"Bruno." "Bruno." "Let's go." ""I love you, Margherita, passionately, desperately..."" ""I'm not interested in who you really are."" " Listen to her." " They probably planned it." "They're coming!" "They're coming!" "Give me a cigarette." " They're strong, what are they?" " Gauloise." " Isn't Tonino coming?" " He's taking the day off." "Michele." "Bruno." "They're coming." "I saw them, they're coming." " They're coming, I saw their car." " What do they look like?" "They're really fat, with tits like melons, and an ass like this!" "Then let's go." " Let me have a drag." " It's a Gauloise." " It's strong." " Come on." " Let go, it's mine." " Did you bring the money?" " Yes, I've got it." " Hurry up." "Come on." ""We'll be at the castle soon, and you'll meet my mother."" " Maria, he invited her to the castle." " Just imagine the mother now..." "She was already upset in the last episode." " Good morning, ladies." " She's trying to listen." " Okay, let's go, guys." " Wasn't he the prince in the other story?" " He committed suicide." " I can't hear it." "The other story was better." "We want to make love, we're not interested in the radio." " We've been waiting all morning." " How can I forget?" "It was such a moving story." "I like these stories because they make me cry." " Who's he?" " No, let him watch, he's crazy." " Let's make this quick." " We have to be quick as well." " Get a move on." " At least turn off this radio." "No." "Hold on." "Wait a minute." "If you don't pay, you can't watch." "Barra." "Come in and enjoy the show." "Barra's a peeping tom." "Barra's a peeping tom." "Barra's a peeping tom." "Barra's a peeping tom." "If I catch you I'll kill you." "I'll kill you." " Hi, mum." " Pick up your jacket." "Someone finally makes an appearance in this house." "Wash your hands." "You have to take this orangeade to the lady of the house." "She's resting." "She must be tired, poor thing." "Your father's been playing cards all day, and who knows where you've been?" " But it's Sunday tomorrow." " Right..." "I'm the only who never gets a day off." "Everyone gets a day off..." "But not me!" "I'm never tired, I'm everyone's servant." "I wash, iron, cook, I clean the house..." "And what do the others do?" " Where are you going?" " I put your orangeade here." "Well pour some out, and bring it here." " Hurry up, I'm thirsty." " Yes, yes, I'm coming!" "Go on, look at me." "Had a good look?" "Is it the first time you've seen a woman naked?" "No." "Tell me..." "How many girls have you slept with?" " A lot!" " No, you're a liar." "If you said one or two I'd have believed you..." "But if you say a lot then it's not true." "You're a real chatterbox." "Would you like to do it with me?" "Come on, answer me." "Yes." "I'm sure you would." "Michele." "Yes, mum." "I'm coming." "Go on, run to mummy." "What's wrong with you tonight?" "Shut up." "You never let me sleep." ""The search for little Bruno Locascio..."" ""Continued all day yesterday."" ""Comma..."" ""The fourth day since his disappearance."" "If they kept their kids at home." "And who gets thrown in the middle?" "Us, these poor dogs..." ""The search is covering a wide area..."" ""Comma..."" ""With a task force of around a hundred police officers..."" ""And with help from the dog unit."" "The latest revelation came a short while ago..." "It would appear that the boy's father..." "Received an anonymous phone call..." "With a request for a large sum, as ransom." "Yes." "The investigating officers aren't saying very much." "Yes." "That's everything." "Stop." "I'm sorry, the deputy public prosecutor is here, you can't go in." "I understand, thanks." "Relax." "I'll show them what Martelli is capable of." "But we don't have that kind of money." "Everyone knows." "We're poor folk." "All we have is this piece of land that isn't worth anything..." "And two pieces of bread." " Are you sure you don't have any enemies?" " Enemies?" "Us?" "We get on with everyone." "He only wants money." "Only money!" "Six thousand in cash, he said." "Where does he want it?" "I must bring it to the abandoned factory, half an hour before sunset." "He wants me to hide it inside the third boiler." " Who's going to give us six thousand?" " in cash?" "Right..." "Of course it has to be in cash." "Did you add that, or did he tell you on the phone?" "No, no..." "On the phone." "That's what he said." "All of it, in cash." " All of it in cash." " Yes." "I'm sorry, prosecutor, but bear with me..." "Think about it for a moment, if you ask me..." "This blackmailer must be a little crazy don't you think?" "Yes." "Yes, it's true." "To stipulate something so obvious." " Sorry, who are you?" " Andrea Martelli, the Milan Standard." "How did you get in?" "Who let you through?" "Nobody." "The window was open..." "Listen, you've pointed out