The Rome Prophecy

45

There are close to thirty busy desks in the open-plan office, which houses two serious crime squads. Federico Assante is sitting slap bang in the middle of all the action. He’s talking confidentially to colleagues around him, telling them of the impending demise of his captain.

Phones are suddenly hung up and the chatter of the office vaporises. Valentina has emerged from Caesario’s office at the end of the corridor.

Dead woman walking.

The only noise that can be heard is her feet on the floor.

From ten metres away her eyes lock in on Assante and she can see he’s struggling to even acknowledge that she’s there.

She reaches his desk, calmly folds her arms and looks down at him. ‘Make sure you put all your files, memory sticks, actions and contacts on my desk within the next hour.’

‘ Scusi? ’ He swivels in his chair, looking around the room to show his audience his disbelief.

‘Stand when you’re addressing a senior officer.’

He hesitates.

Valentina leans across him and picks the phone up off his desk. ‘You want me to call Caesario and have him make you stand?’

They both have the attention of the entire office. A distant phone rings, someone picks it up and immediately disconnects the caller. No one is going to miss this.

Assante slowly gets to his feet and stretches like it’s something he was going to do anyway.

She waits for him to finish.

‘You’re off the case.’

Across the room there are gasps.

‘Get all your stuff together – logs, records, contacts, electronic files; anything that has relevance to what I’m working.’

‘You’re joking, right?’

‘I only joke with friends, Lieutenant, and you’ve made it very clear that’s not what you are.’

‘I don’t understand.’

She laughs. ‘Oh, but you do. You thought that by undermining me you’d win favour with Caesario and further your career. You gambled and you lost.’ She shrugs like it’s of no concern. ‘I guess you played dirty because the stakes were high. So in your case, the price you pay is being dumped from this investigation by the female officer you sought to embarrass. Life is rough. Then again, if you were a woman in the Carabinieri, you’d already know that.’

Applause breaks out from behind her. Valentina turns to see several women standing and clapping,

She swivels back to Assante. ‘We’re done. I’m going out now and will contact you later with the name of the officer I want you to hand over to.’

Valentina walks the rest of the room to the corridor amid a cacophony of wolf whistles and thunderous applause.