Death and Restoration Read Online Free Page A

remembered that from her own youth. But she felt uncomfortable.
    “Anything?”’
    “No. I’ve been going through the lists. Airports, hotels, sightings at railway stations, reports from dealers. Nothing of importance.”
    “What about the unimportant?”’
    “Not much there, either. The only thing I did note was that someone vaguely involved in one of your cases last year arrived yesterday evening. Just a witness, though: no involvement in anything illegal. Quite the opposite, in fact.”
    “Who?”’
    “A woman called Verney. Mary Verney.”
    Flavia got that little turning sensation in her stomach that always happened when she realized that, if disaster was going to be averted, it would be by sheer good fortune rather than skill or observation or intelligence.
    “Some report you wrote seems to have been absorbed into the immigration computer. I don’t know why. It just came up as routine.”
    “Any idea where she is?”’
    “No. But I can try and find out, if you think it’s important.”
    “I do. I really do. Think of it as your night-time’s entertainment. Ring round every hotel in Rome if need be. The sooner you find her, the better.”
    “Who is she?”’
    “An old friend. And a very clever woman. You’ll like her.”
    “Ah, yes. Mary Verney,” Bottando said the next morning. “The English country lady. Why are you so interested in her? All she did was provide evidence against that man Forster last year. So you told me. Or was there more to it?”’
    “We got back eighteen pictures, thanks to her,” Flavia said. She didn’t like this bit. “And because of that I was happy to end the enquiry. Getting things back is our main job, after all. But once all the reports were written and the whole affair finished I became convinced she was responsible for most of the thefts in the first place.”
    “And you never mentioned this?”’ Bottando said with a suggestion of slight surprise around the left eyebrow. She avoided looking too embarrassed.
    “I couldn’t pin anything on her, and if I’d tried earlier we would never have recovered the pictures. It was a trade-off and, in the circumstances, a reasonable one.”
    Bottando nodded. It was, after all, exactly what he would have done himself. He couldn’t complain too much.
    “But she’s on the loose? A bit unwise, that, don’t you think?”’
    “Unexpected. She’s not so young any more, and I was pretty sure she’d retired. She’s no spring chicken, you know. And hardly needs the money.”
    Bottando nodded. For some reason Flavia got the idea he was only half listening.
    “But here she is,” he observed. “You want to bring her in?”’
    Flavia shook her head. “No. It may be a completely innocent visit, and it would be a waste of time. I don’t want to start anything official unless we have to explain our interest. But I don’t like her being in Rome. I thought it would be a good idea to let her know that we are aware she’s here. I’ll have her for a drink. It would accomplish the same thing. She’s staying in the Borgognoni hotel. With your permission, I’ll ring her up this morning. And put someone on to watch her.”
    Bottando came out of his reverie long enough to frown with disapproval. “We can’t afford that. Don’t have the people. Besides, this monastery business seems a higher priority. If either of them is.”
    “Well …”
    “No. You can have Giulia. Time she got out of the office, and we can put the cost down to the ministry’s training budget. A bit of practice for her. But that’s all. Get her to stand outside San Giovanni all day …”
    “She’s already there.”
    Bottando peered at her. “Oh,” he said. “Good. You can have her follow this Verney woman afterwards, for a bit of variety, if you like. Couple of days of that and she’ll begin to realize what policing is really all about. But don’t use anyone else.”
    He was right, she knew that; they couldn’t spare two people. Even sending