In the mountains we went to bed early, it was customary. Saturday afternoon was different, but not on that occasion. Dino was injured, it was better that he did not ride the bike, especially at night. Hence it was unthinkable that Renato could go down to the village all alone. In any case they were very tired and thoughtful to complain.
When they saw me lock the door and pull the pallets, Dino tried to joke. «Are you scared of us being killed too?».
His voice was not firm, he was truly scared, and it showed. I continued blocking every shutter and closing the windows. «There’s Tom», he said.
They did not understand, so I explained myself. «Rico’s dog is still alive. He has gone wild and wanders the woods, he could be dangerous».
«That dog?», Renato asked. He always liked dogs, for years he insisted on getting one. «But…».
«Trust me», I interrupted him. «Anything he was before now has changed, he’s turned dangerous».
«Are you afraid of him coming here?», Dino asked me.
«He could be anywhere, it’s better to be careful».
That night Dino fell asleep dreaming about bikes and engines, of that I was certain. Renato was already picturing himself in jail, probably. I calculated what I could have bought with that money. I reveled in its amount, as if it was a real treasure, and my claims widened.
When I fell asleep, though, I only saw corpses and holes in the ground in my dreams.
3
It started as an outing, deep down it was very likely that we would stay there the whole day; hence it was necessary to take something to eat. All this had the side effect of having to get up before than usual. It was not a sacrifice, because I had already had enough with nightmares.
I was preparing sandwiches, but I also packed a vegetable tart. Before waking them up, I let myself get tempted and also cooked a strudel. When they lazily got up, like ghosts, I was already filling the basket.
They were not used to getting up this early on Sundays and it seemed they had not slept much either. Nightmares seemed to have chased them. I served them an abundant breakfast, but they ate listlessly. They looked cautious, ready to venture.
«We’ll talk when we get there», I said, blocking any discussion before it rose.
I filled the little truck, packing picks and shovels and also a barrow to move the corpses. It was not easy, but I preferred not asking for help, I did not want them to get impressed beforehand. While closing the hatchback I had a moment of uncertainty and I felt like a monster. I was dragging my kids to do an illegal act that might have marked their existence forever. The alternative, however, was worse, and I did not feel able to withstand it.
It was enough for me to get rid of it and when I got home I was smiling. «Everyone ready?».
I let Dino drive and that was enough to put him in a good mood. I snatched the rifle and responded to Renato’s worried look. «It’s just for the dog, should it ever come close».
I did not recall that the Drenghis were ever down in the village on Sundays, they were not the religious type, and hence it was unlikely that anyone came to disturb us.
Dino did not have the same respect I had for the cart he was driving, In fact, he reached the top of the mountain in half the time it took me, and I could not complain. Now that we were on the roll, we could do nothing more than wait. Renato did not say one word, and when we were in sight of the target, I turned around and held his wrist.
«Don’t worry, everything will go well», I promised him. «I’ll never seek to get you in jail again».
I lied, but not much, if things went wrong I was ready to take full responsibility.
We crossed the summit and the Verdanas’ farm was immediately in sight. It looked the same as I had left it. Perhaps it was better not to get too close, but I had already left traces in my previous visit. We would have them covered before we left, so I did not say anything and let Dino take us to the quay.
The stench had to be worse, or I was being hypersensitive, I seemed to feel it even with the windows closed. Animal carcasses seemed to have swollen, but that was also an optical illusion.
I wasn’t the only one being hypersensitive, since they also had their nerves on edge. In fact, Renato started throwing up as soon as he got off the cart.
«No!», I shouted. «I brought the bags for this. That way we don’t have to clean. Wait a bit!».
He did not listen to me and threw up all his breakfast.
Dino was extremely pale; he looked like a zombie and seemed to emulate his brother at one point. «You didn’t tell us it was like this».
I did not understand what he meant, deep down he had not seen anything yet. Fortunately he had not realized what was inside the premises nor had he noticed the house. Was the stench that perturbed them? I cannot deny it was stinging. I was cautious and had not had breakfast.
«All the animals have also been slaughtered, why could this have happened?», I uttered to myself.
«Maybe so they wouldn’t starve», Renato rattled. «Or out of hatred; maybe pride was taken in killing them».
Every hypothesis was valid. At that moment I was not feeling like going into that room again. I pointed to the house. «They are in the dining room».
Dino had already reached for the bike and was riding it. «I thought better», he commented.
Maybe Ivan did boast too much, or maybe as a driver he was a landslide, but I also noticed that the bikes were poorly kept. One of them was in even worse shape than our little truck. Rico’s SUV was still in good condition, but we certainly could not take it.
«Let’s take a look in the house», I proposed. «Stay alert, try not to touch anything. If you do, clean afterwards».
It did not seem to me that I had left any footprints on my previous visit, but I checked anyway. I was alone in the house, the boys slowed down their pace until they stopped. They were in the sun just a few steps from the door.
«Didn’t you hear me?», I asked.