something interesting..." " But I'd like you to leave now." " Yes, sure, as you wish." "Morning." "No!" "Not this way..." " Please, the other door." " Okay, I get it." " Morning." " Good morning." " Well, Locascio?" " He said..." "That I must go there alone." "And if I tried anything, he said..." " He said he'd kill him!" " He'll kill him!" "He'll kill him if you don't bring the money." " My God!" " Don't cry." " Help us!" " We'll find a solution." " Stop!" " Stop." "You can't get away." "Stop!" "I put my hand inside, like that, Marshal." "By chance?" "I always hide something in that boiler, Marshal..." "My things." "Listen, who the hell do you think you are, Barra?" "I'm telling you the truth." "I don't know anything." "I didn't even know who this Bruno Locascio was." "What do you mean 'was'?" "Why don't you say 'is'?" "Because you know he's dead." "It's true." "You killed him, Barra." " Confess." " I don't know anything." "That kid was only twelve years old, and you killed him..." "Confess!" "You killed him!" "I didn't kill him." "I swear." "I had nothing to do with it." "I didn't kill him, officer." "Yes?" "It's me." "You just have to check something..." "Listen to this voice." " Say something." " What?" "Whatever you like." "You know how to count..." "Count." "One, two, three..." "Go on!" "One, two..." "I haven't done anything!" "What do you think?" "Are you certain?" "Yes, of course." "I'll keep you informed." " Well?" " Locascio..." "He recognised his voice." "Murderer." "We'd better get him away from here..." " Have him transferred to the city." " Yes, sir." "Modesti." " Take him away." " You can't arrest me." " I'm Martelli, from the Standard." " Yes, I remember you..." "But I can't talk to you, sorry." "Did you hear that?" "He says the kid was already dead." "Don't listen to him, he's crazy." "You said so yourself." "The people want a culprit." "And we have to find one, before they do." "Then you're not ruling out that Barra might be telling the truth?" "You know he contradicted himself a number of times..." " It's all here, in his statement." " Yes..." "But those contradictions are so absurd, they confirm he has a low IQ." " You've known him for many years." " Yes, I already told you..." " He has never hurt anyone." " He finds the boy in the forest, dead..." "Then he hides the body, to extort money from the boy's father." "A flash of genius, from a lunatic." "Right, also the modest amount he asked for, just 6000..." "Seems to confirm your hypothesis." " This one hadn't been molested, either." " Inform the press..." "So we can put a stop to the rumours that the crimes were sexual." "The only variation between the two crimes is a contusion on the neck of the first victim." "Yes, the killer stunned him, before killing him." "He could've beaten him to death, but he didn't..." "He strangled him, like the second one." "In my opinion this indicates a definite choice..." "The kind of manic repetition we find in schizophrenics." "Well, someone who kills two young boys must have something wrong with him." " Excuse me, Lieutenant." " We all agree..." "The killer is a lunatic." "But even a lunatic, in his mad logic..." "Must have had a reason." "Were the victims unrelated..." "Or do we have to start looking at them to find a motive?" "Yes, I probably knew them better than anyone." "On your head, Nicola!" "That's what I thought..." "When a priest is close to the kids, even his age." "Yes, sure." "That helps a lot." "They're better off here, than on the streets." "Pass the ball." "They must be good kids, after all, if they prefer God's house to the streets." "Let's say the football pitch." "They're quite devoted to God, but very devoted to Football..." "Very." "They really like you, everyone in the village says so." "Yes, I know." "But do you know what my secret is?" " I'm listening." " I also play football." "And I'm a good centre-forward." "These are sad times, people watch television..." "They go to the cinema, that's how it is." "They read newspapers with those scandalous photos." "You're a journalist." "You know." "Yes, but I work for a daily." "Then something bad happens, and everyone wonders why!" "No, there's no water." "They turn it off at five o'clock." " This as well." " So they look for a culprit..." "And nobody understands that it's our tolerance that's to blame." "What can a poor priest do?" "I'm friends with the news vendor, and he won't sell certain magazines..." "They don't even arrive here." "Go on, take it." "It's a kind of censorship." " Why?" "Is it wrong?" " No..." " But how do you deal with her?" " Hurry up." "You don't need a news vendor with her around." "Right." "Don." "Alberto, what have they decided in Rome?" "Can you marry?" "The male population is on the rise again in the village." "Well, keep me informed, this