Present Day Ospedale San Lazzaro, Venice The cold, filtered air in the morgue moves Valentina to rub warmth into her arms. Tom doesn't feel the chill and Professore Montesano seems accustomed to it. Major Carvalho runs his tongue over his teeth, as if getting rid of a bad taste, or maybe trying to clean up the words he's about to say before he lets them out. 'We were wondering if the removal of Monica's liver has any religious significance?'
Tom doesn't look up from the teenager's body. She's laid out on a metal gurney like butchered meat on a long silver display tray. 'Satanic significance, you mean?'
'Si.'
He glances at the major. 'Centuries ago, many societies attached more significance to the liver than the heart.' He looks to Montesano: 'I suspect the reason's partly medical?'
'Indeed,' agrees the ME. 'The liver's the largest gland and internal organ in the body and, like the heart, you can't survive without it. A marvellous piece of work, really. It does everything, from detoxification, to protein synthesis and digestive functioning.' He holds his hands together. 'It's quite heavy, too: easily one and a half kilos. In adults it's about the size of an American football.'
Tom picks up his cue to continue. 'But aside from the medical reasons, livers and hearts have long held supernatural values. There are reports from as far afield as Costa Rica about Satanists using the hearts and livers of goats, sheep and even horses in black masses and initiation ceremonies. And they're not alone in attaching symbolic power to such organs. The Egyptians embalmed the heart separately so it could be weighed on Judgement Day. If the heart was heavy with sin – or had been already cut from the body – then you were denied passage into the afterlife. The Etruscans – your ancestors – considered the liver even more important than the heart. In humans, they thought it to be the place where the soul was centred and in animals, it was the sacred organ used to divine the will of the gods.'
Vito scratches the tip of his nose, a nervous habit when thinking. 'Why would someone remove Monica's liver?'
Tom struggles to answer. 'Satanists fixate on all manner of body parts, both of sexual and symbolic importance. Usually the sexual fixation is for immediate personal pleasure, but when they focus on other parts, such as eyes, ears and organs, then it's generally connected with much older, almost ancient rituals and defilement.' His eyes wander again to the unclosed wounds on Monica's naked body. He'd imagined that after the PM examination the pathologist would have sewn her back up, but that's clearly not the case. What's left of her insides are still visible from the outside. It's darkly shocking. The body is now just a shell, giving no hint at all of the person or her own unique spirit and personality. 'Taking a young soul is the ultimate insult to God. If your killer has Satanic connections, then the motive of removing the liver is to defile God by defiling the human form he created. You can also assume the killer wanted the organ for some sick private or group ritual.'
There's silence in the room. They're all looking at Monica. The only sounds are the low hum of the refrigeration system and the crackle of flies dying on electrical insect grids dotted around the room.
Major Carvalho peels off his latex gloves. 'Tom, I know Valentina told you that this meeting would be the last thing we asked of you…' His face finishes the sentence for him.
Tom knows what's coming. 'But it isn't.'
The major smiles gently. 'No, it isn't. We need your help. Both on the religious aspect of this investigation and anything you can unearth from Etruscan times that might be of use.'
'For how long?'
'Not long. A week. Maybe two?'
'I'm not sure I can be of much use.'
'Sadly, I think you will be.' He looks to the gurney. 'She needs you to help us, and I need you to help us.'
Tom nods his consent.
The major shakes his hand, then turns to Montesano as he makes to depart: 'Professore, molte grazie.' He takes a final glance at the corpse. 'Grazie, Monica. Dio la benedica.'