“Yes. It’s nice. Sometimes it’s exhausting!”
“Do you want to reach her? Maybe we can call Torres back and you go.”
“No, thanks. My sister is a Carabiniere and, thankfully, she’s fine.”
He sat in the car and turned to the window. She was watching the landscape scroll under her eyes. Carlo was whistling.
“Carlo, what do you think about the men we arrested? And what about the robbery?”
He stopped whistling and whirled toward her.
“I should ask you! You’re the expert. What did you learn?”
She smiled:
“No, no. I asked you first… come on, tell me!”
“Okay. What about a coffee, meanwhile?”
“Okay. Though the service stations does not bring me luck these days!”
He laughed:
“Don’t worry. You’re sitting pretty with me!”
She followed him into the station. She leaned against the counter, ordering a cappuccino and a brioche:
“So?”
He stared into her eyes and smiled, brushing her cheek. She was astonished:
“You were dirty.”
He nodded briefly. Was he stalling?
“I don’t know. There have been rumours about terrorist attacks for months. We were prepared, given the meeting, but we have no evidence of any connection!”
“Well, I may say that you can’t still have your heads in the sand. Did you not trust the rumours?”
“It’s not about trusting or not…” commented he and then approached by tilting his face:
“Did you say that we should worry about?”
“Definitely you should. I wonder how you don’t get it!”
A thought came to her mind: he was different from Alessandro, but not less disturbing. Why he wasn’t worried?”
“Do you think that the fact that my wife… my ex-wife is Arabian takes me to underestimate the threats?”
She stepped back a step as soon as:
“Should I?”
“You shouldn’t…” It was strange that he had immediately put his hands forwards, hitting exactly the suspect. She was about to pay her food, when he put his hand on her:
“It’s on me.”
“But…”
“No buts. Ladies don’t pay; this is my rule. In addition, you are very beautiful and I’m glad to pay for you!”
“Thank you!” She lowered her gaze, letting her hair to cover up her face
It was ironic. She impressed Alessandro and Carlo. Indeed, Carlo was struck by her, while Alessandro apparently remained cold despite… She shook herself and saw Carlo staring at her intently:
“Didn’t I put you awkward, did I? I can’t be the first telling you that you’re a beautiful woman!”
“No, you’re not. But you’re the first using a compliment to avoid my questions. I swear it’s not a question to know if you’ve been following my course!”
He laughed, grabbing her hand. He pulled her close to him and she gasped, surprised. It was a paradox! He was flirting and she had slept with Alessandro, who apparently felt almost disgust toward her. But that wasn’t all: what if they were both corrupted? Were they partners? Were they friends? Enemies? Or just simple colleagues?
He touched her hair with a hand. A shiver crossed down her spine and Chiara widened her eyes. What was happening? She stared at him. Maybe, she had better not accept a ride from him, she had to go alone.
She had instead and now she was laying still and wondering what to do; she felt confused, even more confused than before: Carlo wasn’t clear at all. She let him put his hand on her back. He led her to the car. Chiara was determined to exploit the situation anyway.
“Carlo, I really want to hear it from you. I’m not from around here. I don’t know exactly what kind of threats you were targeted with, what precautions you have taken and now… the robbery to the CIT van… I’m sure you will understand…”
“Chiara, Detective… why aren’t we talking about us?”
Chiara whirled:
“Us? Carlo, there is no us. I’m here to work.”
“Do you think I’m cute?”
Chiara smiled. In that moment he looked like a puppy looking for attention. She nodded:
“You are. But you’re a colleague too and you should know I must think to work. Actually.”
Damn! Who said that the Venetians were chatty? He didn’t say a word.
Then, finally he began to speak, repeating like a parrot almost everything she had read in several reports.
“Okay, but tell me, you and your squad, you had the opportunity to work on the case, hadn’t you?”
She saw him clench his jaw, tense. He closed his hands on the steering wheel until his knuckles became white.
“Alessandro is very cautious in this area. He is the squad leader. We worked on the case, like all, but…”
“But?”
“Pilati, Chiara, why so curious?”
There was suspicion in his voice and in his gestures. She smiled, becoming a chameleon too:
“It’s my work. I’m here to teach a lesson on counterterrorism. I’d like to know the level you are at!”
She touched his hand. Carlo smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. He patted her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. She closed her eyes and let his warm hand reach her wrist. She inhaled, diverting the topic:
“Have you been separated for long? Do you have children?”
“No, we don’t have children. We have been divorced for a couple of years. How about you?”
“I’m not separate.” He waited a moment, then smiled:
“Not even married or engaged. I wouldn’t have the time!”
“Yeah, it’s because of this work, isn’t it?”
She nodded. She always knew which reply he was to give:
“Perhaps, it would be more appropriate take a colleague as a partner!”
She laughed:
“Are you proposing?”
“Why not!”
She smiled; he was parking the car.
“You may not find it worthwhile: I’m an awful roommate and as a girlfriend… I’m the worst. Come on, let’s go. We are waited and we’re late. I don’t want to end locked out!”
