In Pursuit of Arete

By John Costella

Two years have elapsed since Dexter Grant moved to Venice and found himself entangled in a web of murder and intrigue throughout Central Europe. The horrendous sequence of assignment killings perpetrated by a criminal mastermind known as Arete have resumed following two deaths in Palermo. Both killings will regenerate a covert police investigation team based in Padua and Rome in the search for Arete. Their search will reunite Dexter with Inspector Veronese in Venice and open up previously unresolved investigations, eventually revealing a mammoth conspiracy.
Veronese along with the Padua team will also pursue the path of a psychopathic killer, assigned by Arete, who is determined to act out his deadly game of chess. The chase will once again bring together a powerful criminal cartel, who will embark on a subversive acquisition of illegal business from a clandestine Venetian sect, creating a complex and dangerous double cross scenario.
In Pursuit of Arete is a formidable adventure of intrigue and murder, which provides the perfect sequel to Assignment Pellestrina by continuing to unfold a dangerous path of homicidal episodes and criminal activity. This second component of the narrative once again unfolds a group of Venetians, some of whom having decided to secrete their ill-gotten gains.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Oct 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504993296

John Costella

John Costella was born in London and is of Italian descent. Having studied art, period architecture, and history, he now brings together these components into his literary works. Drawing on his knowledge of London and Venice, his earlier works included historical journals of both great cities, all of which include his own familiar style of illustrations. More recently, he has focused his attention in creating mystery novels that encapsulate historical themes into the vagaries of criminality within the twenty-first century.

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© 2015 John Costella. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/14/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-9327-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-9328-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-9329-6 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Preface

Main Characters

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

DISCLAIMER

This book titled ‘In Pursuit of Arete’ is purely a work of fiction, and therefore, any name, character, place or incident is simply a product of the author’s imagination and may not be construed as being real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organisations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

DEDICATION

To Anselmo Beschizza ‘Nonno’.

Also his family, friends, fellow passengers, and crew, who lost their lives on the

Arandora Star, 2nd July 1940

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I n creating this novel I should sincerely like to thank everyone who has contributed to my ‘imaginary’ cast of characters, each individual inspiring a modicum of creativity within my literal mind, simply through distant observation throughout time. This special group of people could bring to life, the ‘cast’, in much the same way as actors lend themselves to the role within.

That withstanding, I would like to be more specific in thanking my beloved wife Avril, and supportive daughter, Louise, for their endless patience and practical support with the proofreading, which encouraged me to complete this work.

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PREFACE

T his novel is part two of a trilogy, based on a mystery thriller set throughout Central Europe in the present time. Most of the characters portrayed were featured in the first book titled ‘Assignment Pellestrina’, which focused on Dexter Grant, a senior systems designer with a French IT company who decided to leave London and embark on a new career in Venice.

Two years have passed since Dexter moved to Venice, and he no longer lives on the Lido in his spacious new motorhome, but now resides with his partner Juliette in the apartment he originally purchased to let, from his Venetian business friend Sandro Busato.

Past events still plague his mind, when as an innocent party he was previously subjected to a web of murder and intrigue which followed him between Venice and London. Whilst the combined forces of the Italian Police, Scotland Yard and Interpol were able to resolve part of the political and criminal implications that transpired, many questions still remained unanswered.

More recently, two unusual assignment killings in Palermo occurred which the local Sicilian Police were pressurised into resolving, thereby calling upon the resources of a covert investigation team based in Padua. In doing so, early investigations revealed that there was a familiar pattern forming that could be linked to previous homicides two years earlier, involving Dexter Grant and his group of friends in Venice. Early evidence would suggest that the mastermind responsible for the assignment killings was the same person known as Arete.

A former investigating police officer who two years earlier sought Arete and is now recruited into the elite Padua team, which was earlier assigned to close down a vast underworld criminal network thought to be organised by Arete.

In pursuing their nemesis it soon becomes apparent to the Padua team that they are also hunting for a psychopathic killer, who decides to break away from his benefactor and emulate his childhood hero, a 15th century Italian mercenary. The ensuing game created by the killer brings together a series of chess moves in his crusade to beat all of his opponents.

