Viper

99

Stazione dei carabinieri, Castello di Cisterna It was time to pull everything together. So much was happening – and happening so fast – there was a danger they'd miss something.

A major case conference had been convened back at the Murder Squad HQ in Castello di Cisterna.

Sylvia, Lorenzo, Pietro and Jack were joined by Luella Grazzioli, Professoressa Marianna Della Fratte, Claudio Mancini and Susanna Martinelli. They settled in a row of chairs facing a projection screen and set of whiteboards. As they waited for the meeting to start their eyes settled on the first board, the one listing all the missing and murdered women. * Francesca Di Lauro (24) Missing 5 yrs, found dead, location Mount Vesuvius National Park * Gloria Pirandello (19) Missing 6 yrs, found dead, location MVNP * Patricia Calvi (19) Missing 6.5 yrs, found dead, location MVNP * Luisa Banotti (20) Missing 7 years, found dead, location MVNP * Donna Rizzi (19) Missing 8 years, body not found Sylvia kicked off. 'Thank you all for coming here at short notice. A number of things happened this morning, and are still happening as we speak. One of our prime suspects, Bruno Valsi, is at the centre of the latest developments. Because of this we are joined by members of the Anti-Camorra Unit. Major, could you please share some of your information with us?'

Lorenzo Pisano modestly introduced himself, though everyone in the room was well aware of who he was. 'The Finelli and Cicerone families have operated side by side for more than a decade, but whatever peace they had, it is now over. Earlier today, Fredo Finelli was killed by a car bomb near his home and Carmine Cicerone was gunned down on the steps of the church of Santa Maria Eliana. We had Bruno Valsi, Finelli's son-in-law, in custody at the time of both hits. A security guard had been killed at his home. We had nothing to charge him with and when he was bored with us and satisfied he'd established a good alibi for himself, he just upped and walked.'

Questions flew: Who died first, Finelli or Cicerone? What other casualties were there? Had Valsi orchestrated it all? Lorenzo did his best to fill the gaps. Half an hour later extra intel came in – the body of Valsi's henchman Alberto Donatello had turned up in a skip just metres away from his front door. The war was certainly underway.

Jack tuned in and out of the conversation. It was becoming harder to separate the Camorra killings from the serial murders.

But at the same time, there was still no motive, no obvious links between victims and suspects.

For a while Jack perused the whiteboards. Some listed only the female victims. Some only the bodies found near Vesuvius. One detailed all the killings and all the missing women. Another – the latest – showed only the Camorra murders.