The thirst for adventure had disappeared. «Are there really any dead in there?», Dino asked.
Renato was the first to come around. Even if he was not well he could not leave me alone. He moved forward without saying anything.
I ignored Dino, not to let him weigh my judgment. «Let’s take a look around», I told Renato, and I pointed. «Not there, the corpses are there».
I was curious about how the Verdanas lived, but I found myself in a pigpen just as I had expected. I found two rooms for girls, one with two beds and the other one with three. There was so much confusion and there were garments scattered everywhere. I took a quick look because there was nothing that could interest us.
The two men had single rooms and reigned in greater order. There was no computer. I noticed Renato’s disappointment, even though he said he was opposed to the looting. The closets were full and there may have been something I could recycle for my kids. After all, the sizes were quite similar.
Dino, the last one to enter, had taken the wrong direction. When we found him he had a greenish color on his face and I deducted he had found the dining room. «You don’t know how to count either, Mom», he told me before throwing up. I was ready; I had a bag in hand, and put it in front of his mouth almost on time.
I let him carry out his natural functions by turning his head to another side and giving him a minimum of intimacy. Renato thought about attacking him. «No, you’ll make me vomit too!».
The beginning was catastrophic, they were already like rags, they would never take the bodies away and I could not do it all by myself. We could not bury them there, sooner or later someone would find them, and we had to go into the woods.
I had not found Rico’s room yet, it was logical to suppose it was beyond the dining room on the opposite side of his children. If there was anything useful it had to be there. I divided the tasks. «Look for the boys’ rooms. Look well in case there is something you can use; even clothes, not just useless gizmos. I’ll go see in there».
None of them da
red to follow me, because they knew what was waiting for me very well. I plugged my nose, going through the kitchen, and I found myself in the dining room. I wanted to get through it completely to reach the front door. I tried not to look at the corpses on the feast. I ran, I stopped, my eyes popped. I counted.
There were six.
There were six corpses around that table. I suddenly understood Dino’s words. I pulled the curtains to see better. I regretted that instantly.
Rico was always there and death had turned his expression into a grin. Anna had bowed her head, like she always did when she was alive. Ivan was there, the tallest, he was just a year younger than Dino. He was the only male. There were also three females remaining. Three children were missing, they had disappeared; two girls and a boy.
I checked to see if they had fallen on the floor, but their chairs were also gone. «Hey, you two, come here!», I called.
Was it time to begin being scared? The dead were not able to get up and go away alone; especially not those already half rotten. I did not believe in resurrections, so there was only one explanation.
I exposed it to my children when they arrived. «They have decreased», I said. «Someone got here before us, they are burying them».
Poor boys were already upset, so neither of them understood. «So we do not have to bury them then?». There was relief in Dino’s voice.
I asked myself the same thing. If someone else was already doing it, then we were interrupting their work. This could cause unpleasant side effects. «Maybe we should leave and come back another time», I proposed.
«And what about the money?». Dino did not think of anything else. «We have not looked for it, maybe it’s here. The next time it may not be anymore».
Everything was possible, I could not deny that. «I’ll look for it myself», I decided, and put the rifle in Dino’s hands. «You take it, defend your brother».
On any other occasion he would have been proud, but his hands were shaking and could not manage to touch it. «Wouldn’t it be better to stay together?».
Maybe he was right. «Come on, come on, let’s hurry».
After recovering from the first shock, Renato was looking at the corpses, mouth open. The Verdanas were not beautiful even when they were alive, all the girls had a nose like mice and the boys had subnormal wide foreheads. «Why did they stay like this», I asked myself.
He had also noticed that peculiarity that did not let me sleep. There was an explanation. «Someone has put them in that pose.
I nodded. «Why? Why like this? They must have been alive then this was done, look how the blood has dropped».
Yes, that lunch was fiction; the assassin must have put them in that position. I could not manage to understand how it was done. «Maybe they were tied», I chanced.
«But what does this mean? Why like this?».
I was not capable of exploring a mad mind. I certainly did not want to meet whoever did it, and it was obvious that we were disturbing the job; it was time to leave as soon as possible. «Let’s not waste any more time, we’ll talk later».
Dino could not wait to leave that room; he opened the door without any precaution. Luckily the killer was not there. A brief corridor led to the bathroom and the patrons’ room. There was also a small study, almost deprived of furniture. At that point I could not go back. «You have to, look everywhere. Do not mess around, though; just money, nothing else. If you find jewelry leave it be, it will only cause us trouble».
The inspection began, but Renato’s input was pretty bland. «They have killed the children, haven’t you seen? How do you kill children?».
He had arrived late; he had not seen the other three corpses, which were even younger. It had not been a robbery, I was certain of that. So much violence could only be the outcome of hatred. This gave us more hope of finding what we were looking for.
I was able to conceal it, but I was also terrorized. Whoever had committed this massacre was still there, maybe even spying on us. There were three of us and we were armed, but it was possible that there was more than one assassin, that also they were a band.
