Viper

72

Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio At first light, under the supervision of the carabinieri – most of whom were more interested in her than the task she was about to undertake – anthropologist Luella Grazzioli and her team shipped in the latest Ground Penetrating Radar System.

Under pressure, Sorrentino had finally decided that it was worth giving GPRS a go and had given strict instructions for every inch of the gridded area to be meticulously swept. 'Go over it like you are brushing your beautiful teeth. Then when I arrive you can show me something that will make my smile as wonderful as yours,' he'd told her. Typical Sorrentino.

Luella walked the safe corridor that had been established to protect evidence gained from the old excavation site and headed into a new section of the grid. Carabinieri officer Dino Gallo, two of his colleagues and two of hers followed. They brought with them the GPR system and also a set of state-of-the-art airspades.

'Last year, I dug up a body near Ischia,' Gallo confided as they walked. He was thin and suntanned; Luella thought he'd look better if he put on a little weight.

'Complicated?' she asked, happy to make small talk.

'No. We had all the right equipment, all the things you requested today, but we never needed it.'

'Sounds like you were lucky.'

'In some ways yes, in some ways no. The body was buried in a shallow grave.' Dino Gallo was keen to make an impression on the pretty anthropologist. 'As you probably know, in cases when the corpse is only about eighteen inches below the surface, you can usually start smelling the body after around seventeen days.'

Luella paused and took a check on where she wanted to start the sweep. 'You're right. The smell comes from dozens of different gas compounds released during decomposition.' She looked mischievously at him. 'Your expert carabinieri nose will no doubt have picked up on some of them.'

Gallo had a smile that broke hearts. 'My nose would rather smell roses over a dinner table, with you sitting on the other side.'

'I'm sure it would,' laughed Luella, well used to flattery, 'but for now I would like it sniffing over those boxes as we unpack them. Any chance?'

'Your wish is my command.' He added a perfect, military-trained bow.

Luella's colleague Giulietta was fitted into the harness containing the antenna and got ready to start her pre-mapped walk of the grid. Gallo finished wiring the monitor and the rest of the rig.

'One minute!' shouted Luella, doing a final systems check before giving her colleague the cue to start walking. 'Okay, off you go.'

Every hour, Giulietta switched with her other colleague, Emilio. Every two hours they took a break and talked. Every half-hour it rained. Every three-quarters of an hour Dino Gallo suggested different restaurants, clubs, parks and places he would like to take Luella to. After six hours she was on the verge of giving in and consenting to dinner.

Then the call came.

Luella took off her rubber gloves, grateful for the cool air on her hands. She pulled the cellphone out of the pocket of her overalls.

The voice on the other end – the coordinator from her office – said she was being put through to Capitano Tomms, who was at Sorrentino's home.

Luella listened carefully but couldn't believe what she'd been told.

Bernardo was dead.