(( The sisters mentioned by Vitale - nieces of the Daniele Villanueva - deceased aunt they are looking into ))
As their attorney Jennifer Lee starts sounding even more odd on the phone, Fabrizia switches it to speaker so Vanda can hear too.
"I put you on speaker - can you repeat that for Vanda?"
Fabrizia arches a brow. "Oh, hey there, Vanda luv. I was just saying that it might be best to stay put instead of trying to go back to La Spezia right now." She laughs. "There is an absolutely INSANE thing going on with the police at the moment and it's all a bit out of control. A witch hunt for Morelli. Some sort of trumped up charges to get him to release some evidence. You know how it is here."
Vanda thinks she sounds drunk or like she's just trying too hard. "Well, I have the ticket and a window to travel. I was hoping to get back there to take care of the final transfer of--"
"Ah...that's right. Sicurezza Perfetta is handling the last of that. You should have got forms today. You didn't?"
Vanda and Fabrizia look at each other twining the thoughts that they both have - WTF is going on?
"I'll look for them." Vanda stares at the phone.
"Jennifer...what's really going on back there? Should we be concerned?"
"What? No no...it's just easier if they handle things there and we deal with stuff here. You have the Moore contract here, right? And Fabi, you have Opal to wrangle. Everything is FINE. Really. Mr. Morelli will fill you in later. It's fine. Enjoy your weekend and let me know if you get those papers. Ciao ciao!"
She hangs up. "Well...that was fishy as f^ck." Vanda frowns.
—— Dresses by @atelier.tea.o.rama
_________________
Once Upon A Time In Finland
Even when rain had washed the ground several times and many people had walked the premises for too many times the specials are looking for missed clues in Villanueva residence. There was just too many missing or tampered evidence.
Apparently this was the place their former witness saw Daniela Villanueva with the suspect the last time.
- Not too many houses this way, Tomas gathers the region as they check the villa - Quiet and peaceful neighborhood.
- That's where the most ugliest cases usually happen, Andreea reminds him.
- First I thought Villanueva was accidentally dragged into this cult murder spree as reports say but this is too carefully prepared, Tomas gives his opinion, puts hands to his pockets. He feels reassuring corner of box of cigarettes and pulls it out.
- Location, time spend on victim. The murdered took their time, wasn't in a hurry. They knew they had time.
- Not to mention all those ritual markings inside the house, Those are not made in spurr of the moment. Andreea taps her chin as Tomas lights another cigarette. - Times Bruni reported don't match up at all. This is too far from the house.
- I think I want to check the house again. I have a feeling we missed something earlier, Tomas turns back to the Villa.
- Big question still is is the AFDA project in danger or compromised.
Andreea takes another break in Villanueva’s inner yard and breathes in fresh air. Even though the victim, all parts of it, were taken away there’s still distinct smell around. She is used to it but it doesn’t mean she likes it.
Villanueva’s PC was disabled. Drive has been teared away and smashed to the floor. It was beyond repairs so it was very clear this ritual murder was just cover up. That was ignored in detective Bruni’s reports so this started to look like she was very much involved. Villanueva knew something that got her killed.
Andreea thinks they need to call internal investigation to that police department to find if Bruni has other accomplices there too. But they need to find more incriminating evidence against her before they could tighten the noose. Just then Tomas comes out with self-confident posture.
- Found a hidden laptop.
_____________________________________
Chelsea heads back to the Villa on "official business" yet again. This time for another look at what was left of the disgusting scene inside the house. She planned to make another amazing discovery - the dead man in Daniele Villanueva's little secret room off the second floor. They all smelled the rot, but Chelsea got the first hand location from the beast Danuta who took great pleasure in detailing what she had done to him. Animal.
However, when she gets to the villa, there's an unwanted guest. Some blonde lingers in the back. Chelsea almost walked right into her. Elke's comment about Chelsea's lucky stars may have been right after all.
She peers around the corner of the building.
"What the f^ck is this?" Chelsea's lip curls into a feral snarl. "God damn...."
She makes a fist. Ok...think think think.... By the look of her, she was probably with the Ministry of the Interior. She knew she had been sloppy with her paperwork and that the way Vitale was acting lately smelled of an internal investigation.
