Stiletto Sisters (Kindle Single)

by Roger Granelli

  ‘Why, GL?’ Mandretta whispered. ‘Why?’ He felt Gianluca’s grasp weaken on his knife hand, until he was able to press the stiletto down into Gianluca’s chest, slowly and inexorably. As it entered, Gianluca made a final effort to get clear, then sank back and breathed his last, a thin red snake of blood seeping from his mouth, his wide eyes looking forever skywards. Mandretta tapped him on the forehead, quite tenderly. ‘Don’t worry,’ he murmured, ‘I know why.’

  Mancini shouted over from his spot, ‘Hey, what the fuck’s happening over there, boss? I think it’s time we got out of here.’

  Mandretta didn’t answer. He got up, holding the Storm with its full magazine, and began to walk calmly towards the villa, spraying the building from side to side, like a busy gardener hosing down his plants. Mancini felt he had to follow him. Most of the bullets from Mandretta’s gun spun through the glassless windows to ricochet around Carlo and the others.

  ‘Jesus Christ, let’s get further back,’ Leo shouted. ‘Looks like Mandretta has really lost it this time.’

  They got out of the front room quickly, looking for the sanctuary of an inner room, but it was not quick enough for Adelina. She gasped and would have sunk down if Leo hadn’t been holding her up. A round that had bounced around the room had found an outlet in the small of her back.

  ‘She’s hit, boss,’ Leo said.

  Leo carefully laid Adelina on the floor, and then guarded the door to the room. He was just in time, because Mancini was coming through the front entrance, shamed into action by his Don. He saw Leo and fired wildly at him, too wildly, as the shots went over Leo’s head. Leo was more accurate, hitting Mancini full in the chest with one round – and one round was all it took.

  Outside, self-preservation began to take hold of Mandretta when he realised the rifle was out of ammunition. It took all his experience to get himself back under control, but when he saw Mancini’s fate he turned and went away quickly, though he had too much pride to actually run. Leo threw a few shots after him, but none of them hit him.

  ‘Adelina’s hurt real bad, boss,’ Leo said.

  Marianna joined them, so full of excitement that at first she didn’t notice that Adelina was down.

  ‘A few of them out back got away,’ Marianna shouted, ‘but some of the bastards are dead out there. We’ve beaten them.’ Then she realised Adelina had been hit. Marianna dropped her weapon and knelt down beside her saviour. ‘Ady, is it bad? Can you hear me?’

  Adelina’s face had been robbed of its tan. It was now grey, and her eyes showed the pain she was in.

  ‘Let her be now,’ Carlo said, putting a hand on Marianna’s shoulder. ‘Leo, check out front, but be careful.’

  Leo was more than careful. He moved very quietly around the front of the villa, levelling his gun at the slightest noise the wind made as it sifted through trees and bushes. All was quiet when he came across Gianluca’s bloodied body. It looked like he had been trying to cheat everyone. ‘This game was far too big for you,’ Leo muttered as he closed the man’s eyes.

  Satisfied that Mandretta was gone, Leo joined the others inside. Carlo and Marianna were trying to keep Adelina conscious and had been joined by Gabriella, who was also ashen-faced, but would survive.

  ‘If we don’t get her to hospital, boss . . .’ Leo let his words trail off.

  ‘If we do, we make all this public.’

  The last sentence revived Adelina. ‘No,’ she gasped. ‘No hospital.’

  For a few moments, the only sound in the room was Adelina’s laboured breathing.

  ‘What time is it, Leo?’ Carlo said.

  ‘Just coming up to three o’clock. Why?’

  Carlo searched for his phone and called the one person who might be able to help.

  Salim Mandretta watched Alvarese arrive at the villa, driving as quickly as his ancient Fiat would allow. Mandretta’s survival instincts urged him to leave the scene. He realised how great a failure this action had been, having now made contact with one of the survivors from the back of the villa. He should have killed Gianluca as soon as he had appeared with that crazy story about Leo Bracchi. That had been his first misjudgement in years, and he had paid a heavy price.

  Mandretta had lost too many men today, some of them shot down by women. That was an assault on everything that had shaped him, and his world had been turned upside down. The thought of this becoming public was unthinkable, but no police had appeared yet. It looked like everyone wanted this to be a very private slaughter.

  Mandretta waited until Alvarese had entered the villa with his heavy bag, then, very carefully, he began to creep forwards once again from his hiding spot. He could not withstand his need to kill.

  ‘I have to be mad coming here,’ Alvarese said, as he came in and surveyed the scene. ‘It’s obvious all of you are.’

  ‘Alvo, I had no one else to turn to, what happened here—’

  ‘Do not tell me any more. I don’t want to know anything about what happened here.’ Alvarese briefly examined Gabriella. He opened his bag, took out a surgical dressing and handed it to Marianna. ‘Here, press this firmly on this girl’s shoulder. She’s lost a fair bit of blood but she’ll survive.’ Then he gently moved Adelina, just enough to examine the wound in her back. When he got up he motioned Carlo to join him outside the room, watched by the fearful eyes of Marianna.

