Free Death in Tuscany by Michele Giuttari Page A

I'm doing you a favour. The message is clear: an investigation into what went on in the hospital isn't welcome. As we've established, you have two different investigations in progress. Digging in your heels over the second may compromise the first. I have good reason to believe that, if I hold off on granting this request,' she said, pointing to Violante's document, 'you'll be able to continue your investigation into the girl's death without any problems.'
    Is there a female lodge? Ferrara wondered. He couldn't tell whether Anna Giulietti - the 'iron prosecutor' as she was known to her colleagues despite her blonde hair and blue eyes - was blackmailing him or helping him. If there was such a lodge, it was very likely, given her illustrious ancestry, that she belonged to it.
'I see,' he murmured.
'I hope so. But I haven't finished.'
'Go on.'
    'If the first investigation reveals solid evidence - and I mean solid, I hope we're clear about that - that one or other of the doctors or nurses at the Ospedale Nuovo may have contributed to this patient's death, I expect you to do your duty. Then, and only then, I'll be quite happy to grant the request.'

    It was still early when Ferrara left the Prosecutor's Department and hurried back to his office.
    He was not at all disheartened by the line Anna Giulietti had chosen to follow. Freemasonry, inaccessible as it was, might well be a line of inquiry that was worth pursuing. He'd have to be extremely discreet, though, or he risked jeopardising his tacit pact with the deputy prosecutor. It was the kind of operation that required the offices of the incomparable Fanti, and he called him as soon as he got in.
    'What is it, chief?' Fanti said, even before he had entered Ferrara's office.
    'I need the membership lists of all the official Masonic lodges in Florence . . . and even the unofficial ones, if possible.'
Fanti looked at him, bewildered.
'Don't stand there gawking. Haven't I made myself clear?' 'You've made yourself very clear, chief . . . but. . .' 'But what?'
    'Where am I supposed to find these lists?' 'Try Special Operations first. They're interested in these things.'
'And if they don't have them?'
    'Have you gone gaga today? Try the internet. Go to a bookshop and buy me all the books you can find on Masonry in Florence. Do what you always do! But be discreet, please. This has to be done in absolute secrecy'
Fanti was already on his way out when he called him back.
    'On second thoughts, don't go to a bookshop. If I need books, I'll buy them myself.' He was afraid that his secretary, to avoid making any mistakes, would buy every book he could find in every bookshop in Florence.

    He was about to call Petra to suggest they have dinner at I Palmenti, a restaurant in Montelupo Fiorentino which they both liked, when Fanti came back looking dejected.
'What's happened?' Ferrara asked.
'Chief . . . Special Operations have the lists, but. . .'
'But what?'
    'They need a request in writing, otherwise they won't let anything out of their office.'
'That seems okay, Fanti. What's the problem?'
    'The request has to be signed by you personally and no one else . . . not even by a civil servant. That's what they told me.'
No chance of being discreet now, obviously.
'I see. All right, forget about it.'
'I'll try the internet, then.'
'No, don't worry' He had had another idea.
Are you sure, chief?'
'Yes, I'm sure. You can go.'
    Fanti went out, looking mortified, and Ferrara felt sorry for him. But he was already searching for the personal telephone number of the deputy prosecutor in Bologna, Raffaello Petrini, who a few years earlier had investigated some very 'unofficial' Masonic activities, directly implicating the heads of various lodges, and in the process accumulating an impressive mountain of papers.
    Ferrara had met him when they were both working in Reggio Calabria and they had developed a great deal of mutual respect.
    Raffaello Petrini was only too happy to help, and promised to fax him all the