To hell with it - once she "discovered" the new information and the room, she'd be praised yet again and left alone.
Chelsea is about to go introduce herself when another person comes out of the building. Jesus...he looked like some sort of model. Chelsea drifts for a second thinking that she wouldn't mind being investigated by him, but then she's snapped back as his voice carries on the wind.
"Found a hidden laptop."
Chelsea freezes, watches them go, then crunches across the gravel.
Her hands start to shake. She whispers, "Figlio di puttana...." (Son of a b!tch)
______________________
Once Upon A Time In Finland
The mysterious man keeps following the agents as they leave Villanueva 's place and continue to talk with each other in lowered voices.
He's been following them for days keeping his distance and lingering around tourist groups. But he haven't figured out the location where they stay.
The agents keep separating when they are closing their quarters and he only managed to find the woman likes to buy cigarettes at certain shop before loosing her again. The man vanishes faster and he can't keep up with him. But it's near.
_______________________
"Well well...a visit from Signora Vitale. It's been a while." Segreto smiles.
"She was helping me out with something." Vitale smiles. "Detective Bruni on her way?"
Segreto shakes his head. "On her way somewhere last I saw. Rushed out of her an hour or so ago. I thought she was on her way to meet you until I got your call."
Detective Vitale sighs, then looks back up at Segreto. "We'll deal with her later. What was this weird thing in the report about Migretti?"
Segreto goes serious, his love of forensics kicking in. "It's in the report there for future reference, but the whole thing is batshit crazy." He tries to put things in order. "Ok...I spoke with him 40 minutes before I found him. Number checks out - it was his phone. Coworker on the scene drove out there with him. Yet the thing we found....it was weeks dead. Stage three or four decomposition. Active decay and Skeletonization."
"So...an acid or...something?"
Detective Segreto shakes his head. "No toxins found. And get this...our coworker who dropped Segreto off? He saw a large blonde leaving the scene. Possibly drunk - fell down and stumbled to her car. Matches the rough description given of the woman at the scene that Migretti described."
Vitale narrows his eyes. "Suppose it would be too much to have plates?"
"What? You want this to be easy or fun, Boss?" Segreto grins. "But...we
have a car make, height, footprints, and...finger prints. We're running
them now." He smiles wide.
______________
Detective Vitale....dreams.
He's in his office. It's late. It's dark.
Scritch scratch on the flooring somewhere.
A clicking across the tiles.
Segreto's voice. "BOSS! HELP!"
Vitale blinks.
The office is the safe spot.
Segreto should have stayed in the office.
Scratch scratch on his desk.
He looks and a massive scorpion creeps towards him.
"But...no...my office...."
The scorpion flicks its tail.
"Dear Angelo. The Fool." Detective Bruni stares down at him.
The scorpion flicks its tail again.
"Chasing me round and round. My little carousel horse. Round and round and round..." Bruni's face goes dark. "Ever been stung by a dead scorpion, Angelo?" She whispers, "Why me? Who is telling me...what to do?"
The scorpion stings Angelo and he starts to float - his office full of water.
He's drowning.
Can't breathe.
The water pressing in on him.
Floating....scared.... Angela leaps at him. "ANGELO!"
______________
Vitale wakes with a start, Angela shaking him roughly.
His eyes are wide and he looks terrified.
"Darling...are you ok?! I thought you were having a heart attack!" Tears stream down Angela's face.
Vitale pants and wipes the sweat off his forehead as he checks the time. 3:15am.
"Nightmare..." he whispers. He kicks off the sheets and pulls
the pen and paper from his night table drawer. “I’m going to talk to
Madame Rosetti later today.”
___________________
Vitale heads to Madame Rosetti's first thing in the morning and describes his dream.
"Scorpion. Hmmmm...." She plays with a necklace around her neck, stroking it as she thinks. "The scorpion in dreams usually means you need to take a step back from your day-to-day life and find some balance. The woman - a coworker? She may have ill intense for you and the man you are working with. But....perhaps the dream suggests that she - the coworker - isn't the one you should be worrying about?" Vitale chats and lets his preconceptions go, listening and seeing what fits in with his life and the case. _____
"Detective Segreto speaking."