What transpires is a masterful game of deception and murder between the psychopathic killer and Arete, a dangerous criminal Cartel and a mysterious sect of Venetian Republican’s.

MAIN CHARACTERS

Dexter Grant, former IT senior systems designer now living in Venice, having earlier obtained a fine arts degree now works as a restorer. Lives in a refurbished apartment with his partner, as well as being the owner of a large motorhome on the Lido. Innocently involved in a sequence of horrendous events two years earlier.

Francesco Veronese, a newly promoted Police Inspector based in Venice, who previously worked with Interpol whilst investigating several formidable murders associated with a criminal mastermind known as Arete.

Sandro Busato, formally a property agent based in Venice, who now works exclusively as CEO of a prodigious building restoration project, funded by extremely wealthy benefactors. Born in Venice and a close friend of Dexter, now living in the region of Dorsodoro with his partner.

Giovanni Borello, former boss of Veronese when based in Venice, recently promoted to Chief Inspector, now working in Milan. Considered the linchpin of joint investigations into the series of major crime incidents two years previously, which included a succession of killings involving a Government Minister, a formidable Cartel member and several underworld criminals operating within Northern Italy.

Laurent Keller, assassin, and one of Arete’s former, top ‘assignment operatives’ before becoming a victim of his benefactor and the prime executioner in the murderous events which took place in London and Venice two years earlier.

Rachael Sturridge, owner of a fine arts gallery in London who travels extensively to promote her business and former freelance university lecturer in fine art, a close friend of Dexter, and more recently living with her partner Sandro Busato.

Juliette Reed, talented IT designer who formerly worked with Dexter in the UK and more recently having left her former company now lives with him in Venice. Currently working at a University in the district of Santa Croce, Venice.

Lena Peria, artist and daughter of wealthy parents, lives with her partner Giuseppe on the island of Burano, one of the Venetian ‘group’ of friends, which include Dexter. She works from her large studio, which is also her home and is seen as being the central figure of the group.

Luca Fanton, indigenous Venetian who works as a lecturer at the same university as Juliette. A long-time friend of Sandro and considered very experienced authority on Venetian history and conservation. Recent friend of Dexter, Luca is responsible for managing a group of art restorers.

Giuseppe Meneghin, is a fine art entrepreneur and Lena’s partner. Based in Burano but travels extensively when work is available. An indigenous Venetian who pontificates both traditional and cultural values of the Veneto.

Enrico Juventi, owner of a contemporary bar in Cannaregio, which the Venetian group use throughout the year. A popular friend and confidante, who accommodates the needs of everyone and serves the best Spritz in Venice.

Vincenzo Testini, a distant but good friend of the group, now living outside of Venice. Seen to be Enrico’s best customer, who uses his bar daily. Local journalist and writer, who often contributes to the business needs of his friends.

Sergey Petrov, considered the senior partner in a major Cartel, which masterminds a multi-criminal organisation throughout Europe. Two years previously disposed of one of his partners, Victor Donelli, aided by his remaining partner Andres Ramos. For the past decade has used the services made available by Arete. Based in Dubai.

Andres Ramos, partner to Petrov and considered the main enforcer of violence within the Cartel. Formerly based in South America, now living in Europe he is constantly protected by his long time henchmen, Luiz Perez.

Marco Pavia, psychopathic assassin, based near Florence. Works solely and directly for Arete and considered to be one of his top ‘assignment operatives’.

Gino Novara, Chief Inspector of police based in Rome, who heads a team of covert police officers funded by a Senior Government Commission to investigate and apprehend the criminal mastermind known as Arete.

Piero Righetto, a police Inspector based in Palermo, who is called upon by Novara to join his team in apprehending Arete, following a sequence of assignment killings in Sicily.

Flavia & Sina Loeh, are specialist business associates working for Rachael Sturridge who were formerly based in Canada.

Pang Hsi Hung, head of a covert, and fine art restoration team, based in Vicenza.

