"NAKED VIOLENCE" "It's a Swiss franc." "Mascaranti, bring the caretaker in." "I'll get her, sir." "Stop taking pictures!" "Let me through!" "Later, later!" "This way, madam." "Superintendent Lamberti wants to speak to you." "Go away!" "What time do the lessons begin?" "At seven, but some kids arrive after eight." " What kind of kids are they?" " They're not like other students." "The social workers bring them here." "They come from the poorest families, and they bring them here to stop them playing pinball." "They're criminals, they come here to make trouble, not to learn!" "Once they turned up with two whores and if I hadn't been here..." "They drove their teacher mad." "They didn't want to study." "They only come here because they have to, they wait for night to come so they can meet up and do dirty business." "That time they brought the whores in, I told the police." "The officer said," ""I'd flush them down the toilet."" "But the law says they have to come to school." " Yes, to kill people!" " They killed their teacher." "They were arrested, but that poor woman's dead, because the law says they need to be educated." "How come you didn't hear anything?" "They were all drunk, we found an empty bottle of anisette, 85% alcohol." "They all say they did nothing and that the others raped and killed the teacher." "We picked them all up from their homes or the bars they hang out in." "We even checked the victim's register and they were the ones present." "The caretaker says she saw them all come and go." "She says she always counts them." "I'll show them to you now." "Correct me if I get it wrong, miss." "This is Police Superintendent Lamberti." "This is Livia Ussaro, the social worker." "Give me those." " Who brought the liquor in?" " I wasn't able to find out." "It seems to have appeared in the classroom." "Someone must have brought it in for a laugh." "A sip here and a sip there, they lost control and then we know what happened." "Latescent aniseed is the strongest liquor in the world." "85%!" "Therefore, if a kid touches a drop, he's drunk." "Even a hardened drinker would get drunk on just one sip." "Yes, it's true." "This strong alcohol... causes powerful psychic erythrism." "It burns your nervous system and takes you towards the world of violence and madness." "You said you arrested them at their homes and in the bars." "Some were sleeping, some were having dinner..." "After they had slaughtered that poor woman?" "At first, I was surprised too, but knowing the effects of the liquor," "I realized they were all drunk." " Can I question them?" " Of course." " I need to speak to you." " Is it about the murder?" " No, but..." " We'll speak tomorrow then." "Don't worry, miss." "I'll make a report about this meeting." "You may go now." "Goodbye." " I want a stenographer." " Use the tape recorder." "No tape recorder, I want a stenographer." "Right, a stenographer can't make a record of the slaps." "You can't lay a finger on those kids." "If you hit any of them..." "Alright." "Move it, go and sit down!" "Look at this photo." "Hold it with both your hands or I'll smash your face in!" "Place it in front of you and keep looking at it as I speak to you." "Like that." "Before I begin, I'm going to explain something to you." "You feel confident because you're 13 and because you have tuberculosis." "Unfortunately, I can't smash your face in, but I can do a lot worse." "You'll end up in reformatory anyway, but let me tell you something." "If you behave I'll put a word in for you with the "Beccaria" people." "Otherwise I'll get you into deep trouble." "That place isn't as bad as you make out." "It's not a prison." "It's just a reform school." "I saw it on TV." "It's not bad." "Alright, that's what you think." " Stick to the deal and you'll be fine." " What?" "The law says I must be treated well." " I'm the youngest one." " Were you at school three days ago?" "Yes, like always." "But I didn't do anything." "I know you didn't do anything, Carletto." "Do you want a taste?" "It'll wake you up." "No, it's too strong." "How do you know?" "Have you tasted it?" "No, but I can tell it's strong stuff." "How can you tell?" "From the bottle, it's the same as a grappa one." "It could be almond syrup, taste it." "I can't, it's no good for me." "They made me drink it that night." "I won't force you to drink it, just have a smell of it." " Is this what they made you drink?" " Yes." "Good lad, so you can tell the truth sometimes." "Don't turn around!" "Keep looking at the photo." "How can you be unmoved by that photo?" "A kid your age ought to start screaming, seeing their teacher in that state!" "Answer without turning around!" "I didn't do anything!" "I'm not involved, I told you!" "Don't turn round!" "Keep looking at that photo, or I'll take you to the morgue and leave you there all night!" "I'm looking at it!" "Good lad, listen to me while you look at it." "I need you to do me a favor." "I want to know who brought the liquor into school." "Tell me and you can go back to sleep." "Who was it?" "I don't know, I can't tell you that." "Think before you say anything stupid." "If someone else did it, you're not responsible." "For the last time, who was it?" "They held me down and forced me to drink it, I couldn't see anything." "You