Il Pane Della Vita (30 page)

“
Good afternoon, Sister,” said the abbot. “We have a guest who would like to meet with you in my office. Please bring your coffee and follow us.”

He was there in the office. Of course he would be. Sister Angela had hoped the bishop had reined him in, but Father Sergio always managed to
follow his own agenda.

“Good afternoon, Father,” she said, taking his hand when he stood.

“How do you do, Sister? You look fit. Perhaps the rest has done you well.”

“Yes, the atmosphere is wonderful up here among the trees. And the food; Brother Alonzo is such a good chef. Perhaps we could hire him at the
scuola media
.”

The abbot sat down behind his desk and waited for Father Sergio’s questions.

“I am surprised you have not solve
d the crime yet, Sister. In fact, I have not heard from you at all.”

“Yes, Father, the last instructions I got were from the bishop. Perhaps I should have followed my gut and kept you informed, but I wasn’t sure you were interested in an actual crime.”

“I assigned you to the task of finding out what happened to Brother Pietro, Sister. Of course I was interested. Even though the crime looks like a murder, it is not a mundane one because it involved an
eremita
who, having devoted his life to Christ, is a special child in our eyes.”

“Yes, well…”

“And uncovering muck about one of our children is a sensitive subject in this diocese, Sister.”

“I call them facts.
It’s difficult to find out who the murderer was when I don’t know who the victim was.”

“And to manhandle a bishop emeritus is quite unseemly.”

“I asked him gently what he knew of Father Teo. That’s all. Had I known that Bishop Emeritus Trombetta was ill, I would have been more circumspect. Asking him about the past flustered him because he couldn’t remember his past. It would have benefitted me to have information about the bishop emeritus from my diocese before I interviewed him.”

Father Sergio’s lips disappeared when he tried to smile.

The chief detective knocked and then walked in.

“Chief Detective Monte Morena, may I introduce Father Sergio, assis
tant to the bishop in Montriano?” said Sister Angela.

Father
Sergio stood to shake his hand. “I come here today, Chief Detective Morena, because Sister Angela has suggested she is needed on this murder investigation. Someone called the bishop and intimated that she was crucial to the investigation even after it was ascertained that it was indeed a murder case.”

“That was me,” said the abbot.

“I am certain, chief detective, that you and your deputies are perfectly capable of solving a murder case without her, are you not?”

Morena nodded. He looked serious. “To tell you the truth, Sister Angela’s skills are essent
ial to the investigation. My deputy and I talk to the
eremiti
. But because we aren’t privy to their customs or how they live their lives, we can’t follow up on the clues as easily. Perhaps you heard that Sister Angela discovered the body and weapon.”

“Brother Salvatore actually…”
Sister Angela began.

“We wouldn’
t have checked this resting place on the hill because we wouldn’t have known it existed. I don’t believe the brothers would have spoken in such intimate terms to anyone without a profound knowledge of the monastic life.”

“But her vocation calls, Chief D
etective. She cannot leave her job at the
scuola media
. It is not fair to those who have to take on her students while she is out gallivanting.”

Brother Salvatore walked in without
knocking. Seeing no chair, he sat on the floor and leaned against the wall by the door.

“Father Sergio, this is Brother Salvatore, a gifted detective who has
pulled me out of many jams here,” said the abbot.

“And to
train someone else who was intended to be a monk in your monastery, Father Abbot, is criminal. Each and every one of your monks has a job to do. If you lose one to a vocation, you must train someone else. It puts everything out of kilter.”

“I have heard no complaints about my helping Sister Angela solve a murder that took one of our most
beloved brothers, Father Sergio,” said Brother Salvatore. “Everyone here sits on the edge of his seat, worrying that the murderer will kill again.”

Sister Angela turned away from Father Sergio to roll her eyes.

“Actually, most of the brothers here agree that Brother Salvatore can handle his work as a chef in training and help Morena with cases involving local monasteries,” said the abbot. “He’s very promising. As for determining the vocations of the brothers at Santo Velo and the
eremo
above, I believe that is my job.” Father Rafaello stood. “I also think we’ve taken the chief detective away from his work in Avalle. Perhaps Sister Angela, you, and Avalle’s two detectives can meet in the dining room to exchange clues and make your time here useful. Father Sergio, I’m so glad to meet you,” he said continuing out the door. “If your bishop continues to have trouble with our arrangement perhaps you can have him call me. Brother Salvatore, will you get a cup of espresso for Father Sergio before helping him find his way to his car?”

The abbot watched Brother Salvatore take him out the door in the direction of
the
sala.

The nun met him in front of the monastery.

“Hello, Ignazio. I’m so glad you’re free to pick me up.”

“Do you need to see the
eremita
today?” he asked.

“No, I need a ride into Collinaterra. It’s not far but too far for me to walk
today, even in my sneakers.”

When they arrived at the power company, she sat forward and tapped Bassi on the shoulder. “Can you find something to do for a half hour?”

“Oh yes. I always have some shopping to do for Santo Velo. See you in a half hour.”

The nun walked into the power company. “Good morning, Sister,” said
Vito, picking up the phone to call Lippi. “You may go in.”

“I’m so glad you came by, Sister Angela. I have the field agent who was at the
eremo
to check the gas lines just about a month ago. Sister, this is Tito.”

“Hello, Sister Angela. Yes, I check the lines, and all was secure at that time. I even checked inside Brother Pietro’s cottage.”

“Why? Did you think something was going to happen?”

“No.
Brother Pietro’s cottage was the first one connected to the tank. When it was finished, Mr. Neri complained that we had put our pipes in a place that was difficult to conceal. The exposed pipe was unpleasing to the eye. We usually put plasterboard around interior pipes, like contractors do with electrical wires. None see them. The first cottage was facing the wrong way. Where we brought it through the walls, it was too difficult to surround with plasterboard. We left it visible. In all the other cottages, however, we were more careful and found another place to bring the pipe inside where there was room to cover it.”

“So the
exposed pipe in Brother Pietro’s cottage made it easy for someone to vandalize.”

“I don’t think that
’s our fault, Sister,” said Lippi. “Who would imagine that a holy man would have a need to protect himself? He lives in a secure compound with first-class security. He doesn’t talk to many people nor does he leave the compound often.”

The nun took out the picture of the woman who often visited the
eremo
. “Have you ever seen this woman? She’s supposed to be Brother Pietro’s niece.”

“Yes, quite often. I’m almost certain that is Nico’s wife,” said Tito.

“Are you sure? The picture doesn’t really look like her at all, does it?”

“Of course it does. The hair may be a bit off, but look at those eyes. Nico’s lucky to have such a beautiful wife. Anyway,
I saw Gina there visiting him during the last visit. They were in his garden talking and laughing.”

Sister Angela stared at the picture.
Ah, Nico. You lied to me. I’m afraid we need to talk.
“Thank you, Tito. I think that’s all for now.” When she got to the door, she turned and said, “Tito, when you go into the compound, which door do you use?”

“I sometimes go in through the chapel, but I also use the perimeter gate in the forest. There was a camera there
, and I was supposed to present myself, but security was often on a break when I came. I would have hiked up for nothing. Finally, one of the doormen gave me a chapel key so they didn’t have to be in the office to see me, and I didn’t have to hike around the compound.”

“Did you use the gate on your last visit?”

“Yes I did because I planned to check Brother Pietro’s cottage first.”