CHAPTER 1

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I t was a warm sunny morning in early September in the busy Sicilian port of Palermo, and a line of vehicles formed a convoy on the approach lane to board the vessel Oceanus Palace. The majority of vehicles ready to board had been patiently waiting since 7.30am for the 9.00am departure that would take them across the Tyrrhenian Sea to Salerno on the west coast of Italy.

The normally high volume of vehicles and passengers was no exception this Friday morning on the scheduled ferry that operated between Palermo and Salerno twice a week. What was different however was the high volume of police officers in attendance around the security gates who were studiously checking each vehicle and its passengers before allowing anyone to proceed to the boarding area. This unusual event had prompted many of the vehicle owners to get out of their already overheated vehicles in the vain hope of finding out what was going on. Hidden amongst the larger vehicles in the front of the queue stood a large Fiat Rapido motorhome, the owner like everyone else was anxious to get on board the ferry and return to his home in Venice.

Two years had elapsed since Dexter Grant had the misfortune to get involved in a wave of criminal activities, albeit completely unintentional, which turned out to be a nightmare for this normally law abiding citizen. Circumstances following Dexter’s decision to move to Venice had taken an unprecedented path leading to a sequence of events which became headline news throughout Italy, France and the UK. His decision to transform his entire lifestyle before he reached 40 and pursue his dream to live in Venice, had changed the course of his life when he decided to rent out his newly acquired apartment in the Venetian district of Cannaregio, unknowingly to a professional assassin. His tenant named Laurent Keller then embarked on a sequence of murders in Venice, which climaxed in him being stalked by this killer, following which he suffered the same misfortune in London where similar murders took place! After those few months of chaos, Dexter seemingly had tried hard to dismiss from his mind most of the incidents that had taken place two years earlier, even though, through an amazing quirk of fate he had acquired an enormous amount of money by an act of transgression, which remained his secret. Now his ambitions had materialised he was fully immersed in a government programme of art restoration throughout Venice, allowing him time to travel and paint when the opportunity arose. Joined now by his soulmate Juliette and group of friends in Venice and London, Dexter had still retained his UK citizenship but considered himself an adopted Venetian and now living in his former apartment in Cannaregio with Juliette, rather than in his motorhome, which remains permanently parked on the Lido.

Having stood outside his motorhome for several minutes watching the various groups of police officers checking each vehicle, Dexter’s concentration was interrupted momentarily by an official’s voice bellowing from a Tannoy system, informing those waiting that there may be a short delay in boarding. As no reason for the delay was given, Dexter decided to find out for himself, but before walking the short distance to the first group of police he went around to the passenger door of his motorhome and opened it.

‘Won’t be long Juliette, just going to find out from one of the police officers what’s going on.’

Juliette Sturridge had been both a good friend and former work colleague of Dexter’s for several years and now has become his soul mate and partner since splitting up with her boyfriend over a year ago. Up until then her relationship with Dexter had been purely platonic, even though she had a soft spot for him, and often thought that a relationship with him would never really work out in view of his adopted lifestyle. Dexter having decided to live a semi-nomadic lifestyle didn’t appeal to Juliette at that time, however circumstances had now changed and interests had been rekindled. When both had worked in the UK for a French company pioneering innovative IT solutions, their professional relationship appeared far stronger than any romantic involvement and when Dexter left the company at a relatively early age to pursue his interests neither would have dreamt that within a couple of years they would be together. Dexter had experienced one failed marriage and taken a semi-bachelor path to the ‘good life’ whereas Juliette considered her work, career ambitions and other personal interests were in direct conflict with those of Dexter’s. Strangely enough the sequence of torturous events that happened to Dexter kept their relationship healthy during that period, as Juliette was able to help him on several occasions in his hour of need. Still working with the French company in London she was able to provide classified information through her international IT connections which unbeknown to her, transformed Dexter’s financial standing overnight, making him a very wealthy person.

