«Is that a check-point?» she asked frightened.
«I believe so. Just behave naturally and nothing will happen» said Tettamanzi firmly.
«In what month are you, Mrs.?» asked her a soldier without asking for their documents.
«Eighth» she answered caressing her belly.
«Just like my wife. Congratulations, and take care of yourself» he said letting them pass.
«Thanks. Congratulations too.»
The check point was behind them.
They entered the city.
The fake pregnancy had really been a good idea. They were looking for Mrs. Cantarini, a young art historian, not for a very pregnant countrywoman.
To wait till vespers, Tettamanzi took them to a classy flat in a nice XIX century building. When they arrived they were kindly welcomed but Dolores, the woman who opened the door, didn’t want to know their names or why they needed her help.
The woman let them into a secret room opening a door disguised as a huge mirror. She smiled mischievously and advised them not to be scandalized whatever they witnessed. Some of the clients had already arrived and her house was well known for the girls’ beauty and their absolute discretion, explained Dolores proudly.
Letizia and Alessandro were left alone in the room and Dolores closed the mirror behind her. The elegant little chamber they were in was furnished with a huge canopy bed, a couple of damask armchairs and a very big carpet. In the corners there were two little tables lighted by beautiful glass lamps there were a lot of pillows on the floor and the walls were covered with red silk. Only when Letizia saw that one could look through the mirror into the other room without being seen, did she finally understood that they were in a secret love nest with a peep hole and that they were hiding in a brothel!
Alessandro looked at her amused.
«Imagine how many interesting things we can learn this afternoon!» he said.
«Oh please, don’t be disgusting!»
«Come on, don’t tell me you have never asked yourself how courtesans can so brilliantly satisfy their clients!»
«No.»
«Or you never wondered which artful tricks Veronica Franco used to seduce Henry III of France…»
«Stop it. I don’t think that yours is a purely scientific interest!»
«Indeed. Purely scientific. Let’s say we’ll watch the show, if there will be a show, exactly as two researchers would do.»
Rome, Piazzetta Mattei, 12.45 p.m.
Giulio de’ Risis spent the morning in the area between the Portico d’Ottavia and the Teatro Marcello where, together with Vittorio and some other Blackshits, he questioned many people who knew the Kornblum family. Finally he arrived to their house. They were living in a building in front of the fountain of Turtles, in an unhealthy cellar that had been transformed into a kind of living space. Kornblum’s father was sitting in the sun on a little wicker chair in front of the entrance and his wife was cleaning the stairs. As soon as she saw them, she immediately moved nearer to her husband.
The man wasn’t very old but looked quite ill. On his right hand the thumb and index finger were missing and the dark heavy rings around his eyes together with the wax colour of his skin showed the pain of his body. Only the eyes, sharp and enquiring seemed to have conserved their original vitality.
«Mr. Kornblum?» de’ Risis asked politely.
The man nodded.
«Get up and show a bit of respect, dirty Jew!» shouted one of the Blackshirts pulling him.
Kornblum tried but without help he clearly had difficulty in standing and fell from the chair. The same man who shouted at him kicked strongly against his back.
A powerful slap hit the young Blackshirt’s face.
«Do not dare to touch him again or I’ll make you regret having joined the Militia!» thundered the captain shocking all those around.
Kornblum was still on the floor and struggled to get up. The captain helped him and totally unexpected Vittorio straightened out the little chair.
«I am sorry. I feel ashamed for the ignorance and stupidity of my men. My name is Giulio de’ Risis and I came here only to ask you a few questions about your son.»
«Why? Has something happened to him?» asked his wife in a trembling voice.
«No Mrs. Kornblum, we simply need to speak with him but we can’t find him.»
«We can’t tell you where he is. We don’t know either. Maybe he is still in Florence or Siena or Poggio Catino» Mr. Kornblum began.
«No. He was in Poggio Catino, but now he’s vanished. We think he has important information about the archaeological discoveries he was working on.»
«A Royal army captain and all these Blackshirts for some archaeological information?» asked Mr. Kornblum.
«My husband meant…»
«I know perfectly well what he meant – interrupted the captain – Sometimes even archaeology seems to be dangerous.»
«Wie die Literatur. Komisch, eh?» said Kornblum.
«Strange indeed. Dangerous like literature – interrupted de’ Risis nodding to his team – I am forced to ask you to stay here while my men search your house. Vittorio please, make sure that they do it carefully. I consider you responsible for it.»
The Blackshirts disappeared inside.
«Tell me, what happened to your hand?» asked the captain when they were left alone. «A work accident…» Mrs. Kornblum answered quickly.
«Does a writer deals with dangerous tools?»
«Die Nazis, the Nazis thought that a writer can’t work without these two fingers… idiots!»
«He meant…»
«I know what he meant – said the captain lowering his voice – My men will be soon back and we don’t have a lot of time. At the moment your son is safe. But your house is under surveillance. If he sends you some message destroy it immediately.»
The Blackshirts team was coming back.
«I understand it is three weeks since you heard anything from your son – said de’ Risis loud enough so that the Blackshirt could hear him – I hope you are not lying» he added menacingly.