They went in together. She smiled watching him slobber shamelessly the clerk and apologizing for the delay. He got all their files and documents. Chiara lingered in analysing some data. Carlo approached:
“I’m done. Can I help you?”
“No, thanks. I’m done too!”
She grabbed the copies she had requested and stuffed them in her bag. Then they got into the car. Chiara was lost in her thought.
Chapter 14
“Chiara? It’s 7.00 p.m. Maybe we can stop and eat something?
“Yes, okay. Just reach the highway!”
He was silent. Chiara was absorbed in her thoughts. She paid no attention to the road. Carlo was equally equivocal than Alessandro. She had the vague impression that it would have been a thorny case.
When she looked up, she saw that they were slowing down in front of a restaurant. Apparently, they had left the highway. She didn’t even figure out.
“It’s a great restaurant, Chiara, come with me!”
She shook her head. She grabbed Carlo’s arm:
“As colleagues, Carlo.”
He smiled and winked:
“Of course, as colleagues, the dinner at least… later, who knows!”
He walked without giving her the time to answer.
Chiara narrowed her eyes. She advanced forward the tables of restaurant, thinking back to Alessandro. She sat still thoughtful. Then she sighed: she had to gamble well.
“Carlo, I’d like to know how you arrived at that Jamal. The guy we followed. Did you know that he is connected to the detainees for the robbery?”
She saw his gaze puzzled then he was nibbling spaghetti that had ordered, taking his time before replying:
“The credit belongs to the flying squad. We
just had to follow him. Chiara, do we really need to talk about this?”
She finished her dinner, before lifting his eyes:
“Carlo, it’s my job. The anti-terrorism is my daily bread; also, I want to do well so…”
The conversation was empty by words. Chiara slipped her mind to Alessandro, to their trade bitter and pungent. Thinking about him wasn’t correct.
She still was still thinking as they left the restaurant, when Carlo grabbed her hand pulling her against him. His lips came on hers by surprise. Chiara’s eyes widened, while she was letting his lips open hers, his tongue to come inside her mouth. She sighed, when his hands brushed her hair in a gentle caress. Chiara closed her eyes then pushed him firmly away:
“Carlo, stop!”
He stared at her:
“Chiara…”
“Sorry, Carlo, I think we’d better slow down!”
He stared at her; he barely resisted to the temptation to grab her again and drown in her lips, caressing her face. He saw her holding her breath, her eyes darkening.
“I’m sorry!”
The return journey ended in silence.
“I’m leaving you at your hotel, am I not?”
“Yes, you are. Please!”
“I guess it’s worthless asking if you want me to come up with you, isn’t it?”
Chiara looked at him. Despite that kiss had excited her, she shook her head:
“Sorry, Carlo, you’d better go!”
As soon as she entered the room, she looked at herself in the mirror: her lips were red and swollen. She shook her head. What was come to him? She washed her face with ice-cold water then she laid down on the bed and grabbed the phone to ring her mother.
That break had given her the time to take the reins of the game. She had to report, she had to analyse the photos. She wanted and had to comprehend what the hell Alessandro was hiding.
With the research on the anonymous tip, she was at a standstill. Too many policemen had passed in those days at the Quarter. However, an alarm belle had sounded in her head while she was observing Luigi appear several times. He was part of the squad of the two suspects. Maybe he had seen something and had reported it?
She wanted and had to think, it wasn’t possible, and yet… and what if it had been Luigi the one who had told about his colleagues? What had he seen? Chiara ran a hand on her temple, the she called her referent:
“Pilati, at last! How’s going?”
“Chief Torres, good evening! So and so, I’m doing three jobs: I teach, I investigate and I’m trying to get the bottom of the internal affair too!”
“Pilati, I know you’re good, but we are anxious here. We got some news. There is a meeting of great presidents. Should we postpone it?”
“Boss! Postponing the meeting would serve no purpose. It would just make the terrorists more cautious because they would understand that we suspect of them!” She could see him sitting with a sandwich. She felt him eating and drinking:
“You’re right, you’re right… so, what are we going to do?”
“Look, in fact, the two policemen give me something to think about, but I have no evidence in one way or another. I have something in hand to analyse. Just give a bit of time more and I’ll tell you something!”
She hung and began looking at the pictures, downloading them on her computer. She sighed: “Okay, let’s read these files.” Her gaze slid on the names, on the places. Her hand was rushing and taking notes.
The problem was that she was still to Carlo, to his smile and to Alessandro and his stiffening. She already investigated about other colleagues, but it was much easier. The bank account showed no strange movements; salaries, bills; she sighed. Analysing other photos, she rubbed her eyes. She was tired.
She opened her eyes. Blimey! She had fallen asleep on the desk! She looked at the time: 5:00 a.m. Well, at this point she would have stay up and look at the sunrise! She smiled moving quickly; a pair of pants, a shirt and she went down the street, toward the park, for a ride. The crisp air cleared her mind. She looked up breathing deeply. She liked the silence. She liked to watch the van of the bakery that was waiting in front of the bar, the deserted city coming back to life.
