Acqua Alta: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery
Donna Leon
Language: English
Pages: 304
ISBN: 0802120288
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Brett, an American who spearheaded a recent exhibition of Chinese pottery in Venice, lives with her lover, Flavia Petrelli, the reigning diva of La Scala. With his open mind and good sense, Brunetti finds himself more fazed by Flavia's breathtaking talent than by the nontraditional relationship between the two women. Brunetti's deliberate and humane investigation to uncover a motive for Brett's beating takes him to dark, wet corners of Venice and into a sinister web of art theft, fakery and base human desires.
“Every fan’s first-pick Brunetti novel.” —The New Yorker
“Music and art mingle delightfully with murder and mayhem in the course of this very engaging story.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“A subtle study of emotion and character… A sophisticated mystery.” —Library Journal
100 Great Italian Recipes: Delicious Recipes for More Than 100 Italian Favorites
Has to wait until the director of the bank’s computer system goes home,’ was all she revealed. ‘Very well,’ Brunetti said, content with her explanation. ‘I’d like you to check it with Interpol in Geneva, as well. You can contact—’ She cut him short, but she smiled as she did it. ‘I know the address, sir, and I think I know whom to contact.’ ‘Heinegger?’ Brunetti asked, naming the captain in charge of the office of financial investigation. ‘Yes, Heinegger,’ she answered and repeated.
Truth about him. But now’s not the time to try to find that out.’ She set the glass back on the table. Though he thought he knew what the answer would be, he still asked, ‘Has Brett said anything about Matsuko? That is, since Semenzato was killed?’ Flavia shook her head. ‘She hasn’t said much about anything. Not since this began.’ She leaned forward and shifted the glass a few millimetres to the left. ‘Brett is afraid of violence. That doesn’t make any sense to me because she’s very brave.
Every time they were put on or taken off a plane, and guards stayed with them while they were in the foreign airports.’ ‘How long was it from the time they left Venice until they got to Beijing?’ ‘More than a month.’ ‘How long was it before you saw them?’ She shifted around on the sofa before she answered him, but she still didn’t look at him. ‘I told you, not until this winter.’ ‘Where were you when they were being packed?’ ‘I told you. In New York.’ Flavia interrupted.
Finance people don’t have a file on him.’ ‘What do you think, then?’ Carrara considered for a moment before he answered. ‘I’d say he was clean. And that probably means that someone will remove the statues before the shipment’s delivered.’ ‘Where? How?’ Brunetti asked. And then he added, ‘Does anyone know you opened the crates?’ ‘I don’t think so. We had the finance police close off the warehouse and make a big show of opening a shipment of lace that was coming in from the Philippines.
Bearable. Her eyes confirmed what her ears had already told her: he was gone, and she was alone in this room with his collection. She pushed herself to her knees, then, using the chair to steady herself, got to her feet. Her head pounded, and the room swirled around her for a moment, but she stood and closed her eyes until things grew steady. Pain radiated out from beneath her ears, pushing its way into her skull. When she opened her eyes, she saw that one wall was filled with windows.