topic really interests me." " How much?" " 5000." "She doesn't look like one of the devoted faithful." "Who knows?" "A lot of strange things have happened since she arrived." " What do you mean?" " Nothing..." "In certain cases one can think ill of anybody." "And who's she?" "Her father is from here, he made his fortune in Milan." "You know that strange, modern, villa you see as you come into the village?" "That's his?" "He had it built just to annoy the locals, no other reason." " He never comes here." " Then why is she here?" "A woman like that, in a village like this?" "Seems she was involved with a group of drug addicts." "I don't know what happened..." "But her father thought a change of scenery would do her good." "Hello?" "It's you." "What?" "No, I'm alone." "They're next door." "At this hour?" "Of course I'll come." "I'll make sure they don't see me..." "I'll climb over the wall." "Your keys, lady." "Michele would like this." "Leave him be." "He's studying, for once." "He ate with us at the villa." "Look at this." "It was on the boy's desk." "Why did you return to the annexe so late?" "We had to wait for the lady of the house." "She always asks us to wait until she returns..." "She's frightened of finding someone in the house..." "I don't know, some thief." "Find my Michele." "I'm begging you!" "Does the lady of the house often go out alone at night?" "No..." "She's only done it a few times." "It's pointless, the dogs won't pick up a scent in this rain." "I'm soaking wet, I'm going back to the village..." " Are you coming with me?" " No, I'll stay here." "I'm scared of thieves." "I know it's foolish, but it's stronger than me." "But you weren't scared to go out alone the other night..." "Between nine and midnight, if I'm not mistaken?" "No." "You're not mistaken." "Of all the things people have told you, at least this is correct." "Do you want to know what I did during those three hours?" "Nothing." "I just drove up and down the motorway like a maniac." " For three hours?" " Yes." "It's a great way to let off some steam." " You must have been very nervous." " I wasn't nervous, I was..." "What's the point?" "It's no use being so mysterious." "With all the gossips in the village I'm surprised they haven't told you already." "In the past..." "I did some things I regret." "And now I've stopped..." " Sometimes I get the urge, and..." " And nobody saw you?" "No, nobody." "Didn't you stop to fill up?" "To get a coffee?" "I don't remember." "What do you mean you don't remember?" "We're talking about last night." "No, I didn't stop." " Which one?" " The one with a child in her arms." "The blonde girl." "Is that her daughter?" "Yes, her name's Malvina." "It's a pity she's like that..." "Just think, her brother's very intelligent." "He's here." "He's here." "He's here." "I can feel it." "He's here." "The murderer is here." "He's here." "The murderer is here." "END OF PART ONE" "PART TWO" "Look, Inspector..." "She went in to the church when everyone else was already inside." " Well?" " It's like she didn't want to be noticed." " And then?" " She runs away a few minutes later." " Because that's a woman running away." " Right." "But this behaviour, this flight from the church..." "Couldn't it be explained by the fact that she practices black magic?" "No..." "Because, first of all, she doesn't practice a damned thing..." "They only call her the witch because she's uncle Francesco's woman..." "But she isn't a witch." "Besides, around here, witches, those kind of people..." " They're all hand in glove with religion." " Yes, I understand." "And this uncle Francesco, is he some kind of magician?" "Yes, your honour, and he's quite renowned..." "Just think, people come all the way from Sicily to see him..." "And all around Italy." " I thought magicians earned more." " They earn!" "Uncle Francesco has a bank account just like the rest of us..." "He's here because he likes it." "He's spent his whole life in these mountains." "I don't understand these people." " Greetings, uncle Francesco." " Long live Italy, son." "Isn't the witch here?" "If you can't see her, son, then it means she's not here." "When will she be back?" "Saint Giuliano knows." "I haven't seen the witch for two weeks." "And why is that?" " Who's he?" " He's an officer of the law." "If you're looking for the witch you're wasting your time..." "She doesn't do anything bad, and doesn't know anything bad." "Remember what uncle Francesco's says." "You haven't seen her for a while..." "But you're not worried." "You're not looking for her." "I looked for her, but she didn't want to be found." "The last time, I think it was Friday..." "Saint Rocco came to me in a dream and he told me she was in the oak forest." " And?" " And then..." "I went to have a look." "It rained, the sun went down, and