«Captain, we didn’t find anything. The last letter has got the date of a month ago and doesn’t say anything useful. In any case, I don’t think that the fugitive would come here. He is not so stupid, he must know this is the first place we would look for him» said Vittorio.
«You are right. Let’s go. We are finished here.»
He left and the team followed him.
«Vittorio, leave two men on watch here for today. You never know» ordered the captain.
They kept searching the area for another couple of hours, questioning the neighbours but it seemed nobody knew anything. It was late afternoon when they went back to Morelli.
«News?» he asked as soon as they entered in his office.
«Not yet. It really seems that Kornblum has vanished.»
«Exactly like Musone. He told me he would come in the afternoon but he is not yet here and I don’t have any idea where he might be.»
«Every cloud has a silver lining.»
«Captain, please!» exclaimed Morelli.
Giacoboni couldn’t hold back a little smile.
«I think that, for the moment, you can deal with the situation alone. I have to go back to the base» said de’ Risis.
«And the search?»
«I gave precise orders to the team you gave me, Mr. Morelli. Your men are working well and if there is some news they’ll contact me immediately. If Kornblum is still in Rome we’ll find him. Till then I wish you a good evening.»
«I want you to follow him, become his shadow – Morelli ordered Vittorio as soon as the captain was gone – I don’t trust him and if he hides something from us, we have to discover what. Go. What are you waiting for?»
Vittorio took his old bicycle and, giving up the idea of following the captain’s car, he started in the direction of the Macao base hoping that de’ Risis was really going there.
Rome, Dolores’ flat, 3.20 p.m.
&
nbsp; During the afternoon Letizia and Alessandro witnessed a very interesting show.
After hearing unmistakable noises coming from various rooms nearby Letizia suggested that they went on reading the secret papers. She was sure that Alessandro’s hopes of spying someone behind the mirror were going to be let down because the maîtresse, knowing they were there, wouldn’t have the room occupied.
She was mistaken.
Around three, the room door opened and two nice looking young women entered together with a man in his fifties.
The girls were half-naked: one was wearing only a transparent lace petticoat and the other one was exhibiting a suspender belt protruding from a deep tear in her beautiful pink silken dress.
Letizia decided she didn’t want to see it and sat on the bed with the canopy turning her back to the mirror.
«Letizia, come on, you have to see this!»
«Stop it. Leave me alone.»
«I can’t. It is too funny. You absolutely have to come here or you wouldn’t believe it.»
Curiosity and modesty were competing in Letizia’s head, but it wasn’t the second one which won.
The man in front of them, the one who the two prostitutes were undressing was the awful Musone.
Letizia instinctively withdraw from the mirror but she kept watching. Musone was in the hands of two professionals but nothing was moving.
«His penis is as big as an eight years old kid’s!» commented Alessandro amused.
«And nothing happens» she added teasingly.
The two prostitutes were really doing their best trying wicked tricks that were going to be remembered by Letizia for a long time. They really tried everything with no result. Musone didn’t react to any of the elaborate attention till when he found a rope at the bed end.
With a violent move he tied the rope around one of the girls’ neck and then he ordered the other one to follow his commands or he would tighten the rope and suffocate her friend. Alessandro was ready to intervene. Luckily he understood on time that it was only a sadistic erotic game: the only game able to arouse the depraved Musone.
Letizia saw herself back to the Ravine and she thought she had been very lucky. Musone hurled himself onto the untied girl simulating a rape. The poor girl tried to defend herself a bit but she knew well that it was the only way to make her client happy and earn her money. The tied girl was also part of the game and she was forced to undergo not only Musone’s blows but also those her companion had to give her. The nice pink silk dress was now rolled up to the hips crudely showing what before could only be imagined.
Finally Musone was able to penetrate the tied girl pulling the other one by her hair and, a few seconds later, everything was over. Musone dressed again.
«You behaved very well this time – he commented before going out – I’ll leave a special tip for you with Dolores.»
He left slamming the door and the girls burst out laughing.
«Much ado about nothing, eh? I told you, you don’t even feel it!» commented one of the girls untying the other one.
«I rarely saw such a little one. And the funniest thing of all is that he believes he is a fantastic lover!»
The girls went out of the room still laughing.
«He is aroused only by violence. I took a big risk at the Ravine» said Letizia.
«Well, not really big…» Alessandro emphasised making Letizia laugh.
That afternoon the fear of Musone had been partly exorcised, even if they well knew they still had to be very careful.
Sometimes it is enough to imagine someone in his underwear to remove the fear of him; for Letizia and Alessandro it would have been enough to remember Musone without his clothes.
Rome, Santa Prassede, 5.55 p. m.
It was nearly time for vespers.
Tettamanzi was back to pick up Letizia and Alessandro and bring them to Santa Prassede. From Traiano’s park where Dolores flat was, the ancient church wasn’t very far. They were walking quite quickly even though Letizia had to wear the false stomach again.
