Chapter 16 #2
‘Thank you. Another question – would I be right in thinking that Signor Viviani was a ladies’ man? Do you think there’s any chance that one of his paramours or somebody connected with one of them might have decided to take revenge on him for something?’
I saw him explore the concept for a few seconds before answering, a harder expression now on his face.
‘It’s true that he did have a voracious appetite for the opposite sex and, to be perfectly honest, on occasions, this definitely interfered with his ability to run the company.
’ Calogero glanced around furtively again.
‘I saw him fondling Selena Gardner on Monday night and it occurred to me that they might be lovers. I suppose it’s possible that Selena or a jealous husband or a former lover might be behind this, but I’m afraid I can’t possibly give you any names. ’
I filed this information away for future reference and changed the subject. ‘Were you aware that there was a proposal to transform this valley into an Alpine resort?’
‘Yes, but Bartolomeo didn’t take it seriously. I urged him to consider it, because it would without doubt have produced a healthy income stream for him that could have been used to shore up the company’s current cash-flow problem, but he was vehemently against it.’
‘And did you know that he was approached a few days ago by some people interested in buying the mining rights to the old mine? Again, this could have generated some very welcome cash.’
He shook his head and, from his expression, I definitely got the feeling that this had come as news to him.
‘No, he didn’t mention that. A pity. That’s what the company needed, still needs, an injection of capital, not just to replace the missing million euros, but to allow us to consolidate and expand. ’
I registered the amount. A million euros would be more than enough incentive for somebody to resort to drastic means to avoid being discovered.
Maybe Bartolomeo really had been murdered by somebody in the company who had had their fingers in the till.
One thing was for sure – there was no way Vincenzo, his former partner, could have killed him from beyond the grave, but maybe the not-so-grieving widow?
I glanced at my watch. It was half-past nine.
‘I won’t keep you much longer. Before I leave you in peace, I’d like to ask you something a bit more sensitive.
I quite understand that this might put you in an awkward position, so if you don’t want to answer, just say, but it could prove to be important.
What about his family? Do you think any of his family members might have been responsible for his death? ’
Calogero looked understandably shocked. ‘You mean Orlando, Valentina or Umberto? Absolutely not. No question of it. Yes, Orlando and his father had a fractious relationship, but there’s no way he or his sister would have stooped to murder.
And as for his brother…’ He crossed himself superstitiously. ‘Dear God, no.’
‘Thank you. Can I ask you the same question about the other people here at the villa at the moment? What about the widow of his recently deceased partner or his newly appointed personal assistant? Do you think either of them might have been prepared to do something like that?’
I had to wait for an answer and, for a moment, I got the impression he might have been about to make a suggestion but then thought better of it. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know either of them well enough, but I would be horrified if that were the case.’
I closed my notebook and stood up. ‘Thank you, Signor Naselli, you’ve been very helpful.
My apologies for interrupting your breakfast.’ A thought occurred to me.
‘I seem to remember your wife telling me that you two are supposed to be leaving today, but Paolo believes you’re staying until tomorrow. Is that right?’
He nodded his head. ‘In light of Bartolomeo’s death, I owe it to Orlando to stay on at least until tomorrow to help him deal with all the administrative headaches his sudden promotion to senior partner has thrown up.’
I was secretly very pleased to hear this.
Until it could be confirmed whether Bartolomeo’s death had really been an accident, it made a lot of sense for all the suspects to be kept here.
The Carabinieri hadn’t stipulated this, but if I’d been the investigating officer, I would have insisted upon it.
Of course, I reminded myself – not for the first time – I was no longer DCI Armstrong, calling the shots.
I returned to my rapidly cooling cappuccino and gave Anna and Selena a smile. ‘That’s enough business for now. What are you planning on doing today?’
The question was answered for me by the arrival of Valentina.
I was pleased to see her looking brighter and a bit more cheerful than the previous day.
She addressed the three of us while fending off a warm greeting from Oscar.
‘Do you feel like skiing or boarding today? We’ve got loads of skis and boots you can use.
Paolo says he’s going to fire up the lift. ’
This was news. ‘You have your own ski lift?’ In a super-rich environment like this, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but it did all the same. I glanced across at Anna and Selena. ‘What do you think? Feel like going skiing?’
Anna looked very dubious, and I waited to see how Selena would react.
Given who she was, her answer made a lot of sense.
‘I’d love to go skiing and I’d certainly like to stay around here and keep under the radar.
If I were to go to a resort where there are lots of other people, it would only be a matter of time before somebody recognised me, and then our friends the paparazzi would descend on us and spoil my precious break. ’
I looked across at Valentina. ‘It looks like you have two, maybe three candidates for your ski lift. Four if you include Oscar.’ A glance across at Anna told me that the prospect didn’t exactly fill her with enthusiasm, and this reminded me of how I had felt on the Island of Elba when she had persuaded me to have a go at windsurfing.
That had been six months ago, but there were times when I still felt as if I had salt water splashing about inside my head.
Up here, it was likely to be ice.