can see me now, so you must have seen who was holding you down and who was with the teacher." " I hardly saw anything!" " So you saw something then!" "I saw them undressing her and I stopped looking." "At your age, when you see a naked woman, you look at her!" "I was scared!" "I saw them putting a handkerchief in her mouth and I looked away." " Who put the handkerchief in?" " I don't know..." "I..." "Who was it?" "I'm not sure, but I think it was Fiorello." " You mean Fiorello Grassi?" " Yes." "Let's see..." "Is this him?" "Tell me!" "Yes, that's him." "Fiorello Grassi is the only good kid amongst you lot." "You're blaming him to protect the others." "He came to class saying he had brought something to drink." " You're sure it was him?" " Fiorello Grassi." "You didn't say that the first time they questioned you." " They didn't ask me." " They asked you alright!" "They asked you who brought the bottle in and you said you didn't know and you hadn't seen anything!" "Take him away." "Stand up!" "Let's see the worst one of the lot." " Bring in Verino Verini." " Right away." "His father's in prison, he's spent 3 years in reformatory, he's a pervert..." "Sit down." "Take your arm off the table." "That's better." "Your name's Verino Verini, you're 16 and you've spent 3 years in reformatory." "They forced me to go there, I've never found out why." "The reasons are always the same, obscene acts in public." "What?" "You were caught undressing in front of women and children in the street, in the park and at your window, right?" "No, a good kid like me doesn't do that sort of thing." "The police made it all up." "And why would they do that?" "Because the police are bad and they want to hurt good kids too." "Why, are you a good kid?" "My friends call me "The old guy", but compared to you I'm a kid, let alone compared to him!" " Isn't that right?" " Alright, good kid." "You're not as nasty as it says here." "I'm a good kid, you have to tell the judge." "If you really are," "I'll just ask you one question then you can go to sleep." "Good kids are asleep at this time." "Exactly, I'm tired because I'm a good kid." "Well, good kid, here's my question... who brought the liquor into class?" "The liquor?" "What liquor?" "I don't know." "You did that on purpose!" "You pick on innocent kids, cop!" "It wasn't me, it was my hand." " Don't move!" " I won't." "So, who brought the bottle in?" "Maybe you had forgotten the anisette but now you can smell it, make an effort and remember!" " Okay, I remember now." " What do you remember?" " It was him." " Who?" "Fiorello Grassi, I saw him come in with a bottle in his hand." "What about our agreement?" "I answered your question." "Alright, we've finished." "Take him away and let him rest." " Superintendent..." " What?" "Will you tell the judge I'm a good kid?" "I'll tell him." "Now, go." "Thanks, sir." " Can I air the room?" " NO" "The smell of aniseed helps those kids to remember." "When they were arrested, they were still drunk and they won't like the smell of aniseed for a long time." "Shall I bring in Fiorello Grassi?" "Sit down, even if the floor's a bit wet." "A bottle of aniseed got spilled." "It says in your file that you use knives against everyone." "They just say that because I'm from Montenegro and people use knives there, like in the south of Italy." " That's just what they say." " That's just what you do!" "Tell me what you did that night." "There's nothing to tell, I didn't do anything!" "I didn't even see what happened!" "It lasted almost an hour." "Don't tell me you stared at the wall for an hour!" "I didn't see or hear anything." "They forced me to do it." "They forced me, there were loads of them." "They put the bottle in my mouth and said, "Drink it!"" "Pull the other one, Ellusic." "No one can tell a son-of-a-bitch like you who is so quick with his knife, to drink!" "You can't call me "son-of-a-bitch" or touch me!" "You're right, Ellusic." "You can fool me around, have no respect for where you are or my job, and I can't even call you "son-of-a-bitch"." "You can get drunk and murder a poor woman and I can't even nudge you." "Sorry if I was too rude with you." "Take him away!" "Look UP!" "Wake UP!" " What's your name?" " Federico Dell'Angeletto." "You're 17, you're an alcoholic and a violent person." "Listen to me carefully." "Tell what you did or what you saw that night." "I didn't do or see anything because I was sleeping." " You were sleeping?" " As soon as I drink, I fall asleep." " Who brought the liquor in?" " I don't know, I was sleeping." " Even before you had a drink?" " As soon as I get to class, I sleep." " My classmates can tell you." " Speak up, I can't hear you." " What?" " Speak up louder than me!" "Let's try again." "What's your name?" " Federico Dell'Angeletto." " Speak louder than me!" "Let's try again!" " What did you do that night?" " Nothing, I was sleeping." " Speak louder." "What did you see?" " Nothing." "I was sleeping." " Speak up louder!" " How loud?" "Loud!" " How loud?" " Shout!" " Shout what?" " Shout!" "Paolino Bovato, alcoholic father, the mother's inside for connivance." "So she's a whore?" "Benito Verdi, he gambles." "He's always carrying money from some dodgy source." "I don't like aniseed." "Carolino Marassi, he's