Like Dexter, Juliette decided to ‘take the package’ when her position at the company became onerous following a hostile merger, her own lifestyle then became unbalanced and change was inevitable. She decided to follow her former boyfriend on several travel adventures throughout Europe and the Far East, which opened her eyes to many new interests, one of these being art. After just six months of travelling their relationship cooled off when she discovered that her partner had a ‘wandering eye’ this prompted her to return to the UK. Once home Juliette shared her misfortune with Dexter who was able to secure a job for her in Venice, working at the same University as his friend Luca Fanton. Although her work at the University centred on IT development she soon became captivated by the world of art, in particular the restoration project which both Dexter and Luca were heavily involved in. It was at this period that her relationship with Dexter blossomed and romance was inevitable, what interests originally kept them apart, now brought them much closer together.

It was Juliette who convinced Dexter that he needed a decent holiday away from his restoration work, and both agreed that a couple of weeks in Sicily offered them exactly what they were both looking for. With peaceful surroundings, good weather, plenty of places to visit and above all some prime time together. Two years earlier Juliette would certainly not have enjoyed cruising around in a motorhome, albeit one designed for comfort, but was now hooked on the freedom that this means of transport had to offer. She had even put her own personal stamp on the interior of the vehicle since living with Dexter, transforming the former gin-palace into a more creative environment to pursue each of their interests. The holiday break had been a total success and they had visited most of the island and learnt more about the wonderful culture of Southern Italy whilst relaxing their creative minds. Their romantic interlude almost over, they now looked forward to returning home to the apartment in Cannaregio and moving on to the next chapter of their revitalised life.

As Dexter approached the nearest policeman he stood back for a few seconds and listened to the conversation between the officer and one of the vehicle owners, after listening to the conversation his thoughts returned to the terrifying ordeal he experienced just a couple of years earlier. Seemingly, there had been an incident on the island involving a respected lawyer who was gunned down in the early hours of the morning by an assailant who the police were in pursuit of. Apparently someone had witnessed the incident, called the police and was able to give a vague description of both the vehicle and driver who had driven off in the direction of Palermo. The police were naturally reacting immediately whilst the incident was still fresh, and had reason to assume that the assailant would be making for the 9.00am ferry, and if this was the case they weren’t sure if he would be a walk-on passenger or one travelling in a vehicle.

Not wishing to interrupt what was going on, Dexter returned to his motorhome looking decidedly jagged and began to explain to Juliette what he had heard.

‘That’s awful,’ Juliette replied, once it had registered what Dexter had told her. ‘Surely the person they are looking for wouldn’t be foolish enough to take that same car onto the ferry, wouldn’t the risk be too great, or what?’

‘If that person was unaware that they had been seen, why wouldn’t they?’ said Dexter. ‘Most of the vehicles which travel on the ferry aren’t local, and without knowing the number plate or vehicle make, why would the individual see any danger in doing so?’

‘Whatever Dexter, I can’t imagine that it will take too long for the police to check each passenger with a vehicle, it’s more likely that the foot passengers will take more of their time. Let’s hope they get us on board first so that we can at least grab a couple of good seats for part of the journey.’

With that both of them stood in the shade of their motorhome and enjoyed the freshness of the sea air, but still remained glued to the activities around them. It took a further thirty minutes before the police arrived at their vehicle and a further five minutes before one of the officers had searched the interior of the motorhome whilst his partner checked boarding cards and asked a few questions regarding their stay in Sicily. The information that Dexter had previously overheard was slightly different to the explanation they were given, in so far as they were told that the assailant had in fact been arrested but they had reason to believe that an accomplice had escaped the net. When Dexter asked if they had a description of the accomplice he was told in no uncertain terms that it was none of his business, which he thought was very strange. Surely the police would welcome all the assistance they could get from the general public, why would his description be withheld?

By 8.30am the convoy of vehicles were ushered on board the ferry and quickly parked and secured for the nine hour voyage to Salerno, all that now remained for Dexter and Juliette to do was relax, explore the newly refitted ferry and enjoy their cruise. Having looked around the various decks and the amenities on offer, it became very clear that standards on board the ship matched the sleek lines of its exterior. Dexter was impressed by the amenities provided as this was the first time he had used this particular line to return to mainland Italy, and now wishing that he had taken the Sunday evening ferry which would have provided some very comfortable cabins. This both Dexter and Juliette agreed would be the plan for their next escape to Sicily, claiming it to be the most romantic of the Italian islands, but for now it was simply getting comfortable before deciding where to have lunch mid cruise.

