Murder in the Tremiti Isles

Chapter 1 - Why you?

On the little terrace overlooking the sea of the Tremiti Islands, together with the few clients, there was a Persian cat that seemed very keen on the food served by Michelina who was probably very generous with him, but like a great panderer never missed a chance to rub himself on people's legs to get something extra. As a starter Rosario asked some peppered mussels, which he loved, while his partner ordered a Palamito, a very tasty fish used as a starter and served with vinaigrette, capers and parsley. It was ten o'clock when they sat down and they had an hour to have dinner before the last ferry of the evening left to bring them back.

«Good god, it's already late. If we keep going like this we'll have to consider the idea of swimming back to the island if we want to go home» she said looking at the Cartier watch she wore on her wrist and never took off, even at night. Pretty and enterprising, she was sure of herself and she knew she had the perfect weapons to convince some fisherman to bring them back. They started the game of seduction that they both enjoyed making them feel complicit and on the same wavelength. Lightly touching him with her foot under cover of the tablecloth, she reminded him that anyone would face even the roughest sea to make her happy while he started to feel uncomfortable in his immaculate linen suit from which his dark skin showed up his well-muscled body thanks to years of weight-lifting and jogging. With a wink and a joke they came to a kind of deal that they would take that decision only as a last resort, maybe if they had eaten so much that they were incapable of swimming to the other side.

The mussels and the Palamito, with the gentle sound of the sea in the background, were a perfect opening and everything made them think that the sea-food risotto that they had both ordered was going to be the best completion of their dinner. As usual Saru urged the young waitress to insist with the chef for big servings and she smiled letting him know that she had understood.

«Actually we have a female chef and she's very strict, but I'll tell her anyway» she said heading towards the kitchen after writing down their order. Saru liked her self-confidence which contrasted with her seemingly colorless personality and he was looking forward to tasting a good rice dish, one of his favorites.

Unfortunately, with great regret, he changed his mind when he saw the tiny serving, not even nicely presented, which instead of the colorful dish he had been expecting with the flavorsome red sauce from Puglia, the full-blooded shrimps, the cherry clams and the shimmer of green parsley, was a dead pink which destroyed his appetite after the first mouthful. Because of his disappointment he had the sad feeling that the chef, as if to taunt him, had served him up a frozen ready-made risotto. An insult when you are eating almost on the sea where at any moment a fish could jump straight onto your plate from the water and even more for someone like him always ready to taste his beloved Pugliese food. Unwillingly he decided to eat that abomination anyway going back in his mind to the lunch of the day before which had been a celebration for his demanding palate. Mauro had offered him a big juicy dish of spaghetti with a delicious sauce made with lobster, scampi, red snapper and monkfish, all washed down with an excellent local wine.

As he was raising his fork with effort, wondering whether he should make a sarcastic comment to the waitress about the dish or go directly to the kitchen for a showdown with the chef, a terrible scream sent a shudder down his spine, making him almost choke on his mouthful. To calm the coughing he quickly drank a glass of mineral water, then glanced at his companion mopping the tears to focus on her questioning look. After a few seconds he looked around meeting the puzzled eyes of the other clients on the terrace then suddenly stood up.

«Where are you going?» asked Elisa, worried.

«I'll go and see what happened» answered Saru.