an orphan, a small-time thief." "I wanted to escape, but they wouldn't let me." "Silvano Marcelli, he's a syphilitic, his father's in prison, his mother's dead." "He pretends he's an epileptic." "I don't pretend, I've got a doctor's certificate." "He's a nasty piece of work, he's rubbish as a boxer and as a criminal." "That's not true." "Yesterday I had a boxing match and I was in a daze." "Michele Castello, a rowdy and violent kid." "They forced me." "I was scared." "I don't remember what happened." "The law does not allow me to mistreat these criminals, so I use the aniseed." "Some of them will feel sick, but others will give in." "Bring in Fiorello Grassi." "Sit down." "Get comfortable." "Put your feet on the wet bit." "Your name's Fiorello Grassi, you're 16 and you come from a good family." "You're a good kid too, but three days ago you were at evening school, where a poor teacher was murdered." "Look at this." "When you were questioned the first time you said you saw nothing, that you were forced to drink the stuff you're sitting on, that they didn't let you out in case you told on them and that you had to stay there until they'd all left." "Is that true?" "Answer me when I ask you a question!" "I didn't see or do anything!" "They even beat me up because I didn't want to obey them." "Alright, Fiorello, but your classmates say that you brought the liquor in." "I knew they'd blame me." "I was sure they would." "If you tell me the truth, I'll help you." "Just a moment ago you said... that you were sure your classmates would blame you." "Why?" "Why were you so sure?" "Because..." "Because I'm not like them." "What do you mean you're not like them?" "I'm not like them." "They take advantage of me, they always blame me, but I didn't do anything!" "They forced me to stay there." "I am not a man." "I'm not a man!" "Come on." "Take a deep breath." " Do you want a cigarette?" " No, thanks." " Do you want some coffee?" " NO" "Tell me what happened that night." "I'm not a rat." "You should know what it means not to be a rat in this case." "It means accepting to be with the bad guys, refusing to be with the good guys, witnessing your teacher's murder and accepting to be beaten up, just because you won't be a rat." "If someone killed your mother or your sister one day, would you say nothing in order not to be a rat?" "Your poor teacher was like your mother like your sister." "She just wanted to help you, teach you something and not for the money she got, but because she cared... about you and all those who killed her in class." "But all you care about... is that no one calls you a rat!" "There's no point crying." "I know you didn't do anything, that you weren't involved." "But you're committing a crime now." "By defending the teacher's murderer you become the real murderer." "I don't want you to tell me everything right away." "You have to decide whose side you want to be on." "You don't need to be afraid of getting beaten up, no one wants to hurt you." "If you want to speak, good." "Otherwise..." "But it's your choice according to your conscience." "I'm not a rat!" "Do as you please." "Now go back to sleep." "If you want to talk, call me at any time." "I'm not a rat." "When you've decided whose side you're on, think about everyone." "Your parents, your teacher..." "See you later, I'll sign the statements." " Alright, doctor." " Shall I come back in a few hours?" "No, go and have a sleep." "I'll call you." "Come into my office." "They told me you didn't touch them, but you did something worse." "You tortured them with all kinds of threats and you humiliated them by pouring liquor over them." "Don't laugh, I'm not joking." "If the courts find out, what will happen to us?" "I'm tired," "I spent the night with filth and now I'm going home to sleep." "The investigating magistrate will be here soon." " I'll leave the kids in his hands." " That's easy!" "I don't want to get into trouble just because you have no patience." "I didn't lay a finger on those kids." "Alright, go and get some rest." "Let me question them again." "I think I know..." "Their theory is that one night, some kids brought some liquor in, they drank it, lost control and did what they did." "If we accept that version, they get sent to reformatory for a couple of years." "They have extenuating circumstances:" "They were under-age, drunk, and so on." "Who cares how long they get?" "That's the court's decision." " Do you want them to get life?" " Not all of them." "Just one of them." "Who?" "I don't know." "Give me some more time." "I'll get you some names and evidence." "So you haven't found anything out then!" "Well, I had questioned them already." "They're a bunch of swines, you won't get anything out of them." "I got something." "Most of them told me what they told you, but one of them said something else." "Who?" "What did he say?" "Fiorello Grassi." "He's a homosexual." "How sweet!" "SQ?" "Sol know one of them didn't take part in the murder." "A homosexual can't be accused of the rape, so what?" "If he didn't take part in the murder, he didn't agree with the others." " That's not a sure thing." " But he says he's not a rat." "Of course, or he'll get killed as soon as he returns to his cell." "But I'm convinced he'll talk." "There's