The original thirty minutes within which Zen had been told that he could expect to hear word of Gemma’s condition stretched to an hour and more, divided between a series of coffees in a bar opposite the hospital complex and smoke breaks outside one or another of the doors, where a louring dusk was already well advanced. And when he finally lost patience on his fifth return to the desk, where a different orderly had now come on duty, and demanded to see Gemma at once, he was informed that she was no longer there.
‘What do you mean?’
‘She discharged herself.’
‘Where did she go?’
The orderly shrugged.
‘I have no idea.’
‘Then let me speak to someone who does.’
‘And who are you, signore?’
Zen decided that this was not the moment for worrying about the niceties of his civil status.
‘Her husband.’
‘Un momento.’
It was actually about twenty minutes before Zen was directed to an office on the second floor of the building where he was greeted by a tired-looking young man in a white coat.
‘Signor Santini?’ he said.
Zen nodded.
‘Your wife left the hospital twenty minutes ago.’
‘And you permitted this?’
The doctor shrugged.
‘We have no power to detain patients. There were certain additional tests I would have preferred to perform, but she refused them.’
‘Where was she going?’
‘I have no idea. Home, presumably.’
‘Home?’
The doctor looked at him curiously.
‘Back to Lucca, signore. Where she lives.’
‘Was she in a fit state to drive?’
‘I couldn’t offer a qualified opinion on that question.’
Zen jerked his head angrily.
‘If it had been your wife, would you have let her take the wheel?’
‘No.’
Zen turned away feeling utterly cut adrift. He called Gemma’s mobile. No reply. He was walking down the stairs to the foyer when, with a lift of his heart, he heard the muffled chirps of his own phone. But it turned out to be Bruno Nanni.
‘ Buona sera, capo. I’m so sorry to hear about your wife’s accident. Those damn bikes can be as dangerous as a car. I had a near miss myself just the other day. I hope she’s all right.’
‘Oh yes, just minor scrapes and bruises. In fact she’s already gone home.’
‘Ah, right. So are you free this evening, by any chance?’
‘Why?’
‘Some interesting information has just come in. I don’t want to discuss it on the phone, but it might potentially be an important lead and I think you should know about it as soon as possible. Is there any chance we might meet a bit later on?’
‘Why not? God knows I’ve got nothing better to do.’
‘There’s a place in the university district called La Carozza. Five minutes walk from your hotel. Nothing fancy, just good pizzas and simple dishes, but we can talk freely there.’
‘Sounds good.’
‘Around nine?’
‘I’ll be there.’
But it soon began to look as though he wouldn’t. As he crossed the hospital foyer, heading for the taxi rank, he was approached by a young man wearing the plainest of plain clothes who identified himself as an officer of the Carabinieri.
‘You are Vice-Questore Aurelio Zen.’
It was not a question, so Zen did not reply.
‘I have been ordered to place you under provisional arrest and take you to regional headquarters for questioning.’
Zen was so astonished that he could only murmur, ‘On what charge?’
‘Suspicion of attempted murder.’