The Italy Crossover - 2022 - PART 06
Tomas woke up in the night to hear Andreea screaming in her dreams. She got nasty nightmares after that night. He sat in his bed listening, wanting to go to her to the other bedroom, take her into his arms and comfort her but he knew it wasn't wise.
Why the hell he ever agreed to that deal. No feelings? Like he ever was good in that. He was very much feeling person and there was no way it wasn't affecting him. Sooner this case was over the better.
Tomas looked around the congress center filled with people. Best place to have confidential conversation was among crowds. People don’t care of each other and what they were doing.
– Jansen.
– Silvio, he nodded at the approaching man. He had got word Tomas wanted to talk and they arranged a quick meeting. He wasn’t excatly on right path but he was still a good man with lot of information.
– How do you like Como?
– Small, Tomas huffed smoke out of his nostrils. It would be hard to wean that habit of now when he gets back home. He was smoking way too much now.
Silvio smirks and looks around.
– I’d recommend you get your business done here and get back in your own country before things get messier.
– Was that a threath? Tomas eyes narrow.
– No. I don’t want to be involved in this either, Silvio clearly shivers. – When there’s this volume of stegheria in here.
– Steghe—what?
– Witchcraft, Silvio says with low voice that’s almost a whisper. – Old and powerful.
That was second time someone Tomas usually trusted mentioned magic users. He blinks, looks suspicious still.
I deleted all the mails you send about the symbols. If I was asked, I never saw them or know anything about this case. Silvio continues and takes quick glance around.
– Everything is in these papers.
– You are afraid?
– So you should be too, he replies giving the papers to Tomas. – There’s enough rumors going on in the streets to know there’s quite a lot of truth among them.
Tomas is about to classify him into superstitious fool but he can’t do that anymore. Not after what he faced himself.
– I think I might have encountered something already, he says and looks at the papers. Old lists of names, pictures of symbols with handwritten notes what they mean.
– Get some protection. This is ugly thing you are facing.
– What kind of protection?
– Look information about chrystals. Silvio looks away and frown. – I don’t want to hear from you for a long long time. I have people close to me I want to live.
– Right. I won’t let my partner to know we talked.
– Good. Do not be in touch. Try to stay alive.
_______________________
Detective Vitale pulls the cigarettes from his pocket and taps them as Detective Zampa walks the perimeter of the Villenueva home again.
Not seeing the big blonde the witness said he saw on the security cameras was bothering her more after the tech team confirmed that there were no breaks in the time signals on the recordings.
"No breaks...no blind spots...and a giant blonde stomping around with our victim...who DOES show up on the tape?!" She shook her head and retraced her route again.
Vitale glances at the cigarettes, frowns, and pockets them again before running over the events again.
"They walk in. Witness sees the two of them walk in." He points towards the gates. "Victim inside with...possibly Szymańska. Szymańska kills Villenueva." He shrugs. "If a dead woman can do that. Symbols left. Similar symbols found at three other locations now. Witness...burned? But...with nothing that could be identified." He shakes his head again. "And then two special agents face another weird burning and a spontaneous death with nothing showing in the tox screen?" He leans his head back - frustrated. "The White Death will lead them again. What the hell does that mean?"
"Who are you talking to?" Zampa returns.
"To the f^cking magic fairies surrounding this ridiculous case."
Zampa laughs. "Come on, Detective. We have a White Death to trace."
_____________________
"If we could enlist Segreto, I think we'd be better off in the computer department. He's better at it than I am."
Vitale hands Detective Zampa the printout.
"Jansen and Conti were very thorough in their reports. High level of detail and professionalism. When I met them, they were two of the most level people I've ever worked with. I doubt they'd scare easily or make up details like this if it didn't happen."
Zampa looks over the document reading it carefully. "And the blacked out portions?"
"Having to do with their business here on a deeper level. Not related directly to our case."
She nods, finishes reading, and looks up. "Well 'She will guide us again.' and 'Viva Morte Bianca.' sound a bit religious cult, right? Which goes along with the symbols and ritual nature of many of these deaths. The scene at the Villa with the men, women, and children especially. Right?"
"True."
"Could mean White Death or maybe Bianca is the leader's name?" She sees the smile playing on his lips. "...which you've already checked..."
He nods. "All the variations. However...." He hands her a photo of the burnt out house in Civitella San Paolo.
