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heat, not in this room.
    He glanced at a report concerning a suspected drug dealer. The drug squad had been handling that but now the man had been run over in the early hours of the morning on a small country road and it looked like attempted murder. Considering the severity of his injuries it would be some time before he could be questioned and even then it was doubtful that he would say anything. If this was a warning, then if he spoke he would be a dead man. Furthermore, if it turned out to be an attempted homicide, a clean and useful method for disposing of unwanted or troublesome employees, then they’d probably try again. Drago knew this case was a no-go from the start but he would have to go through the motions. He made a brief phone call and turned the investigation over to the local police. Let the carabinieri handle this one on their own. It was not interesting enough for him to make a move. He feltafflicted by inertia, that summer ailment when everything slows down and grinds almost to a standstill. He lit another cigarette and promised himself he would stop, very soon, but not today.
     
    Marianna threw her mobile phone away from her impatiently. Roberto wasn’t answering for some reason. She leapt out of bed. Something must be wrong. It had been great last night and she wanted to hear his voice. Perhaps he was still asleep and hadn’t gone into work this morning. Quite a crime! She giggled. When they got married, he could forget all about that ridiculous little job. She would have more than enough money for them both. In a little over a month’s time she would be eighteen and have control over her financial situation. Her father’s death had left her well provided for. She was sure that Ghiberti was her father, whatever Lapo might insinuate about her dubious parentage, and Ghiberti himself must have believed it too, because he’d left her everything. She took a hurried shower and rushed out, not even stopping for a coffee. She hadn’t found her mother’s car keys on the hall table. Piero was just getting into the vehicle.
    “Piero,” she shouted.
    He turned, “Yes, what is it?”
    “Where are you going?”
    “Down to the car wash.”
    “Will you give me a lift?”
    “Where to?”
    She told him.
    “Does your mother know?”
    “Know what? That I’m seeing Roberto? Of course.”
    “Why are you wasting your time with that boy?”
    “What! It’s none of your business what I do, Piero. I didn’t ask for your opinion and I don’t want it.” She got in the car and added icily, “Drop me off at the Town Hall. I’ll make my own way back.” The car set off at a gentle pace.
     
    From her bedroom window Ursula watched them leave. Poor silly little Marianna. Let her go running off to her young man. It wasover whether she liked it or not. She sighed, it seemed that there were always problems to be solved. She had hoped that when her children grew up and got over their tedious infancy and their boring adolescence she might have a little more freedom. She remembered them whining and wanting far more than she was ever prepared to give, grabbing at her dress with sticky fingers and having to be carried away screaming by the nanny of the day and then as they grew older, Teo with the drug problem, Marianna and, of course, Carletto. Her hand went to her mouth as she felt a sharp jolt of pain. How she’d loved the dissolute Carletto, but with all the fuss and bother… if she’d had an inkling… thank God for Marta who’d seen to all that, but she’d lost her Carletto, who was so charming, so wild and so adorable and quite frankly so good in bed… She thought of the many men she’d loved, married, divorced or lost in other ways and then thought again about Guido. Why was she marrying him? He had pushed for it so hard and she wasn’t as young as she had been. He might be the last. In a last ditch attempt to have someone for herself she had said yes. Would she be able to trust him? Would he go running