Inspector Lynley 18 - Just One Evil Act

one more thing that had to be said in advance of Corsico’s damning kidnapping story breaking in the Italian papers.
    She said to Azhar, “C’n you give me a moment with . . .” And she nodded in Salvatore’s direction.
    He said of course, that he would go to Hadiyyah, that they would be waiting, and he left her alone with Salvatore and the translator to whom Barbara said, “Please tell him I’m sorry. Tell him, please, it was nothing personal, anything I did. It wasn’t meant as a betrayal or as using him or anything like that, although I bloody well know it looked that way. Tell him . . . See, I have this London journalist on my back—he’s the cowboy bloke Salvatore saw?—and he was here to help me help Azhar. See, Azhar’s my neighbour back in London and when Angelina took Hadiyyah from him, he was . . . Salvatore, he was so broken. And I
couldn’t
leave him like that, broken. Hadiyyah’s really all he has left in England in the way of family so I had to help him. And all of this . . . everything that’s gone on? Can you tell him it was all part of helping Azhar? That’s all, really. Because, see, this journalist has another story that he’s running and . . . that’s all that I can say, really. That’s all. That and I hope he understands.”
    Salvatore listened to the translation, which came nearly as rapidly as Barbara herself was speaking. He didn’t look at the translator, though. He remained as he had been before, with his gaze on Barbara’s face.
    At the end, there was silence. Barbara found that she couldn’t blame him for not replying and, indeed, that she didn’t actually want him to reply. For he was going to want to hunt her down and strangle her when he finally discovered what her next move had been, so to have his forgiveness in advance of betraying him another time . . . ? She didn’t know how she could contend with that anyway.
    She said, “So I’ll say thanks and good-bye. We c’n take a taxi to the airport or—”
    Salvatore interrupted. He spoke quietly and with what sounded like either kindness or resignation. She waited until he had finished and then said to the translator, “What?”
    “The
ispettore
says that it has been a pleasure to know you,” the translator replied.
    “He said more than that. He went on a bit. What else did he say?”
    “He said that he will arrange your transport to the airport.”
    She nodded. But then she felt compelled to add, “That’s it, then?”
    The translator looked at Salvatore and then back at Barbara. A soft smile curved her lips. “No. Ispettore Lo Bianco has said that any man on earth would find himself lucky to have had in his life such a friend as you.”
    Barbara wasn’t prepared. She felt the claw of emotion at her throat. She finally was able to say, “Ta. Thank you.
Grazie
, Salvatore.
Grazie
and
ciao
.”
    “
Niente
,” Salvatore said. “
Arrivederci,
Barbara Havers
.”
    LUCCA
    TUSCANY
    Salvatore waited, patiently as always, in the anteroom of Piero Fanucci’s office. This time, though, it was not because Piero was forcing him to wait or because someone was being berated by
il Pubblico Ministero
inside his inner sanctum. Rather, it was because Piero had not yet returned from his lunch. He’d taken it later than usual, Salvatore had discovered, because of a lengthy meeting with three
avvocati
representing the family of Carlo Casparia. They had come on the not small matter of false arrest, false imprisonment, interrogations without an
avvocato
present, coerced confessions, and dragging the family name through the mud. Unless these issues were resolved to the satisfaction of
la famiglia Casparia
,
il Pubblico Ministero
was going to face an investigation into his investigation and have no doubt about that.
    Il drago
had evidently done his usual bit upon hearing this unveiled threat. He’d breathed the roaring flames of
segreto investigativo
at the placid lawyers. He was under no obligation to tell them anything, he declared. Judicial secrecy ruled the day, not their pitiful claims on behalf of the Casparias.
    At this, the
avvocati
were not impressed. If that was how he wished to proceed, they informed the
magistrato
, so be it. They left the rest of their remarks hanging in the air. He would be hearing again from them soon.
    All of this Salvatore had from Piero’s secretary. She’d been present to take notes, which she was more than happy to share with him. It was her intention to outlive Piero in her