Zampa smiles.
There, spray painted in white on one of the walls that remains standing...is VIVA MORTE BIANCA.
"And another connection is made."
_______________________
Tomas looks at the display window and gorgeous black outfit on his way back. That was so Oona. She would look absolutely amazing in it. He imagines Oona in it with the high heels. Oh yes. Ooh yes. He needed to get it. It could be perfect ”I missed you” – gift.
Inside the store he noticed beautiful bracelet and stops to think. That would work with blonde hair and slightly tanned skin. He could already visualize how it would look on Andreea’s wrist. Then the guilt came knocking. He was going to fight to get Oona back and now this. He was already thinking about other woman too. Not a good thing. He hesitated a moment.
__________
Falling from tall ledge and coming crashing down to the rocks below. Feelings her limbs twist and break, ribs spearing her lungs and feeling of suffocating. Slowly and painfully life escaping her. They felt so real. Too real.
Last night there was her son too, and she couldn’t catch him before they both fell. Watching helplessly him to die again and after that she couldn’t sleep anymore. Is this the price she paid now for letting herself feel a little again?
Sleeping with Jansen wasn’t just emergency fuck she told herself it would be. Why he was so gentle to her after all the roughness. So intense, caring. It just came breaking down all her walls. It was wrong to want more of that. No feelings, no attachments and there she was, hoping she could crawl back to his side.
Get some rest. I’ll continue with this.
Andreea wakes up as Tomas puts his warm hands to her shoulders.
– What were you looking at?
– The lawyer. I think he’s our man, Andreea yawns.
His hands were still resting on her shoulders and it felt good. So good she wanted to lean back and curl there.
– Look at the bank transfers and dates. She says instead.
– Mm. They are matching to the leak. Good job! Tomas looks down and smiles to her.
Their eyes lock and they just stare at each other. Tomas’s smile dies and suddenly air is tense between them.
– I think I’m going to get quick powernap, Andreea murmurs and turns her eyes away.
– Good idea. I’ll finish this, Tomas frowns and makes her room to leave. - Any word from Vitale?
- No, can't get hold of him at all, Andreea checks on her phone.
__________________
The psychic connection Elke Giacomina was able to establish with the woman...Andreea...through Isabella before she died was weak. Weaker still due to some sort of emotional bond. Most likely f^cking the man Tomas.
Elke was able to push into her dreams, but it was nothing more than a nightmare realm instead of the true trauma she wanted to push onto her.
The man was worse. Between the storm of emotions and the bonding he had with the woman, Elke couldn't remotely lash out at all.
And it made her furious.
Her powers were still so weak. So much less than they were before the fire. Before Olivia Moore.
Danuta walks into the room and sees Elke's face. Part of her wants to turn and slip out before---
"What do you want?" Elke stares into space.
"Bruni. She's being moved either tomorrow or the next day." Danuta hopes the news is welcomed.
A smile crosses Elke's face. "Good. And is our friend ready?"
"Paid, happy, and very ready."
Elke smiles wide.
_______________
Something bothers Zampa. The bit about the name. She goes back through the reports and finds the part about the male who burned.
They had been so focused on the "White Death" part that they skipped over the name.
Detective Zampa mutters, "Elke. Elke Giac...something...." She narrows her eyes.
Vitale perks up. "The name. We've run that a bit, but nothing comes up that makes sense. There was a hit about a fairytale and another about a woman born in...." he checks his notes. "She was born in 1921."
Zampa grabs her bag and pulls out the old book from the Civitella San Paolo fire. Small strips of colored adhesive markers flag names and events. "Giacomina."
Vitale stands and leans in reading over her shoulder. "Elke Giacomina. That's the one. But...born in 1921? So...we're looking for a 101 year old woman?"
"Or...someone using her identity to lead a bunch of sheep around in a cult?" Zampa uses a deeper voice. "Look at me, the great and powerful Elke Giacomina. 101 year old goddess or something." She smiles.
"Line her pockets with their cash and get them to stalk foreign agents and manly detectives?" He grins. "Segreto has information about a house Danuta Szymańska lived in. Mentioned the symbols being there as well. I'll have him come down to brief us."
"And former detective Chelsea Bruni is being moved soon? I think we need more coffee."
Note: I based this post on Dario Argento's DEEP RED and the interactions of David Hemmings and Daria Nicolodi
Debrief Part 01
"Is there a secret handshake or something? Do I need to sign my name in blood somewhere?" Segreto chuckles.
