“Detective? I’m sorry for being inappropriate!”
She stared into his eyes:
“No, you are not, but I appreciate your fake apologies. See you tomorrow at 9 for the course!”
Seeds of doubt had been planted in her mind: Alessandro was such a common name, however… She couldn’t wait to reach her room; she checked the list and found his name among the other students and she jumped out. Chiara glanced up and saw him: he was six feet tall, his weight was about one hundred ninety-eight pounds, and he was one of the two suspects. What a good start!
Chiara inhaled, put the list away and highlighted the second name, Carlo. She inspected the room and found him, on the other side. Were they partners? Wee they innocent or guilty? And which ones of their colleagues had written the reports to Carmeli, the former Supervisor that had retired some time ago? Unwittingly, she saw Carlo approaching. Chiara admired his statuesque body, his eyes so dark that were close to black and his dark, short hair. He smiled.
“So, are you the Detective who foiled the robbery at the service station?”
His voice was calm and full of curiosity.
“I wouldn’t say foiled, just detected!”
“Well, you did a good job anyway. I’m Carlo, nice to meet you!” He held out his hand: his shake was firm. Then he smiled and she smiled back, shaking his hand in turn.
Chiara looked at him, he begged her pardon and turned away with two colleagues. She stood and observed all the policemen in there.
She should have talk to Carmeli, she was going to do it as soon as possible. Chiara reached the other teachers, they knew by sight. They had met in several refresher trainings but had never worked together. She stared at the two men and they looked back at her. Chiara knew without a doubt that she was skilled as much as they were. She had been working six months in the U.S.A. with the C.I.A. Nevertheless, she was a bit scared: was she going to be accepted?
Her fear vanished when they started talking: the two men welcomed her. On the other hand, the policemen were doubtful. Chiara could feel it when she turned back and contemplated the Headquarter resuming his normal life.
“You came in a bad moment, or a very good one. We had a failed terrorist attack at the DA’s office and rumour has it that there will be other attempts. We also heard about a transit of terrorists toward the Capital, where they are supposed to have their operational basis. Not to mention the convention coming soon in here. Many personalities will attend”.
Chiara and her colleagues looked at each other and smiled.
“Well, I hope everybody will pay attention to our lessons!”
Then she went out and turned back, glancing at the walls: white and clean. The windows had green tents on them. The headquarter was brand new and really different from the one she worked in. That was situated in an ancient palace, this was modern and full of comfort, but maybe it hid something rotten. Never judge a book from its cover, thought Chiara. And, regarding to this, her remarks about the two suspects came back to her mind.
She took her phone and rang supervisor Carmeli.
“You are welcome, Detective. See, I can’t believe to these rumours about my headquarter, but I got a report from an internal source. Then, I received an anonymous: it said we should be careful and keep an eye on those cops and their bad loops.”
“Who made the internal report?”
He shook his head:
“I’m sorry, I don’t know. Someone left it in the anon box I have for cases like this. I did it to avoid any kind of reluctance or fear. Nobody wants to stab at his or her colleagues, it’s not easy at all. I can’t help you. I asked Prosecutor Spisni because he worked here years ago. He can take care of this case. But I won’t set up a formal inquiry: the suspects alone are enough to damage their reputation and the one of the whole district!”
Chiara bit her lip, narrowed her eyes and nodded shorty: she was going to watch all the tapes and check the shifts for the day the report had been put in the box to identify potential authors of the reports, then she asked for the names of the members of the squad the two suspects were in.
She greeted Carmeli and smiled seeing his admiration:
“Police enlisted very beautiful women!” he said.
Chiara smiled:
“Thanks, but I hope we are clever, above all!”
Chapter 3
Taking the ferry was a kind of new. She felt disoriented wandering around Venice. It was an unusual experience. She watched the old palaces, the people who were speaking in strict Venetian dialect, the water all around.
She adored the water, in all its forms. She smiled inwardly; she was feeling like a tourist, while observing some groups in Piazza San Marco. She was tempted to mingle with them; she could pretend to be a tourist for real. Then, the sense of duty prevailed; she proceeded to the railway station. Once arrived in Mestre, she walked to the hotel.
She had just arrived to her room, when she opened her laptop and accessed to the server; she began to type the name of the suspects of the squad. Her fingers flew over the keys. The ticking kept company with her.
She analysed every identify record; every particular, crossing data, names, dates and numbers. A past midnight, she had examined seven members out of nine, including two suspects, but the words on the screen had begun to overlap because of her sickness. She closed the laptop. She was going to proceed tomorrow. She hanged around the room: it was so beautiful and romantic, while she was alone.
Chiara thought back to the words of the concierge: “For Valentine, we have some good offers. If you like our service, you can come back with your boyfriend!”
She nodded, even if she had wanted to reply: “Which boyfriend? Who the hell has a boyfriend?”
It was 7:00 a.m. when the room’s phone started to ring.
“Hello?” She grabbed the phone.
“Miss Pilati, I beg your pardon, but your car is here!”
Chiara opened her eyes. She yawned and replied: “Can you put me through?”
“Detective, I’m Ferrari. We came to pick you up!”
