One night he arrived totally drunk with that woman Vannozza. He took them both, my mother and her. The following day, I never understood why, we moved to the top of the Teatro Marcello, to the house of Cardinal Giovan Battista Savelli. A new Cardinal became my mother’s lover, Vannozza the new owner of the Esquilino.
I used to associate with the highest of roman aristocracy and I had the pleasure of being introduced to my father’s young lover. She was called Giulia and looked a lot like my mother. A quirk of fate made us very good friends. The only daughter she gave birth to was not her husband’s.
But I don’t have a lot of time left. I must not waste it talking about that. I will only devote these lines to the secret.
2nd December 1938
Poggio Catino, Hotel “Da Rosa”, 8.15 a. m.
A sun ray seeping in from the curtains caressed Letizia’s eyes and woke her up.
She looked at the alarm clock: it was already past eight. The secret papers were difficult to read and that night she was not able to read as much as she wanted: tiredness won over curiosity. Now she had to wait the whole day before starting to read them again.
When she went down for breakfast Alessandro was already gone. Mrs. Rosa brought her a piece of cake and told her that, a few minutes before, one of her sons had come back from palazzo Biraghi where he had delivered some food. He asked her to pass on a message: Alessandro was waiting for Letizia at the sanctuary of Saint Michael for an inspection.
«I wonder what is so interesting in that place to make you go there in this horrible weather. Put comfortable shoes on, my dear, and warm clothes. It is always so cold up there. Do you know the way?»
«Yes. I’ve already been there once.»
«If you want you can take my bicycle so that at least you won’t lose all morning!»
«Thanks, I’ll be happy to borrow it.»
Glad that Musone and Boriello were still in their rooms, Letizia slowly finished her breakfast, went to her room to get a coat, checked that the papers were well hidden under the petticoat she was wearing, put on gloves, hat and left.
The air was cold even if the sun peeping out of the clouds promised a beautiful winter day. Letizia was in a good mood. She breathed in the fresh air deeply, and quickly greeted the soldiers sitting smoking on the little wall in front of the hotel and took the bike.
On the street heading for the Ravine, she couldn’t help thinking of captain de’ Risis. When she arrived where they parked the car the day before she smiled. She didn’t see Alessandro’s bicycle but a Fiat Balilla. He had to be there with someone, she thought. Maybe doctor Tucci.
She followed the path in the woods. She was walking quickly and arrived at the sanctuary in a little bit less than half an hour.
Saint Michael sanctuary, 10.30 a.m.
As soon as Letizia put a foot on the first step, she had an unpleasant feeling.
It was as if something told her not to go up. The wood all around was silent. Not a noise. Not a voice. She thought something had happened to Alessandro and run up the stairs.
When she arrived at the top she was breathless.
«Alessandro! Alessandro, are you here?»
She looked around and waited a few moments before entering the cave.
«Welcome» said a voice from the shadow.
«We were waiting for you» resounded a second voice.
«Where is Alessandro?» asked Letizia moving back towards the exit.
«At work, I guess» answered Musone blocking the cave opening.
«I am sure you are hiding something. Some of our people in your team told us there were many more papers with the skeleton. Where are those papers?» asked Boriello coming out from the shadow.
Letizia couldn’t believe what was happening. She was trapped at the mouth of hell with the most dangerous people she had ever met. She was terrified but she tried not to show it. She knew it was really her living in this situation, but she felt as though she was seeing it from outside, as if it was happening to another woman. It kind of almost helped to keep her nerves steady.
«My dear Letizia, I hope this time you will be a little bit more… let’s say collaborative. We have some unsolved questions to answer you and me. Now the time has come» said Boriello nearing approaching threateningly.
«I don’t hide anything. You also searched among my belongings without finding anything» said Letizia pushing him away.
«Where do you think you are going?»
Boriello stopped her grabbing one of her arms. Musone blocked the entrance.
«What do you want to do?» she shouted.
«We’ll do what is in the nature of things. The big fish eats the little one. We want to know where the treasure is» answered Musone.
«Which treasure are you talking about?»
«Don’t act as if you don’t know it. The Olgiati’s treasure of course!»
Letizia, Alessandro and the captain had got it right. The regime and the Royals were interested in the skeleton only because someone believed it had to do with the Olgiati’s treasure.
«I don’t know anything. Please, let me go.»
«I am sure that we didn’t find anything in your room because you have those papers on you always. What do you think, Gennaro? Shall we check it?»
Boriello came closer and put his hands on her.
Again.
Letizia reacted as she never thought she would. In the exact moment in which she saw the face of that despicable man approaching, her instinct and all the rage bred for so many years came out. With a bite she detached the point of his nose and then, spitting blood and flesh pushed Musone away and went out of the cave.
«Stop her! Stop her» Boriello was shouting holding his bloody nose with a hand.
Letizia couldn’t reach the first steps. Musone had already seized her. He grabbed her by the hair and threw her on the floor.
«What do you think you are doing? Where did you want to go? Look what you did to me! Now you’ll finally pay for it all» Boriello cried in rage.
