A Noble Radiance Read Online Free Page A

was shot’
    'What reason?'
    There is a small
hole, about two centimetres in diameter, at the base of his skull’ 'Only one
hole?' 'Yes.'
    'And the bullet?'
    'My men were using an
ordinary mesh screen when they searched the site for bones, so if it was there,
something as small as bullet fragments might have fallen through’
    'Are the Carabinieri continuing
the search?'
    ‘I can't answer that,
Commissario’
    'Will you do the
autopsy?' ‘Yes. This evening.' 'And the results?'
    'I'm not sure what
sort of results you're looking for, Commissario’
    ' Age, sex, cause of
death.'
    'I can give you the
age already: in his early twenties, and I don't think anything I find during
the autopsy will either contradict that or give a closer idea of the exact age.
Sex is almost certainly male, given the length of the bones in the arms and
legs. And I'd guess the cause of death was the bullet.'
    'Will you be able to
confirm that?'
    'It depends on what I
find.'
    'What condition was
the body in?'
    'Does that mean how
much of it was left?'
    'Yes.'
    'Enough to get tissue
and blood samples. Much of the body tissue was gone - animals, I told you -but
some of the larger ligaments and muscles, especially those on the thigh and
leg, are in good condition.'
    'When will you have
the results, Dottore?'
    'Is there need for
haste, Commissario? After all, he's been in the ground for more than a year.'
    'I'm thinking of his
family, Dottore, not of police business.'
    'You mean the ring?'
    'Yes. If it's the
missing Lorenzoni boy, I think they should be told as soon as possible.'
    'Commissario, I'm not
in possession of enough information to be able to identify him as anyone in
particular, beyond what I've already told you. Until " I have the dental
and medical records of the
    Lorenzoni boy, I
can't be sure of anything except age and sex and perhaps cause of death. And
how long ago it happened.'
    'Do you have an
estimate of that?'
    'How long ago did the
boy disappear?'
    'About two years.'
    There was a long
pause. ‘It’s possible, then. From what I saw. But I'll still need those records
to make any sort of positive identification.'
    ‘I’ll contact the
family, then, and ask for them. As soon as I get them, I’ll fax them to you.'
    'Thank you,
Commissario. For both things. I don't like having to speak to the families.'
    Brunetti couldn't
conceive of a person who would like it, but he said nothing to the doctor more
than that he would call that evening to see if the autopsy had indeed confirmed
the doctor's speculations.
    When he replaced the
phone, Brunetti turned to Vianello. 'You heard?'
    'Enough. If you want
to call the family, I'll call Belluno and see if the Carabinieri have
found the bullet. If not, I'll tell them to get back to the field where they
found him and look until they do.'
    Brunetti's nod served
as both assent and thanks. When Vianello was gone, Brunetti pulled out the
phone book from his lower drawer and flipped it open to the L’s. He
found three listings for Lorenzoni, all at the same San Marco address:
'Ludovico, avoocato', 'Maurizio, ingeniere', and 'Cornelia', no profession
listed.
    His hand reached out
for the phone, but instead of lifting it, he got up from his desk and went down
to speak to Signorina Elettra.
    When he went into the
small antechamber outside the office of his superior, Vice-Questore Giuseppe
Patta, the secretary was talking on the phone. Seeing him, she smiled and held
up one magenta-nailed finger. He approached her desk and, while she finished
her conversation, he both listened to what she said and glanced down at that
day's headlines, reading them upside down, a skill that had often proven most
useful. L'Esule di Hammamet, the headline declared, and Brunetti wondered why it was
that former politicians who fled the country to avoid arrest were always
'exiles' and never 'fugitives'.
    ‘I’ll see you then at
eight,' Signorina Elettra said, and added, 'Ciao, caro,' before
putting down the phone.
    What young man