She just closed her eyes and had a short break, enjoying the chirping of a bird, the sound of the broom of the pump picking up the leaves, the sound of a motorcycle and a door slamming. She wasn’t convinced. Ferrari was hiding something. What? Carlo was reluctant too. Both at the course of anti-terrorism reacted abnormally. The letters that denounced the presence of suspicious subjects were vague, without evidence, without any ground. The phone call was equally vague, from a disposable phone.
At the moment, the only things she was absolutely positive of were that something was moving and that there was a terrorist group that was planning an attack. Maybe a sleeper cell? And which one was their goal, Rome? The meeting? Or both?
The thought was always there… she was convincing herself that what happened with Alessandro was just sex to gain access to his home. She couldn’t deny that she liked it, she thought, and that she hoped he was innocent.
As if she had evoked him, he came into her view, in front of her, intent on running. She stopped to observe him; she saw him greet an old man walking with his dog. He smiled to him. Then she saw him turn his head and catch her eye. She slowed the race. He did likewise. They stood motionless, face-to-face, looking at each other:
“Hi!” He greeted her, sighing slightly.
“Good morning, Alessandro! I didn’t think you like running!”
He frowned:
“Why? And you deducted it from what?”
“From the disgusted look you gave me when we met and I was jogging, the day we tried to stalk Jamal.”
Alessandro nodded slowly:
“You misunderstood!”
“Real? If I did, why did you have that air of disgust?”
She saw him breathing in:
“No… I wasn’t disgusted. I don’t know what you thought to see!”
She looked around, observing a sheet hovering and resting on a bench. She turned his gaze. He moved his hand and stroked his forehead:
“How is your arm?”
“It’s okay!” He moved it, showing his muscles, and she shook her head:
“Witty!” She touched his arm, and then she stopped, holding her breath.
Chiara felt a strange sensation, a blast of heat: their looks met and rested without a yielding. They didn’t move. She wanted and had to remove her hand from his arm; actually, she couldn’t. Her hand was there, on his arm. Chiara just closed her fist, clawing his arm. She stood on the tips, brushing his lips while he looked petrified. She narrowed her eyes and stepped back a bit from him. He half closed his eyes and kissed her lips with anger, violently, drawing her against himself. If she had thought that her memories of what happened were somehow wrong, that her imagination showed them improved, now she couldn’t continue to deny the truth. His mouth took her beyond measure; his lips, his tongue, his way of moving inside her mouth. She breathed. He moved his lips on her throat. She threw her head back, leaving him free access. His hand slipped on the shirt of her, caressing her breasts, with a slight gesture.
Chiara had lost all sense of time and place. If the first time she had directed the game, in his house, now he was at the helm. If he had lingered, if he wanted to, she would have left him to strip her there on the spot. His hands caressed her body. She felt his hand touch her bare skin on the abs, creeping under her shirt.
She perceived his manhood pressing against her. She touched his neck then suddenly felt a current of cold air as he moved away. They were both panting.
“Excuse me. I shouldn’t have done this.”
She saw him flinching. He shook his hand and she replied by impulse:
“You’re right. You shouldn’t.” She quickly moved back to reach to the hotel. Once she made a hundred yards, she remembered that she wanted to ask him to give her the access to old files to gauge his react
ion. So she returned quickly on her feet, hoping to see him. She froze: he was still, intent on talking… was it Jamal? They were distant, but she was reasonably sure of herself. Alessandro was talking with Jamal, he was arguing with Jamal. She could see them gesturing, she could see the moves of their bodies.
She hid behind a tree. Crap, she would have given everything to be able to read labial! Damn, what did it all mean? Was Jamal an informer? It was the best theory. Or was Alessandro passing information to him? Was Alessandro warning Jamal that he could have soon became a wanted? She clenched her fist. Did he kiss her because he saw Jamal get there? Damn. She grabbed the phone and took some photos. Now, she had to decide how to proceed. Was she supposed to warn Spisni? She returned to the hotel and grabbled two aspirin. She had come quite a headache.
Chapter 15
Alessandro was intent to wash his hands when Carlo and Luigi entered:
“Boss!”
“Yeah, yeah, boss, come on, guys, you’re late!”
“Claudia and Chiara aren’t there; we’re not so late!”
Alessandro had clenched his jaw when he heard her name; he had kissed her again, and then she had remained all day in the HQ to talk to supervisors and secretaries.
“Guys, I think she likes me!” Alessandro began coughing when he heard Carlo’s words. Since that they were talking about the two colleagues, the question was lawful:
“Which one?”
“Pilati, Chiara. We went to dinner last night!”
Alessandro clenched his jaw and fists:
“Fine!” He hissed.
Carlo was elated. He took no notice and continued:
“Her lips were soft and wonderful! She kisses great!”
“It’s enough, Carlo we don’t care about. Pilati will be away in less than two weeks. Don’t fool yourself!”
He saw them turn to him. They were puzzled. Alessandro remained impenetrable. Then he smiled and cleared his throat.
“It’s always cool to hear you talk. Come on, Carlo. Guys, let’s go. We have the course in Venice. You didn’t forget, did you?”
So she had fun with Carlo. It was okay. So she would have left him in peace. It was almost a fortune, that she liked Carlo. She was disturbing with him, with her tacit questions and her manners.
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