In exploring the ferry they couldn’t help but notice that there was clearly a large number of uniform police wandering around the decks and again Dexter asked the question why their presence was required, which prompted Juliette to reply and pose another question.

‘What if the police feel sure that the person they are looking for, is on board?’

‘Don’t even think about that possibility,’ Dexter hastily replied. ‘I really can do without being part of any further criminal activities, not sure if my nerves could handle a similar situation again!’

One hour out of Palermo harbour, Dexter’s mobile came alive and he checked his text message, it was from Lena Peria, an artist friend who lived in the Venetian Lagoon on the small island of Burano, the message read:

HI DEXTER, HOPE BOTH JULIETTE AND YOURSELF ARE ENJOYING SICILY, SPEAKING TO LUCA LAST NIGHT HE TOLD ME WHERE YOU WERE SO I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW THAT GIUSEPPE IS ALSO THERE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS WITH A CLIENT. FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON HIS PHONE ISN’T PICKING UP MY CALLS, YOU KNOW HOW BAD I AM WITH TECHNOLOGY, SO I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT RING HIM AND MEET UP WHILE HE’S THERE. IF YOU DO, GET HIM NAILED DOWN TO A DATE WHEN WE CAN ALL MEET UP AGAIN, IT’S BEEN MONTHS SINCE WE LAST SAW YOU, LOTS TO CATCH UP WITH. LENA.

Having read the text Dexter realised that meeting Giuseppe in Sicily was not going to happen, seeing as he was well on his way back to mainland Italy, but nevertheless decided to call him anyway. After two attempts to ring him it was plainly obvious that Giuseppe wasn’t going to answer his mobile, so Dexter simply left a voice message and then decided to find out more about the mystery surrounding the police presence on board the ferry. Juliette being more relaxed about events on board suggested that Dexter should seek out the ship’s Bursar in the guise of enquiring about some domestic issues, then fire some questions about the noticeable police presence. Juliette on the other hand simply took advantage of the comfortable deck chair she had secured and got her head into the novel she was currently reading on her iPad.

In the warm morning sunlight of the picturesque and historic city centre of Palermo, people were going about their business in the normal manner unaware of the wave of activity inside the central police station. The external appearance of this civic building was characteristic of Italian architecture of the day as the sun reflected on the stone and plastered decorative façade, which served as a perfect backdrop to the large tricolour national flag hung proudly above the entrance door. Inside this beautifully preserved building the décor and furnishing blended sensitively with the more modern internal design features and provided all the essential systems that one would expect from a fully operational police department. Historically the island of Sicily has been linked with major organised crime since the early 19th century, arguably this association emerging from its cultural and traditional development. On this particular Friday morning the senior officers within the police department were assembled in one of the many briefing rooms assessing one particular incident that had taken place in a remote part of the city the previous night.

Two people had been found dead following a shooting incident, one being a noted Italian lawyer named Adamo Maretti who had been holidaying on the island, the other person’s identity still unknown but thought to be the lawyer’s assailant. Early investigations would appear that the lawyer was shot by a high velocity rifle, from a marksman who fired from some distance away, the second person presumed to be the marksman had then been shot in the head by a third person who fled the scene after the killing. The attending police officer found the rifle by the marksman’s body and forensic evidence had confirmed that the bullet that had killed the lawyer came from the same weapon. Surprisingly, the police received an anonymous call from someone immediately following both killings to inform them that after hearing the shots fired, a vehicle was heard to have driven off in the direction of the city centre, but no number plate was identified.

Inspector Piero Righetto was the senior officer tasked with chairing the briefing and was by now showing signs of tiredness and fatigue as he, and several other officers had spent the last eight hours attempting to piece together what little evidence they had, before updating he assembled the group. Having finished providing what details he had to those officers not familiar with events of the past few hours, he continued his briefing by sharing some thoughts in an attempt to start some constructive dialogue.

