The Lost Twin. Federico Betti

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      “Ok, fine”, said Zamagni, “Now we’d like to make some other questions regarding the boy.”

      “What you’d like to know?”

      “Anything that could be useful to our inquiries”, explained the inspector, “unfortunately, we’re groping around in the dark. Please tell us what comes to your mind for the moment.”

      “Ok”, the lady began to speak, “I’ve recognized Marco Mezzogori since he was a child. His family learned very soon about the problems he had with motor development. He was able to move only the right part of the body. After some diagnostical examinations, it was found out that the boy was suffering from hemiplegia, one of the cerebral paralysis symptoms. It could be the case of a person who appears to be a tetraplegic, or not able to move either the upper limbs or the lower limbs... have you ever read the books in which Lincoln Rhyme is the protagonist?”

      Zamagni nodded, while the agent Finocchi got very surprised.

      “I will explain it later on”, said the inspector, and then turned to the nurse. “Go on, madam.”

      “Yes, of course, I really apologize for jumping out of the main topic of our discussion. I was saying... due to a cerebral paralysis, or inability to move two limbs out of four ... usually it’s the lower limb that he’s not able to move ... or, just like the case of Marco Mezzogori, the disabled person may result with hemiplegia, when the paralysis partly affect the body, only a section of it. This boy wasn’t able to move the right part of the body. For your information, there exist some other forms of paralysis such as the monoplegy and triplegy.”

      “Hence, the boy for example needed to learn to carry out a lot of jobs and make movements with the left hand”, agent Finocchi dared to say.

      The nurse nodded.

      “Have you anything else to tell us?”, asked Zamagni, “For example, how were the relationships in the family? And out of the family, as far as you may know?”

      “Yeah”, responded the lady, “The mother was very attached to her son, this was very obvious every time I used to go to their apartment. The son was the most important to her. Regarding his father, I don’t really know what to say to you. I’ve recognized him, yeah it’s true, but he wasn’t present most of the time I’ve spent there, because of engagements with his job or probably with shopping or something like that. I simply know that he used to go to the bar caffe in the street Repubblica in San Lazzaro of Savena, that is, the one in the very center of the city, not the bar caffe located in the intersection with...what’s the name of that street?”

      “Street Jussi?”, suggested the inspector, “Is this the name of street you mean?”

      “Yeah, exactly. He frequented that bar caffé, and once back home, he often went there after work. Her wife has told me.”

      “Ok, that’s clear”, nodded Zamagni.

      “Hence, as I was saying to you, I’ve seen the father very rarely. Although, as far as I know, one day he disappeared. Yeah, one day.”

      “The same was told to us as well”, admitted the inspector. “Have you ever recognized any other relatives or friends of the boy, who probably may have some kind of reason to hurt him?”

      “I already recognize Mrs. Carla, the sister of boy’s father, who always seemed a very calm person. I saw her very often as she used to come and see her nephew two or three times a week after work. As for the rest... don’t know what to say. I think he didn’t have any friend or acquaintance in particular.”

      “Many thanks for your information. I think it’s enough for now”, said the inspector, “Anyway, we kindly advise you to remain available if necessary.”

      “Sure, no problem for me”, agreed the lady.

      “We’d be pleased to talk to the chief of medical team that followed up the health condition of the hemiplegic boy”, added Zamagni, giving a business card to the nurse.

      “Of course. I think he’s not able to help you more than I did, however, here is the telephone number of professor Salvemini. The medical team is at the hospital Sant'Orsola of Bologna”, Daniela Rossi concluded her statement and then gave to the inspector a plasticized card with all the useful contact information to get in touch with the medical team.

      Both policemen thanked the nurse for taking her time and left away.

      VI

      Once left the apartment of Daniela Rossi, the inspector Zamagni contacted captain Luzzi on the phone to make an update on the latest interviews of the day, then informed him of their decision to go back to San Lazzaro of Savena and obtain a photo of the husband from the boy’s mother, then go to that bar caffé and show the photo off, hoping to get some more information on the husband, and given the chance, they would go and have a talk with professor Mario Salvemini before returning to the Police Station.

      Once the policemen made such request to Marisa Lavezzoli, she didn’t find it difficult to get a photo of her husband, and then Zamagni dhe Finocchi saluted her and went to meet with the owner of bar caffé.

      The bar caffé was actually managed by some Chinese people who initially failed to know the man from the photo the inspector showed, nevertheless they pointed out the fact of having the ownership of bar caffé in the recent years, while before them, the bar caffé had been owned by an Italian couple who, in turn, had decided to shut off the activity and enjoy in serenity the rest of their life.

      When the inspector Zamagni asked them of the residence place of the past owners, one of Chinese gave to them a piece of paper with the names, address and the phone numbers.

      “Unless they’ve changed their own address, this is what you’ve asked for”, explained the man behind the counter, “I’ve received these data from the sale contract.”

      Despite his Chinese nationality, it was obvious that the person whom they’re talking to, used to live in Italy for some years as he was fluent in Italian, differently from his friends in the bar caffé.

      Zamagni and Finocchi expressed their thanks to him and then went out the caffé heading towards the place indicated in the paper.

      “It is nearby”, the inspector explained to agent Finocchi, “We can reach it easily on foot within a few minutes.

      Aldo Marini and her spouse Giovanna Carletti lived in street Parma, within the same city, San Lazzaro of Savena, a short street parallel to street Repubblica, which was located behind the café owned by them before selling it to some Chinese people.

      “May we talk to you for a little bit?”, asked Zamagni after showing the police identification card to the man who showed up in the door.

      “Please”, the elderly man let them in, “What’s up?”

      “We’re inquiring a case and need to show a photo to you and your wife. It’s about a person, who as far as it seems, used to visit your bar café.”

      “What’s going on, Aldo?”, asked a lady, in a voice coming from the other room of the apartment.

      “Please come here, Giovanna, the police need to talk to us”, was the answer of the man, СКАЧАТЬ