The Terra-Cotta Dog Read Online Free Page A

been shot in the belly not long before and hadn’t yet fully recovered, feeling pain now and then in the wound.
    The booth was miraculously still there, the phone miraculously worked, and Fazio picked up before the second ring had finished.
    â€œFazio, are you already awake at this hour?”
    â€œSure am, Chief. Less than a minute ago I got a call from Catarella.”
    â€œWhat did he want?”
    â€œHe was speaking Talian so I couldn’t make much sense of it. But if I had to guess, I’d say that last night somebody cleaned out Carmelo Ingrassia’s supermarket, the great big one just outside of town. They used a large truck or tractor-trailer at the very least.”
    â€œWasn’t there a night watchman?”
    â€œThere was, but nobody can find him.”
    â€œWere you on your way there now?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œForget it. Phone Tortorella immediately and tell him to fill Augello in. Let those two take care of it. Tell them you can’t go, make up whatever bullshit you can think of, say you fell out of bed and hit your head. No: tell them the carabinieri came and arrested you. Better yet, call them and tell them to notify the carabinieri—it’s small potatoes, after all, just some shitty little robbery, and they’re always happy when we bring them into our cases. Now listen up, here’s what I want you to do: notify Tortorella, Augello, and the carabinieri about the theft, then round up Gallo, Galluzzo—Jesus Christ, I feel like I’m running a chicken farm here—and Germanà, and bring them all where I tell you to go. And arm yourselves with submachine guns.”
    â€œShit!”
    â€œShit is right. This is a big deal and we have to handle it carefully. No one is to whisper even half a word about this, especially Galluzzo with his newsman brother-in-law. And tell that chickenhead Gallo not to drive like he’s at Indianapolis. No sirens, no flashing lights. When you splash and muddy the waters, the fish escapes. Now pay attention and I’ll explain where you’re to meet me.”
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They arrived very quietly, not half an hour after the phone call, looking like a routine patrol. Getting out of the car, they went up to Montalbano, who signaled them to follow him. They met back up behind a half-ruined house, so that they could not be seen from the main road.
    â€œThere’s a machine gun in the car for you,” said Fazio.
    â€œStick it up your ass. Now listen: if we play our cards right, we just might bring Tano the Greek home with us.”
    Montalbano palpably felt that his men had ceased to breathe for a moment.
    â€œTano the Greek is around here?” Fazio wondered aloud, being the first to recover.
    â€œI got a good look at him, and it’s him. He’s grown a mustache and beard, but you can still recognize him.”
    â€œHow did you find him?”
    â€œNever mind, Fazio, I’ll explain everything later. Tano’s in a little house at the top of that hill. You can’t see it from here. There are olive trees all around it. It’s a two-room house, one room on top of the other. It’s got a door and a window in front; there’s another window to the top room, but that’s in back. Is that clear? Did you take that all in? Tano’s only way out is through the front, unless he decides in desperation to throw himself out the rear window, though he’d risk breaking his legs. So here’s what we’ll do: Fazio and Gallo go in back; me, Germanà, and Galluzzo will break in the door and go inside.”
    Fazio looked doubtful.
    â€œWhat’s wrong? Don’t you agree?”
    â€œWouldn’t it be better to surround the house and tell him to surrender? It’s five against one, he’d never get away.”
    â€œHow do you know there’s nobody inside the house with Tano?”
    Fazio shut up.
    â€œListen to me,” said Montalbano, concluding his