Sleepless Night Page #4

copies of those in the novel,

all based on that damn nursery rhyme.

- ''lt's now midnight.''

To try to convince me,

Vincenzo sang a few verses to me.

Anyway l didn't believe him.

But what if it really was the truth ?

l bet Leone knows

the rest of the nursery rhyme.

Let's hope he's here.

- l don't like the look of that sky.

- l'll check the garden shed.

- He's not there.

- Maybe he's in the house.

- Who are you ?

- What ?

- What are you doing here ?

- This is my house.

l've lived here for many years.

l'm Laura De Fabritiis.

Vincenzo's mother !

- Do you remember me ?

- Your face does look familiar...

- Moretti.

- Yes. Moretti.

l remember you.

Please, excuse us

for bursting in on you like this...

We are investigating on our own about

what's happened so many years ago.

Especially in light

of recent developments.

We are actually starting to consider

the idea that Vincenzo was not guilty

and that there were other people

behind this terrible affair.

lt's strange to hear you say that,

you were his accusers.

l was always convinced

of my son's innocence.

And my husband was too.

He died of broken heart...

three years after it happened.

Vincenzo, my little treasure...

was the scapegoat

sacrificed to public outcry.

What made you come here today ?

l've been summoned by a judge.

They want to exhume my son's body.

Did your son use to collect nursery

rhymes and poems about animals ?

- Yes, he did.

- Really ?

He adored children's books.

He used to buy them

in the second hand book shops.

They must still be around here

somewhere.

l hate this thing! This is

the first call l received in 5 years.

Yes ? Ah, it's for you.

- Sorry, l gave your number.

- Ah, love ! Youth !

- Where are you? - At the premiere.

''Swan Lake''. Don't you remember?

- Look... l got a problem.

- Where are you ?

Around. l'll come and pick you up

later, after the show.

lt's too bad you can't make it.

l'm so nervous. l play in swan suit !

- The pages have been torn out.

- What ?

Maybe Vincenzo hid the original

to stop the killer.

Hid it ? Great. So, we are back

to square one, back to zero.

lsn't there another book

called ''Animal Farm'' ?

- l read it. Who's it by ?

- Orwell! - Yes, George Orwell.

- We must have a copy.

- lt's a wonderful book.

- Here it is.

- Yes.

Thank you, Madam.

lt's now midnight

and in my bed l toss and fight.

This is how my war began

with the beasts across the land.

Morning at One,

the farmer has some little boy's fun.

Piggy's throat he quickly slits

in victory the battle quits.

Morning at Two,

the rooster's cock-a-doodle-doo.

The instrument for this fine song

makes the pleasure nice 'n long.

Morning at Three,

the farmer strangles the chickie wee.

Says he:
''Won't let me sleep''

yet in his bed hears not a peep.

Morning at Four,

here's kitty purring at the door.

ln the tub for an icy swim

and drowning her for just a whim.

Morning at Five,

the little rabbit crushed alive.

With rabbit's teeth she bit and fought

but in the end it brought her nought.

Morning at Six,

now the long swan's neck he'll fix.

When he cuts it from her head

he knows that his last foe is dead.

The break of day,

the farmer in his bed now lay.

With all his weapons in a heap,

now he can finally go to sleep.

- ''The long swan's neck he'll fix'' ?

- Yes.

Gloria said

that she wears a swan suit.

The swan could be her !

l've got to go.

- Your ticket, please. - l have

to go in. - Why ? - Because l do !

Ladies and gentlemen, the second act

will begin in 10 minutes.

- Son of a b*tch !

- Sorry. - What about my shirt ?

- Are you all right ?

- Of course, l'm all right.

- ls something wrong ?

- Nothing. l thought...

- What did you think ?

- Nothing.

- Mara, absolutely marvelous.

- Fantastic ! - Thank you.

Sorry, but l have to get ready

for the second act.

- Yes, of course.

- We'll go back to our seats.

- Mara !

- l'm coming.

Ladies and gentlemen, the second act

will begin in five minutes.

Thank you for coming, Mr. Moretti.

- Mrs. De Fabritiis, we should

follow the... - l know. Excuse me.

- You think that l'm presumptuous

and incompetent. - lncompetent no.

- Cold as a machine, yes.

- Machines will help us get him.

We're monitoring 18,000 telephones

in the city, spot checking.

With an automatic scanner

programmed to pick out key words.

- Does the killer call his friends

and say ''l'm the murderer''? - No.

But we're not excluding that

the killer might have an accomplice.

We're checking also who has a phone

but hasn't made or received calls...

for the past year.

- Good luck !

l want to know how the body was

removed, when it was removed and why.

lt was done pretty recently, judging

by the scratchings on the coffin.

Now, Vincenzo De Fabritiis...

There !

- Signora De Fabritiis ! - Will you

excuse me for the unusual hour.

- Come in. - Don't you ever sleep?

- l'm not sleepy. - Neither am l.

l haven't slept for 1 7 years.

You know... l was so desperate

when l saw the coffin was empty...

Now it will start all over again.

The rumors...

The ghost, the Dwarf.

The Monster ! A monster twice over,

for his deformity and the murders.

l won't have it.

You must help me.

Tell your colleagues my son is dead.

- How can you be so sure ?

- l know ! l know !

- Yes, but how ?

- Because l'm his mother.

lt's not good enough.

You really want to know why ?

All right. l killed him.

l killed him...

with a gun my husband gave me.

Vincenzo asked me to do it. He didn't

have the courage to do it himself.

l did it out of love !

To save him from more suffering,

from being made a laughing stock,

prison...

at the mercy of the other inmates,

awful cruel people especially with...

Wait a minute. You said a gun,

but the gun was never found.

ls that what's missing ? Sorry.

ln 1983 the murders

were all in the same area. Why ?

Marcello, help me.

We're doing very well.

Let us take a look at the weapons

and the way he uses them.

A pruning knife. A musical instrument

like the english horn. A rope.

Drowned, bashed against the wall

and a hatchet. Why the english horn ?

What a strange choice.

''The rooster's cockle-doodle-doo.

The instrument for this fine song.''

lnstrument? Usually you slit roosters'

throats or wring their necks.

But... that reminds me...

Hi. This is Gloria. l'm not here

right now. Please, leave a message.

This is Moretti, Giacomo. lf you're

wondering how l managed to find you...

l'm a cop, remember. l've discovered

some very interesting things.

ln 1983 the murders were in a small

area, now they're all over the city.

Why ? ln your mother's case there is

a striking discrepancy...

The first since 1966 !

About that.

Who's there ? ls this a joke ?

lt's now midnight

and in my bed l toss and fight.

This is how my war began

with the beasts across the land.

ln my bed l toss and fight.

- This is Moretti, Giacomo.

- Giacomo !

There's a message for you.

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