"Segreto. Vitale here. Busy?"
Segreto can hear that La Pantera (The Panther) is back - Vitale sounding like his old, bad ass self. He tries to hide his excitement.
"No boss. What do you need?"
"Grab all your gear - print kit, camera, measuring tape...and gun. Meet me outside in fifteen minutes. We're going to eat, then retrace the crime scenes. Good?"
"Good!"
______________
Detective Bruni pushes a bit with her charisma and lingers around at the right moment to get invited back to the house with the small team Vitale put together to recheck the Villanueva house, happy that Vitale neglected to ban her from going.
Once there, she absently checks various rooms making sure she sticks with one of the team members at every turn. She wants them to remember that she was always with someone if Vitale or the Chief happen to ask.
She moves with one of the lower officers upstairs to the guest room where Danuta said she shoved Villanueva's hired f^ckbuddy. The smell isn't apparent until she leans in. Most of it drifted out into the room above.
Bruni shoves items around as the officer checks the rest of the room, then she pops the secret door open and recoils from the stink. She grins thinking Danuta was good for something after all. She looks through the crack and can see the body.
"JESUS!" She crosses herself as part of the show. "OFFICER! Here! I found something! Some sort of space." She coughs. "Get the forensics up here and don't touch anything." Jackpot.
_________________
Andreea works to get past security on Villanueva's laptop. Tomas looks as she work. Damn she was intelligent. Andreea just got her case, took some equipment, attached them to laptop and started to type.
In meantime he ordered internal investigation at police department, inventory lists of all firearms and their firing patterns. It was very likely they’d find matching patterns there connected to Villa Morelli’s case. That would give them more room with solid circumstantial evidence.
– There! Andreea turns her smiling face to Tomas showing she got thru. It took her less than 40 minutes.
- Excellent. Tomas put his hand to Andreea’s shoulder and gives it friendly press.
She casts stern look at her partner.
– Jansen
- Hmm?
– Don't do that again.
What am I looking at? Tomas frowns as he looks at the Villanueva’s laptop.
– Your guess is as good as mine, Andreea draws a finger against her lips. – These look like pages of old manuscripts. Some kind of herbaria? Moon charts, I don’t know?
– Nonsense, Tomas huffs. – There’s reason the laptop was hidden. There needs to be something else.
– Hold your horses, Jansen. I just got started. Andreea shakes her head. Her fingers dance on the keyboard and she starts searching deeper. This doesn’t make any sense. Tomas rubs his temples.
- Why would Villanueva hide this information. It’s just superstitious folklore.
– But here's same kind of markings as were drawn to the walls. And Villa Morelli”s walls, Andreea shakes her head. – They mean something. We need cryptologist for this.
– Wait. I have an idea. If we are lucky we'll have a quick solution for this, Tomas picks up his phone.
Tomas checks his watch. It wasn’t too late in Finland. He takes his personal phone and finds the number.
– Did I call in bad time? Ok. Good, he starts to speak in swedish. – I need a favor. Is Riina there? I need her opinion about in her field of interests.
Andreea looks Tomas in curious way when he changes language from swedish to Finnish.
– Hi Riina. Yeah, I need your opinion about something. It’s work related so this needs to be completely between us. We have never talked or you have never seen anything I’m about to show you. Are we clear?
He waits the woman to answer and takes a long breath.
– I know you’re in to those… things so I’d need quick opinion on certain marks. He turns his camera to face the screen and the ritualistic markings. – Do these ring any bell?
There’s a moment of silence.
– Put it away. Turn the camera away! Frantic female voice says from the line. – You don’t want anything to do with it. Drop it and turn away! Tomas talks few more words with her and then cuts the line.
– So what was that? Andreea waits for an explanation.
– Dark magic. She said it’s very dark magic?
– Right. Now it’s my turn to call this bullshit. I’ll send the pictures to cryptologist.
Segreto slaps Vitale's chest excitedly and doesn't even notice Vitale frown for a moment.
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