Kitabı oku: «Esoteric Crimes», sayfa 5

«It depends. Sometimes yes, she comes alone, but often she is in the company of a brunette friend of hers, a beautiful woman with a foreign accent. It seems that the two are a couple. Here in the area, they are said to be lesbians.»

He pronounced these words approaching us and lowering his voice.

«Homosexuals,» I corrected him.

«Yes, that’s right! Today, in the big cities, no one notices it anymore, but in our areas, we are not very used to certain behaviors.»

«Well, my dear Luigi, that’s enough! I would say that Inspector Giampieri and I would like to eat something. What would you recommend us?»

«Well, as I said before, there isn’t much choice at this hour. I can recommend a nice dish of Ligurian trofie with Genoese pesto with green beans and potatoes, a unique dish that will certainly leave you satisfied.»

«Bring us two large portions.»

It was almost evening when we reached Imperia and parked in front of the Police District.

«Here we are,» said Mauro. «You have reached your new workplace. It is not in the center of the city, while the Questura is right in the center, in Piazza del Duomo. I believe that tomorrow morning, before starting any activity, we should go there. The police commissioner is one who cares a lot about formalisms and therefore, sooner or later, you will have to introduce yourself to him!»

Mauro led me through a maze of corridors and offices until I reached the one that would become my office.

«Of course, but before going to the Questura, I would like to get to know the staff on duty here. Do you think it’s possible to meet the men early in the morning?»

«I’ll make sure they’re all here, with justifiable exceptions, at eight. For now, I think you’ll want to rest. At the end of the corridor, there is a room with a bed and the bathroom is in the corridor. You will find your luggage there and, whatever you need, know that I will spend the night in the gatehouse.»

«Well, until I’ll find a better accommodation, I will adapt, then we will see. Now I’m too tired to look for another sleeping arrangement. And then, anyway, I’m used to living in the same place where I work!»

I peeked at my desk, where a box was already dominating, containing all the records of the investigation into the people missing in Triora. I certainly didn’t want to put my hands on it at the moment, because I was afraid that anything caught in there could change the ideas I had gathered during the day. Better to keep a cold head and not get influenced by the work of others! My eye landed on a copy of a monthly magazine. I grabbed it, leafed through it, and focused on the article about the mysteries of Triora, published on the occasion of the disappearance of the three journalists, who were part of the editorial staff of the magazine: Stefano Carrega, Giovanna Borelli, and Dario Vuoli. A section taken from the notes from Vuoli’s notebook was found in a box, retrieved inside the abandoned tent of the three.

What’s the point of looking for witches? Above all, who are they, and how does one recognize witches today? There is no longer an Inquisition to indicate them. Maybe they still exist, maybe they just look different. In 1587 it was easier to recognize them: “You will see them putting images of wax and aromatic substances under the altarpiece. They receive the Communion of the Lord not above, but under the tongue, because so they can easily take the body of Christ out of the mouth and use it in their hateful practices. Furthermore, what distinguishes a witch from a sinner, or a bad woman, is the ability to fly in the night”...

Yeah, maybe towards the end of the sixteenth century, ordinary people still could not recognize the tricks and illusions of those charlatans and so thought of them as magic or witchcraft. But in the 21st century, come on! These three journalists had gone looking for witches in their village, and maybe they had found them! And had they been kidnapped by them? Come on now! This was all a frame, but what was the purpose? Hide a crime, want to make one’s tracks disappear, or for what other reason? And what did the sect have to do with it, what the hell was its name? Enomolas id ivres. What could that mean?

With my mind crowded with these questions, I went to wash and retired to the room Mauro indicated to me. The days were long and although it was almost nine in the evening, there was still light outside. I lay down on the bed without even pulling the covers down. I was dozing off when I heard a knock on the door. It was Mauro, who carried a paper cup with a steaming drink.

«It is not the best, it is tea from the vending machine, but I thought it could be pleasant before bedtime. Do you fancy something to eat?»

«No thank you, I still have to digest the trofie.»

«Well, however, I have news for you. Your dog, Furia, will be here by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. I had the box cleaned up in the courtyard, where your predecessor kept his German Shepherd. I think, for the moment, it can be a good accommodation.»