it was night." " Did you see anyone in the oak forest?" " I saw the night..." "And nothing else." "Saint Rocco is a liar." "You can only trust Saint Biaggio." "He never lies to you." " Uncle Francesco." " Yes." "You do know a crime was committed in that very place on Friday night?" "I know." "Listen..." "If Saint Biaggio tells me who did it..." "I'll tell you straight away." "If he's messing with us I'll lock him up!" "Right, that way we'll start a revolution in Centura." "Listen, uncle Francesco..." "We just want to ask you a few questions about the witch." "It's been two weeks since she disappeared." "When is she coming back?" "Only Saint Biaggio and Saint Sebastian know that." "Long live Italy." "If he was telling the truth..." "Only Saint Rocco, Saint Biaggio, and the Holy Father know for sure." "Perhaps he really doesn't know where she is..." "But one thing is certain, that woman must have a reason to hide." " Strange pairing, Inspector." " Yes, very strange." ""Take this down..."" ""In latest developments, a contingent of state police has arrived here..."" ""Comma..."" ""From the regional capital." "Full stop."" ""Evidently, these men will be used in a search..."" ""Comma..."" ""Which, at this moment, seems pointless..."" ""Given that, thank God, no more children have gone missing."" "You asked me about Don Aurelia Vallone..." "She's over there, with the girl in her arms." "That's her?" "I saw her in church earlier." "What is she like?" "We only respect her because she's the priest's mother." "Hello, Inspector." "I know where the witch is hiding." "Yes." "Sure, I know the place." " Who is this?" " A friend of justice." "We should've known..." "She saw us coming and she ran off." " She can't have gone far." " Tell the helicopter we're continuing." " Come on, guys, we're heading back." " Okay, I'll tell the others." "The dog has picked up a scent." " The witch's son, you say?" " Yes." "...and uncle Francesco." "I'm talking about fifteen years ago." "She was just a girl when they took her away because she was possessed." "There was a rumour going around at the time..." "That she became pregnant as a result of her chasing away the evil spirits." "But I repeat, it's just a rumour..." "Because nobody ever saw this boy." "Some said he was still-born, others said he only lived for a few months..." "And that they always kept him hidden, because he was the Devil's son." " And who established this paternity?" " Ignorance, Inspector..." "That's what they say when a baby is born deformed." "But, at the time, Marshal, didn't you try to find out, to investigate?" "If we listened to everything they say." "Besides, I didn't see anything wrong..." "After all, it was a family accident." "And these three things here, I assume you know what they are." "I don't know, I'm not a witch, lieutenant." "Let go of me." "Let go of me, you bastards." "It was me." "I gave them death." "Yes, me, to all three of them." "Many times, I had seen Michele playing near my son's grave." "I watched over it." " The witch puts these flowers here." " How do you know?" "I saw her." "Bastards." "Go away." " It's not your land." " You mustn't come here ever again." "I'll destroy you." "They had been warned." "But instead..." "They came back the next day, they'd been digging..." "I'm sure of it, the ground had been disturbed." "Why didn't you bury your boy on holy ground?" "I couldn't." "I couldn't, he was the Devil's child." "I told you." "Right." "To conclude..." "You killed all three of them, to punish them, right?" "Yes, sir." "And you didn't tell anyone, not even uncle Francesco?" "Uncle Francesco is innocent, I swear on Jesus Christ." "I asked him how to..." "But I didn't tell him why I wanted to know." "And what did you ask uncle Francesco?" " How to do it." " How to do what?" "Strangle them?" "But I didn't strangle them." "What?" "What are you saying?" "I gave them death, but in a different way." "In what way?" " I can't say." " No, you're going to tell us." "Why does it matter?" "I told you I did it." "Put me in jail, it's finished now." "No, it's not finished at all." "I brought death to them, just like I warned them." "Sure..." "I warned them." "I'll destroy you." "I'll destroy you, I told them!" "They shouldn't have done it." "But they did." "They did." "They called destiny." "I gave it to them, that's true, but they wanted it." "I warned them, they shouldn't have..." "I'll destroy you, I told them." "They didn't listen, and I..." "And I..." "I made the sign of destiny for them..." "Of death." "Death." "Death." "You two, come here." "I made three wax figures..." "Then I painted them black..." "Because that's the death spell." "I took them..." "And I put pins through them." "You have to do it thirteen times, while you say the words out loud..." "That you need