«I found it», Dino shouted excitedly.
I went to check, encouraged once again. There was a bunch of banknotes hidden under the laundry in the dresser. They valued them by weight, but they were small banknotes. They should not be more than three or four thousand euros. «Look again», I ordered.
We stayed for half an hour looting everything. Two more piles surfaced, one a little more conspicuous, but all together did not reach nine thousand euros. It was not a figure to throw away, but it was not the treasure we expected either. Maybe their savings were kept in the bank, or maybe not. We did not find any bank book.
When we were certain there was no more hidden money, it was time to cross the dining room again. It was not time to close the eyes, but rather hold the rifle firmly.
Illuminated by the sun, Renato noticed them. «Look, Mom, they’ve dragged something here».
There were clues on the wooden floor. They could have been there a long time, but they just looked like legs of a chair dragged to the door; a heavy chair, with someone on it.
It was not a big discovery; we had already realized what was happening. «Let’s go», I said, pulling Renato on one arm.
We returned to the entrance and there Dino pointed out. «We did not go there».
There was a small door and looked like that of the seven dwarves, it was necessary to bend over to cross it. It was locked, but the key was hanging on a hook just next to the door. I found the thing disturbing, and Renato thought the same way.
«We do not have to open it», Dino muttered. «I meant to say».
There could be many reasons to lock it. Not protecting what was inside, otherwise they would not leave the key in sight; maybe the opposite.
If there was danger beyond that door, it had to be considered that it had not been opened for days, so the danger could have become much less dangerous.
It was up to me to make a decision; and I was not the type to run away in fear. I took the key.
The lock was well oiled, the key turned without any obstacles, demonstrating that it was often used. I immediately understood what it was. «There’s a cellar», I said.
It was impossible; we were on the top of the mountain. Below us there was only rock, it was impossible to be a real winery. «Do you want to go down?», Dino said.
When it came to macho behavior, he was always going back, having his mom to solve everything. To tell the truth, I was curious; we had not found almost anything in the house; who knew what they hid down there.
I was wrong; if they had really digged it to hide something illegal, the key would not be in sight. Anyway, we were on the roll, and I had to keep going.
The steps were dug into the rock, bigger than normal; it was hard to go down. Nobody followed me. We had found the light, a light bulb hanging on the wall that gave off very little light. When I got to the bottom I realized that there was only one room, nothing more, too dark for my taste. I blindly looked for a switch.
«Everything all right, Mom?», Dino asked, from far away.
The light turned on. The room was dug into the rock, and it was a cube of a couple of feet per side, very small. In front of me, a kind of dowry had been excavated, which from the inside led to the surface; a very narrow conduit, just so as not to be suffocated, which could not illuminate that place.
«Did it light up?», Renato asked. He must have found the switch.
That hole was a pigsty. I had stood in front of the corpses, but in there I struggled to keep myself from vomiting. There was everything, food leftovers and probably human excrements. A mattress on the ground, old and stained, with the sign of a body imprinted above. I also noticed clothes, piled in a corner in bags, as if they were junk.
I was trying to reason; to find it a meaning.
«Mom? Is everything OK?».
Finding a treasure in the middle of that bunk was unthinkable, I had already s
een enough. I retraced my steps and climbed up the ladder.
«What did you find?», Dino welcomed me.
What did I find? I did not know; one bed, another bed. «How many beds are there at home?», I asked.
There were five beds for the girls, two rooms for the boys and Rico and Anna’s double bed. What was in the cellar? Had anyone ever lived there? Maybe it was just the room for punishment, if someone had disobeyed.
That did not add up. There were clothes down there. I was already sorry I had not taken them, but I was almost sure they were for man. Did Rico and Anna have another son, the eighth? I did not know anything about him. From the shape on the bed it could not be so small.
«Mom, tell me something!». Renato was also getting agitated.
If there was an eighth child, what had happened to him? Was he buried before I came? Was he the assassin?
It was not certain that it was their son; he could be someone else, maybe a fugitive who was hiding. It was more and more dangerous to stay in that house.
«Let’s go», I murmured.
We head for the exit carefully. I went first, rifle in hand. I pointed it against the woods, ready to shoot. I did not even lower it after I realized nothing was moving.
«They used a wheelbarrow», Renato said.
He was bent on the ground, looking for traces, like a good Indian.
It was precisely what I wanted to do; to get rid of the bodies by taking them away in the wheelbarrow. Renato dragged on for a while, trying to find the direction. He pointed his finger to the middle of the trees. «They were taken there!».
So? He had pointed to the forest. Were any of us going to chase a knife maniac? For what reason? We got what we wanted, it was time to go home. We could not do much with nine thousand euros; maybe restoring the little truck.
«Where do they make the grappa?», Dino asked innocently.
There certainly was not a distillery in the house, nor had I seen one in the barn. There were no other places, as far as we could see. They obviously did not do it in there, since it was illegal.
«It does not matter».
Lizzi Bizzi and the Red Witch Page 76