«Thanks for everything, Mauro! But now let me rest. I am very tired and tomorrow we will have to face another really intense day! Good night.»

I looked for a light nightgown in the suitcase, undressed, and went to bed. I fell asleep and dreamed of witches flying on the back of their brooms, who gathered to invoke Satan, who participated in Sabbaths under large walnut trees. And then inquisitors who captured them, tortured them, tried them, and burned them at the stake. But the fire could not consume their bodies and they laughed and joked, despite the burning clothes and hair. And, in the end, the witches went away from the place of torture, dribbling children in swaddling clothes.

Chapter 5

The next day I got up early and started setting up my office. At about half-past seven I noticed that the district was starting to come alive. The rooms filled up, someone had a coffee at the vending machine, others joked while waiting to begin their work. It was a climate that reminded me of the years of service spent at the police headquarters in Ancona. I started wandering the corridors and greeting those I met, they were all very affable and returned my greeting with a smile or a friendly handshake. Well, my new job wasn’t that bad! I recognized the superintendent whom I had apostrophized the previous morning in Triora.

«Good morning, superintendent…?»

«D’Aloia, Doctor, my name is Walter D’Aloia, at your orders!»

«Well, D’Aloia, could you get me one of those whiteboards and big markers of different colors? I need to make the point of the investigation, and writing schemes helps me not losing sight of anything.»

«In a few minutes, I’ll get you everything you asked for.»

«Thank you. I’ll wait for you all at eight o’clock for the due presentations.»

At the appointed hour, about twenty people, including four women, were lined up in front of me, while Mauro was at my side and presented them to me, listing each person’s name, grade and attitude.

«A great team!» I said. «Inspector Giampieri and I will be very busy investigating the murder of Triora so, as far as normal activities are concerned, they will be coordinated by Inspector Gramaglia, who is the oldest of you. The superintendent Laura Gigli, who is a computer expert, will help the two of us instead. I do not think that Inspector Giampieri and I would be able to carry out an investigation that appears so complex on our own. As far as possible and when the time comes, I will still make use of the collaboration of all of you, so be ready. Now go back to your activities. Mauro, Laura! Not you, stay here with me.»

When I was alone with the two of them, I took a marker and began transforming my reasoning into schemes, which I gradually wrote on the white sheet.

«Since yesterday we have a victim, but I think we should start from twenty years ago and try to understand how and why some people disappeared in Triora, while others appeared. We have the sixty-year-old Aurora, who would be eighty if she was alive now. She left for Nepal with a Romanian girl, Larìs Dracu, in the late 1980s, and any trace of the two women was lost. They departed from Fiumicino International Airport in June 1989, and there is no indication of their return to Italy. After a few months, however, a 20-year-old girl of the same name appeared, who is the Aurora Della Rosa we met yesterday. She claims she is the granddaughter and settled in the home of the elder. The difference in age between the two could make us believe that she is the daughter and not the granddaughter of the old Aurora, but someone in the village even claims that the old and the young are the same person, since, in the trip to Nepal, the witch would have found a way to rejuvenate. The first task for you, Laura, is to check the Triora registry files. And now we come to Larìs Dracu. Vanished into thin air in Nepal? Returned to Romania, or present here in Triora? Who is the brunette with a foreign accent that sometimes accompanies Aurora to the “Da Luigi” restaurant? I want a search on the missing people database, Laura, I want to know everything there is to know about Larìs.»

In a corner of the large white sheet of paper I wrote “AURORA” and “LARIS” in capital letters and circled the two names.

«The second missing person is Mariella La Rossa. In 1997 she left Abruzzo and arrived in Triora, visited some places dear to our witches, the Fontana della Noce, the Fontana di Campomavùe, the Via Dietro la Chiesa, and the Lagu Degnu, went into the woods, on a full moon night, and disappeared into thin air. Excluding a priori that Satan kidnapped her, what happened to her? Has she remained hidden for years in the Triora woods? Or was she killed, and her body hidden somewhere? And what connection is there with the pickup truck that went up in flames, on the same night, by alleged thugs? If we have a burnt death today, the same end may have been reserved, in its time, to Mariella La Rossa. The killer then perhaps had the time and the way to make the corpse disappear! So, another research will focus on this Mariella and the pickup truck that went up in flames twelve years ago.»

