The Woodcock Game: An Italian Mystery Novel Read online

  Maria Guastalli looked at her brother, her eyes demanding a good answer.

  "But ... Davide does not use those damn fake cigarettes " she said, almost whispering

  Bertoli looked at the agent, then the two suspects, ordering the young policeman with a glance, to be ready.

  "La Signora has nothing to do with the murder, except for the decision to conceal the corpse" said Nino "because she believed Ascanio was the murderer"

  He turned to her.

  "Isn’t it, Signora?"

  "Signora" said Bertoli, a crack in his voice that showed the embarrassment of those who had never arrested a queen "how do you know Charlize died from a lethal dose of nicotine?"

  Maria Guastalli looked at the ring.

  "You know what hurts me the most? That Gualtiero’s daughter was killed here... that once again my family has done evil to this man.

  Fortunately he is no longer here to suffer "

  Then she looked up at her brother.

  "Charlize told me of her allergy, after she had that attack. She told me it had never been so bad.

  She told me what she felt and realized that she had been poisoned.

  I studied Pharmacy and remember a lesson in toxicology: the professor said two drops of nicotine can kill a man. And I remember the symptoms she described "

  She lowered her gaze, but not on the ring, further down, tears were streaming down her face and she wiped them and continued.

  "I saw the stains on hers hands, he must have touched nicotine, because she did not smoke.

  But Ascanio….he has those cigarettes and once he broke one, that’s how I knew there was enough nicotine to kill someone, if you open one "

  "Mom!"

  Ascanio came almost running.

  "Mom" he repeated, sitting down next to her "Did you really think it was me?"

  He took her hand, and she looked surprised, then turned her eyes filled to her brother.

  Davide, meanwhile, had stopped wringing his fingertips and calmed down, as the truth was winning and wrapping around him.

  "And you let her believe so, did you?" said Nino watching Davide.

  Davide sighed.

  "Madeleine told me one thing" Nino said "Charlize had a curious habit, which was to put earplugs before undressing and go to bed. She used to take a shower and put on her pajamas with those earplugs in, because she said isolation lulled her to sleep. "

  "We all thought Charlize was ready to go out with someone, but she had been, already. And she had talked to him" said Bertoli

  “Charlize was out with you "Nino said, turning to Davide

  "Yes" he said, and only waited for his friend to continue

  "She told you she was leaving for Venice; she was wearing the ring you gave to her, not the family ring. But it was not enough for you "

  "She didn’t want to make love with me. I told her she was Ascanio’s sister, she could not marry my nephew, but she told me that that was not the problem"

  Ascanio smiled.

  "We split two days before. She told me that her heart was not free. She was in love with my uncle. Affinity, she said, that she didn’t feel with me "

  Maria Guastalli looked at him, holding his hand.

  "Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you say anything to your uncle? "

  “Charlize was a real lady: she told me she was leaving to avoid problems to anyone, that it was not uncle Davide’s fault or anyone’s and begged me not to say anything, to give her the opportunity to explain everything and, if possible, to live their affair away from Verdana "

  "What did you think, when you heard of your girlfriend’s death ...? Did you suspect anyone in the family? "

  "Yes" said Ascanio watching his mother, who sent out a faint cry

  "I thought my mother ..."

  Nino watched his friend Davide: love makes fools, yes, but Davide was a nobleman who had made art out of his sensitivity.

  He sold beautiful paintings, that transmitted poetry and sweetness.

  He had always thought he had a femininity that rather merged with his gentle manner, sometimes.

  He was a womanizer, sure, but classy. He understood women like no other Nino knew and he had often helped him understand his daughters, in the teens, when natural detachment from parents’ psyche is often manifested as open conflicts.

  "We were alike" began Davide "and in love. We talked for hours in my studio.

  Then she told me she was leaving, to Venice, to put space between her and these stories "he shrugged, then looked at Bertoli" I lost my mind "

  "Trying to kill her not once but twice"

  "Oh, no!" he nearly shouted "Charlize broke one of those damn electronic cigarettes. She ran to the studio saying she had touched the liquid inside, and she was sick. I saw the stains on her hands and grabbed the pine tree essence, but she told me she was allergic, then I gave her cortisone. I really thought it was an allergic reaction "

  "How did you know that pine tree essence removes nicotine stains?" asked Bertoli

  "A housekeeper we had many years ago used it; My father was a chain smoker "

  "Then ..." said Bertoli, to make him go on "

  "... Then, when she told me she was leaving, I thought she was leaving for good, leaving me cause I was too old. And love changed to hate: I hated myself, hated her, hated the whole world. I went into Ascanio’s room and took one of those cigarettes and opened it, I dipped the earplugs Charlize used and put them back where she kept them.