“I was supposed to go to the headquarter at 9:00 a.m. for the course. You’re a bit early.”
She was a simple assistant for these days. Why were they such in a hurry?
The guys looked at each other. Alessandro, Claudia and Luigi were puzzled. Alessandro took the service order.
“Look, we’ve been told to be here at 7:00 a.m.! We can wait, if you’re not ready!”
Chiara jumped already up and was looking at the bathroom. Why the hell coming to pick her up at 7:00 a.m.? She wasn’t even told. Perfectly arranged, wasn’t it? Such a good start.
“Listen, go ahead. I‘m coming by myself!”
Chiara listened them whispering to each other on the phone. She heard the voice of one of them: “I’m sorry, orders from above. We’ll wait for you in the hall. Come as soon as possible!”
Click.
She glared at the phone in her hand. She clenched her jaw and muttered. She was not going to reach the hall without having a shower. She went in, under the boiling water. She washed her hair and dressed – make up, and she was ready to go. Once the elevator’s doors opened, Chiara stood and watched the guys. She narrowed her eyes; there was again Mister Wise Guy from the service station, how lucky. She had a quick think about the guy: he was thirty-four, not married. Her data about his private life were scarce: he had a house, he earned high school diploma, assistant detective; never had a formal warning. He was just reprimanded for unorthodox methods: he had been assigned to that headquarter for a year.
Chiara also focused on the other colleague: Carlo. He was much more polite and affable than Mister Wise Guy. Carlo was 35. He separated from his wife: indeed, now she was the former foreign wife. Carlo was an agent, and the state of his services was impeccable.
Mmh, the former foreign wife, thought Chiara: she decided to investigate on that point: she needed to know where she came from. Maybe she could have been a connection.
T
hey walked toward the car.
Chiara was so absorbed by her thoughts that she threatened to crash into the car door. One of the cops whose name was Luigi stared at her. She smiled and shook her head, tense: “Sorry, I was lost in thought!”
“How can you tell me about the headquarter where you come from?”
Chiara turned to his colleague. She smiled: the other two colleagues were observing them from the mirrors.
“Normal, just a bit smaller than yours!”
“But, did you really study terrorist dynamics in the United States?”
Chiara saw again the guys looking at them. She didn’t give them attention. She said: “Yes. It was an unforgettable experience. Hard, tiring, but satisfying. It taught me a lot!”
The girl had to be young. She stared at her with eyes wide open: “I envy you, detective!”
The A.D. who was driving, Ferrari, interjected: “Claudia, we do our job very well even without courses. Don’t worry, that you also learn many things by being here. No need to go abroad!”
Chiara grinned: “Your colleague is right. You can learn many things here if you want. I can tell you that it was a beautiful and very tiring experience. But it was worth it.”
Chapter 4
Once Chiara arrived in the parking lot, she saw immediately her referent coming toward her: “Detective, I am sorry. I forgot to tell you that today we wanted to meet before the course.”
She shrugged. If she had known, she would have wake up before. Not bad: she wasn’t sorry that A.D. Ferrari had to wait for her. Maybe he would have learned the meaning of humility.
She observed the course students. She lingered on Carlo Barbieri, the other suspect.
Yet he had a such neutral look… but she was used to two faced people. Nothing ever caught her out. She was going to observe them during the lesson and start her investigative work.
Carlo sighed. How boring, he thought. He wanted action. Sitting in a chair for hours listening to three speakers was a torture, although the youngest teacher was really cute. He watched his colleagues. There was his entire squad plus three different ones. He glanced to his watch: a break was coming soon, and so he would have been able to sneak away.
Chiara observed Carlo. He was pawing: he wasn’t paying attention to their speech but she hardly could imagine why. Her referent had just texted her asking updates. Did he think she was a medium, didn’t he? She sounded out the room noting down positions of the component of the suspected squad. She tried to observe their behaviour while her colleagues were explaining how to prevent acts of terrorism and what to care of.
During the break, Chiara walked to the coffee machine. She had to ask to her referent about the terrorist menaces he had mentioned. She inserted the coin and then she started swearing. She punched the machine: “Maybe this headquarter is newer, but this stuff sucks just like the old one’s!”
“Need a hand?”
Chiara veered at the sound of that hoarse, low voice: he had a deep timbre. Alessandro was behind her: he put a hand on her shoulder and the other one on the machine.
“May I try, Detective?”
Chiara stepped aside, making way for him.
“Ladies go first.” Chiara found out that she was being sarcastic. She couldn’t help it, despite his manly scent had dazzled her: he exuded sensuality from every pore.
Alessandro dealt a heavy blow on the top of machine. They heard the unique sound of coffee and its aroma tickled her nostrils.
“Thanks!”
“You’re welcome. Sometimes, just have to know how to take thing right side up!” His tone was a bittersweet.
She raised an eyebrow. What did he mean? Why did she find out a hidden two-way?
She stood still watching him taking his coffee. She took her time to observe him carefully, from head to toe and back again: He turned back: “Am I wearing my suit inside out?” His voice was low, his gaze firm.
