Dolls have no rights: BCIU - BRUTAL CRIMES INVESTIGATION UNIT

By Fernando Santini

The body of a child, horribly tortured, is found at the mouth of the river Tiber. The Brutal Crimes Investigation Unit is in charge of the investigation. Deputy Commissioner Marco Gottardi and his agents are committed to discover the people responsible for this murder quickly because they fear that other children might be in danger. During the investigation, BCIU receives the unexpected and unwanted help of a secret association called BOW, whose members believe it is right to make criminals confess using violence. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Apr 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9781547572618

Book preview

One

Rome, May 8th, 2017

The sirens of the police vehicles, trying to make their way through the Roman traffic, wail across the still air of a May morning. When they arrive in front of the building in Angelo Emo street, the drivers stop their cars, unconcerned about blocking the other vehicles. The police officers rush out and enter the building. They  make their way through a crowd of onlookers and reach the third floor.

«Police, step aside please» says the police inspector who leads the agents up the stairs.

«Federici, take two men and set up a cordon around the apartment's door. No one must enter, particularly I don’t want any journalist inside. Ricci take Valenti with you and start questioning the bystanders,» he orders to the men following him.

«Who did find the body?» He asks, turning to the crowd.

«I did,» a petite, middle-aged woman says.

«Madam, come with me, please,» the inspector says gently.

«Mind you, I'm not going in there. What I saw was enough, I don’t want to see it again. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night,» the terrified woman says.

«I understand. Let's do it this way, Berti take over the lady, accompany her to the entrance hall. Keep her away from the curious and from those who could confuse her. I'll have a look inside, and then I'll reach you there,» he says, turning to a female agent.

When the police officer walks away with the witness, he enters the apartment. He moves quickly, walking towards the bedroom where he finds two other agents.

«Good morning, Inspector» the older of the two agents says.

«Good morning Alfieri. What can you tell me?»

«I believe the crime scene has not been compromised. The body, as you can see, is laying there in front of the bed, in a position that seems odd to me, but I cannot see any visible traces of blood, nor I can see any sign of a fight.»

«Yes, I had the same impression coming in. Would you exclude a natural cause of death?» The inspector asks getting closer to the body lying on its back on the floor.

«Yes, I would exclude it. If you look at the body's neck, you should see some darker spots,» Alfieri answers.

«A strangulation?»

«In my opinion, yes, but of course, it's up to the forensic team to find out.»

«Was everything in order in the apartment?»

«Yes, there are no signs of forced entry or search.»

«So, if it were murder, could we rule out that it happened as a result of a robbery? »

«In my opinion, we are not dealing with a robbery.»

«I trust your thirty years of experience. What about an execution?»

«It could be, but we cannot rule out a crime of passion,» the police officer replies.

«Passion fights are usually bloodier because of unleashed, accumulated rage,» the inspector says.

«You are right, but I wasn’t thinking about a fight between people who are in a relationship. Please, turn the body and look at the space between the bed and the wall,» Alfieri suggests.

The inspector does it and lingers on the objects he sees on the ground.

«A whip, a phallus and a gay magazine! They could have been on the bedside table and fallen to the floor...»

«If the dead man or the murderer hit the bedside table,» the agent continues.

«Of course, these items lead us to think that the dead man might be a homosexual.»

«I believe that this can be a possible hypothesis, Inspector. I had a quick look at the closet. There are many women's clothes and some wigs.»

«Even in my house you would find women's clothes and wigs, but they are my wife's.»

«Sure, but I suppose your wife's clothes would be in a different section of the closet than the one where you keep yours, right?»

«True.»

«Here the clothes are mixed together without any distinction between male and females.»

«I understand. It’s an interesting detail, indeed. Do you know what the name of the victim is?»

«Guglielmo Pieretti, a film director.»

«Thank you, please stay here and wait for the forensic team and the Prosecutor. In the meantime, I am going to question the woman who found the body,» the Inspector says, leaving the room. He heads towards the building's entrance and sees agent Berti in the porter's lodge.

«Good morning, madam, I'm Inspector Ruggeri. I need to ask you a few questions,» he says when once he is inside the lodge.

«I have nothing to do with it,» the woman says.

«I believe you, I believe you. I just need more information. First, do you have the keys because you clean the apartment?»

