The Shadow Of The Hound

By Claudio Ruggeri

The body of a young woman is found in the woods, from the first clues both motive and the name of the murderer seems clear to everyone, except to Vincent Germano, the commissioner decides to investigate further.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Mar 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781498939881

Claudio Ruggeri

Claudio Ruggeri, 30岁。出生于Grottaferrata (罗马)。现为从业人员，前裁判员。他遍游各地，在美国呆了很久，2007年回到意大利。写作是一直以来他的最大爱好。

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Author's Note

This book is fictional.

Any reference to actual events and / or real people, which appear within the same, shall be considered purely accidental.

Index

Monday August 12th, 19.00 o’clock

20.00 o’clock

21.00 o’clock

22.00 o’clock

23.00 o’clock

24.00 o’clock

1.00 o’clock

2.00 o’clock

3.00 o’clock

4.00 o’clock

5.00 o’clock

6.00 o’clock

Monday, August 12th, 19:00

Vincent, do not forget to pack some sweater....

Relax, Arianna, I've already taken a few, should be enough.

If I were you I would not be so sure, the summer in San Francisco is not like here in Rome....

Arianna... I was actually born in San Francisco....

The commissioner, even though he was intent on talking with his wife, he didn’t stop trying on the new set of t-shirts he had recently bought; after careful analysis, he agreed that the lighter colored suited him more.

Germano’s family would have left the next morning to California; for that year, indeed, they would have spent the summer holidays with the commissioner’s parents.

Okay... I think I've done, we definitely can close my suitcase, what about yours, Arianna?.

I'm almost done, I miss only the shoes and then I can close my case too; one thing, Vincent, excuse me....

Yeah?.

In the meantime, while I’m finishing, could you begin to cook dinner?.

Dinner? Yeah... I could start to fry some oil with a little of garlic... and... what about some penne all’arrabbiata?.

Great.

I'm going now then... but there is still one thing I’ve got to do before tomorrow morning....

What exactly?.

I have to bring some papers to Parisi, the details of some cases I am following now and that for these three weeks will go to him, so....

So it is better if you go now, otherwise I doubt we'll be able to eat before ten tonight....

Ah ah... I'd better go... see you in half an hour, honey....

See you later, Commissioner.

Germano pretended to ignore the sarcastic tone of those last phrases of his wife; indeed, having to fly for many hours, unfortunately put her in a bad mood even a week before the flight, the commissioner had nothing to do but try, often in vain, not to be pitiless.

The deserted streets of mid-August allowed him to arrive to the police station in less than five minutes; to welcome him on his arrival he found the gentle smile of the Agent Pennino.

Commissioner? But... are not you on vacation?.

Hello Maria, do not worry, it's just a courtesy visit... by the way, do you know where I can find Inspector Parisi?.

He's in his office, he has been close in there all the morning....

I’ll go to visit him, I'll see you later.

Okay.

Once he had gone up the two flights of stairs to the office of his colleague, before knocking, Germano looked around to see if Parisi was somewhere around, but not seeing a soul, he finally decided to knock.

Who’s there?.

May I?.

Ah, Vincent, it’s you, come in.

Sorry if I take your attention away from your dear interceptions but I was almost forgetting to bring you these papers, you’ll be at the helm from tomorrow....

You think it’s funny, eh?.

"Quite educational, I'd make everyone chief for a day or a week, ones in a while; I'm sure that if even the last column felt the responsibilities of my chair, the polemics would become zero...".

I agree... what about these papers?.

One of the dossiers concerns that drug trafficking that we were following at that High School; in the last week I listened to a couple of other people and the details will be surely useful to you. The other one concerns those Nigerian prostitutes, those we have arrested for illegal immigration, the names of those who protect them, I haven’t yet, but we must get them as soon as possible.

"I see, about the ladies, should we go on following them?".

Yes, Angelo, but only for another couple of days, I don’t like the idea that the policemen escort prostitutes while working, if you get something that’s good, otherwise you’ll have to force the hand a little bit.

All right, Vincent, before you leave I would like to remind you about my jeans....

Angelo, you have told me twenty times, for God's sake... I will give you back those pants you like so much, don’t worry.

You can go now....

Oh, can I?.

Send me a postcard from America please.

Okay, but... from Alcatraz.

I'll see you in September....

Bye, Angelo....

The commissioner, after going back downstairs, stopped for a moment at the coffee machine, just to say goodbye to the other colleagues who were around.

Germano, as he was intent in the conversation, did not notice at all that the phone was wildly ringing inside the guardroom; he noticed it only when his colleague Pennino called him by sweeping gestures.

What happened Maria?.

I don’t know, Commissioner, a few minutes ago Inspector Parisi called me asking if you had already gone away, asking to talk to you....

Okay then, I’ll go back upstairs for a moment, you'll see that it is because of one of his stupid demands....

From his voice, actually, I don’t think so.

Germano climbed the stairs this time two by two; he could wait no longer to satisfy Parisi and finally go back home.

Once he arrived he opened the door without knocking.

What happened, Angelo?.

They found a body, Vincent....

Where?.

In the woods near Rocca Priora... it’s  a woman, from the first information she seems to have been disfigured or something.

Congratulations then.

No way, Vincent... you’ll come with me.

But I....

Only for the first inspection, Vincent... then you’ll go back home.

But look what I’m wearing right now... And I do not want to mess your steps, it’s your case and you have to start in your own way, without interferences of any kind; on my return, you will give me the details.

Vincent? The car is already down waiting for us....

The commissioner offered no more resistance and decided to follow his young colleague, commending Agent Pennino to call his wife to tell her he would have been late.

The two policemen reached the area in question in less than ten minutes; the perimeter that had to be considered interesting was already off-limits to anyone, the Scientific squad  was already at