Emanuele Stefanori & Michela Guida, translated into English by Ruth Stephens
Chapter 5 – Trapped
Signora Malintesa takes her hand away from her forehead, revealing a big, purple bruise above her right eye.
“What happened to your face, Madam*?”asks Benvenga in surprise.
“Oh, it’s nothing, Inspector,” intervenes the husband quickly, “just a little accident.”
“Ok, let’s move on….” says the inspector, rolling his eyes.
“As I was saying….” Signor Malintesi continues, “when I tried to help the man, two waiters moved in front of the table, so I only got a fleeting look at the body of the victim. I tried to pass them but they told me to go back to my seat. The other people in the restaurant seemed puzzled. I couldn’t understand why no one was doing anything so I went back to our table and took out my cellphone to call the police.”
“But we didn’t receive any call …..did we, Scartoffio?”
The officer shakes his head in confirmation.
“As a matter of fact, Inspector, I was very shocked and my hands were trembling. The owner of the restaurant had closed the doors behind us, saying “No one is to go out until the murderer is discovered!” I turned around quickly with the phone in my hand and hit my wife in the face with it. That’s what caused the bruise, Inspector, it was an accident.”
“Yes, it was an accident,” repeats his wife, “but if you would sometimes…”
“Wait, dear! I want to finish the story, it’s important!”
Signora Malintesi, defeated, falls silent again.