‘That would be very nice,’ he said.
Griffoni slipped her arm from Manuela’s and echoed, ‘Oh, yes, I’d love a coffee.’ She looked at her watch and added, ‘I always have one about this time of day.’ Then, after a silent exchange with Brunetti, she said, ‘Manuela, why don’t we both go and help Alina?’ When Manuela was slow to answer, Griffoni said, ‘You’ll have to show me where the cups and saucers are, you know. You’ll have to help me.’
Manuela’s face glowed with delight. She took Griffoni’s arm and gave it a gentle pull, saying, ‘All right. Let’s go to the kitchen and I’ll show you. I’ll help.’
Seeing that Manuela’s mother was at a loss for how to behave, Brunetti decided to take the initiative and said, ‘Shall we sit down, Signora? I have a number of things I’d like to ask you.’
She walked to a chair that stood in front of the window. The light fell on the chair facing her, so Brunetti pulled it to one side and sat out of the direct light. ‘Thank you for agreeing to see us, Signora.’
Sitting closer to her now, Brunetti saw that she had applied a layer of flesh-coloured makeup to her face but had not succeeded in applying it smoothly under her chin, so the colour simply ended, creating a colour change as evident as that on the fur of a Jack Russell. ‘I don’t understand what’s going on,’ she said.
‘A magistrate has initiated a re-examination of the circumstances surrounding Manuela’s accident,’ he said, intentionally avoiding any reference to his own interest in the subject. Let her think he was merely a cop sent to do some unimportant job.
‘Ah,’ she said, prolonging the sound. When Brunetti made no comment, she said, ‘I didn’t know there had been an examination to begin with.’ Her tone caused Brunetti to do a sudden reassessment. Perhaps she was not drugged at all, merely leading them on.
Brunetti gave an easy smile. ‘Perhaps it’s more correct to say that there was the usual police report of the incident. That’s what the magistrate wants us to look at again.’
‘After fifteen years?’ she asked, deadpan.
‘Yes,’ Brunetti answered but supplied no explanation.
‘Has my mother-in-law got anything to do with this?’ she asked.
Brunetti narrowed his eyes in confusion, as if hearing for the first time that this woman had a mother-in-law. ‘I’m afraid only the Public Magistrate would know that, Signora. I was asked to speak to you.’ Then, with interest obviously aroused by her question, he asked, ‘Is there something your mother-in-law knows that we should hear about?’
Her answer was immediate. ‘Not that I know of.’
Brunetti indicated his acceptance of her remark. In a more serious voice, he began, ‘Signora, you must excuse me if I ask this, but can you tell me how much . . .’ Brunetti broke off, seeking a word less savage than ‘damage’ to use. ‘ . . . harm was done to Manuela?’
‘You’ve seen her,’ she said, suddenly fierce with the anger of someone who has nothing to lose. ‘What do you think?’
‘I think she has a very sweet character,’ Brunetti said in the girl’s defence.
‘Children usually do,’ the mother said bitterly, then clapped her hand over her mouth, as if surprised to hear herself say such a thing. She put her palms on her knees and leaned forward to take a few deep breaths. As Brunetti watched, she rocked back and forth a few times, eyes closed. Finally she said, voice calmer but not calm, ‘The doctors say she has a mental age of six or seven, and that’s what she’s going to be for ever.’
Brunetti thought back to what Chiara had been at that age: sweet, affectionate, able to sound out and read aloud any text given to her and to understand some of what she read, trusting of all adults, in love with the neighbour’s dog. What a lovely age; how horrible to have it be prolonged year after year.
He looked at Manuela’s mother with new eyes, and she looked back at him with a flash of the intelligence he had chosen not to notice before. ‘I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Signora,’ he said.
She nodded. ‘Thank you. It doesn’t help in the least, but I thank you for your sympathy,’ she said sounding like an actress who had stepped out of role.
The moment passed, and he laid all father aside and returned to being only a policeman. ‘Did you learn this from the hospital report, Signora?
She considered that then said, ‘I don’t think I ever read it.’
‘I beg your pardon.’