Even with the potential risk of Segreto being a mole as well, Detective Pietronella Zampa likes the guy.
"We'll teach you the handshake later. Promise." She winks. "Now...these symbols. They are the same as the ones found at the crime scenes?"
"Our guy says yes. And from the way they were written, he thinks it's possible that the same person wrote them at the scene and at the house."
Vitale motions to the photos. "And there was an old woman there? There at the house?"
Segreto nods. "The one that gave me the evil eye - yes." He crosses himself. "Felt like I was an ant under a magnifying glass."
Zampa thinks out loud, "Like the man at the scene with Conti and Jansen." She narrows her eyes.
Debrief Part 02
"Could this woman be....101 years old?" Vitale knows it sounds insane.
"Mmmm...I put her in her 80s maybe? 101...I don't think so."
"Too good to be true." Vitale shakes it off and changes gears. "Who's on the Chelsea Bruni transfer? Moretti?"
"Petri was, but after his bullshit comments about you I asked him to be taken off. Both he and his team are grounded." Segreto grins.
"No. He's on the roster for the transfer." Zampa looks from one to the other. "There's some sort of issue with Officer Petri?"
Segreto and Vitale exchange looks. "Maybe. He's not a fan of Detective Vitale."
Detective Zampa sighs. "I'll head over and talk to Chief Alfeo about this. Segreto, can you move your photos and your guys report over to our server for this? Detective Vitale can get you the details."
"Certainly. I'll also make sure I'm around for the transfer."
Segreto sighs.
"I guess my opinion doesn't hold much value with Alfeo."
______________
Chelsea Bruni is dragged up off the floor and shoved back against the wall. She's covered in dust from her scramble for the door.
A woman lays on the floor in a fetal position moaning in pain. She clutches between her legs where Bruni kicked her.
"God...damn....devil....." she moans, the pain between her legs like fire.
Bruni stares down at her, then at the two guards pointing metal batons at her.
Chief Trevisan kneels by the detective on the floor for a moment, then stands as another officer helps her to her feet. "And you just lost the rest of your privileges until your transfer, Bruni."
Chelsea makes a motion towards the Chief and one of the batons shoves her back. A smile crosses her face as she whispers something. The baton holder's nose starts to bleed.
Chelsea giggles. "I'm going to make sure I pay you a visit....once I get what's coming to me. Then...I'll give you...what's coming to you, Alfeo."
The Chief sees the smile and shivers. "Take her back to her cell. Cuffed!" He points to the cuffs with both wrist and ankle loops. He can't wait for this lunatic to be someone else's problem.
_______________
The night before the transfer of Chelsea Bruni, Detective Vitale rushes home when his wife tells him about the encounter with the creepy woman and the bizarre warnings she gave.
Angela feels worried for Angelo - like she's taking him away from his most important work right now...until he shows her the photo of Danuta Szymańska on his phone. She swoons a bit.
"This is the killer person? The one that...." Her hands shake.
"I'm calling someone to be here with you." He has that steel in his voice that Angela knows well. "People watching the house 24/7. If she's stalking you now, we need to be extra careful. Maybe you should go to your Father?"
Angela nods and knows things must be very bad if he's suggesting she go to her Father's house in Milan.
"I'll call him."
Angelo Vitale grinds his teeth. This Danuta Szymańska is playing games he needs to shut down. Now.
Detective Zampa locks the "fire book" away in her second locker under a different name and heads down to see the Chief.
His Personal Assistant shakes his head. "He just headed out, but he's just down in the Cellar. Last minute plans for that transfer. You can probably catch him."
She thanks him and takes the elevator down to the ground floor, then heads to the stairs to dive down into the Cellar - the only way to get there. After being leered at and grope searched by the guard at the door, she's allowed through.
"Hey...nope. This way." He points. "Have to go the long way around until the transfer. They want to avoid anyone going through the Main before the transfer."
She salutes and heads around.
Someone steps out a doorway behind her.
She turns and something hits her in the stomach, then swings up and catches her on the head. She falls back and hits the floor hard. Her eyes cross and darkness smashes in around her as she goes out cold.
A man growls out, "Get her bagged, cuffed, and out of here. We'll dump
her somewhere after the transfer." He watches as two men lift her and
take her back out through a door.
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