to say it to control the demons." "Thirteen demons." "They start off like that, inside one person's body..." "From the mouth, and then he does everything." "Who does?" "It can be anyone..." "Man or woman." "Imbalomini, are you sure you're not confusing it with another night?" "No, Marshal, it was Friday." "You can check the service records." "The night little Michele Spriano was killed..." "I found the witch near the old fort." " How far is it from the oak forest?" " It's quite a distance..." " It's more than three hours on foot." " Are you sure it was her?" "Yes, I asked her what she was doing walking around at that hour..." "And, as usual, she insulted me." "Okay, you can go." "Thank you." "Are you convinced, Inspector?" "The only crime the witch has on her conscience is the one with the pins." "Yes, I know." "I know as well..." "I'm just saying, let's investigate..." "Let's keep her inside for a while." "I'm sorry, Marshal, you're like the people here, you want a culprit at any cost?" " I just don't want any more culprits." " Explain yourself, Marshal." "What is there to explain?" "She's innocent." "We're all certain she's innocent." " Sure." " Sure, she's innocent." " Then let's release her." " Yes, precisely." "Release her tomorrow morning." "Yes, sir." "What?" "An appalling crime." "That horrifies us, that makes us ashamed of ourselves." "Is this it?" "We can build motorways, but we can't overcome ignorance and superstition." "We must find the culprits, and punish them." "Yes, sir." "Sure we will..." "We'll arrest the entire village." "What's going on there?" "Imbalomini..." "If you'd kept quiet, if you hadn't told them you'd seen her by the fort." " But it was the truth." " The truth?" "Look at this mess." "Here's the truth." "Who broke your doll?" "What rascal did that?" " Have you lost your tongue?" " Madam." "It's pointless." "She doesn't understand you." "She's mute." "She's an abnormal child." "Dumb, you mean?" "Well that's still no reason to play with a doll without a head." "There must be a toy shop in this village." "Yes, try that stationery store, I noticed they sell toys as well." "Good, then let's go and buy a new one." " Are you happy?" " Martelli." "I'm coming." " Madam..." " Listen, you can drop the formalities..." "My name's Patrizia." "As you prefer, my name's Andrea Martelli." " A pleasure." " Martelli, are you coming?" "Wait a minute!" "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Let's buy you a nice doll." "Come on." "It's okay." "Don't you want a doll?" "Don't be afraid." "Come on." "Let's go there again, they'll come back today." "Yes, who knows when?" "What if they spent all their money?" "They won't even let you look at them without any money." "What do you think?" "These cops have been sent here for nothing?" "The killer is still around here somewhere." "Let's go back." "They just send the cops out to roast in the mountains." "Not the witch, they buried her." "You get it?" "She can't hurt us any more." "Then let's go." "I've got money." "They did it with Barra and he's crazy." "And they're young." " What are you doing?" " I'm not coming, I'm scared." "You're just scared of women." "Go back to the oratorio, you like it there." " It's not true." " Sure it's true." " It's not true." " Go back to your mummy, I'm going anyway." "Come back." "Come back here, Mario." "Who gives a damn." "Fuck you." "But..." " Why aren't you playing?" " I don't feel like it." " He's worried about Mario." " Hold on..." " What has he done?" " I told him to come back." " Just tell me what he's done?" " He went to the haunted house, alone." "Alone?" "Don." "Alberto, people go there because..." " Because women go there." " What?" "Women go there." "You're so young." "You do these things?" "Impossible." "It's not our fault, Mario went there." "I told him it's dangerous, that he might meet that horrible man..." "I swear on the Virgin Mary that I told him." "I said, "If he finds you in a field he'll kill you"..." " But he says the witch is dead." " The witch." "Could you be any more ignorant?" "And this is the result..." "Mario isn't afraid to walk around alone because the witch is dead." "No one can be killed with black magic, no one!" " It's nonsense." " Yes, Don." "Alberto." "I told him the killer is still around." " Yes, he is." " Yes, it's true." "Lord, how thoughtless." "Stay here and be good." "Okay?" "Stay here." "Yes." " Why did you tell Don." "Alberto?" " If I didn't say anything he'd be dead." "Hi." " Do you know how to change a tyre?" " If you give me the tools." "I'll also give you 1000 lira, okay?" "What do you prefer, the money or a kiss?" "Look, More than a contusion, it's a real wound this time." "Yes." "A violent blow by a blunt weapon." "If you ask me, the autopsy will reveal that wound wasn't fatal..." "I