something else, it's important." " What?" " They all have the same version." "They've had time to agree on a version." "They carried out the murder then went home, then they all got picked up." "Think about it." "If they hadn't agreed, they would have escaped following such a terrible murder, all together or by themselves." "They knew perfectly well the police would find the body and go looking for them." "Either they set it up before... or... they set it all up before they committed the murder." "So there must be a leader who arranged the murder then told them how to behave once it was over." "So one of them must be more responsible than the others." "There's more." "The one who organized it is such a nasty criminal that he can't be released from reformatory after a few years." " What's your plan?" " To question them again." "If the investigating magistrate sends them to "Beccaria", the truth will never be known and the murderer won't be punished." "And that's exactly what he planned." "What am I supposed to do?" "Our work ends here." "You have to keep the kids here, someone'll talk soon." " There is a procedure." " We have to find the culprit." "Alright, I'll ask for an extension." " Will three days be enough?" " I hope so." "Alright." "If I get them, I'll tell you." " Now go and have a rest." " Thanks." "POLICE HEADQUARTERS" "It's Mascaranti." "Doctor, you know that bent kid?" " Fiorello Grassi?" " Yes, he wants to speak to you." " He's sobbing like a baby." " Take him to my office, I'm on my way." "If you don't want to talk, I won't force you." " I didn't do anything!" " I believe you, calm down." "You're a good kid, the judges will believe you." "I didn't do anything, but I know who caused it all." " I know she did it." " She?" "No, I'm not going to tell you!" "I've said too much already." "You said she..." "Was it a woman?" "No woman, no man." "It's all my fault that this happened!" "If I hadn't been there..." "If I didn't exist, this wouldn't have happened." "Did you bring the liquor to class?" "No!" "Did you put the handkerchief in her mouth?" "They held me down, they wanted me to look." " Who?" " All of them." " Give me a name." " They took turns." "You said it was a woman." "I didn't say it was a woman." "I'm a coward, a rat!" "It was a woman." "No, it wasn't a woman." "I'm not saying any more, I'd rather kill myself!" "Calm down." "Calm down." "Alright, I'll stop shouting." "But I'm not saying any more, otherwise, I'll smash my head against the wall as soon as I can." "Alright, but calm down." "I don't want to know any more, that will do." "Now go see the nurse, she'll give you a tranquillizer." "Don't send me back to my classmates." "If they found out I spoke to you, they'd murder me just like they killed the teacher." "Don't worry, we'll protect you." "Take him to see the nurse and don't put him in with the others until I tell you to." "Alright." " It was a woman." " How do you know?" " One of the kids told me." " Who?" " Fiorello Grassi." " The one who's with the nurse?" "He's making it up." "Now he's got a clean bed, not a cell." "You're not getting anywhere." "I want to get rid of those yobs." "Don't you want to know who pushed them to do it?" "No, I don't care." "I have more important matters to see to." "Everyday there's robberies, murders, more urgent matters." "All cases are the same, if they're unresolved." "Those kids..." "If one of them is the culprit, it'll come out in the trial." "Months will go by before the trial, they'll talk." "The only thing that's sure is that the teacher was tortured then murdered." "We've done our job, the culprits have been locked up." " He mentioned a woman." " I can't keep them here anymore." "The Law Courts want to keep the press quiet." "Alright, send them to "Beccaria", but keep an eye on Fiorello Grassi or he'll kill himself." "Or be killed." "Just because a kid, a homosexual, told you about a woman to get out of his cell, a kid who's told lots of lies in his life..." " That's not why." " Why then?" "If Grassi is talking about a woman, then there's someone behind this." "And if this someone really exists, they must be a monster to set those kids loose in their classroom, with their unattractive teacher." "They could have arranged that sex party anywhere in Milan without getting caught." "Such a monster can't be allowed to be free!" " If there is someone." " There is." "You have no proof." "They're blaming each other, that's proof." "It was even before Grassi mentioned it, now, with his confession, we've got even more to go on." " Let me look for this woman." " Alright." "But don't go risking our jobs." " Watch out for Grassi." " Grassi's been locked up." "If he led the massacre, I've got him here when I want him." " I need some men." " Take Mascaranti and Lo Cascio." "But officially you're the only one working on the case." " Alright." " Don't make me regret this." "You know them well." "Who's the worst one?" "They're all as bad as each other." "But they need help." "There's always one that's worse." "Tell me who it is." "It's not that simple, they're all the same." "You don't know these kids, what they feel, how they live, what makes them suffer." "You just see what they do." "They steal, drink, gamble, they have sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, they mug people and beat them up." "You see the facts and not what they wanted to be or could have been." " The police don't care about that." " That's your job." "Do you realize what you're saying?" "Our society make those kids what they are, then uses people like me and that teacher as a barrier." "What are we supposed to do?" "We got off on the wrong foot." "I thought this meeting would go well." "Listen." "I've got a theory." "Those kids were pushed by someone who gave them orders and who they are afraid of." "They never talk about this person." "Why would someone want the teacher to be killed?" "Don't do my job." "If there's a motive, we'll find out." "Those kids are so weighed down with physical and moral problems, all it takes is one drink and they turn into monsters." "I know and I think someone made the most of that fact." "They must be really scared of this person as they won't say a word." "No one says a word because this person doesn't exist." "What can you tell me about the teacher?" "She was really good with those kids." "She didn't teach notions, she made sure they learnt." "She was happy about the way a few of them listened to her." "Who?" "Don't you ever stop being a policeman?" "Your cooperation can help me, and those kids too." "It might not seem that way, but I'm your friend and their friend." "A policeman has no friends." "I too dream about a society where policemen are friends with people, where those kids could be useful to society." "But there's a body in the morgue that's calling out for justice." "If you tell me the names of the kids that liked the teacher," "I can exclude them from the crime and find the real culprit." "That way you'd be helping everyone." "Fiorello Grassi and Carolino Marassi." "She used to see them outside school hours too." " What else do you know?" " Nothing." " Where are we going?" " General Street." "To question the Dell'Angelettos, the Verinis and the Verdis." " Will you come with us?" " Yes." " Is Mr. Dell'Angeletto in?" " NO" " Are you his wife?" " Yes, why?" " I need to speak to him." " He's at the bar downstairs." " Thanks." " How's my son?" " What will happen to him?" " There'll be a trial." "Have you seen him?" "How is he?" " Did you beat him up?" " No." "We gave him some cigarettes and he had a bath." "I know he's a criminal, but don't beat him up." " Is this about my son?" " Yes." "I need to ask you some questions." "I don't care about my son anymore." "We do." "Was your son friendly with any older women?" "Kids don't tell their parents those sort of things." "They might talk about them at the bar or to their friends but not to their parents." "Maybe you could tell me who his friends are, they might know if he was seeing an older woman." "Everyone's got an older woman." "Nowadays, all women are whores." "Sorry, miss." "I meant that there are lots of them." " Don't worry." " I'm sorry." "If we knew this woman's name, it could be important for your son too." "He never spoke when he was home." "He'd come in, eat, steal some money if he found it, he'd take stuff to sell then leave." "Try the club, down the road." "They all know him there, even the owner." "I'm sure they know much more than me." "Thanks." "Good morning, sir." "Federico Dell'Angeletto came here often." "You know him, he was in the papers too." "He came here often, like them." "If he came like them, he paid and played, just like everyone." " What's it got to do with me?" " Nothing." " I don't want any trouble." " Talk to me and you won't." "Do you know them well?" "What do you know about Federico?" "Was he seeing an older woman?" " They all do that." " I'm talking about Federico." "I've never seen her." "That's not important." "What do you know about her?" " I don't even know her name." " Any special details?" "Federico said she was a virgin..." " ...and wanted to remain one." " Meaning?" "They made love in a special way so she'd remain a virgin." " What else do you remember?" " She gave him money." "Once he came here with 300,000 liras." "From what he told you, how old was she?" "Thirty, forty, I've never thought about it." "They talk but I don't listen." "I don't care about what they say." " Who else came here?" " What do you mean?" "The ones involved in the murder you know." "No one regularly." "A Slav used to come, but I don't know his name." " Ellusic?" " Ellusic..." "I don't know, all the Slav names end in "sic"." "Alright, goodbye." "I'll come by tomorrow to check your license." "Mr. Lamberti!" "My license is nearly sorted out and I'm getting rid of the pinball machines soon." "Federico's girlfriend is called Beatrice Romani." "She's a nurse in Brianza Street 6, second floor, unit 4." "I'm onto something." "You go to Verini's and Benito's house." " See you at the station." " What about the car?" " Get a taxi." " Let's go, Lo Cascio." "Have you had enough?" "Are you coming?" " Are you Verino Verini's sister?" " Are you from the police?" "I need to ask you some questions." " Go ahead." " Calm down." "Do you want to know about my brother?" "He's a pervert, a criminal." "I've never known what he does." "He's a dirty bastard!" " Go on." " Go on what?" "I was 10 when he tried to molest me." "Our mother had left us alone and I got away by