The Dance of the Seagull Read Online Free PDF Page A

four.”
    “But you wrote only three names.”
    “I din’t write the fourth cuz I din’t need to. Y’see how, ’tween Garavacchio an’—”
    “Here you wrote down Parravacchio.”
    “Iss not important. Y’see, how ’tween Saravacchio an’ Zireta ’ere’s a blank space?”
    “Yes. What’s it mean?”
    “Blank, Chief. It means blank.”
    “I don’t get it.”
    “Means the fourth poisson ’at called’s name’s Blank.”
    Brilliant.
    “Listen, isn’t Blanc the guy who was arrested last week for brawling?”
    “Yessir, Chief. An’ Loccicciro was callin’ cuz summon livin’ onna floor above ’is floor’s pissin’ on ’im—if you’ll pardon my lankwitch—every mornin’ from the overlookin’ balcony.”
    “And do you know what Parravacchio wanted?”
    “Nah. But Taravacchio’s a rilitive o’ Fazio’s.”
    “Between Parravacchio and Ziretta, do you know which called more often?”
    “Yessir, ’twas Pinetta, but he’s calling ’bout a application fer applyin’ fer a passpott.”
    Montalbano felt disappointed.
    “But insofar as concerning the continuous pain-in-the-ass calls in continuosity, ’twas Mansella doin’ the callin’ till five days ago.”
    “Is that Mansella with an S or a Z?”
    “Wit’ a S like a Z, Chief.”
    “And did this Manzella go through the switchboard when he called Fazio?”
    “Chief, Mansella call true the swishboard insofar as cuz Fazio’s sill phone’s always busy. Or swished off. An’ so he tol’ me ’e’s Mansella an’ ’at I’s asposta tell summon a tell Fazio ’at ’e’s asposta call ’im, ’im bein’ Mansella. Or ellis ’e’s asposta toin ’is sill phone on.”
    “And did Fazio call him back?”
    “I dunno, Chief. Insofar as cuz I’s never present. If he called ’im back, ’twas witta sill phone.”
    “I guess you don’t remember the first time this Manzella called.”
    “Wait a seccon’, Chief.”
    He went out of the room, then returned at a run, holding a notebook with a black cover. He started leafing through it. The pages were densely covered with names and numbers.
    “What’s that?”
    “Chief, innytime innyone calls, I write down ’is name, who’s they want, the day, anna zack time o’day.”
    “Why?”
    “Cuz ya nivver know.”
    “But aren’t they automatically registered?”
    “Yessir, ’ass true, but I don’ trust nuthin’ attomattic. Who knows ’ow the attomattic feels about it! Awright, ’ere we are: Mansella calla foiss time tin days ago. Then ’e call ivry day till five days ago. A lass time ’e call tree times. ’E’z noivous. An’ ’e tol’ me a tell Fazio ’at ’e better toin ’is sill phone on.”
    “And then?”
    “An’ ’enn ’e din’t call no more. But after ’twas Fazio allways askin’ a’ least twice a day if Mansella a call askin’ fr’im. An’ ivry time I say no, ’e says if ’e calls to put ’im true straightaways cuz iss a rilly important matter.”
    “All right, thanks, Cat. You’ve been very helpful.”
    “One more ting, Chief, if I mays.”
    “Go ahead.”
    “Wass’ goin’ on wit Fazio?”
    “Nothing, just some chickenshit, no need to worry.”
    Catarella went out, not very convinced.
    Montalbano took a deep breath and decided to do something he really had no desire to do. Might as well start with the worst. He dialed Dr. Pasquano’s phone number.
    “Hello, is the doctor in?”
    “The doctor’s busy.”
    “Montalbano here. Please get him for me.”
    “I’m sorry, Inspector, you’ll have to excuse me, but I’m really not up to it. He’s darker than a storm cloud this morning, and at the moment he’s right in the middle of an autopsy.”
    Pasquano must have dropped a lot of cash playing poker at the club last night. When this happened, one was better off dealing with a starving polar bear.
    “Maybe you know the answer to my question. Did any new bodies come in last night?”
    “You mean fresh corpses? No.”
    The inspector heaved a