Il Pane Della Vita Read online

  “I don’t wish to talk about him that way, Mrs. Albo. I just want to know about a young woman with auburn hair who used to bring a child with her to the rectory. Some people have mentioned that she was close to him.”

  “Yes. He called her Grazia. She never revealed her last name to me. She was a pretty, unmarried mother who came for counseling. Father Teo was very good at helping people who needed it.”

  “And have you seen this Grazia and the baby since?”

  “She stayed around for a few months after Father Teo left but missed more and more masses,” said Mrs. Albo. “The next vicar, Father Pellicano, was good with her, but she left anyway. It was winter, and she didn’t have a jacket, poor thing. Father Pellicano got her one, but she still developed this terrible cough. Maybe the vicar should have helped her more but she stopped coming for help.”

  “So you haven’t seen her in years, and you don’t know if she moved away or died. Did Father Teo have any other parishioners that came as often as she did?”

  “Oh yes. He did everything from baptisms to confirmation classes for the young to grieving sessions for adults. Lots of people went in and out. I believe Grazia was the most pathetic case, though. She often left his office in tears.”

  “Did you ever ask her why she was so sad?”

  “No. It wasn’t my place to ask. They only come to see a priest. He’s been trained to take care of his flock, you know.”

  Catching the train the next morning, Sister Angela sat mesmerized by the hilly countryside. What had she learned? Not much, really. She fingered the photographs Sister Nella and Father Pellicano let her take. She had no pictures of the young woman, Grazia, but what could she possibly gain from that? Grazia was just a snapshot of Father Teo’s time at San Mattia. Yes, he counseled the young woman, but he counseled others too. Why did the old man notice her and not the others? Sister Angela smiled. He must have admired something about her.

  The nun had hoped Bishop Emeritus Trombetta would have remembered him. The bishop guarded his motives closely. Did he do that on purpose, or had he lost the keys to that part of his memory.

  Sister Angela had spoken to Father Torre on the phone that very morning. “I don’t understand why we have no records—why Father Teo was removed. Where did he go?

  “There are records kept now. In the past decade, members of the archbishop’s staff were forced to keep detailed records, including the reason deacons, priests, and nuns are moved. But historical records were not kept for obvious reasons. Bishops thought they had the responsibility for their own priests and took it upon themselves to seek a cure for their ailments or get them work outside the diocese—anything that would make them happier.”

  When Sister Angela arrived at the station in Avalle, Bassi was there to drive her back to the monastery.

  “It’s so good to see you, Ignazio. It seems like I’ve been gone for a long time.”

  “It was less than a week, Sister, but Brother Salvatore had been bugging me to tell him when you are to return.”

  Sister Angela smiled. “I missed him most of all. Do you mind if we stop for a short time at the station? Maybe Chief Detective Morena can get us some coffee.”

  “That’s fine, Sister. I have time.”

  The two walked up the steps to the entrance. Once inside, Morena greeted them. ”I’m so glad you’ve returned, Sister. Come back to my office. I need to show you what we have. Loria, get these two fresh cups of coffee.”

  The chief detective removed a sheet from his drawer. “You asked me to get an artist to draw the woman that visited Father Pietro. Do either of you recognize her?”

  The two stared at the photograph. “She looks familiar, doesn’t she?”

  “Yes, I suppose. I’m trying to remember if I know anyone with hair like that. I confess that when I was told that a woman was described as having chestnut hair visiting Father Teo, I thought about Father Pietro’s frequent visitor. Then I remembered that there was at least twenty years in between the visits. This woman is too young to be the one who was counseled by Father Teo.”

  “He seemed to attract young women,” said Bassi.

  The nun sighed. “I don’t think having two young women in a lifetime would make one draw that conclusion. And if he were fired for not keeping his vows, I don’t think Father Pietro would chance having a relationship with another. He evidently didn’t hide the visits at the hermitage. There were witnesses.”

  “Speaking of witnesses, the security cameras didn’t reveal any intruders the day and evening before the explosion. Remember, the cottage faces the woods. That makes it difficult to see who went in or out, including Brother Pietro himself.”

  “The witnesses did see a woman, though, because she sat with him in his garden, which is at the back of the cottage. If Neri would provide us with the list of guests, then we would at least know whether or not a young woman signed in or was let in nefariously. I guess I’ll have to go to Neri first thing tomorrow morning, Ignazio.”

  “I’m not on duty tomorrow, Sister,” said Bassi. “Please tell Father Rafaello so that he can get a replacement.”

  Sister Angela did not see the abbot when she got back to the monastery. She knocked on the abbot’s office door, but no one answered.

  Brother Pascal entered with the mail and put it on a desk he used when he kept books. “He’s not here. He’s in a meeting in Arezzo. Can I help you, Sister?”

  “Oh, Brother Pascal. I just needed…”

  The phone rang, and he answered it. She didn’t want to wait for the call to end and decided to go to her room.

  In the first courtyard, Brother Salvatore jumped up when he saw her. “Sister Angela, you’re back. What did you learn?”

  She sat down next to him on the bench in the indoor garden and took out the photographs of Father Teo.

