by Paolo Copparoni, translated into English by Ruth Stephens
Chapter 5 – Mario
The next day Vittorio calls Mario, one of his ex-colleagues who is still working at the police headquarters in Bologna.
“Mario, it’s Vittorio. How are you?”
“Vittorio! Good to hear from you. Are you okay? Is anything wrong?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. Something has happened and I need your help. But I don’t want to discuss it on the phone, I’d rather meet you and tell you in person.”
Mario agrees and they meet that evening in a bar in the centre of Bologna.
Mario, much younger than Vittorio, was for years his pupil and right hand man and, shocked by the message Vittorio has received, promises straightaway to help him investigate.
“I don’t want to run any risks, though, Vittorio, so all this must be absolutely secret.”
“The first thing I’d like you to do,”Vittorio tells him, “is to search in the police archives for all the people I’ve arrested in the past to see if any of them have recently come out of prison.”
As they leave the bar he adds “And be sure to phone me straightaway if you find anything which may be of interest.”
“Of course I will,”Mario assures him, determined to help his old friend. “In the meantime, keep calm and be careful.”
Little does he know that he is the one in danger, not Ricetti…..