  When we kissed good night, I went upstairs, but when I heard her gasping in her bedroom I panicked.

  I ran to her, I wanted to save her, to stop the horror I had created.

  But she was already dead when I found her, with cortisone in her hands "

  "Then” Nino went on “you cleaned her hands with the essence, because you couldn’t stand seeing those stains on her hands, put your ring on her finger, like you were painting her portrait. You took her into the woods and waited all night "

  Davide lifted his gaze.

  "Mark" said Nino "ran because he sensed you: you're the only one he greets as he does his master.

  Apart from me, you're the only one Mark believes as such.

  You were there, otherwise he would never leave our pursuit, that had lasted for hours”

  Davide began to touch his hands again, but gently.

  "I did not want the body to….. you know…animals ... .I wanted you to find it. Maria asked me to get rid of the corpse, but I… "

  Bertoli turned to Maria.

  "Davide called me:” she began “he was desperate, he told me Charlize was dead in her room. I told him we had to hide her, that there could be no investigations on her body. I did not want Ascanio…. "

  "Mom, I know it all"

  Ascanio turned to Nino.

  "One day I went to look for my father and he told me everything. He begged me not to tell mom, he defended her.

  And I said ‘Ok, I lived with her and uncle Davide all of my life, they were the ones I loved and did not feel the need to replace That man was a stranger to me and I forgot about him for years. I didn’t even know he was Charlize’s father "

  “When my sister told me so,” Davide said “I pretended to go along. I knew where you, Nino, were hunting and I took her there, waiting for you.

  So, Maria could think it happened by chance "

  Then he stood up.

  Bertoli and the agent moved like lightning, but as they touched him, Davide smiled.

  "I will not run away. I’ll follow you.

  But no handcuffs, please.

  After all, I am a duke "

  Bertoli and the agent took him away gently, as he had asked and Nino remained in the big room with Ascanio and the Duchess.

  "Dear Nino ..." she murmured

  Bertoli returned and La Signora looked at him.

  "Signora, you will be formally investigated for withhelding justice. Although acting to protect your son, you important information to the police, planned t
o hide the victim’s corpse and sabotaged the investigation "

  The woman nodded.

  Ascanio stood up and walked to the door.

  "Please, Commissario, can you let the accusations against my mother drop?"

  Bertoli sighed.

  "Yes, I think so, I will ensure there is only a formal act, I will come to your home to make her sign and she won’t have to testify"

  Nino got up to leave.

  "Nino caro ..." repeated the woman

  "Signora Maria, there are many things I forgive: a rude and intrusive individual, an elusive friend and a dog who disobeys.

  But I can not understand why the human being still believes violence and deception lead to safeguarding happiness.

  We all have a choice, even in the most heartbreaking love.

  A child to be protected, a secret to keep, nothing covers what you have done.

  You have hidden your son’s identity from him, not telling him who his father was.

  You lobbied for this secret to remain covered , bringing Charlize to leave and bringing Davide to fear losing her.

  Nobody will give your son and that woman back what you have taken.

  As for Davide ... "

  Nino’s voice cracked: he thought of dinner tables, full of chats and cheers, which he had often shared with Davide; he saw his friend, and sometimes carefree slob, who loved to play harmless pranks to make girls laugh.

  He thought back to the dreams that lonely and poetic Duke had.

  “Davide never knew how to love and was unable to distinguish desire.

  He won’t get more love. You’re locked in a prison that was guarding happiness that you let slip away a long time ago "

  Then he left, without looking at her or Ascanio..

  Getting in the car, he realized he was crying.

  For friends, for the innocence of the years you share with them and it’s blown away by the need to control life.

  And he cried because capturing the woodcock is always the end of a fairy dream that will never come back the same.

  September 29th

  Nino and Mark had been walking in Canterana park for an hour.

  Nino had his jacket on and autumn had finally come; Mark had begun to follow a track, but every so often he turned to look at him.

  A shot rang out in the bush and Nino saw the woodcock fly away.

  But it was a gunshot, he thought, rather more like a revolver.

  "Nino Canali? Is that you…the doctor?" said a voice behind him

  Nino turned shouldering his rifle, but what he saw reassured him: a boy of about fifteen, scared, with his hands up, looking at him and shaking.

  "Come, please, somebody shot my father and then ran off into the woods!"

  Mark looked at him, then walked whining towards the boy.

  He stopped, turned to Nino and, wearily, gave him a call.

  Nino shook his head, lowering his rifle.

  "Ok, ok ... I will follow you ..."

  Oh, mamma, he thought, now I became Lassies owner ...