pushing him onto the stove." "He burnt himself." "I moved out when I was 13, my mother wanted me to prostitute myself." "Maybe she had made an agreement with Verino." "I've never been back home since." "I don't know anything about him or his friends." "But I bet they're all perverts and criminals!" "Miss Romani, we have a theory about the murder." "Did Federico and his friends mix with older people?" "Of course, because he had lots of money." "He had plenty and he'd show me, when I didn't give him any." "You know, between me and him, even though I'm not married..." "Didn't he tell you where he got the money from?" "Small-time smuggling, robberies." "Once he told me he'd been to Switzerland with a friend and another time he told me he's stolen ten mopeds." " Do you know the name of this friend?" " Of course I do." "He's the one involved in the school massacre." "Ettore Ellusic." "Federico used to boast about these things." " That other one..." " Go on." "When they were together, you know how foolish kids are, they'd talk about drugs, diamonds and a person with a Porsche who took them to the border." "Maybe they just dealt cigarettes and lighters and cheap watches." "Did he ever tell you about this person with the Porsche?" "I never believed him." "Federico is under-age and I think Ellusic is too." "How can two under-age boys get into Switzerland?" "And as for people with Porsches..." "Hold on a moment," "I think there was a man." "He said he was a kind man and gave him a good cut." "Well, they did have a lot of money seeing they were kids." "What can you tell me about Ettore Ellusic?" "The same things, more or less." "He said he only went around in embassy cars and was friends with the Queen of Saba." " Ellusic?" " Yes." "A blond kid, a Slav refugee." "His friend called me a few times asking about Ellusic." "He and Federico would always go off together, so I could never give her much information." "She works at the embassy, her name's Nadia." " Good morning." " I'm quite used to police visits." "They've come here ever since I got custody of Benito." "I didn't want him, but I'm the only relative." "What do you want?" "Doe he live here?" "Yes." "They told me he'd be company for me as I live by myself, that I could have kept him out of trouble and they persuaded me." "Has he ever been to Switzerland?" " How do you know?" " I don't know, I'm asking you." "One day he had lots of cigarettes, he got them in Switzerland." "He must have gone without a passport, he's under-age and in care." "So he went illegally." "I know." "When he went missing I used to call the police because he was in my care." "You know what they said?" "They said they'd make a note then hang up." "That they had more important criminals to chase!" "Why didn't you tell the police he went to Switzerland?" "Because my nephew's a criminal and he'd have got angry!" "I should never have taken him in!" " How long have you known Ellusic?" " About two years." " What do you think of him?" " He's a rude bastard." "Why do you say that?" "I know you were on good terms." "But I can still tell a bastard from a good man." "I must insist." "Did he blackmail you?" "Absolutely not." "Don't worry about making Ellusic's situation worse." "He's accused of murder, abusing a dead body, torture and bodily harm." "Whether he blackmailed you or not..." "Mr. Lamberti, I gave him money or he wouldn't come to see me." "I have no excuse." "Those kids has lots of money." " But from different sources." " Having francs meant they travelled." "I've had dollars, but I've never been to America." "I'm a policeman, I have to follow this trail." "HOW'?" "I'll go visit an ex-smuggler, he's an informer." "So you'll forget about the women?" "I think so." "They haven't given much information, they're all victims." "I could waste weeks on them, maybe Grassi made it all up." "Alright, goodbye then." "I need to talk to Sampero." "Is he at home?" "Don't worry, this is a friendly visit." "Who is it, darling?" "What do I owe the pleasure of this visit to?" "Forgive my wife, she always frets when the police come." "She remembers the old days." "She can't convince herself that I'm clean now." " I need some information." " How can I help you?" "I'm not in this game anymore." "I've told you what I know about the "old" guys." "Who uses kids as smugglers from Switzerland?" " Kids?" " Under-age boys." "When I was in business, no one did." "Or maybe just for cigarettes." "You can reach the border in an hour nowadays." "A smart kid could easily do what you're talking about." " But I don't know about it." " You do if you're in this business." "Exactly, if I were in this business." "But I've been clean for a long time." "I know that you get to the border in an hour but I also know you can get back in business in an hour too." "Get my drift?" " Call me if you hear anything." " I'll call you anyway." "Goodbye." " What happened?" " One of the kids committed suicide." "He went up onto the roofs and jumped off." "Who was it?" "Fiorello Grassi." "He died right away." " Was it suicide or murder?" " I don't know." "Did he jump or was he pushed?" "The kids were on their way to the canteen, when a guard noticed one was missing." " It was Grassi." " Did they see him jump?" "The guard took him to the