  “Is this Brother Pietro?” He held them away from his face and then pulled them in again. “How do you know this is Brother Pietro?”

  “I don’t. I have to take them to the hermitage tomorrow morning. I’m hoping someone up there will recognize him. Tonight I have to read my emails and see if Neri has the visitors’ list ready.”

  The next morning, Sister Angela turned on her computer and saw an email from Montriano. She had forgotten to update him. She opened it and read:

  Dear Sister Angela,

  I received a letter from the bishop emeritus’ office that you had been to see the bishop regarding Father Teo. The staff member was shocked that you would discuss irregularities in the diocese under the former archbishop. He even mentioned your attempt to smear the hermit’s reputation with innuendo about his sexual habits.

  I believe that maybe you have strayed from the scope of the investigation and it is time for you to return to your duties at the scuola media. We can meet after a time of reflection.

  Regards,

  Father Sergio

  Sister Angela stared at the screen. She was finally getting somewhere. How could he pull her now? What would happen to the case? Her ears buzzing, she showered and dressed in her habit and tennis shoes. She had no one to take her to the top of the hill, but there was a path. She was out the front door without even thinking about coffee or breakfast.

  She walked up the road and turned off into the hills at the trailhead. She had been trekking about ten minutes when she heard someone calling behind her.

  “Sister Angela, wait up,” said the voice.

  She slowed and finally looked back.

  It was Brother Salvatore, running after her. “Sister Angela, you should have told me you needed to be up the hill.”

  “I’m sorry, Brother. I thought you were too busy working with Brother Alonzo.”

  “Brother Alonzo noticed you weren’t at breakfast. He told me to check your room.”

  “How did he know I was back?”

  “I worked with them last night and told them you were pretty tired. When I couldn’t find you in your room, I told Brother Alonzo. He reported that while I was upstairs, you
were seen going out the front door. I knew no one was scheduled to pick you up so I attempted to catch you.”

  “And you did. I thought I would try the trail. I needed to think about the explosion.”

  “You mean you need to be alone? That’s unfortunate. There are places along the trail that aren’t marked well. I wouldn’t let you go alone.”

  The nun smiled to herself. “You can come—as long as you told someone you were coming.”

  “Brother Alonzo knows. He handed me some water bottles. You’ll need that.”

  “Thank you. You’re probably right.”

  “I also grabbed some breakfast. Your strength will be tested. The slope here is called ‘the flat section.’”

  “We have all day. I predict you will get tired before I do.”

  The monk laughed, his competitive nature emerging. “So you have the pictures of Father Teo. What else?”

  “Did you see the drawing of the woman visitor?”

  “No. Show it to me.”

  Sister Angela stopped to pull it out of the red-striped bag over her shoulder. Then they both started hiking again.

  “She looks familiar and has a beautiful smile.”

  “But you can’t put a name to it, right?.”

  “Did Neri say he knew about the visitor?”

  “I don’t think I mentioned her to him. I just asked for the list.”

  “Who told you about this woman?”

  “One of the housekeepers and at least one of the other hermits.”

  “Who helped with the picture?”

  “I think the housekeeper did. I should have cleared that with the chief detective too. I didn’t. I’m not sure I’m being as effective as I should.”

  “What? You’ve uncovered plenty, Sister. There are so many witnesses and clues, I don’t know how you remember them all.”

  “But my trip to Pescara didn’t uncover much.”

  “You talked to people who knew the man, didn’t you?”

  “But I couldn’t convince the bishop or archbishop that my finding out about Father Teo is important to the case. I thought Father Sergio told them what it meant to the Church, but I’m not sure what he told them. No one seemed to really know the priest.”

  “Why would our bishop hire you and then block your every move?”

  “I suspect he thinks I’m not going in the right direction. I’m here to prove Brother Pietro is a saint yet I’m rummaging around his past like he broke all the rules.”

  Fourteen

  The Fizzle

  Two hours later, Salvatore reached the parking lot and then slipped back down to help Sister Angela up the last few steps. “We made it,” he said. “Let’s go inside to—”

  “Dibs on the shower.”

  “I think you need more water.”

  Sister Angela stopped to look at her feet. “I just wanted to make sure I didn’t forget to wear my comfortable shoes.” She stood up. “Thank you for accompanying me. I would have been thoroughly lost had you not kept me on the so-called trail.”

  “What do we need up here? I take it you’re here because you want to do something.”

  They walked together to the chapel, and Brother Salvatore pushed a button by the door inside.

  “I never noticed that was there. How did they know I was here the first day?”

  “Bassi has a phone. He calls ahead. I don’t have one so I ring them.”

  Who is it? asked a voice through the speaker.

  “Brother Salvatore and Sister Angela.”

  A few seconds later, Costa opened the door for them. “Why didn’t you have the abbot call before you came?”

  “Because we were taking a walk before we decided to grace you with our presence, Giulio,” said Brother Salvatore.

  The nun did not wait around to answer the doorman’s question. She was already marching into the administrative building. When she got to Neri’s office, the door was closed. She knocked. Neri opened the door a crack.

