The Broken Frame Read Online Free PDF Page A

what you wanted.”
    “Ok, give me the details.”
    “Mr. Riva used to visit a house in Via Oreste De Marchis, which is a street that crosses Via Cristoforo Colombo. His visits were never longer than twenty minutes.”
    “Did you check to see if those visits occurred after he went to the bank?”
    “Yes Vincent. He stopped at the bank before going to that address.”
    “I see. How many people live in the building?”
    “Twelve families.”
    "This is useful information. For now we can say we’ve made a small step forward. A very small step."
    “There’s one more thing, Vincent.”
    “Tell me.”
    “Fifteen days ago, that building was reported to be a brothel.”
    “Reported? How?”
    "It was during the trial of a new product we recently started using. It’s connected to the Police computer database. The application is installed on your phone, and allows citizens to report crimes anonymously. The process is simple, you indicate the place on a map and add a note to describe the type of offense that is being committed."
    “Interesting. Is that incident under investigation?”
    “Not yet. Felonies must be reported at least three times before we take any action, otherwise there’s a big risk that the report may be an act of vengeance.”
    “In a case of prostitution, the report may have come from an unsatisfied customer, is that what you mean?”
    “Exactly. I just wanted to tell you so you could add it to your information. ”
    “You’ve done well. What do they call this new system?”
    “They call it Breath of Wind.”
    A peal of laughter accompanied the  answer.
    “It would be hard to find a better name.”
    "You are right Vincent. Now that you know, how do we make progress?"
    "The first thing for us to do is call the tax office. We need to establish details of the tax returns from all the families who live in that building. After that we’ll plan our next move.”
    “Right, then I’ll move quickly.”
    There was no need for any further clarification between the two cops. The Inspector knew his friend well, and in this type of case, the Commissioner would know exactly where he was going.
    Germano, however, once he was alone, began to wonder how he should proceed with the investigation. After all, the tax office data would represent only a tiny part of the facts. It was therefore necessary to begin a parallel investigation. An independent investigation.
    With that in mind, the right person to approach was Mrs. Bezzi, wife of the late Carlo Riva.
    Germano was able to make an appointment at the lady’s house for that afternoon. Located in the fields outside Grottaferrata, it was built in an Art Nouveau style, surrounded by vineyards that seemed to produce excellent grapes. Germano reached the house and went inside.
    Mrs. Bezzi met him after returning from the grave, and despite the heat, she was wearing a hat and a scarf. Inside the house, the furniture made it obvious Mr. and Mrs. Riva liked to buy the highest quality art works for themselves.
    “Well Commissioner, I believe that you must have some news, since you’ve come all the way out here.”
    “Well, yes and no. Mrs. Bezzi, your son is remaining silent, refusing to talk. This is not helping us at all.”
    “My son, the poor boy. You must understand how he feels, Commissioner. First his father’s death, and then the handcuffs.”
    “You saw the footage. I know how hard this must seem to you, but I couldn’t let him go free.”
    “That’s true.”
    “Anyway, the investigation hasn’t stopped, even if we do have one man under arrest. But I’m going to need your help.”
    “You need my help? What for?”
    “Maybe not to find the killer, but to exclude anyone else.”
    “I guess you’re going to ask me some extremely personal questions.”
    “Well, sort of.”
    “Let’s start then.”
    “This is not a police interrogation, Mrs. Bezzi. I’m just trying to get a better idea of what happened.”
    “Don’t worry,