ACCIDENTAL DETECTIVE

January 11th - The Music Box

"Should I tell her or not?"

All night, my brain has been chanting this mantra, and now I find myself completely groggy and sleepy, without having found an answer to give Lucrezia. If I don't give her an explanation, she definitely won't want to see me. But if I do, how far can I go without her thinking I'm crazy or that I'm just fooling her, resulting in her not wanting to see me anyway? On January seventh, Joel wrote that it wasn't yet the time to reveal his existence. But what if I don't mention him to Lucrezia and only tell her about the diary? How can I explain to her that, by some magic, I dive into the past and become a detective? Maybe if I told her about our meeting in Malta, she might believe what I say, or she might think I'm making it all up, considering that she told me her version of the events on the day of the wedding. "I'll give you tonight to think about it" — easy for her to say. I don't know what to do. I need to talk to Joel and figure out how to handle this situation. I get up from bed, take the diary, and write.
Good morning, Joel. I urgently need to talk to you.

Joel's reply, in the usual red ink, appears immediately.

Good morning, Giorgio, there's no time to talk. We must act.

Joel, we need to act here in real life too...

I know, Giorgio, but first you have to finish the day in the diary, and then we'll deal with Lucrezia's situation too.

My hand stops with the tip of the quill touching the page, creating a large blot of black ink.

Giorgio, I'd prefer not to be all smudged with black. Don't think about Lucrezia now. Write the word "PANGU" right away.
I obey, as always, and write:

PANGU

Suddenly, I find myself in front of the most beautiful hotel anyone could imagine for a dream stay.

"Welcome to Beijing. It's 2005, and we are in front of the Pangu Plaza Hotel."

"Thank you, Joel, for the introduction. But first, can we talk about Lucrezia?" I ask impatiently.

"No. We need to understand why you were summoned here by Attorney Kiang. Now go to the reception and announce your arrival."
I enter this magnificent seven-star hotel. I had heard about it, but being here in person (so to speak) makes my heart skip a beat. I approach the reception desk and, in my very broken English, ask about my client.

"Good afternoon. I'm Detective De Giorgi. I have an appointment with Attorney Kiang."

"Good afternoon, Mr. De Giorgi. The attorney is waiting for you in his office on the fifth floor. You'll find the elevator to your left."
"Thank you, Miss. Excuse me," I ask, embarrassed, "where are the stairs? I don't take elevators."

"Unfortunately, there's only an elevator. The stairs are used only in emergencies."
Reluctantly, I get on the elevator with great anxiety, which takes me to the fifth floor. Attorney Kiang is waiting for me in front of his office door.

"Welcome, Detective De Giorgi. Thank you for agreeing to meet me, even though I know you're on vacation in Beijing."

"Work comes first," I reply. Then, speaking quietly to Joel, "These would be my vacations!?" Joel looks at me and laughs.
"Your reputation as a detective has reached all the way here, to Beijing. We've all read about the case you solved in Malta last year and in New York in 2001. I always seek out the best for myself."

"How is it possible that two events I completed in 2023 but that were set in 2001 and 2004 could be known on the other side of the world years later?" I whisper to Joel.

"I told you. Your interventions change history and are not fantasy. It's best not to dwell on it. Ask him why he summoned you."

"Your reputation is well known too," I continue the conversation to avoid suspicion about my "talking to myself," "Only a very important lawyer could afford an office in Beijing's most prestigious hotel."
"When dealing with very influential people, appearances are fundamental, even with material things," he replies as he invites me to sit in his office. "Can I offer you something to drink?"
"I'd like a coffee. But please, tell me why you summoned me."