They dragged her in front of the cave into one of the little terrace corners and took her coat off.
«I am sure you won’t put another letter on the bulletin board anywhere. I don’t think you’ll want to tell everyone about this either» growled Boriello putting his hands on her breast.
Musone was holding her by the arms and the other one was trying to undress her. Her blouse was already torn off and he had nearly succeeded in pulling up her skirt when they heard a shot.
It was just a few seconds.
Musone’s grip was weakened and Boriello turned to look in the direction of the shot. Letizia took this brief advantage and pushed Boriello away with all the strength she had left in her legs.
They had enough time to see the arm of the captain still lifted with the smoking gun in his hand, then, because of the kick, Boriello lost his balance. To avoid falling he leaned against the rock terrace’s balustrade. But its wood was rotten and under his weight it broke like a biscuit.
He fell down the precipice.
The captain followed by Alessandro and the two soldiers, run up the stairs. They were on the little terrace in a few seconds. Musone was trapped. Alessandro delivered him a jab that nearly broke his jaw.
«Take him – ordered the captain to the soldiers kneeling near Letizia – you are under arrest, Mr. Musone.»
«What? I didn’t do anything. You have to arrest her! She is a murderer. And keep this man away from me or I will denounce him for his aggression» he answered pointing at Alessandro.
«I can’t believe it!» said Alessandro moving forward ready to attack him again.
«Mr. Romei, please, keep calm – said the captain ordering nodding to a soldier to hold him – And you, Mr. Musone, speaking about the accusation you just addressed to Miss Cantarini, I hope you don’t want to make your situation worst with a calumny. There are four witnesses that clearly saw that it was legitimate self-defence.»
Musone, for once, didn’t answer back.<
br />
«Come. It is over now» said the captain to Letizia helping her to get up.
The two soldiers pushed Musone towards the stairs. Before going he had a look down to the precipice where Boriello fell: the body of his friend was lying motionless, in a strange disordered position, forty meters below.
Letizia was now standing, with messed up hair, her blouse torn off and the suspender belt visible under the rolled up skirt and petticoat. She had lost her hat in the first fight in the sanctuary, she was missing a shoe and her coat had been thrown in a puddle and was all muddy. Tears were lining her face.
The captain took his coat off and put it on her shoulders. The warmth of the coat made her feel a bit better.
«Thanks» she whispered.
«Without the captain we’d never have arrived in time» said Alessandro giving her one of the shoes she had lost.
Arriving in Poggio Catino de’ Risis saw Alessandro telling the soldiers that that morning he for sure didn’t go to the Ravine and certainly didn’t send any message to Miss Cantarini saying that he was waiting for her there. Before he could even finish the sentence the captain had ordered the three of them to follow him immediately.
«It is a trap! They organized a trap! Come, we have to stop them!» he shouted running to his car.
The four jumped in the car and de’ Risis drove as if Lucifer personally was chasing them.
«I can’t believe what they tried to do to you. I should never have gone to palazzo Biraghi without waiting for you» said Alessandro still bewildered.
Letizia didn’t speak. She approached the wooden balustrade slowly and looked down. She had just killed a man. It had been an accident. She just wanted him to take his hands off her, but she had killed him. She was shocked for what she had just done but she couldn’t say she was sorry.
«It wasn’t your fault. You were just defending yourself – the captain told her, as if he was able to read her thoughts – Come on, let’s go back to Mrs. Rosa.»
Poggio Catino, hotel “Da Rosa”, 1.30 p.m.
When they arrived at the hotel Mrs. Rosa already knew everything. The soldiers came back with the Fiat Balilla belonging to the two Blackshirts and they took Musone to the Carabinieri[4] in Poggio Mirteto.
In both villages everybody was talking about it.
Mrs. Rosa welcomed Letizia with a motherly embrace. She could feel the young woman’s body still trembling with rage. Mrs. Rosa took her upstairs. She prepared a warm bath and clean clothes.
«Was it because of that?» asked Rosa when Letizia took her petticoat off revealing the fabric bag she wore around her waist.
«Yes. But not just that» answered Letizia taking it off.
«I didn’t see it» said Rosa hiding it under the clean clothes.
Downstairs Alessandro told doctor Tucci what happened. The captain asked the doctor to visit Letizia to draft an accurate medical report.
«There were four witnesses – said de’ Risis – they saw it was an accident. It was self-defence, but a man died. Letizia will probably be accused of involuntary murder. Luckily there was no rape but with a medical report we can demonstrate that they beat her up. In any case, we all know Musone won’t go to jail. He will only have to pay a fine. I just hope it will be very expensive.»
Doctor Tucci knew the law perfectly. Luckily they didn’t succeed in raping Letizia, but he had often visited women completely psychologically and physically ruined by abusing men. Very often these same women were those who asked his help to be healed after visiting untrained midwives. They never denounced their rapists: too much shame, too much pain. If they had denounced it they would have been accused of having provoked their rapist, transforming the victims into criminals. The mere thought of it was unbearable to them. In any case they were right, why should they do it? Never to see their rapist condemned? No, better just to try to forget. Better to shut up hoping not to be pregnant.
