The fog lifted at Verona, and Alessandro was halfway to Milan when Columbo called. “I just heard from Eduard Alberti, Vanessa’s husband. He said he wants to talk to you immediately. He has more to tell you.”
“Yes, I assumed that when I spoke to him the first time. Look, it’s taken me a couple of hours to get this far, and I’ve got to make one of those evening flights to New York or I’ll have to wait until morning. Can’t you go talk to him?”
“We’re all stuck in Venice. There was an accident on the causeway—a hundred or so cars all piled up. Two deaths, several injuries. They’re taking the wounded in by ambulance boat. It’s a mess. With this fog, the causeway isn’t going to be cleared until at least tomorrow. You’re the only one who can get there. Don’t worry. You’ll make one of those flights—you’ve waited this long to see Katarina. A few more hours won’t make a difference.”
Alessandro checked the rearview mirror and, seeing that he was alone on the highway, he stepped on the gas, and did two donuts in the center of the road. It was a completely unnecessary maneuver, but leaving behind black skid marks seemed like the only way to vent his frustration.
Now facing in the other direction, he put his foot down on the accelerator. The Rossi engine roared as the needle on his speedometer climbed to 200 kilometers per hour.
“I sure hope you’re not going as fast as I think you are right now,” Columbo said.
Alessandro eased up on the gas. “Not anymore.”
“Good. I don’t need to lose you in a fiery car crash tonight.”
“Remember, I’m a professional,” Alessandro replied, and realized he sounded like a defiant teenager. “Sorry. I’m a little on edge.”
“Well, be careful.”
“Who’s with Olivia?”
“I was getting to that. Renzo was caught on the causeway, and Orlando’s still with her. She’s safe. But I need to know when you last saw Pamela.”
“Pamela? This morning, when we left the villa. Haven’t you seen her?”
“No, and she isn’t answering her phone either. I realize it was supposed to be her afternoon off, but I told her with the fog and everything else she just might have to change her plans. Maybe she’s stuck on the causeway too.”
“That’s not like her to ignore her cell.”
“It never used to be. But you have to admit she’s been acting pretty strange lately.”
“Like I said before, she’s tired.”
“And you believe her?”
“Why not?” Seeing flashing lights ahead, he slowed down. An ambulance, three police cars, a Mercedes, its front crunched into the windshield, and one transport truck, seemingly unharmed. A stretcher was being loaded into the ambulance. Just another day on an Italian highway.
Columbo spoke carefully. “Word around the office is that you’re seeing Olivia—you do know they figured that one out on their own—and that Pamela is jealous. According to your colleagues, she ran from the room crying that there was no way it was going to end happily ever after.”
“Pamela? Jealous?”
“Yes, apparently she’s in love with you.”
“That’s absurd. She’s been my partner for over two years now, and we’ve been nothing but—” He suddenly remembered Pamela holding him that morning. We’re more than partners, you know that.
“But what?” Columbo said.
“Look, she’s shown no signs of jealousy in the past, has she?”
“That’s because she’s had you all to herself. I don’t know why you find it so surprising. What woman doesn’t fall in love with you? She must’ve convinced herself that once you got over Katarina, you’d turn to her. You have to admit she’s shown a lot of personal concern—”
“But she’s married!”
“And when did that ever stop anyone from falling in love with someone else?”
“Come on. That’s pretty cynical,” Alessandro said, though he knew how much crime involved infidelity and jealously. “Wait! Why are we even talking about this now? What the hell does it have to do with Eduard Alberti?”
“You’re going to have to hear me out on this, but I’m afraid there’s a connection. I admit it might seem a little crazy at first.”
Alessandro said nothing. He was still digesting the idea that Pamela was in love with him.
“I went to watch the video this morning,” Columbo continued. “The one from Pamela’s interview with Dino.”
“And?” He was starting to get a sick feeling.
Columbo took his time answering, and when he did his first few sentences were drowned out in static. Alessandro caught only the word blank.
“Start again,” he said, his sense of dread growing.
“The video was blank.” Columbo paused. “She never turned the camera on.”
“That isn’t unheard of,” Alessandro said, immediately jumping to his partner’s defense.
“Not on TV. But in real police work, it’s very irregular and suspicious.”
Alessandro silently concurred, waiting for Columbo to continue.
“Pamela was alone with Dino. Without the video, there’s no way to verify what was said. We have only Pamela’s word.”
“And you don’t believe her?” he asked. “Dino told me pretty much the same thing.”
“He told you what he and Pamela worked out to tell you. Didn’t you say yourself it sounded like he was giving a movie synopsis?”
“That’s quite a leap. For all we know, she just forgot to turn it on.”
“I know. But there’s more.”
“What?”
“The Carabinieri emailed me some photos. Seems they’ve been watching Dino for the last several months. They suspect him of being involved in terrorism. Remember that bomb threat at the airport just before Christmas?”
“How could I forget?”
“Well, there was a plan to plant a bomb in the Arrivals area, but they couldn’t get it into the terminal because you’d blocked it off to save us all from chattering teeth.”
“It might have been nice for the Carabinieri to share that with us earlier. But what does this have to do with Pamela?”
“They were trying to identify a woman who started showing up with Dino in November. And when they did identify her, they came straight to me. It’s Pamela, Alessandro. Mostly she’s in the boat with him—”
“Why not? Dino drives a water taxi,” Alessandro protested. “I’m sure he’s seen with dozens of people every day.”
“Dino has been driving exclusively for Silvio Milan and his firm for almost four years. And even if he wasn’t, Pamela can’t afford to take water taxis on a cop’s salary.”
“You’re right. I’m just finding this hard to believe. Tell me what’s in the photos.”
“Several show her on different occasions talking with Dino in the front of his boat. In others she’s sitting by herself in the cabin. There’s one of her going into Silvio Milan’s at night by way of the garden, and another with her talking to Milan on his balcony. Most interesting, on the night you lost Olivia at the airport, she was seen going into Milan’s and when she came out with him, he was dressed as a sultan and she was dressed in a plague-doctor costume. They went to your cousin Beatrix’s party together.”
“That’s where I found Olivia. They must have been planning something. So Milan’s involved too?”
“The Carabinieri are certainly beginning to wonder. We think Pamela’s been working for them since at least November, alerting them to any police suspicions, but when you started seeing Olivia, she let her personal feelings get in the way. I think she wanted Olivia arrested with those drugs, even though it put their whole operation at risk.”
“You know, she was already at the airport when I got there. This is crazy.”
“I know. I warned you.”
“Can you check in with Orlando and make sure Olivia is safe?” Alessandro said, willing his voice to be steady. “Damn it. It’s going to take me forever to get to Alberti’s in this fog.”
“Call me right after you talk to Alberti. And for God’s sake, if you hear from Pamela, let me know.”