Viper

CAMORRA DEATHS

* Fredo Finelli (64) – Finelli Don * Armando Lopapa (50) – Finelli Chauffeur * Alberto Donatello (27) – Finelli/Valsi Clan member * Beppe Basso (30) – Valsi House Guard * Carmine Cicerone (45) – Cicerone Don At first glance, today's troubles looked like a Cicerone-instigated war; with the death count running three to one in their favour. But Jack felt sure Valsi had drawn first blood. It was what he'd predicted.

He slid his attention to the next board.

* Bernardo Sorrentino (42) – forensic anthropologist – killed at home * Kristen Petrov (24) – telephone sex centre worker – Finelli/Valsi business – killed in Castellani rubbish pit * Rosa Novello (18) – killed in car at Castellani campsite * Filippo Valdrano (19) – killed with Novello in car at Castellani campsite * Franco Castellani (24) – suicide at Pompeii – lived on site where bodies of Petrov, Novello and Valdrano found * Paolo Falconi (24) – killed by cousin at Pompeii – lived on Castellani campsite * Alberta Tortoricci (38) – Valsi trial witness, killed by electrocution – body burned and found in Scampia So many deaths. So many links – strong or tenuous – to the Camorra. But, as Jack had learned, in Naples this wasn't uncommon. The Camorra touched everything. He lingered over the list and started to eliminate suspects. If the Castellani cousins were the serial killers, they could now be trimmed from the list. Case solved and then all that was left was a turf war. But surely that was too easy an answer.

Jack considered the alternatives. If the cousins were not serial killers, then Bruno Valsi continued to emerge as the main suspect. Valsi and the cousins had all shared much of the psychological profile he'd drawn up of the murderer. Franco and Paolo had both been manual workers. Neither seemed to have had any steady sexual relationships. Both had access to a van – which would be perfect for abducting victims and disposing of corpses. And they'd even lived and worked on the site where the bodies of Petrov, Novello and Valdrano had been found. But to Jack they didn't seem to possess either the expertise to kill efficiently, or the sadistic streak to want to burn women to death. Valsi on the other hand – well, he seemed to have those qualities in spades. Sylvia's voice caught his attention and drew him back to the briefing.

'Mancini. Tell us about Kristen Petrov – what's new on her?'

Claudio Mancini cleared his throat and tried to settle his nerves. He'd never spoken at a briefing in front of senior officers before. 'We've been to the call centre where she works – sorry, worked – and we've spoken to some of the girls on the sex lines. Seems that Bruno Valsi visited the centre with some of his thugs and removed the woman running it, Celia Brabantia. Our girl Kristen replaced her.'

Jack had questions. 'Any suggestions of a sexual relationship between her and Valsi?'

'Err, yes. One of the girls said that Kristen had bragged about seeing Valsi; she said that one day she would end up owning the sex centre.' He looked towards Sylvia.

She took up the story. 'The plan with Valsi is this – if necessary we will detain him for questioning in connection with the murder of Kristen Petrov. I know he'll walk, and probably quickly because we have nothing – I repeat nothing – to link him forensically to this killing, or to suggest a motive. But it may buy us time.'

Jack's attention drifted back to the whiteboards. Valsi certainly fitted his profile in the sense of being capable of immense violence, and no doubt enjoying it. The interview with his wife had confirmed Jack's suspicion that he was capable of anything, including murder.

And then there was that intriguing gap of five years. Five years in which no more women disappeared. Five years that Valsi spent in prison. But Jack had trouble believing Valsi had killed Kristen. He might have had her killed – that would be more his style – just as he'd had Alberta Tortoricci killed, but he certainly hadn't done it himself. And as for all the other missing women, the endless canvassing of family, friends and neighbours had failed to produce any link between them and Bruno Valsi. Not that many people expected anyone to say anything about one of the country's most notorious Camorristi.

Jack scanned the whiteboards one final time and hoped for inspiration. His mind was fogged by all the names and dates and twists. But the answer lay there in black and white. Valsi was involved somehow. He just had to figure out how big the some was and exactly what the how was.