«Magnificat anima mea Dominum, et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae, ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes...» were the words which hit them when they entered Santa Prassede. The Magnificat informed them that the vespers had reached half way through. They were a bit late but nobody seemed to notice them. They knelt in one of the last benches and started praying like all the other believers.
Letizia looked discreetly for the captain’s eyes but couldn’t find them. Trying to give the impression she was only fascinated by the beautiful mosaics and frescoes on the walls, she went on searching the church. In reality she knew those mosaics by heart, and she was always charmed by them. Strangely this time she felt as though she was in an unknown place, new, hostile and she was repeating the litany without any conviction. She had eyes full of tears, she only wanted to shout: all that long journey, all those risks for what? Just to find herself in a church full with strangers repeating the psalms.
Then, finally, she saw him.
On the right, near the shrine housing a piece of the column to which they believed Jesus had been attached to be whipped there was the captain. Suddenly the place seemed to Letizia the only one she wanted to be in. The litany became a kind of music and, without thinking twice, she gave him one of her most beautiful smiles. He was cautious and answered with a nod but from the light in his eyes she knew he was happy to see her.
As soon as the ritual ended, the captain glided into the Sacello di San Zenone and waited there. Tettamanzi didn’t move from his place and neither did Alessandro and Letizia. Once every observant was gone and the priest had gone back into the sacristy they moved towards the captain.
«Get out through the right nave door: at the corner with Santa Maria Maggiore you’ll find a coach waiting. Tell the coachman to bring you into via di Poggio Catino 28. He’ll bring you in a safe place» whispered de’ Risis.
Letizia wanted to ask him if they were going to meet again but she didn’t have the time. The captain was already gone.
«Via di Poggio Catino 28» said Tettamanzi nearing the coachman.
The coach moved slowly and Letizia looked once again in the direction of the church. She saw someone looking like the captain speaking with a Blackshirt but she thought it couldn’t be him. Giulio had left ten minutes before and had to be already quite far away.
In fact, she saw it correctly. The man that now was walking in the direction of via Merulana chatting with a Blackshirt was de’ Risis.
The captain imagining that Vittorio, or another man sent by Morelli, was spying on him, didn’t make a mystery of his visit in Santa Prassede: he went there with his own car parking it on purpose not far from the church. After so many years with the Dominican friars nobody could doubt his piety.
Coming out of the church he saw Vittorio who pretended to be there by chance. The captain suggested that they spent the evening together and Vittorio accepted more than pleased: he would be able to enjoy his company and watch him without having to follow him secretly.
De’ Risis invited Vittorio to have dinner in a restaurant near the ancient Traiano thermal baths and later they continued the fun in the flat of one of the captain’s old friends.
Rome, Dolores flat, 9.30 p.m.
Vittorio had never been in a place like it. He had been to some brothels before but never in such a luxurious one.
The big entrance opened on a living room where some very appealing girls were waiting for clients. They were dressed in transparent petticoats or sensual night-gowns and sat lasciviously on velour sofas chatting with each other.
The captain approached a blond one with massive light blue eyes, she couldn’t be more than twenty years old. She was wearing a dark blue night-gown under which the billowing breast wasn’t difficult to imagine. He whispered something in her ear; she took his hand and accompanied him into some other room.
«Don’t worry and have fun tonight. I’ll ta
ke care of the fee» said de’ Risis passing a very embarrassed Vittorio.
The elegant maîtresse looked at a provocative red haired girl: she was the one supposed to take care of the captain’s friend. She was called Messalina and Vittorio, with great delight, was soon going to understand why.
After a few minutes de’ Risis came out of a Chinese screen placed in between the corridor and the living room. Dolores was waiting for him.
«Don’t worry. Messalina will keep him busy for hours. In case something doesn’t go as expected, I’ll take care of him personally» she said helping him into his coat.
«I don’t know how to thank you.»
«Helping you is a pleasure. What’s more, I enjoy fooling these hateful fascists.»
Giulio kissed her on the cheek.
«The bicycle is in the courtyard. Here, this is the duty seal in case they stop you. Your Letizia is really beautiful. I hope she is the right one for you.»
«What…»
«You know I see everything, I feel everything» said Dolores laughing closing the door behind her.
Riding to Cesare’s house de’ Risis remembered the first time he met Dolores.
It had been in Brescia. She was working in a brothel not far from the military base where he was stationed. One night, going back to the base, he saw four men who were beating her up; thanks to the authority of his uniform, he was able to stop them just in time. He had taken her to the convent where he had studied and there they were able to heal her. But it took a month before she was able to walk alone again. It was during her convalescence that they became friends.
After some time Dolores left Brescia for Rome becoming first the kept woman of a rich man and later the maîtresse of that luxury brothel.
They had met again by chance in Rome after a few years and they kept in contact. Dolores was always very decent, she didn’t want by her presence to embarrass the man who saved her life, but the captain didn’t seem to care too much. For him she was a friend and he didn’t worry about being seen with her. He had even invited her for dinner some times. She loved him and she would have happily given him more but she knew he wasn’t interested. He was the only man she knew who wasn’t a client.
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