‘Gentlemen, now that you have all the facts of this incident, albeit limited, let me share some of my thoughts before I take any questions from you.’

With that Righetto’s deputy then introduced a second white board that was covered with relevant bullet points and empty spaces.

‘From the weapon we recovered and the pattern of events we know of, I think you will all agree that this is not the work of a local Mafia group. Maretti was not involved with the Mafia nor was he connected to any criminal activities as far as we know, the majority of his clients were medium sized corporations connected with wealth management and overseas property. The evidence we have and the unconfirmed statement from our anonymous witness would suggest that Maretti was the prime target, and his assumed paid assassin, whose identity we are checking at this minute, was murdered simply to eradicate any link with the person who initially ordered the assassination.’ Righetto then paused and looked around the room simply to get a reaction, there was none.

‘There were no personal items found on the assailant to identify him, presumably any ID on the body was removed by his killer, however we have been able to trace the mobile phone used by the assumed witness and it belongs to a Giuseppe Meneghin who resides in Northern Italy in the Veneto. The records office are at present checking this out as well as other recorded information they can get from the phone company. Naturally we are withholding his name until our checks are complete and a positive identity confirmed.’ Again the room remained silent as Righetto continued his briefing.

‘As for the anonymous caller, we have no description whatsoever we know it was a male voice and that the call was made on Meneghin’s mobile phone. Street searches have been on-going throughout the night in the vain hope that someone noticed a vehicle driving in the area where both murders were committed, but we are not holding our breath on this one. All passengers on today’s ferry to Salerno have been checked and several officers are on board the vessel at this very moment double checking members of the crew and passengers, in the unlikely event that we will come across any information. All International airports have been informed and extra officers have been in attendance in the hope there just might be some leads to follow, other than that I’m now open to any questions you may have.’ Righetto having finished speaking with a more demanding tone to his voice, then directed his eyes to everyone present before sitting back on the desk and drinking the residue of his now cold coffee.

After a few seconds of silence one officer asked when the Forensic team would have results of their findings, then went on to ask if the witness’s voice was recorded. Righetto simply moved his head from side to side with a negative response.

‘It would then appear gentlemen that we have only one positive lead to go on and that is Giuseppe Meneghin, I need to know by noon, who he is, where he lives and what he does, in order that my report will be on the Commissioner’s desk before the press and media descend! The briefing room emptied quickly as each officer knew the extent of their work in the limited period of time they were given, whilst Righetto sauntered wearily back to his office in readiness for the report he had to produce.

On board the Oceanus Palace the passengers were now enjoying their short cruise either taking in the sea air or simply lazing on the various decks, most no doubt thinking about their onward car journeys, therefore rest was the order of the day. Dexter however had put aside his onward journey from Salerno as he knew that Juliette would take the wheel for part of the trip, allowing him to rest, his mission now was to find out what was going on with the police. As he meandered from one passenger deck to another he soon got to know the layout of the ferry, which was quite large as it carried over 1500 passengers and vehicles, many of whom were registered in several European countries.

Having found the Information Desk quite easily he stood in a small queue with several other passengers and listened carefully to the enquiries they raised, and he soon realised that when it was his turn to speak no one had previously asked about the police presence.

‘Good morning, could you tell me where I might find a souvenir shop on board?’ Uttered Dexter in a quiet tone of voice, to which the attendant replied and gave him a small map of the ferry.

‘Purely out of curiosity, could you explain why there appears to be a large number of police officers wandering around, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about but several people we have spoken to seem to think that they are searching for someone the police are chasing, who may have boarded at Salerno.’

‘I can assure you sir that there is nothing to concern yourself with, the police are simply making routine checks of vehicles and cargo transporters, which is perfectly normal,’ replied the attendant.

