows Susanna
Mistretta, or if they saw a girl pass by last night on a
motorbike.
    All right, Chief, Ill get on it first thing in the morning.
No, Gallo, perhaps I didnt make myself clear. I want you
to go there immediately and then ring me at home.
    He arrived home feeling a little worried that Livia might give
him the third degree. And indeed she started the questioning
at once, after greeting him with a kiss that seemed a bit distracted
to him.
    So why did you have to go in to work?
    Because the commissioner put me back on duty. And he
added, as a precaution, But only temporarily.
    Do you feel tired?
    Not at all.
    Did you have to drive?
    I had the squad car take me around.
    End of interrogation. Some third degree! This was a piece
of cake with icing.
    5
    Did you watch the news? he asked in turn, seeing that the
danger had passed.
    Livia replied that she hadnt even turned on the television.
He would therefore have to wait for the ten-thirty edition of
TeleVig News, since Minutolo must surely have chosen to
speak to the station that was always pro-government regardless
of who was in power.
    Although the pasta was a tad overcooked and the sauce
acidic, and although the meat looked and tasted exactly like a
piece of cardboard, the dinner Livia had cooked up could not
really be considered an incitement to homicide. Throughout
the meal, Livia spoke to him about Kolymbetra, trying to convey
a little of the excitement shed felt.
    Without warning she broke off, stood up, and went out on
the veranda.
    It took Montalbano a few moments to realize shed
stopped speaking to him. Without getting up, and convinced
that Livia had gone outside because shed heard something, he
asked her in a loud voice:
    What is it? What did you hear?
    Livia reappeared with fire in her eyes.
    Nothing, thats what I heard. What was I supposed to
    hear? All I heard was your silence! That was loud and clear!
You never listen when I talk to you, or else you pretend to listen
and then answer in an incomprehensible mumble!
    Oh, no, not a squabble! He had to dodge it at all costs.
Maybe by feigning a tragic tone ...And it wouldnt be entirely
staged, since there was an element of truth to it: He did,
in fact, feel very tired.
    No, Livia, no . . . he said.
    Resting his elbows on the table, he covered his face with
his hands. Livia became alarmed and immediately changed
tone.
    But be reasonable, Salvo. Whenever anybody talks to
you, you just
    I know, I know. Please forgive me, thats just the way I
am, and I dont even realize it when . . .
    He spoke in a strangled voice, hands pressing hard on his
eyes. Then he got up all at once and ran into the bathroom,
closing the door behind him. After washing his face, he
reemerged.
    Livia was standing outside the door, repentant. Hed put
on a good performance. The audience was moved. They embraced
with abandon, asking each others pardon.
    Im sorry, its just that today was a bad
    Im sorry, too, Salvo.
    They spent two hours chatting on the little veranda.
Then they went back inside and the inspector turned on the
television, tuning it to TeleVig. The kidnapping of Susanna
Mistretta was naturally the lead story. As the anchorman
spoke of the girl, a photograph of her appeared on the
screen. At that point Montalbano realized that hed never felt
    curious enough to find out what she looked like. She was a
beautiful girl, blonde and blue-eyed. Little wonder that people
complimented her on the street, as Francesco had mentioned.
Her expression, however, was one of self-assurance
and determination, which made her look slightly older than
her years. Then some images of the villa appeared. The newsman
hadnt the slightest doubt that Susanna had been kidnapped,
despite the fact that no ransom demands had yet
been made on the family. By way of conclusion, he informed
viewers that the station would now show an exclusive interview
with