hospital but I'm still waiting for the report." "He's not come back yet, I'm expecting him any minute." " Where are the kids now?" " They're in the playground." "That's where they are." "Ah, Mecca!" "Tell us what happened." "Well?" "While I was taking the kids to the canteen, Grassi wandered off." "I called him but he didn't hear me." "So I went to get him." " And he ran away." " Go on." "I went down into the cellar and he went onto the roof." "Go on!" "When I found him, he was standing on the edge." "He saw me and shouted, "Get back or I'll jump!"" " What did you do?" " I stood back." "I tried talking to him, but he wouldn't listen." "He was out of his mind and he jumped off the edge." "Alright, thanks." "Can I see the kids?" "I'd rather you didn't in this case." "They're upset about what's happened." "I insist." "Stand up." " What's your name?" " Michele Castello." " How old are you?" " 16." "Do you know what happened to Grassi?" " Yes." " What happened?" " He jumped off the roof." " Why?" "I don't know." " What's your name?" " Silvano Marcelli." " How old are you?" " 16." "Do you know what happened to Fiorello Grassi?" "I didn't know but I do now." "You were his friend, right?" "I went to the same school." "You saw him after school as well, right?" "Like I saw everyone else, by chance." " What's your name?" " Carolino Marassi." " How old are you?" " 16." "Do you know what happened to your friend Grassi?" "He wasn't my friend." "He spent a lot of time with the teacher." "What do you mean?" " What?" " You understood." "She used to tease him." "But not personally." "You know, Fiorello thought he was..." "The teacher was convinced he wasn't and introduced him to some girls, but..." "Did you go out with the teacher too?" "I let her think I had certain tendencies, so she would correct me." "I tried, that's all." "Why do you think Fiorello killed himself?" "That's what kids like him do." "He was a sensitive kid, he'd never been in a place like this." "He couldn't cope." "Listen to me, you bunch of swines!" "While you're here gathering fleas," "I've found out some things." "That you're a gang, that you take money from older women and that you often smuggle stuff from Switzerland." "I know a person with a Porsche takes you there." "I'm going to track down all the Porsches in Italy and I'll find the one that took you!" "I don't want to know now... if you smuggled drugs or cigarettes." "I want that man!" "Why do you want to get into trouble for him?" "Maybe one of you organized this, two of you, three of you, but you couldn't think of such a nasty deed by yourselves." "Do you think you'll get away with it by blaming each other?" "No!" "I won't let you!" "I'll harass you all the way to reformatory!" "I'll be outside waiting for you!" "You can be sure of that!" "They've been trained to break the law." "If we keep questioning them according to the rules, we'll get nowhere." "Do you want to use coercive methods?" "No." "I've got an idea." "Give me one of the kids." " What?" " For a couple of days." " It's against the rules." " He can stay at my house." "I'll talk to him and get the truth." "They won't talk because they're scared." "If I can convince one of them to talk, in a different environment, we'll crack it." "I need to keep him away from here, to gain his trust, to convince him to listen to me and no one else." "The judge has put them into this place, a policeman cannot walk in and take one of them home." " And if he escaped?" " Or killed himself?" "I won't allow him to do that." "I agree with you, but he's right." "No judge will take on such a responsibility, let alone me." "Why don't you try?" "The judge says he's happy to give you one of the boys." " Lucky him!" " He's a clever man." "Seeing that as intelligent men you get on, if the kid escapes, you'll lose your job." "And I'll throw you out personally!" " What a privilege." " If anything happens to him... if anyone harms him, or takes him away, you won't only lose your job, you'll go to prison." " I know." " And as I put a ward in for you... you won't only go to prison..." " but I'll also smash your face in!" " Alright." " Good luck." " Thanks." "And..." " Who will you take?" " Carolino Marassi." ""CESARE BECCARIA, HOME FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS"" "Get in." "Let's go to my house." "I just need to stop at the butcher's." "Good morning, how can I help you?" " Three chops." " Alright." "Cut them thick." " What do you want?" " What about you, dickhead?" " Leave him alone, he's with me." " Sorry." "And three!" "20 ounces." " Put it on my bill." " Alright." "Let's go." "Take this!" "Come on." "Put it on the table." "Come in." "Now you can have a nice bath." "Take your clothes off and put them on the floor." " Have you got lice?" " Bugs, not lice." "The straw bugs?" "They hang around." " I don't have many." " Just as well." "Don't you like water?" "Or soap?" "Where's the salt?" "In the match box." "Eat as much as you want." "You want a drink?" " Are you tired?" " Of course I am." "Come and see your room." "Goodnight, Carolino." "That's your bed." "Good morning, Carolino." "I brought you some clothes, have a look." "Let's go, Livia is waiting for us." " Have you ever been to Switzerland?" " NO" "Have any of your friends