«Yes, Inspector. I clean Doctor Pieretti’s apartment three times a week.»

«When you went to his place, was Mr. Pieretti always present?»

«Yes and no,» she replies, accompanying her answer with a dangling movement of her head.

«Explain it please.»

«The Doctor is a film director and, as you know, people in show business often stay up late, or are often away from home,» she replies, continuing to use the present tense as if to exorcise the man's death.

«Was he a film director?» Asks the Inspector, motioning to agent Berti to start taking notes.

«Yes. Or at least he said he was.»

«So, when you went there to clean...» he says, inviting her to continue.

«...I often found him sleeping in his room.»

«And wasn’t there any chance of waking him up?»

«No, because we had a sort of agreement. If, when I opened the door, I saw the house keys on the cabinet near the front door, it meant that the doctor was home. In that case, I had to be careful not to make any noise. And I had to avoid getting closer to his bedroom's door,» the woman says.

«And what did happen today?»

«When I entered the apartment, I saw the keys on the cabinet. So, I closed the front door, went to the closet, took a dusting rag and a broom and started cleaning the entrance.»

«Did you notice anything unusual?»

«The apartment looked normal to me. Only one thing was different, strange, but I noticed it only after almost twenty minutes.»

«Explain it please.» The police officer says.

«The doctor's bedroom door was ajar.»

«And was this strange?»

«Yes, because when the doctor went to sleep, he used to lock his bedroom door.»

«And what did you do then?»

«I was intrigued, I approached and asked the doctor, in a low voice, if everything was okay,» says the woman who then covers her face with her hands and begins to cry.

The inspector nods to the agent who gets closer to the woman and puts a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. The woman turns to look at her, nods her head, then resumes talking.

«The doctor was not answering me. So, I opened the door and saw his body on the floor. I approached him. I called him several times. Then I ran to the porter's lodge.»

«When did you see him last?»

«A week ago. He had returned the day before from Bogotá.»

«Do you know whether he was in a relationship?» Asks the inspector carefully observing the woman's reactions.

«I've always seen him alone, but sometimes, when I was cleaning, I found the bed shits moved on both sides. As if two people had slept there,» she replies, keeping her tone of voice neutral.

«Have you ever heard Doctor Pieretti arguing with someone?»

«When I went to clean, he was hardly ever at home, and when he was at home, he was sleeping,» she replies, showing a genuine surprise at the question.

«Did you feel like something was out of place in the apartment today?»

«No, everything seemed normal to me.»

«Thank you. We need your help for a last formality. We need to take your written statement. Agent Berti will accompany you to the police station to carry out this task, then you will be free to go back home,» says the inspector, offering her his hand.

After leaving the porter's lodge, the inspector heads back to the victim's apartment. There he finds a group of men in white overalls busy collecting evidence around the body.

«Doctor Guidetti, good morning,» he says to the oldest member of the forensic team.

«Doctor Ruggeri, good morning to you.»

«What can you tell me?»

«You know very well that it's too early to answer questions.»

«I know, but I think that you have already got some ideas,» he says smiling.

«At first sight, it would look like we are dealing with a strangulation case,» the other man replies.

«A fight?»

«I don't think so. I don’t see any bruises or scratches to suggest it.»

«An erotic game that ended badly?»

«Why do you think so? Because of the phallus and the whip?»

«Yes,» he replies laconically.

«It could be, even if it would be unusual.»

«Why?»

«Because it would make sense if the body were found lying on the bed. His position in front of the bed suggests that he was standing when he died.»

«I see. Do you have any idea about the sex of the murderer?»

«Given the dead man's physic, I would say it should be a man. Or a woman with a strong built. Now, if you have finished with your questions, I would like to complete my examination.»

«One last question. What can you tell me about the time of death? »

«It's too early to answer that question.»

«I don’t need an accurate answer right now.»

«Let's say he could have died between midnight and five in the morning.»

«Great, thank you,» the inspector says, turning his back and walking towards the door of the apartment.

«Doctor Ruggeri, please, wait a moment. I have a gift for you,» one of the forensic men says.

«What is it?»

«The victim travelled by public transport at 19:36. In his wallet I found an Atac ticket, it is validated.»