think he died of suffocation." "Right..." "Like the first one, like little Locascio." "The only difference being he suffocated this one." " It was even easier." " The priest found him..." "He was walking past, he saw him..." "And he immediately realised what had happened." "He's still here." "Well, what shall we do?" " Shall we question him?" " It's not the right time." "And it would nice if the journalists could leave him alone." "Marshal." "The locals can't blame the witch this time." "I don't think so." "It's not a sense of guilt that you see on their faces..." "No..." "The only thing that's certain now is that they're scared again." "THE CLASSICS OF BLACK MAGIC" "Hello." " Hello, Montanelli." " Martelli, thank you." "Right, if you were Montanelli you wouldn't be here." "I see you're interested in this type of literature as well." "Yes, it interests me a great deal." " Would you like a drink?" " No, thank you, I can't stay." " Then why are you here?" " I'm returning your lighter." "There are no initials on it, how do you know it's mine?" "You're the only one who could have Cartier around here." "You're right." "They're so expensive." "I'm glad you didn't keep it." "And you didn't even give it any thought?" "Actually, I did give it some thought..." "About giving it to the police." "Why?" "Because I found it there, close by." " Close to what?" " Don't you know another boy was killed?" "Another one." "I don't know anything about it." " But when?" " Right." "You didn't know?" "No, I had no idea." "How could I have known?" "You're the first person I've seen this evening." "Then where have you been?" "That's my business." "Listen to me, you son of a bitch, I hope you don't think I..." "That you, at an average of speed 170kmph, without ever stopping..." "In three hours, you would have driven more than five hundred kilometres." "Up and down the motorway." "Yes, up and down, like an idiot." "Why?" "Is it illegal?" "Yes, in a certain sense..." "By the fuel." "At that speed, your car..." "Can go a maximum of four kilometres per litre..." "So a hundred litres wouldn't have been enough." "My car has two fuel tanks." "Yes, I know." "40 litres each, 80 in total." "No, madam..." "I say you stopped to fill up." "Okay." "I stopped." "Why did you deny it?" "Because..." "I didn't just stop to fill up." "I also made a call, and I noticed that boy had taken my number." "And?" "And..." "I called a camp-site, in Pugnochiuso." "There were two foreigners there, two kids who had some stuff." "Drugs?" "Marijuana." "And I didn't want to get them involved." "What is you relationship like with uncle Francesco?" "What kind of relationship are you talking about?" "I don't have any relationship with him." "So you've never visited him?" "No, never." "But if I told you I'd seen you with my own eyes." "Okay, yes, I've been to see him two or three times." "I like reading about black magic, so I..." "I'd like to know what I've done wrong." "I've had enough of this village." "I know Centura like the back of my hand..." "Always going somewhere, just to do something." "I can't talk to the people here, we don't understand each other." "Uncle Francesco might be a scoundrel but at least he makes me laugh." "You said this camp-site is in Alberobello, right?" "Yes, it's in Alberobello." "But..." "I thought you said it was in Pugnochiuso?" "Yes, yes..." "It's in Pugnochiuso." "What do you want from me?" "Just one thing, for now..." "Don't leave without letting us know." "You think I should have told them he changed my tyre?" "I'd be locked up by now." "I threw the lighter away, I couldn't care less if it's made of gold." "You're a bit crazy, if you ask me." "I'm sorry, but first you throw away the lighter..." " Then you tell me about the boy." " I have to tell someone, don't I?" "And you're the only normal person I know in this damned village." "Thanks, I'm moved." "I spent a long time trying to make sense of what happened and these people." "Look at this..." "Look at what these hypocrites are capable of." ""ANOTHER CHILD KILLED IN ACCENDURA" They make me laugh, with all their crocodile tears." "They bring flowers to the fountain where they found that poor boy..." "And the one who killed him is one of them." "And you lot encourage them." " You know something..." " What?" "This looks like the head of the duck I gave the little girl." "Yes, macabre isn't it?" "I used that shot on purpose." "Didn't you want to buy her a doll?" "Yes, but I didn't like any of them, the only decent one was that duck." " Where did you find it?" " There, on the ground." "Why was only the head there?" " Andrea." " Yes." " Nothing here, either." " Keep looking, keep looking." "Where did you find the duck's head?" "Where you are now, a bit closer to me." " It's pointless." " Keep looking, keep looking." "Some