been?" "I don't know." "The night of the murder someone lost a Swiss franc." "SQ?" "Alright, you don't know." "Today is the fifth day you've been here." "You have to go back in two days and I'm sorry about that." "I can stop you going back to reformatory and get someone to be your guarantor." "I'll get you a job, so you won't go back inside." "You still have two days." "I don't usually give advice, but I want to this time." "Help us to find out who organized that massacre and you can become a normal person, who washes, eats, works and spends time outdoors." "Think about it." "What's with the long faces?" " I argued with my friend." " Why?" "He won't help us, he won't say a word." " I thought he was smart." " He is." "You didn't get the wine, I'll go." "Why do you think he took you out of reformatory?" "I'm not angry with him." "Answer my question." "To trick me." "That's what you might think." "He didn't catch me out at the station, he couldn't at the reformatory so he's trying to now." "Trying to exclude you from the murder doesn't mean catching you out." "It's over now." "That's true, but why should you pay for someone else's crime?" "No one will pay." " I've run out of cigarettes." " Good, you smoke too much." "I'd better get some for later." "Carolino, when you've finished, will you go and buy some cigarettes?" " I've finished." " Come back right away." "Smoking is bad for you, but being without is worse." "I'll be right back." "Ten "Astor", a liqueur and a phone token." " A liqueur." " Right away." " It's Carolino." " Who?" "Carolino!" " Aren't you at the reformatory?" " They let me out." "What?" "How come?" " I can't explain now." "I'll pass by." " No way!" "I'm coming, right now." "Hi, Carolino." "Now calm down and explain." "Did you know Fiorello Grassi killed himself?" "You should have forgotten about him." "It was too bad he didn't want to be with you." "And you should have forgotten about the teacher too." " Now they're both dead." " How come you're out?" "I'll go and see if there's a back entrance." "Keep your eyes peeled!" "He wanted to know everything, but I didn't say a word." "He wanted to let me stay with him for a while..." "Didn't you think they might follow you?" "Why?" "Otherwise they wouldn't let you escape like this." "They're not stupid, they wanted to see where you'd go." "How could you not think of that?" "I could have escaped lots of times over the last few days." "And they were ready to follow you, like they did today." " Are you sure?" " Positive." "Come and look!" "Look." " Now what?" " I'll sort it out." "I'm just going next door." "Relax, I'll get you out of trouble." "Go over the roof to the other building." "Remember?" "You already did it once." " It was at night last time!" " Go!" " They can see me now." " If they see you, don't run away." "Tell them you made a bet, they'll believe you." "Dressed like that..." "Well?" " Let's wait." " Things are looking complicated." "You have to give me 20 warrants to visit the building!" " Because we're causing a disturbance." " Alright." "The kid's in that building in Duse Square." "If he's not out by nine, you'll get the permits when the door closes." "I've got a warrant." "Start from the top floor." "Find that kid, don't tell me you've lost him!" "He must have escaped from the roof, that's the house." "Maybe that's who we're looking for, but how can we prove they got the kids to do the murder?" "We need proof and now we've lost Carolino too." "See you tomorrow, or tonight, if anything comes up." "Photos of Carolino are circulating and there are road blocks everywhere." "Go on, say it:" ""He can't have gone far."" "Listen..." " Stay here the night." " Won't you be able to sleep?" "I'd like our first time together to be different." "It's fine this way." "How can I help him?" "When Carolino went up, they must have realized the police were there." "He probably took him to a secluded place." "He can't have gone far, he knows about the roadblocks." "He'll have taken him to a secluded place and he'll kill him." "If he could, he'd kill all of them." "He knows that when the others find out about Carolino, they won't say a word." "Do you think Carolina's still alive?" "It's a workman's shed, it's been left like this." "Livia!" "Call an ambulance!" "I'm thirsty." "Who was it?" "She..." "He..." "I'm thirsty." "Who stabbed you?" "She..." " He..." " Where is he?" "In a shed." "On the road to Magenta, number 12." "Get the police to send a car." "I hit him." "So Sampero was in the classroom that night." "He wanted Fiorello Grassi." "He knew he was falling in love with his teacher and thought ridiculing him would keep him away." "I don't think he meant to kill her, but he got carried away." " And Carolino?" " He'll be fine." "Aren't you pleased?" "What about?" "The lawyers will say he's mad." "Only a mad person can think of something like this." "He'll get away with a few years in a mental home, then he'll be free." "Forget about it, it's not your job." "It's not my job..." "Even when a poor teacher gets buried and those kids will grow up to be even more corrupt after the sadistic lesson they've learnt." "It's just as well they took them out of my hands, otherwise..." "I'm going to speak to the press, they've waited two hours." "THE END"