  “Sister Angela,” he said, looking surprised. “Do you have someone you want to see today?”

  “I asked you for the list and then went out of town. Do you have it?” She could see someone inside, sitting in a chair across the desk, but it was too dark for her to see who he was.

  Neri closed the door again but was gone only a second. He passed the piece of paper out to her. “If you will excuse me, I am in the middle of a conference.”

  The nun bowed her head and headed back across the courtyard to the building with the kitchen. Brother Salvatore was already there. He handed her a cold bottle of water.

  “Hello Vincenzo,” said Sister Angela. “It looks like all is back to normal.”

  “I guess it’s how you see it. The cloud of doubt is still out there, though. Where did Brother Pietro go and why? Do you have anything new?”

  “Yes. I have a drawing of the woman who visited Brother Pietro.”

  “Did you get the list of visitors, Sister Angela?” asked Brother Salvatore.

  She unfolded the Neri’s list on a nearby counter and stared at it. “It shows a few people visited him over the last three months, but none of them was a woman.”

  “So what’s this?” asked Pozza.

  “There were several eye witnesses to her visits,” said the nun. “I wonder if your friend Giulio got her on his list.”

  Pozza stared at the picture. “She looks familiar. I just can’t place her. I think I would have remembered her if she were here, though.”

  “And do you usually meet or run into visitors while they’re here?”

  Pozza smiled. His sharp knife continued to chop a cucumber, even when he was talking. “Probably not, but if she were here, I would still probably know it. It’s instinct.”

  “Come on,” she said to Brother Salvatore. “Let’s go find your friend.”

  Costa sat at a desk in his office, reading a book. “Good afternoon, Sister. You don’t need me to help you leave. The door will lock behind you.”

  “Why is it so quiet today? There were no tourists in the parking lot.”

  “We usually get a few after the lunch pausa, but it is quiet until then.”

  She stared at the small screens beside him. “I would have thought that people would like to come right after breakfast instead of late afternoon when it’s hotter. These are your cameras, I presume,” she said, pointing at the screens beside him. “Where’s the gate at the back of the development?”

  “That’s it right there.”

  “And you would see if anyone came through there while you’re sitting here.”

  “Yes, some of the eremiti use that gate quite often.”

  “I see you can look at the parking lot directly in front of the hermitage. And you yourself open the door in the chapel, but some brothers have keys.”

  “Most of the brothers and workers here come in this door,” he explained.

  “That’s a view of the door in back of the administrative building. If you’re busy opening the door for someone, you could miss something.”

  “I can come in here and press rewind, so to speak,” said Costa. “I can recheck everything. Right now, I’m going to the kitchen to get coffee. Would you like to come with me?”

  “Yes, please. But before you go, I was wondering what happened to the list that the chief detective requested.”

  “The record of those comings and goings? He hasn’t pushed, and I’ve been too busy to copy off the names.”

  “Is it a tome? Maybe I can scan only the dates around the explosion.”

  He let out a sigh as he walked back inside and pulled open a drawer. “Here, you can look at it over coffee and give it back to me before you leave.”

  In the kitchen, Costa poured a cup of espresso for the nun. She took the cup and added milk. Then she sat down at a table next to Brother Salvatore. There aren’t so many names in the book.”

  “No, normal tourists don’t need to give me their names. If you look at today’s date, you and the monk have been noted.�
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  “Do you also use Mr. Neri’s list of who has an appointment to visit one of the hermits?

  “Yes.”

  “I have a question. A few of the hermits have mentioned a woman who has visited Brother Pietro. I don’t see a woman’s name in the book.”

  “I don’t record relative’s names either. Brother Orsino has a mother that visits, but you don’t see her name.”

  “The woman was a relative?”

  “Yes. She was Brother Pietro’s niece, I believe.”

  “And this picture that I have,” she said, fumbling in her bag. “This drawing, is that his niece.”

  “Yes, I guess so. It isn’t really a faithful rendering, but I can see a resemblance.”

  “I know it isn’t in the picture, but did she have brown hair?”

  “Yes. It was kind of a dark, I think, but it might have looked lighter in the sun.”

  “And what was her name?”

  Costa nearly spilled his coffee. “I don’t remember. I’m sure Mr. Neri or someone told me. I only recall that I was to ignore her because she was a relative.”

  “So she didn’t sneak in. You let her in the front.”

  “I know she sometimes came in through the chapel, but I can’t be sure. We didn’t track when she was here.”

  “Were there men who visited Brother Pietro regularly too?”

  “You mean other relatives?”

  “Officially or unofficially.”

  “No.”

  Brother Salvatore placed a plate with a piece of cheese and hunk of sausage in front of her. “You didn’t have breakfast so we’re not leaving until after lunch. The trip down the hill won’t be any easier. You’ll need a cane if you want to walk tomorrow.”

  “Would you like to look at the book too, Brother?”

  “No. It sounds to me like there were more visitors left off the list than there were those who needed to call ahead.”

  The nun smiled and cut herself a chunk of bread. “I think we’ll have to give this information to the Morena before I go back home.”