“No, why? Excuse me, Detective, I was lost in thought.” She smiled quiet. He stared ad her intently. That girl was not telling it as it was; her gaze was too careful, too inquisitive. He saw her studying all the bystanders. There was something isn’t quite right. A shiver ran through him. He would have better keep an eye on her.
“Detective Pilati?”
“Yes?” Chiara turned to her referent and followed him in his office.
“Close the door. I’m giving to you the same news that I already gave to your colleagues. According to the different alarms that we received, I ask you to be so kind to join our top three squads for helping the analysis process. I asked for permission to your contacts and I was told yes.”
Chiara nodded. She hoped she was going to be able to choose her team. However, if her referent had already asked to the colleagues, she could have been compelled to choose the remaining one. If this was the case, her inquiry on the two suspects would have become more tricky.
“Your colleagues didn’t express preferences for a squad. What about you?”
She glanced at the office wall and the pictures. She had to ponder her first move. Exposing herself by asking for the Roma 31 squad would have be hash, because she would have to justify her choice, and obviously she couldn’t.
On the other hand, if she had been assigned to another one, investigating on Barbieri and Ferrari would have been more difficult.
“Detective?”
Chiara jumped out, shaking her head: “I have no preference. But I would like to work with the guys who are dealing with the robbery in the service station. I could help on that to meanwhile!”
In principle, if Ferrari was the driver in the car maybe his squad was following the case.
Assistant chief Torres nodded: “It’s Roma 31 squad. I approve. You can work on the service station affair too. Do you think there is a connection?”
“Those men were not Italian. It could be everything!”
Chapter 5
“Detective!”
Chiara stopped running and turned back, looking at the guys. She put her hands on knees and bowed, taking a breath. She has been running for an hour and she was sweaty wet.
They were wearing plain clothes and she struggled to recognize them. Then she saw Carlo smiling, while the girl was waving at her. Alessandro just nodded.
They were so different, she sighed.
“Are you here to investigate?”
“We came after a suspect for the service station affair; he went into the park stall!” Alessandro had given a short reply, staring at her in contempt. She stood up slowly and drank some water, tilting her face:
“Why didn’t you follow him inside?”
It was Claudia who replied:
“It’s not very crowded in there, we would attract his attention. There are mainly tourists and foreigners!”
Chiara consented; they were not strangers and could hardly have been confused with tourists, because of their local inflection. But it did not affect her! Here eyes narrowed: Alessandro’s look of disgust came back to her mind. She held out her hand:
“Detective, do you feel like improvising?” Two couples eyes turned on him. Both of their colleagues were observing them, puzzled. Then the girl brightened up:
“Ale, she’s right! You’re dressed casual and she could mix up with tourists, if you listen to her accent! Carlo and I are both from Veneto, but you are not!”
Chiara sneered.
“Are you awkward?”
“I am not! Let’s go!” He grabbed her hand firmly and nestled her; she opened her eyes wide and he tilted his face, mocking her:
“Awkward?”
She leaned on him and got closer; her hand slid under his shirt near his belt.
“No, let’s go!“ He shivered; his skin was hot under Chiara’s fingertips.
They reached the stall and went in. Alessandro looked at her:
“He’s straight ahead, middle-east appearance, about thirty. Black coat, black trousers, leather bag!”
Chiara nodded and got close as if as she was going t
o kiss him. He tensed up; she didn’t bat an eye and deliberate whispered:
“I’m sorry, I’m sweaty wet!”
He forced himself to smile:
“I bore a lot worse in my job, don’t worry!” His voice was confident.
Her eyes blinked: she was still thinking to his disdainful look of few minutes ago. They approached the counter, discretely night to the suspect. She asked for lemonade, he wanted a coke.
“Tourists?” the barman asked out loud. Chiara nodded smiling.
“Where are you from?”
Alessandro’s embrace grew of intensity. Chiara catch a glimpse on him, then turned back to the barman and replied:
“Ascoli Piceno!”
She looked Alessandro again and whispered: “He wasn’t in the service station!”
He responded with gritted teeth:
“Maybe he’s the lookout. The investigations by the flying squad took us to him. Any objection?”
“None”. Chiara narrowed her eyes. They were both standing, close each other, and studying the man who was moving to the counter:
“Is Khalid here?”
“Not yet. Are you waiting for him?”
“No, I’m going to head for him, thank you, Sergio!”
Chiara glanced up to Alessandro; she could feel his body pushing on her. He had veered and had given away to the suspect to face her. From the window, they could foresee Claudia and Carlo. Chiara wandered if there was romance between them, then she directed again her attention to the man they were following. He was heading to the backdoor. Chiara turned to Alessandro and he touched her lips lightly with his fingertip and then moved it to her throat. She froze, but he didn’t stop. He kept on with his fondles and embraced her waists… Then he grabbed a bill and paid for drinks. Mouthing her lips, he pushed her toward the backdoor.
They could look like a young couple of lovers seeking a bit of intimacy, but a watchful eye would have noticed the scheme of his cold-hearted moves. Chiara supported him just the outward appearance though she was upset.
UNDER THE CLOAK Page 2