«Don’t worry captain. I’ll give Letizia all the help I can, but she’ll need time to get over it.»
«No need, doctor – said Letizia entering the room with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders – I am fine.»
The three men turned to her. She had her hair gathered at the nape of her neck, her head upright, with a fierce look and a broken lip. One of her cheeks was blue and one hand was clearly swollen. The captain found himself thinking that he was proud of this young woman, brave and beautiful.
«I despised Boriello and I’d be lying if I said I am sorry he is dead. I only hope Musone will pay for what they tried to do to me.»
She couldn’t yet know that the coward was only going to pay a little fine and maybe get some scolding from his boss.
«The doctor should visit you» said Alessandro kindly putting one of his big arms around her.
«No need, I said. I am fine»
«Please, let him visit you. I’d be reassured.»
Letizia acquiesced with a nod. She looked at the captain asking, begging for justice and then she went back to her room followed by doctor Tucci.
«Please, stay near her. I have to go to Poggio Mirteto but I’ll try to be back as soon as possible» said de’ Risis to Alessandro before leaving.
Mr. Romei stood for a few more minutes contemplating the fire. He had the impression that the flames were burning in his own chest so strong was the rage about what had happened. He was feeling guilty not to have waited for Letizia in the morning but going too early and alone to palazzo Biraghi. At least his lonely visit had been fruitful.
The night before he had struggled with a tormenting thought and he wanted to arrive before all the others. In the time he was away the two petty Blackshirts enacted their evil plan. He could not forgive himself for having let Letizia alone.
Ten minutes later the doctor came back.
«Letizia feels better. She asked me to tell you she wants to rest for a bit now. But she wants you to stay here in the hotel, near her. Where has the captain gone?»
«To the Carabinieri in Poggio Mirteto»
«I’ll reach him there before going back to Rome to get the train. Goodbye.»
«Goodbye» answered Alessandro.
«One last thing – said Tucci before leaving – Maybe it doesn’t have any importance but, as promised, I analysed the skeleton one more time before they took it away. I noticed something quite peculiar. On the floor near the right hand there were little pieces of a green powder. I collected it to show you. It might help» Tucci gave him an envelope and left.
Alessandro opened it carefully and poured the contents to his hand. It looked like glass.
Letizia had asked not to be disturbed so as to go back to the secret papers that had already caused her so many problems. They had waited for centuries to be read and she was too curious to wait any longer.
Giulia, my sister Lucrezia and I, always went around together.
We had the protection of my father and in Rome we dared everything.
The day Lucrezia asked Giulia and me to pose naked for a young artist from Urbino we immediately started to undress. On the painting owned by the Borghese family we will always be together as beautiful Graces.
If we meet in another life I’ll thank Lucrezia. My last thought will be hers.
Hearing a noise on the stairs. Letizia stopped reading and listened carefully. She heard some steps, a door closing and then nothing else. Probably one of the guests went back to his room. Maybe it was Alessandro.
Run away from my sad destiny is impossible. But even though I was forced still alive into my tomb, I write and I am free. Free in my mind and heart.
One only word: freedom. Freedom for my ancestors. When these papers will be found and read I am sure the Jews will not be afraid nor persecuted and will live free.
Letizia thought about the Little and her heart lost a beat.
My secret is a Jewish secret.
My secret is protected by Christ. And his blood is its purest seal.
Someone knocked.
«Just a moment» said Letiz
ia hiding the papers and disturbing the bed as if she had been sleeping.
She went nervously to the door. Even though she tried to control herself she was still very upset.
«Who is it?»
«It’s me. Open» whispered Alessandro.
Letizia opened the door letting her friend in and then locking the door again.
«What happened?»
«I know you want to rest but I have something I need to share with you – he whispered – It is the reason why I went to palazzo Biraghi so early this morning letting you unprotected. I shouldn’t have done it but I was sure I would be back before your breakfast. Unfortunately I was hold there longer than I expected. I hope you will forgive me eventually.»
«Don’t be silly. It is certainly not your fault. I was the stupid one who believed you were waiting for me at the Ravine. I should have realised it was a trap. You would have never asked me to go there alone. Let’s drop the subject there. I don’t want to think about it anymore. What else did you want to tell me?»
«I wanted to tell you about this. I found it in the secret room» said Alessandro taking a triangular object out of his inside pocket.
«It is impossible that you found it there. I looked everywhere and I took photos of everything and I didn’t see it.»
«You couldn’t see it. Nor could the others. But I am nearly two meters tall.»
«What do you mean?»
«Do you remember when we entered the room together with the captain? I saw a strange shadow on the floor and I looked up. It was coming from the round hole on top of the outer wall. I looked quickly and I saw there was something in there. But I didn’t take it, it wasn’t the right moment. Then doctor Tucci arrived. So, this morning very early I went back. I was alone and I could remove it. It looks like a kind of jewel.»
The scarlet Lady Page 7