by Paolo Copparoni, translated into English by Ruth Stephens
Chapter 6 – A Second Warning
Mario begins his enquiries but finds nothing of any interest.
Quite a few of the people convicted as a result of Signor Ricetti’s investigations have come out of prison but there is nothing to suggest any of them might be suspect.
One day, however, Vittorio, returning home from his usual evening walk with the dogs, is shocked to find his door has been forced open, his flat ransacked and all the windows broken. He goes to check the bedside table where he keeps his family’s jewels and the small amount of cash he keeps in the house, but it is all there, nothing is missing.
“This is not a burglary,” he says to himself, grimly, “it’s another message from the killer!”
Now Vittorio doesn’t feel at all safe in Bologna and, because his investigation needs to go deeper, he decides to return to Agrigento as soon as possible to question the porter and the maid at the hotel where the killing of Signora Rocchi took place.
So, the following day he takes the first flight to Palermo and from there, a bus that goes directly to Canicatti. On arrival he goes straight to the hotel, determined to find as much information as he can on the murder of Signora Rocchi and on her presumed killer.
But the maid at the hotel has disappeared, so the only one who can answer Signor Ricetti’s questions is the porter. The situation is becoming ever more suspicious. In fact, thinks Signor Ricetti “It stinks!”