A Refiner's Fire by Donna Leon

Author:Donna Leon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grove Atlantic
Published: 2024-06-14T16:54:02+00:00

Mistaking the reason for Brunetti’s silence, the officer said, ‘Everything’s been checked, sir. You can touch them.’

Nodding his thanks, Brunetti reached for the first bag, remembering the mascarpone-covered gorgonzola they sometimes sold at Christmas, and was amazed by its weight as he took it from the hook. His surprise slowed his reaction, and the bag banged against his thigh before he yanked it to a stop just below his knees. Turning to Genesin, he said, ‘Dio buono, what’s in here?’

‘Take a look, Commissario,’ the officer answered, and stepped away from a waist-high shelf where Brunetti put the bag.

Brunetti pulled it open and saw nothing but crushed plastic wrap. Peeling that aside, he saw a shoulder he recognized and drew out the statue of the sleeping lion. He set the bag down quickly and wiped his hands on his trousers.

Again, Genesin assured him. ‘It’s all right, sir. You can touch everything in there. We dusted for prints and photographed them.’

‘You found these here?’

‘Yes, sir,’ he said, taking down the second bag and handing it to him.

Inside was the statue of Apollo, and in the third, as Brunetti knew – because he’d felt it from the outside before he looked – was the dog, seeming too tiny and inoffensive to be put by himself in such a large bag.

Genesin took them from Brunetti and put them back where they had been found, on the back of the door. ‘They told me they’d searched the kitchen, but I know these guys, so I decided to take another look.’ His voice softened and he said, in mitigation of his team, ‘The bags were on the back of the door, so they weren’t visible when they came in here.’

‘And you found them,’ Brunetti said, calmly, gesturing towards the three bags.

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