I wrote the names “MARIELLA” and “TRUCK” on another corner of the sheet and circled them.

«In 2000 three journalists disappeared, two men and a woman: Stefano Carrega, Dario Vuoli, and Giovanna Borelli. We have many elements about them and their history, judging by the contents of that box...»

«Wait a minute,» Laura interrupted me. «I come from these places, I live in Molini di Triora, and I know well the story of the witches investigated in 1587. Two of the surnames you just mentioned occur in the story of the witches of Triora. Indeed, Stefano Carrega is the namesake of the Podestà of Triora at the time of the trial, while Teresa Borelli was one of the five witches of Ca Botina, the main investigated. Borelli was the witch called by the locals as “Teresa the Tomboy.”»

«Other homonyms! Well, at this point I think I should catch up on this witch trial. Who knows, maybe the hypothetical assassin inspires himself from this story!»

I went to write in a third corner of the sheet “CARREGA,” “BORELLI,” and “VUOLI” inside another circle.

«There is an official version of the trial and a version passed down orally by the old people of Triora, which is very different, but it is very difficult to interpret because it is told only in the Occitan language,» Laura intervened. «I’ll try to find both versions.»

«Very well, Laura! But we arrive at yesterday, the day when the burnt corpse of a woman was found, whose identity we do not yet know. We will have to wait for the results of the autopsy and the forensic reports before starting to think about it. We still have very few elements.»

In the last corner of the sheet, I wrote “VICTIM.” I circled this last word, then, in the center of the sheet, in large letters, I went to write the name of the sect, “ENOMOLAS ID IVRES.” Finally, I connected with arrows each of the four circles previously drawn to the name written in the center.

«Everything seems to revolve around this sect. We have to understand the meaning of this strange name, what activities the adepts dedicate themselves to, and who pulls the strings. In other words, we need to know who the guru of this sect is. In my opinion, Aurora Della Rosa is entangled and not just a little. And she doesn’t tell everything she knows. She is very skilled at diverting speeches and creating reliable alibis. Mauro, do you think the Barbagianni will authorize a perquisition of the witch’s house?»

«Ah, do you mean Doctor Leone? But, what did you call him? The Barbagianni? Fantastic! He is a very fussy magistrate, and without sufficient elements, he will never authorize a perquisition. He’s one who doesn’t like to be bothered.»

«Well, so we’ll have to be smart here, and I already have something in mind. Now let’s get to work! You, Laura, get working on the research that I asked you, and you, Mauro, prepare the car, we’ll go back up to Triora!»

«Speaking of my military discipline!» Mauro exclaimed. «I remind you that we will not go anywhere before going to the Questura. It is important.»

«Okay, let’s hope that the police commissioner won’t make us wait hours in the anteroom. Wait for me in the car, I’ll be there in a few minutes.»

Certainly, Mauro thought that I had to fix my make-up, in the coquetry standard reserved for women, but it wasn’t like that. I changed, wearing comfortable sports clothes and tennis shoes. There was no need to go back into the woods and walk along mountain paths and dirt roads in business suits and shiny shoes. After five minutes I was in the car next to Mauro, who looked at me in amazement.

«You are incredible, Caterina! Do you want to introduce yourself to the police commissioner dressed like this?»

«Clothing is not in function of the commissioner, but of the investigation. Are you going to keep looking at me or are you going to start this damned car?»

He took off and, thanks to the slalom in the middle of the traffic, incredible contromano, invasions of preferential lanes reserved for buses and taxis, without ever falling below ninety kilometers per hour, in four minutes and twenty-five seconds he reached Piazza del Duomo. With an incredible head-tail, obtained with the help of the handbrake, he slipped in a millimeter way between two other cars of the State Police, in one of the parking lots reserved for the Questura.

«If it isn’t necessary, I would ask you to avoid all these scenes!» I said, getting out of the car and trying to recover. My head was spinning a bit, I almost felt I was going to faint, but I kept my aplomb despite feeling the forces that were about to abandon me.

