Murder in Verona - Angel of Death

3

Led by the young servant, Yon and Micheletto marched swiftly and silently through the still bustling streets of the city towards the house of notary Eliodoro Galdi in Via Cappelletta. Two burning lamps hung next to the entrance door made of riveted oak wood. Yon let his gaze wander up along the facade. Once again, he noticed how dizzyingly uniform the streets of Verona were. All walls were hewn from the same stone, clad in marble, occasionally interrupted by frescoes and the faded colours of mosaics in the half-ruined old walls. Verona was not a lush place, the green gardens of the rich were shielded from the curious eyes of common people by high walls. Even from the bell tower of the cathedral, hardly any trees or bushes could be seen, only pale stone, marble, and tiled roofs.

Benedetto had unfastened the keyring from his belt, but he fumbled around so clumsily that Yon eventually couldn't stand watching any more. He simply took the keys from him, unlocked the gate, took a lamp from the hook next to the entrance, and had his men enter. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but certainly not the cosy courtyard enclosed by buildings, where blazing torches transformed a row of precious plants into dancing shadows on the marble tiles. To the right, a staircase led to the reception rooms on the first floor, whose upper and lower platforms allowed for carefully staged welcoming ceremonies. To his left, a utility building loomed, and the residential house with its double-arched windows cast its shadow into the courtyard from the front. In between was the chapel, and vine-covered stone arcades connected the entrance door and the buildings.

Yon ordered his men to search the ground floor. He himself stayed back under the arcades, as he could think best when he was alone. He looked around. A vaulted passage to his right probably led to the kitchen, he knew that Benedetto's bedroom was next to it. He tried the left door. Galdi's office was locked. Yon searched for the right key and entered. Instead of the usual rushes, there was a roughly woven runner directly behind the door. Yon stepped further into the room. It occupied almost half of the utility building. Surely a friendly, open space during the day with generous windows facing out onto the courtyard, but now they were closed with wooden shutters. A bookshelf filled with books covered an entire wall.

Yon placed his lamp on the sturdy desk and examined it closely. It was a meticulously crafted piece with a matching chair. He sat down. In the middle of the room, there was another table with two writing desks, each equipped with inkwells, pumice stones, and quill pens. This was where Galdi's assistants sat during the day. Yon fiddled with the neatly trimmed sheets of parchment that were stacked neatly on the table. They were lined and obviously meant for a series of documents. Galdi didn't seem to lack customers. When Micheletto called out, Yon stood up and went to the courtyard. As expected, the soldiers hadn't found anything suspicious. They went upstairs, crossed the hall, peeked into all the rooms, and eventually gathered in front of the master's bedroom. The door was made of heavy elm wood with sturdy leather hinges. Micheletto pounded his fist against it, making enough noise to wake the dead.

"Ser Galdi! If you can hear us, open this door!" Nothing stirred. "As thick as a Frenchman's skull," muttered Micheletto. "It's going to be hard work to break it open."

"We have no choice," said Yon. "Is there any suitable tool around here?"

Benedetto nodded. "In the chapel, sir. We have stonemasons in the house who are supposed to embellish the choir. They have stored their tools in the sacristy."

Two of the soldiers went off to check the chapel. They brought back heavy hammers and began pounding on the door with them.

 "Focus on the hinges," Yon instructed. Meanwhile, he was deeply concerned. Eliodoro Galdi was in his prime and had seemed robust. But that didn't rule out the possibility of a sudden attack. Once again, his thoughts turned to Ada, and he wished the young physician were by his side. She was competent and experienced in a field where he had only limited knowledge. But Ada had left. A plan she hadn't mentioned in advance. Had his supposed departure driven her out of the city? Don't be presumptuous, he scolded himself. She let you go without the slightest remorse. Or did she? The farewell kiss she had given him had been far from innocent, and was one of the reasons he couldn't banish her from his thoughts. Suddenly, there was a loud bang. The door warped. The top hinge had broken. The soldiers now focused on the bottom hinge, which abruptly gave way. The men pushed the door inward. Yon and Micheletto hurriedly squeezed past them and entered the lavishly furnished bedroom. There was a fireplace, a table with two chairs, a canopy bed with heavy curtains, and a clothing chest beneath the bed.

The fire in the fireplace had almost burned out, and the candles on their holders had extinguished. Micheletto went to the fireplace and stoked the fire until it burned brightly again, pushing back the darkness in the room with its flickering flames. Yon slowly circled the chest. Then he saw the dead body. Yon raised his hand. "Stay back," he commanded the soldiers. "And don't touch anything. Micheletto, shed some light." Micheletto obeyed. He lit the candles on the multi-armed candelabra and brought it to Yon. "Good Lord," he exclaimed.