  ‘She’s Adelina Cervi, isn’t she?’ Alvarese said. ‘I remember her father. She’s got no chance, Carlo, even if I was the best surgeon in Italy in a well-equipped operating theatre. And I haven’t worked on the living for more than thirty years. All I can do for her is to fill her full of morphine. It’s amazing she’s still alive now.’

  ‘What if we called for an ambulance?’

  ‘I’m afraid it’s too late even for that.’

  Adelina Cervi died ten minutes later, calmed by the drug, with Marianna nestled up against her like the child she had never had the chance to be.

  Leo and Carlo stood by the front door of the villa. The day seemed unnaturally calm now, and birdsong had replaced the sounds of gunfire.

  ‘God, I could do with a smoke right now,’ Leo said, ‘but Sylvia made me give it up.’ He gave a snort that was meant to be a laugh. ‘Oh, I haven’t had time to tell you, what with all this action. I found Gianluca out there, all bloodied up and very dead.’

  ‘Shot?’

  ‘Nah, cut up. Mandretta always was good with a knife.’

  ‘It’s no use,’ Carlo said. ‘We can’t keep this secret any longer. It’s just become too big.’

  Leo knew he was right, but was still trying to think of other options as Carlo went back into the house. Leo shut his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath as he celebrated still being alive. There was a slight movement in the bushes to his right. He turned, but not quickly enough. Something hit him hard on the side of his head and he went down. Mandretta stood over him, pointing his handgun at Leo’s head. It was hard not to fire but he wanted Leo to live on, for a little while at least.

  Alvarese finished treating Gabriella’s wounded shoulder. ‘Hmm, amazing I can remember how to do this stuff,’ he murmured as Carlo came back in. ‘You’d better think of a plan, Chief Inspector,’ Alvarese said, as he waved a hand vaguely around the room, ‘for all this.’

  ‘I appreciate you being here, Alvo. More than I can say.’

  ‘Then don’t say anything. Where can I wash my hands?’

  ‘Show him, Marianna,’ Carlo said, thinking it wise to detach her now from Adelina’s body.

  Carlo was about to call for Leo when Mandretta suddenly appeared, walking through the front door as if he were a casual visitor. Before Carlo could react, Mandretta shot him in his right arm and pushed him to the floor. Carlo felt an intense, burning pain as he tried to focus on the man standing over him. As his eyes cleared he could see Mandretta in all his evil glory, a powerful, rich man reverting to the gutter again, becoming an animal who now only wanted to kill. Carlo saw Maria and the kids float before his
eyes as he knew there was nothing he could say that would stop Mandretta.

  ‘You should have stayed in Milan, signore,’ Mandretta said. ‘It’s much safer there.’ He levelled the gun at Carlo’s heart. ‘Now, one round here and then one in your head. I’m giving you the honour of an old-style execution, policeman – Palermo-style.

  Carlo wanted his family to be his last conscious image, but the blackness of Mandretta’s eyes dominated his vision. Mandretta’s fingers began to tighten on his gun’s trigger, then he was no longer standing there. A loud gunshot filled the room but it did not come from Mandretta’s weapon.

  Alvarese was standing in the doorway with his ancient Browning pistol in his hand. Mandretta lay on the ground, a hole in his chest but his black eyes still focused on Carlo, looking up at him.

  ‘Hmm, still works then,’ Alvarese said. ‘And that answers your question, Carlo. Remember, when you asked if I kept it loaded? Let’s have a look at your arm, now that the excitement seems to be over.’

  Marianna looked down at Mandretta and spat. Then Leo appeared, much more slowly than Marianna, rubbing a rueful hand over his head. It took him a few moments to take in the scene.

  ‘Jesus Christ, boss, is this the day of days, or what?’ Leo said. ‘I can’t believe we’re both alive.’

  Carlo nodded, then lay still and let Alvarese tend him. He did not want to think about what would happen next and whether all their futures lay in ruins; he was alive, and Leo was alive, and that was all that mattered at this moment. Before he closed his eyes, Carlo could see that the weather was changing, as if encouraged by the carnage here. Storm clouds were gathering, dark shadows moving slowly across the wide Palermo sky.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Stiletto Sisters is the fifth instalment of my Palermo Stories, and the previous stories have all been released as Amazon Singles. Although each story can be read on a standalone basis, they do feature recurring characters. Inspector Carlo ‘CC’ Carpanini and Sergeant Leo Bracchi are a team who have their work cut out in Palermo fighting organised crime. The relationship of these men develops throughout the stories, and I bring in more detail about their private lives as the stories unfold. Palermo is an exotic setting and I have tried to use this rich detail while making my tales as hard-hitting and as readable as possible. I hope all readers will enjoy them.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Photo © Eltham Hunton Jones

  Roger Granelli was born and bred in South Wales, and educated at Warwick and Cardiff universities. He has published nine novels and a novella in a variety of genres, from literary and historical fiction to crime. His Palermo stories are set among the mafia underworld of Sicily, and follow Inspector Carlo ‘CC’ Carpanini and his sergeant, Leo Bracchi, in their never-ending fight against crime.

  Roger has been the recipient of three writing awards from the Welsh Arts Council, and has had numerous short stories published in literary magazines and some broadcast on BBC Radio.

  He is currently working on a full-length Palermo novel.