Still, with Mauro as a guide, we headed to the entrance of the building and climbed into an elevator to get to the third floor. We walked down a long corridor with a very shiny floor, and we finally reached the commissioner’s office. Doctor Perugini received us immediately, and I was pleasantly surprised at this. He was a short, slightly plump man with a round face and messy hair, almost resembling the American actor Denny De Vito. He got up from the desk and shook my hand vigorously. Standing in front of me, I noticed, even more, his short stature. His head reached the height of my shoulder, while Mauro, compared to him, looked like a giant. Yet he inspired sympathy, and later I would discover in him a remarkable intelligence and an excellent ability in managing his employees.

Once the usual preambles were over, he returned to sit behind his desk.

«I have great faith in you, Dr. Ruggeri, and I know you will not disappoint me. I will put at your disposal all the means you’ll need to close this case. Remember, top priority. And if you have problems with the magistrate, don’t be afraid to come to me. Go now and keep me updated.»

Back in the car, I recommended Mauro to drive at a moderate pace and to stop as soon as he saw a metalware store. Having identified the objective, I entered it to purchase large gardener shears. I intended to reach the burnt truck at all costs and to see it from up close.

“Today I would like to examine the crime scene thoroughly, with no people around, and then go to the carcass of the woodcutter’s truck. It will be useful to have a look inside, even if, after so much time, I doubt we’ll find something interesting. I would also like to visit the other places, the other fountain, and the lake, and also go back to Aurora’s house. When we get to the witch, I will try to distract her as much as possible, for you to take a peek around and, if possible, collect some clues, I don’t know, maybe some fingerprints, some elements that could help us incriminate her, or exonerate her.»

«Do you want me to place some bugs?»

«Not yet. For environmental wiretapping, we should get the authorization of the magistrate!»

Once on the spot, we parked in the usual place and continued on foot. I wanted to take a good look at the railing to which the victim had been tied. The bars were oxidized by flames, but it was evident that there was no possibility of access to the cave from there. It was indeed a woodshed. The metal railing was stuck in the ground and the rock walls and, inside that kind of cave, only debris incinerated and moistened by the water used by the firefighters could be seen.

«None of our people tried to get in here!» I reflected aloud, making Mauro participate in my reasoning.

«Maybe they thought there was nothing interesting there. And then there is no possibility of access except by sawing these thick bars» was the reply of my deputy.

«If it is a cave used as a woodshed, for the use of the neighboring house, what sense does it make not being able to enter and collect the wood? A first reasoning could suggest that the cave is not an end in itself, but that in some way it communicates with the house by means of a tunnel, for example, a kind of secret passage. Or there could be another entrance, perhaps hidden among the vegetation. Do you have a flashlight, Mauro? Let’s try to shed some light in there!»

«A flashlight no, but we can use the display of the PDA! No, you can’t see the bottom, there is too much debris.»

«Damn it, but I’ll come back here with my dog and I’m sure I’ll find something interesting. Let’s get to the truck now!»

After passing Fonte della Noce, we took the path that led to the vehicle carcass and began to open our way through the vegetation with shears. Some thorny plants, such as brambles, wild roses, and hawthorns, still managed to inflict superficial scratches on my arms and hands. Every now and then Mauro and I exchanged the heavy equipment and, in the end, after an abundant half an hour, we neared the vehicle. It was one of those small tipper trucks in use in the 1960s. On the muzzle, it was still possible to read the OM brand and the model, Lupetto, which was identified by a metallic script in italics, attached obliquely on the front of the body. Only the oxidized metal parts of the truck remained, mostly covered with climbing vegetation that originated from the underlying soil. I tried to open the door on the driver’s side, but it was locked. Since there was no window, I decided to climb to take a peek inside. On the metal core of the steering wheel, I managed to notice some pieces of iron wire.

«Give me a push Mauro, I want to get into the cockpit.»

I felt lifted like a twig and found myself inside the ruin. In fact, the pieces of wire attached to the steering wheel could have been used at the time to immobilize a hypothetical victim inside the passenger compartment. I noticed something on the bottom, near the pedal, like a mass of molten plastic, which I tried to detach with the help of a knife. I escaped the ruin with dirty clothes, but with a trophy in my hand.

«What is that?» Mauro asked.

