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‘Hello?’

‘ Hello? Who is it? ’

‘Who’s calling?’

‘ I want to speak to Senator Rossi. ’

‘Speaking. ’

‘ Ah, it’s you, Senator? Forgive me! These phones make everyone sound like anyone, or rather no one. This is Antonio Crepi. ’

‘Commendatore! What a pleasure! Are you here in Rome?’

‘ In Rome? God forbid! No no. I’m in Perugia. At home, at the villa. You remember it? ’

‘But of course, of course. Of course. ’

‘ When my eldest boy married. ’

‘Exactly. Precisely. An unforgettable occasion. A wonderful couple. How are they both?’

‘ I don’t see that much of them. Corrado’s moved to Milan and Annalisa’s seeing some footballer, or so they tell me. Our paths don’t cross very often. ’

‘Ah, what a shame. ’

‘ These things happen nowadays! I don’t really give a damn any more. At our age it’s absurd to go on pretending. Let them do what they like. Just as long as I’ve got my vines and my olives, and one or two friends I can still talk to. People I understand and who understand me. You know what I’m talking about? ’

‘Of course, of course! Friendship is the most important thing in life, I always say. No question about that. ’

‘ I’m glad to hear you say so.

‘Ah. A tragic business. ’

‘ Do you know how long it has been now? ’

‘Shocking. ’

‘ Nearly four and a half months. A hundred and thirty-seven days and nights of agony for the Miletti family and for all their friends. To say nothing of Ruggiero himself. ’

‘Horrible. ’

‘ A man as old as you or I, Senator, chained up in some shack in the mountains, in this bitter weather, at the mercy of a gang of callous bandits! ’

‘Dreadful. Scandalous. If only one could do something to help…’

‘ But you can help! You must help! ’

‘In any way I can, Commendatore! I am only too ready, believe me. But we must be realistic. Kidnapping is the scourge of society today, a plague and a peril in the face of which we are all equally vulnerable, equally powerless, equally…’

‘ Rubbish! Excuse me, but when something happens to one of you politicians the whole country is put into a state of siege! Nothing is too much trouble then, no expense is spared. But when it’s an ordinary, decent, law-abiding citizen like our friend Ruggiero no one even takes any notice. Business as usual! “It’s his own fault. Why didn’t he take more precautions?” ’

‘Commendatore, do not let us fall into the trap of deluding ourselves that any responsible person might presume to deny the gravity of…’

‘ Keep that stuff for the press, Senator. This is Antonio Crepi you’re talking to! Don’t you try and tell me we are still equal. If you were kidnapped, God forbid, you would get the crack units, the top men. Well, that’s what I want for Ruggiero. ’

‘Of course, of course! Naturally!’

‘ I’m not blaming the people here in Perugia. But let’s face it, if they were the best they wouldn’t be here, would they? They would be in Rome, looking after you politicians. ’