Dexter clearly understood that he was getting nowhere with this line of enquiry, thanked the attendant and continued his stroll around the ferry. Looking at the map he was given he decided to visit the area where his motorhome was parked simply to remind himself which route he should take when it was time to leave the vessel. The vehicle deck was situated three levels below so Dexter using the first available staircase made his way down the narrow staircase. Once down the stairs he noticed that this level was mostly cabin quarters and busy with passengers still wandering around. The next level accommodated a smaller number of cabins, public toilets and a few recreational areas, but more interestingly he noticed that there were four police officers and a steward checking certain cabins. Dexter having paused to see what was going on, was then ushered away by one of the police officers and told to return to the upper deck. In doing so he simply asked the officer what was going on and was told in a discourteous manner to mind his own business, as it was a matter for the police and not him!

Remembering a similar confrontation two years previously in Venice, which ended in one of several violent incidents at that time Dexter did exactly as he was told and returned to the higher deck level. It was almost midday when he finally arrived to re-join Juliette who by now was talking to a fellow passenger in the adjoining chair.

‘I’ve found out what you need to know Dexter, from what this lady has to say there has been plenty going on below on the lower decks?’ sniggered Juliette.

‘Like what?’ replied Dexter. ‘When I tried to find out about the police I was simply told to get lost!

‘It would appear that throughout the night the police have been searching everywhere in Palermo for someone who they are anxious to interview. Apparently this person had either witnessed a serious crime or may have committed the self-same crime and in doing so had caused havoc in the centre of Palermo. This lady’s husband had earlier created a fuss about the delay and before they were allowed on board, their car was searched thoroughly together with the contents of their luggage, her husband was then taken for questioning so naturally she was anxious to know why. When she demanded to see her husband they simply told her that he was being interviewed purely because he had a large amount of Euros hidden in one of the cases, which she explained was because they had travelled to Palermo to purchase some antique jewellery.’

At that point the lady sitting beside Juliette got up from her seat and was greeted by her husband who had earlier been detained. The couple then embraced one another, before disappearing along the deck in the direction of the restaurants.

‘Let’s get some lunch Dexter, I’m famished, whatever is going on is none of our business and anyway I’ve got far more interesting things I want to talk to you about while we are eating.’

‘Sounds good to me, not sure what culinary delights are on offer on board, but you never know we might be surprised,’ replied Dexter.

The restaurant itself was quite spacious and there were several tables available to choose from as the waiter led them to the one of their choice. Having handed them the menu and wine list he took their drinks order and then allowed them time to choose from the menu.

‘Quite a selection to choose from, looking around at those already served the food looks really good, especially the seafood selection which the table to our right is feasting into,’ commented Juliette.

‘Looks like we may be in for a treat in the next couple of hours, now what’s so interesting to talk about over lunch?’

As Juliette was about to reply Dexter’s iPhone rang and although he was prepared to ignore the call until lunch was over, he momentarily glanced at the screen simply to see who was calling and a worried expression instantly appeared on his face when he saw the caller’s name which read, Inspector Veronese!

CHAPTER 2

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B y mid-day Inspector Righetto’s office was alive with people as he returned from the Forensic Department to be briefed by his awaiting team of officers. He carried a folder in one hand which didn’t appear to have much paperwork inside and a fresh coffee in the other as he walked to his desk, there was complete silence in the room when he sat down in his weathered leather chair. Several officers looked at one another knowing that Righetto had that familiar look on his face that was instantly recognisable, he required answers to his earlier questions and he wanted them right now.

‘Time has moved on gentlemen and I hope you have the answers I need, I can report that the Forensic boys have come up with some new information since our earlier meeting, but the downside is that the press have been badgering both the Commissioner and myself for a statement regarding Adamo Maretti.’ Snapped the tired and demanding Righetto.

‘Before I share the Forensic information with you, provide me with the answers to my earlier questions and make me smile!’

The silence within the room was finally lifted when one of the officers standing in the middle of the group responded to his request.

‘Two sources of information from informers suggest that the killings were definitely not by the Mafia which has opened up a wave of discussion between several of the local families. The general opinion was that the killings had a familiar pattern and were assigned by a formidable syndicate on the mainland, which is controlled by a group or by someone known as Arete. Arete has been operating for some time in Europe but up until now has managed to steer clear of his adversaries, when we checked this information out our enquiry took us to the Milan Police Authorities. They are still pursuing the case of the Pietro Guzzi murder from a couple of years ago, you remember, the Minister who was part of a corruption scandal and was eventually shot near Pellestrina in the Venetian Lagoon.’