«Is there any way to find out where it was used?»

«Of course, ask Atac which one of their machines matches the code printed on the ticket. Wait, I’ll write it on a piece of paper,» the forensic guy says.

«Thank you, let's hope somebody can help us to get some information,» the inspector says, taking the ticket.

«Inspector, Inspector...what can you tell us?» A man asks when he gets out on the landing.

«Can we take some photos?» Another one asks.

«Journalists, right?» The inspector asks a group of people crowded between the landing and the stairs, who are smiling at him.

«Come on, tell us something for our readers,» a woman says.

«I have little to say. Mr. Guglielmo Pieretti was found dead this morning. Currently, the forensic examination is underway to ascertain the cause of death.»

«Is it a murder?» They ask.

«So far we have no evidence to confirm or deny this hypothesis.»

«Is it true that the victim was dressed as a woman?»

«I can certainly deny that,» he replies.

«Do you think it could be a crime of passion?»

«I told you that we still do not know the cause of death. I think it is better not to make any assumptions until we find out how he died.»

«Inspector, you aren’t telling us anything. What should we write in our newspapers tomorrow, that a man was killed, but that he could have also died from a heart attack?» An older reporter asks making the others laugh.

The Inspector sighs. «I understand that you have a job to do, but try to understand my position, I cannot take a chance on you taking my words out of contest. If I told you that he was killed by a rattlesnake’s bite, would that satisfy your thirst for sensationalistic news?» Replied the police officers smiling.

«A rattlesnake? Really?» Asks a young reporter starting to write something in his notebook.

«Can’t you see that is kidding you?» Comments an older reporter laughing, who then asks «Inspector, when will you be able to give us some real news?»

«I believe that by tomorrow morning the forensic team will provide us with the first answers. At that point, whoever wants to, can come to the police station at 12 for a brief press conference.»

«Yes, okay, but what can we write in the meantime?»

«The truth. That we have found a dead man and we are investigating to understand the cause of death. Thank you,» says the inspector before walking away.

––––––––

Rome, May 9th, 2017

Inspector Ruggeri is reading the email he received from the Forensic Department when a man knocks and then enters his office.

«Good morning, Doctor,» he says once he is in front of his desk.

«Good morning to you Alfieri. You were right. Forensics has confirmed your hypothesis, it’s murder. And it is probably also premeditated.»

«Premeditated?»

«Yes, Mr. Pieretti was drugged. The killer strangled him while he was losing consciousness.»

«In the apartment, we didn’t find any containers with traces,» the police officer says.

«Forensic is checking the contents of the bottles found in the apartment, but they think that the murderer brought the container with the drug. Do you have any news about the Atac ticket?» the inspector asks.

«Yes, yesterday we identified the validating machine. It is located at the Termini station of the line A subway. I requested the video footages for the time printed on the ticket.»

«Good, when will it arrive?»

«It arrived a couple of minutes ago. Agent Berti is setting up the computer in the meeting room to view them. I came to ask if you also wanted to watch it.»

«Absolutely, let's go now», the inspector replies, getting up from his chair.

The two men head to a room of the police station used as a meeting room. They sit and start watching the videos.

«Stop,» Alfieri says.

«Please go back a dozen frames,» the inspector adds.

The agent quickly executes the order.

«Bingo!» Ruggeri exclaims.

«Yes, we found him. From the images it seems that he is trying to hook up that blond boy,» Alfieri says.

«I’d say he hooked him up. Look at Pieretti's hand now that they are moving away. It’s on that young man’s buttock,» Ruggeri comments.

«Inspector, I suggest we check the cameras at the Cipro stop,» Agent Berti says.

«Good idea. Check also if there are any banks along the route from the Metro stop to Pieretti's house. If we are lucky, they could have been filmed along the way, we might even prove that the young man accompanied the victim to his house.»

«Inspector, have you seen what the boy is holding?» an older police officer asks.

«Yes, a bottle of vodka.»

«If that bottle contained some narcotic, it would prove how Pieretti was drugged.»

«Yeah, but in that case, we should wonder why the blond guy was walking around with a bottle containing some narcotic.»

«Perhaps he wanted to carry out a robbery.»

«Or he was sent to kill Pieretti. Let's not be carried away. Let's have