Hunted
Page 25
Claps didn’t care about all the explanations.
Greta.
“We found the backpack a few metres away from the Mercedes – maybe it bounced out of the car during the crash. We found a lot of make-up material inside it and a few hundred Euros in cash.”
Sensi spoke again after a long pause. “I have told you everything… apart from one thing. Something that I hope will give you some comfort.” Sensi hesitated a little longer. “Greta… the autopsy was carried out early this morning… she didn’t have any traces of smoke in her trachea or her lungs. She died instantly, Claps. She didn’t burn alive. She didn’t suffer.”
Greta.
Sensi didn’t add the fact that Riondino’s body was in the same condition – it was a shame that he hadn’t burned alive. If hell existed, maybe he was burning alive there.
Claps stood up and then said his last few words for that morning. “Where do I have to… sign?”
Sensi handed him the report that he had left on the desk. “Read it and if you agree with everything, put your signature below.”
Claps took a pen and, without even glancing at the statement, he added his signature.
Then he took a sealed envelope from the pocket of his jacket, threw it on the desk towards Sensi and walked out of the office without saying a word or even turning round.
Greta.
*
Doctor Cristina Manara placed another X-ray from one of the two charred bodies on the diaphanoscope, next to a panoramic X-ray of Greta Alfieri’s teeth. She had finished the autopsy on the two corpses two hours earlier – this was the last, official procedure to identify the body in question.
In reality, the personal object that had been found didn’t leave much room for doubt.
Nevertheless, Doctor Manara analysed the two X-rays, which looked identical at a first glance, carefully and patiently. She looked at them more carefully than may have been necessary, albeit the first superficial analyses suggested the answer already.
She studied the X-rays carefully because, as she had taught her students, when a subject had a perfect and healthy denture, with very little work done on the teeth, identification was more challenging. And that was the case for Greta Alfieri.
She also studied the X-rays carefully for another reason – she wanted to give Claps a hope, even if only a slight one. “I’m ninety per cent positive that it’s her, but I’m not absolutely certain.”
She surrendered a few minutes later.
“But we can state with confidence,” she said coldly and professionally to her assistant. The young man was waiting for her instructions to finish typing up an official medical report on a laptop. “We can conclude the report on the identification of the body. This is Greta Alfieri.”
She didn’t know Greta and had only heard of her from Claps, but she knew how much he loved her. It was something that went beyond what he could express. Claps had saved Greta’s life once and now he felt responsible for her death.
Sometimes, Cristina Manara wished that she had a different job.
She thought that she would like to take a break, go for a walk and smoke a cigarette, even though she hadn’t touched one for years.
“Let’s carry on,” she said instead. “Pass me the other X-ray.”
As a first step, she hung up on the diaphanoscope an X-ray of Riondino from the time of his detention. She observed the image and she noticed the absence of wisdom teeth. Then she hung the x-ray of the second corpse next to the first one.
“Jesus,” she muttered after an initial glance. A wave of chills ran up her spine. “Call Sensi! Quick!” she cried – and carried on staring at the one wisdom tooth that she could see in the lower jaw.
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Translator’s Acknowledgements
The completion of this translation would have not been possible without the invaluable help of Irene Flack (Starfish English Services), who has patiently edited the documents and has provided constructive suggestions throughout the process.
About Alison Sherlock
MONTY MARSDEN, a Tuscan by birth, grew up in Milan, where he studied medicine and still works. He lives in the province of Bergamo, with his wife and four children.
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Addictive Fiction
First published in Italy in 2017 by Newton Compton
First published in the UK in 2017 by Aria, an imprint of Head of Zeus Ltd
Copyright © Monty Marsden, 2017
Translation © Marco Condorelli, 2017
The moral right of Monty Marsden to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.
The moral right of Marco Condorelli to be identified as the translator of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN (E) 9781786694317
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