kid might have picked it up, or a dog, perhaps." "I found it." "Well?" "Well, it's like I said..." "That's the priest's house." "That one there, on the corner." "Malvina went out that night, and she saw someone strangle Antonino..." "That's why she tore off the head on the doll and the duck..." "Because she wanted to do the same thing." "Only she squeezed too hard..." "She did what she'd seen him do." "It must have had a profound effect on her." " A gesture of imitation." " Yes, of course, it's possible..." "In fact it's quite likely." "Children do these things." "And Malvina..." "You know about her mental condition." "Father..." "If that little girl saw the murderer..." "Do you think she'd be able to identify him?" "If she had a good look at him, why not?" "But how do you expect her to tell you who it was?" "First of all, she's mute, and..." "No, she's not stupid, if that's what you're thinking..." "She's retarded." "She's six years old..." "But she has the intelligence of a three year old." "But if we question her in the right way..." "We'll be able to find out if she saw him." "Cigarette, Father?" "You'll need a lot of patience, and a lot of kindness." "Yes, you can just imagine how nice the police will be to her." "Father, it has to be us." "My son is forgetting something important..." "Our door is always locked at night." "And it's not because of thieves, it's for Malvina..." "Because you never know, she might decide to go out by herself." " You know how careful I am, Alberto." " Yes, mother, of course." "I guess this changes everything." "Madam, Some sweets for Malvina." "The door is locked at night, so Malvina didn't see a damned thing." "And she pulled off their heads because she felt like it." "You can save all this rubbish for your newspaper." "The door was open that night." " She left it open when she went out." " Really?" "And where did she go?" "What was she doing out at that hour?" " She killed Antonino." " How can you think such nonsense?" "Now I'll tell you what I found out from the Marshal..." "Don." "Aurelia's husband killed himself..." "The people in the village say it was his wife's fault." "But one thing is certain..." "That she was madly jealous of him." "She had made his life impossible." "But where the hell do the children fit in?" "You don't think they fit in?" "All four of them went to the oratorio..." "And they stole part of her son's affection for her..." "A bitter jealousy can even drive someone to murder." "I think that whiskey has gone to your head." "Hello?" "Tell me." "No, she's not here." "Why?" "Did she tell you..." "No, but she might have brought you a gift, to thank you..." " For the duck and the sweets." " Silly." "Yes, of course, if she comes here." "No, don't mention it." " Who was it?" " Don." "Alberto." "He can't find his mother, or Malvina..." "He doesn't know where they've gone." "Do you know them?" "Yes, I know them, but I haven't seen them." "Thanks." "Let's go." "We messed up, we should've gone to the police." "Yes, smart..." "Knowing what they think of me, they probably would have arrested me." "If he kills her now, it's our fault." "We should've talked to her directly, we suggested it to him..." "We should have kept quiet." "Poor girl." "There's someone there." "Have you seen Don." "Aurelia, the priest's mother?" "Yes, just now, from a distance..." "With that mute girl, at the top of the mountain." "Okay, thanks." "Do you think a mother could kill her own daughter?" "If she's crazy, yes." "Let's get ready to assist in another nice funeral with a choir." "Cut it out." "That isn't funny." " You don't have children." " Do you?" "Yes, two boys." "Then you also have wife." "Pity." "Please, mother!" "Give her to me." "Wait." "Alberto." "No, Alberto." "Stop." "Listen to me." " What's going on?" " Stop him, my son is insane." "He'll kill her." ""Malvina's going to heaven now, mother..."" ""She's going to heaven, with the angels."" ""I'm not doing it for me..."" ""It's for them."" ""I can't let them stop me."" ""I love them like brothers..."" ""And I'll never abandon my brothers."" "Don." "Alberto." "You found her." "Great." "But you must be tired now." "Very tired." "Give me the girl." "I'll take her back to the village." "Will you?" "I'll take her." "Come here." "Come here." "Coward." "Coward." ""Because women go there." "They grow up..."" ""They feel the stirrings of the flesh."" ""They fall into the arms of sin." "We must stop them."" ""Sin that God easily forgives, yes..."" ""But what of tomorrow?" "What sordid acts will they commit?"" ""What sins will they enact when they no longer come to confession?"" ""Then they will really be dead." "Dead forever."" ""I love them as though they were all my brothers."" "I absolve you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." "Amen."