«I still don't know. Cast material I think, but it certainly doesn’t belong on a rubber mat. Put it in an envelope, we will ask the forensic to identify its nature. The idea that a crime has been committed here is increasingly obvious. The victim, perhaps stunned, is tied to the wheel with iron wire, then the vehicle is set on fire. Then the killer, or the killers, manage to remove the corpse and hide it somewhere, leaving behind only the carcass of an old truck devoured by the flames.»

«So, another fire execution!»

«Yeah, probably inside the pickup truck Mariella La Rossa found a horrible death, but the person who conducted the investigation at the time was superficial and did not connect, or did not want to connect, the fire of the truck to the disappearance of the woman. Let’s go back to Fontana della Noce. I want to understand some of the drawings still visible on the ground.»

When we reached the source, we quenched our thirst, then I tried to interpret the symbols drawn on the ground. From what I remembered from the research carried out for my thesis, a pentacle, drawn near a source sacred to the followers of a sect, with a knife or a pointed tool, always indicates a place dedicated to a ritual. Depending on the designs and writings that are used, the rites can be of different nature. If the four powerful names with which God was called in ancient times are engraved on the ground, the priest invokes the spirits, calls them to himself for their help. Sometimes, to ingratiate themselves with the spirits and secure their favors, sacrifices can be made, for example of animals, or other times, but rarely, of human beings. With the blood of the victim, they write what they want to ask of the invoked spirits, usually in the form of metaphors, incomprehensible to those who are not part of the sect. In our case, it was still possible to visualize, on the ground, one of the five points of the pentacle and, next to it, a sign indicating the symbol of the Earth.

«The pentacle is the representation of the microcosm and the macrocosm. It combines, that is, in a single symbol, all the mystique of creation, all the processes on which the cosmos is based. The five points of the pentacle symbolize the five metaphysical elements, water, air, fire, earth, and spirit. There is an opening between two worlds, the world of sorcerers and that of mundanes. There is a place where the two worlds meet. The opening is there, it opens and closes like a door to the wind,» I said, reciting from memory what I had read in an esoteric text.

Mauro looked at me in amazement.

«And do you believe these things?»

«Of course not. This is what the shaman, the guru, or the holy man of a sect, wants his followers to believe, so to be able to have them in hand, and convince his submissives that even if he asks for a sacrifice, any sacrificial victim must only be happy to meet death.»

«So, in your opinion, there was a ritual performed here in which a human sacrifice was requested? The victim was captured, taken a little further from. here, tied to the railing, and sacrificed to the fire?»

«Yeah, and maybe, under the influence of the drugs they certainly gave her, she was also happy to be burnt alive.»

«In your opinion, Caterina, could Aurora be the saint of the sect, the architect of all this?»

«I don’t know, we don’t have enough elements yet. But since the lunch hour has passed a long time ago and we didn’t have anything to eat yet, shall we try to get invited to lunch by the witch? Or would you rather go back to Luigi?»

«I wouldn’t want to fall victim to some poisoned morsel prepared by Aurora for the occasion. Better the trofie with pesto!»

At the restaurant, I asked Luigi which was the easiest way to reach Lagu Degnu.

«Lago Degno is an exceptional place, but you need to be well equipped to reach it. There are two ways. A path starts from Molini and goes up the Argentina stream up to the lake. You will need boots because you will need to walk for a while in the stream, where it is encased in a narrow gorge. The lake is formed by the Rio Grugnardo, which flows into the Argentina stream with a jump of 15 meters, so when you reach the place you can admire a splendid waterfall that flows into the lake below. The latter, despite being a small body of water, is quite deep in certain places. The other path descends from Triora, but to travel it you need to be equipped with ropes, climbing harness, and carabiners. There are some passages in which there is no path and it is necessary to descend the rock walls. Up to the waterfall, there are a couple of walls equipped with via ferratas, but I would advise you not to trust them too much and still use the rope. Then, if you want to go down to the lake from the waterfall, you will keep needing the rock equipment, otherwise, you will only see the lake from above.»

«You called it Lago Degno. How come up in Triora they call it Lagu Degnu?» I asked Luigi.

