IM10 August Heat (2008) Read Online Free Page A

Nothing doing. Laura wouldn’t open her eyes.
    Her face was all gray, her jaw clenched, and she was drenched in a cold sweat.
    “Take her into Montereale to see a doctor,” Montalbano said to Guido. “You, Livia, go with them.”
    Having laid Laura down on the backseat of the car with her head on Livia’s lap, Guido shot away at a speed that had even Gallo looking on in admiration. The inspector and Gallo then returned to the living room.
    “Now that they’re out of our hair,” Montalbano said to him,“let’s try to do something sensible. And the first sensible thing would be to put on our bathing suits. Otherwise, in this heat, we’ll never manage to think clearly.”
    “I haven’t got mine with me, Chief.”
    “Me neither. But Guido’s got three or four.”
    They found them and put them on. Luckily they were elastic; otherwise the inspector would have needed suspenders and Gallo would have been charged with indecent exposure.
    “Now, here’s what we’ll do.About ten yards past the little gate, there’s a stone staircase that leads down to the beach. It’s the only place, based on what I could gather from their confused story, where they didn’t look closely, I think. I want you to go all the way down, but stop at every step. The kid may have fallen and rolled into some crevice in the rock.”
    “And what are you going to do, Chief ?”
    “I’m going to make friends with the cat.”
    Gallo looked at him dumbfounded, and went out.
    “Ruggero!” the inspector called. “What a fine kitty you are! Ruggero!”
    The cat rolled onto his back with his paws in the air. Montalbano tickled his belly.
    “Prrrrrr . . .” said Ruggero.
    “What do you say we go see what’s in the fridge?” the inspector asked him, heading towards the kitchen.
    Ruggero, who seemed not to object to the suggestion, followed him, and as Montalbano opened the refrigerator and pulled out two fresh anchovies, the cat rubbed against his legs, lightly butting his head.
    The inspector took a paper plate, put the anchovies on it, set it down on the floor, waited for the cat to finish eating, then went outside onto the terrace. Ruggero, as he’d expected, came following after him. He headed towards the staircase, in time to see Gallo’s head appear.
    “Absolutely nothing, Chief. I could swear that the kid didn’t go down these stairs.”
    “So, in your opinion, there’s no way he could have gone down to the beach and into the water?”
    “Chief, if I’ve understood correctly, the kid is three years old. He couldn’t have done it even if he was running.”
    “So maybe we ought to do a better search of the surrounding area.There’s no other explanation.”
    “Chief, what do you say we call the station and have a couple more men come for support?”
    Gallo’s sweat was dripping down to his feet.
    “Let’s wait just a little longer. Meanwhile, go cool yourself off.There’s a hose in front of the house.”
    “But you yourself should put something on your head. Wait.”
    He went out on the terrace, where various beach accoutrements were scattered, and returned with Livia’s hat, which was pink with a floral pattern.
    “Here, put this on. What do you care? Nobody can see you here.”
    As Gallo went off, Montalbano noticed Ruggero was no longer with him. He went back into the house, to the kitchen, and called. No cat.
    If he wasn’t there licking the plate that had held the anchovies, then where could he have gone?
    From what Laura and Guido had told him, he knew that the cat and the kid had become inseparable. Bruno, in fact, had made such a fuss, screaming and crying, that he’d succeeding in getting permission to have the cat sleep in his bed.
    That was why Montalbano had made friends with Ruggero. He had a hunch that the cat knew exactly where the kid was.
    And now, as he stood in the kitchen, it occurred to him that the cat had disappeared again because he’d gone back to see Bruno, to keep him