A second officer then interceded and followed on from his colleague with a further narrative of their findings.

‘The Milan Police are at this moment sending us the information they have on Arete, as are the Venetian Police who investigated several other associated assignments during the same period. An Inspector Veronese, from the Venetian Police Office has requested to be kept up to date with events and is more than happy to discuss any issue we have regarding Arete, it appears that he has a personal interest in nailing him!’

‘Good, that’s something we have to go on, I’ll speak to this Inspector Veronese following the briefing,’ replied Righetto. ‘What else can I report back to the Commissioner, this is hardly enough to keep him happy?’

A third officer then responded by elaborating on the uniformed patrol units findings, having been deployed in the streets to find more information of both the person and vehicle they were looking for from the brief description they had, concentrating on the city centre, ferries and airports.

‘One of our sources interviewed had confirmed that prior to the shootings someone had been enquiring about Maretti’s movements on the island, this person had been using several known bars frequented by our people and was asking some interesting questions about the lawyer. As always the grapevine has been at work and a few people had become suspicious of this person’s movements, which we were unaware of prior to the killings. Since then we have established two things, one is that this guy used taxis and not his own vehicle, secondly we have a description of him, albeit not very clear, taken from a CCTV camera yesterday as he was leaving one of the bars. The backroom boys are working on this as we speak.’

‘I want his description on my desk right now, anything else to report?’ demanded Righetto.

‘One other thing which may or may not prove useful, some officers were detailed to travel on the first ferry out of Palermo terminal this morning, to Salerno, and have interviewed several passengers. They were looking for one missing owner but discovered that he had been suffering from travel sickness and remained in a public toilet from the time the ferry left port. As of ten minutes ago we received confirmation that this person was in fact a missionary who made regular visits to a Palermo monastery.’

‘How many officers do we have on board the ferry?’ asked Righetto.

‘Five, sir, we thought at the time that was sufficient,’ replied the officer.

‘Let’s hope you are right, make sure that the Salerno police provide any necessary backup when the ferry docks, just in case he may still be on the ferry, and get his ID sent to them once you have CCTV footage, what time would the ferry dock?’

‘Around 7.00pm sir, we have already spoken to Salerno and they can provide a unit to assist us, in the meantime the police on board are continuing their search and we are in continuous dialogue with them.’

‘There’s even more positive news,’ added Righetto. ‘Forensics have confirmed that the rifle found at the scene is unregistered as we thought, however the bullets used on the assailant have been identified as being fired from the same weapon and also used for several killings in recent months in the North. Unconfirmed reports from Interpol would suggest that those killings were also connected to the person or group known as Arete, which has already been mentioned, and puts a completely different light on the investigation. This now means that we should get some help from both national and international sources, which will please the Commissioner and take some pressure off of us for the time being.’

Righetto now sounding more relaxed paused for a second to look at his notes, then continued with his briefing.

‘We have confirmation that the message we received came from a mobile owned by a Giuseppe Meneghin and we are still awaiting further information regarding this person. We do know however that the Venetian Police can provide us with some information on Meneghin, which they are sending to us including some photographic news clips that featured in several commercial newspapers and magazines. However they have confirmed that there are no criminal records associated with this guy, which is somewhat of a mystery. The pictures we received from Venice appear to match the body we have in the morgue so we feel sure it is Meneghin. That’s all for now let’s move on from here, I’m pleased with your findings.’

The briefing session over, the assembled group of officers quickly exited from Righetto’s office leaving him to finish his report before updating his Commissioner and eventually the press and media.

Not too many miles away on board the Oceanus Palace the waiter serving Juliette and Dexter was just about to serve the wine when Dexter received his call from Veronese, slightly confused he allowed the waiter to serve the wine before looking directly into Juliette’s eyes, anxious