«Oh, it’s the dialectal expression. Although these lands, in times past, were part of the kingdom of Sardinia, the fact that the dialectal expressions are rich in u does not derive from Sardinian. Ligurian expressions are also rich in this vowel. In the area, the Ligurian mixes up with the Occitan and those who are not from here risk not understanding anything when they hear us speaking.»

I smiled at him, thinking that the same vowel was often found in the dialect of the Marche hinterland. I paid the bill and we left the restaurant.

«Well, I would say that, at this point, we should go back to our dear Aurora. I will try to distract her, to make her talk, perhaps remaining on the vague, without slipping into the subject of the crime. You, discreetly, try to collect something useful. We need to take some clues home, Mauro, to convince Dr. Leone of the necessity to search the witch’s house from top to bottom!»

Mauro parked the car next to the Porsche Carrera, then we headed towards the entrance of the Della Rosa house. There was no electric bell, only a rope tied to a bell. I didn’t have the time to pull the rope, because the door opened and the blonde Aurora appeared in revealing clothes, a pink tank top, and a very short denim skirt.

«I sensed your arrival,» she started. «Take a seat, today is a splendid, clear day, and if you will follow me on the terrace you’ll be able to admire a wonderful panoramic view of the Argentina valley and the mountains that mark the border with France.»

«Excellent,» I said, winking at Mauro. «I am a mountain lover and I adore beautiful landscapes!»

She led us to the terrace, from which we really did enjoy a splendid view.

«Can I offer you one of my relaxing herbal teas? I really think you might need it!»

«I will accept the herbal tea, as long as it’s not too relaxing,» I replied. «Can we go back to the living room to enjoy this drink, Mrs. Della Rosa?»

«Of course, accommodate yourselves. I’ll be back in a few moments.»

She disappeared into the kitchen. There could be no better occasion, but we had to be quick in order not to get caught. While I was taking a look at the books and the chinaware on the shelves, Mauro got busy with handles and objects, such as ashtrays and knickknacks, to get some fingerprints. My attention rested on an ancient white and blue porcelain vase with the inscription “Shepenn rosso” in Gothic characters. I lifted the lid and saw that it contained some kind of tobacco. I took a pinch and put it in a clear plastic bag.

«It could be drugs,» I whispered to Mauro. «The Opium poppy was indicated with this name in the East, in ancient times.»

When Aurora came back with three cups of steaming herbal tea with a strong mint smell, both Mauro and I were looking curiously at the contents of the shelves. The herbal tea was very delicate and really had a relaxing effect. When she finished drinking from her mug, the witch decided to light one of her cigarettes. Strange to say, but the aroma of cigarette smoke did not bother me, on the contrary, I was attracted to it.

«You will see, Dr. Ruggeri, that one of these days you will smoke one with me.»

«I don’t think so, I’ve never smoked in my life and I don’t think I’ll start at almost forty years. Rather, I would like to ask you the meaning of the pentacle drawn on this spectacular floor. I studied symbology and esoteric symbols, but here I see some that I don’t know. I recognize the symbol of the spirit, in the center, the eight lines that originate from a point and radiate towards the cardinal points, the same indicated by the compass rose.»

«Well done, Doctor. I know you are well informed on the topic. You see, there should still linger the spirit of my ancestor Artemisia, burned at the stake on a particular day in 1589. The pole to which she was tied seems to have been driven into the ground in that precise point. The other symbols indicate what happened astrally on the same day. It was the spring equinox, March 21st, it was a full moon night and there was a total eclipse of the moon.»

«Yes, I begin to interpret the symbols. However, from what I learned, the witches of Triora were not burnt. They were imprisoned, tortured, tried, sentenced, but the execution never took place, as the Doge of Genoa objected.»

«And this is the official version, according to which my ancestor and her four affectionate followers died in prison in Genoa. But maybe it did not go like that. You are skilled and will find out the truth. I won’t be the one to tell you.»

She brought her face and eyes very close to mine and puffed smoke in my face. I lowered my gaze, not to look her straight in the eyes, and I found myself admiring her perfect, slender, elongated legs, without a shadow of cellulite. At that moment, to my amazement, I felt a strong sexual desire for her. I observed her lips, very close to mine, and I wanted to join her in a passionate kiss. I tried to drive away the thoughts that troubled me and took a step back to get away from her.