Chapter 13 #3
The officer smiled and came across to shake hands with Paolo, who then introduced us. ‘Dan, this is Maresciallo Luigi Croce. Luigi, let me introduce you to Dan Armstrong. He’s a former police officer from Britain who now lives and works in Florence.’
The officer and I shook hands, and he introduced his young companion. ‘This is Carabiniere Esposito. He only arrived from Calabria a few weeks ago and he’s feeling the cold.’
I shook hands with the tall, gangly young officer and gave him an encouraging smile. ‘If it’s any consolation, I come from a long way further north, but I still find it freezing cold here, so you’re not alone.’
I got a shy smile from him in return.
Paolo handed them their drinks, and we clinked our glasses together. I took a sip, and it wasn’t bad – certainly not in the paint-stripper category by any means – and very welcome.
After taking a mouthful and emitting a satisfied sigh, the maresciallo led us over to a table and brought up the matter in hand. ‘I gather Signor Viviani has died. Tell me all about it.’
Paolo pointed across to me. ‘Dan found the body. He can tell you more than I can.’
I gave them as clear and concise an account as I could of the events of this afternoon and Oscar’s discovery of Bartolomeo’s body.
I told him that I had taken the decision to bring the body into the villa, although under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have touched anything in a potential crime scene.
At this point, Croce looked up from his notebook.
‘You say “a potential crime scene”. Does this mean you think it might have been more than just an accident or suicide? Do you think there’s a possibility of murder here?’
I shrugged my shoulders. ‘I really don’t know.
Everything is indicating an accident, but there are a couple of factors that make me think it might be more than that.
’ I went on to tell them about Bartolomeo’s fears for his life after the death of his partner.
With Paolo listening, I didn’t mention Bartolomeo’s suspicions about his children or Ingrid for now.
I did mention the fracas last night caused by the unwanted arrival of Giorgio Gallo, the property developer. Both officers scribbled furiously.
When I finally came to a halt, Croce gave me an appraising look.
‘Thank you for a very clear report, sir. Out of interest, could I ask what you were doing in the police in England?’
‘I spent thirty years in the Metropolitan Police murder squad. When I left, I was a detective chief inspector.’
In case Croce was unfamiliar with the rank, Paolo was quick to translate. ‘That means he was a commissario – a senior officer.’
I was quick to play down my previous rank but I saw increased interest in the eyes of both officers. Croce nodded a couple of times and then queried why Bartolomeo had called me here. It was a fair question, and I gave him as full an answer as possible.
‘I now have a private investigation agency in Florence, and a mutual friend who’s also staying at Villa Delle Coppelle recommended me to him.
Bartolomeo Viviani told me he was afraid that somebody wanted to kill him.
I told him I wasn’t a bodyguard but that I would be happy to investigate, in case there might be any truth in his fears.
’ I shook my head ruefully. ‘It might have been better if he’d got himself a bodyguard after all. ’
‘So you really think it might have been foul play?’
‘I don’t know at this stage. I’ve spoken briefly to everybody at the villa and, as far as I can tell, nobody has a concrete alibi for the time of the victim’s death but, for obvious reasons, I couldn’t sit down and question them all formally.
Of course, that’s your job, and the last thing I want to do is to get under your feet.
There’s also the Gallo man that you might like to investigate.
All I can tell you is that Paolo and I both feel quite sure that Viviani didn’t take his own life, so the accident theory looks solid.
It’s just, as I say, with the background I’ve described and the death of his partner so recently, I think it would be prudent to consider murder as a possibility. ’
For the first time, the young officer spoke up. ‘But with what motive, sir? Why would somebody have wanted to kill him?’
I chose my words carefully. ‘That’s what I’ve been asking myself.
As I see it, the fact that the two main shareholders in the company have both been killed means that we have to consider money as a possible motive.
As I understand it – but you’ll have to check for yourselves – the widow of the deceased partner and now Viviani’s two children have suddenly become very rich indeed.
Do I think any of them might be the murderer?
Well, maybe, is all I can say. You see what you think.
Alternatively, now that Viviani is out of the equation, I believe that his son will be only too happy to buy into Gallo’s plan to develop the valley as an Alpine resort, so there’s motive there. ’
I swallowed the last of my grappa and we all stood up.
‘Good luck, gentlemen.’