Lately I’ve read
Donna Leon’s crime fiction novel, “A Venetian Reckoning”, based on the work of
fictional character Commissioner Guido Brunetti who solved crimes in Venice,
Italy. There are series of 27 novels. After the popularity of these books,
there was a German television series broadcasted from 2000 to 2015. “A Venetian
Reckoning” also known as “Death and Judgement”, was initially published in
1995.
The story starts with a horrific accident that takes place
in Tarvisio, leaving both drivers of sixteen-wheeled truck dead on the scene.
But what creates the buzz in the mind of people is that the truck contains half
a dozen of girls without any information concerning their know-about. Though
it’s a matter of utmost importance but soon the investigation of this case fade
away because of the unavailability of the information of the girls found in the
crash.
Carlo Trevison, a prominent advocate in Venice, Italy. One
fine day when he was returning back home someone shot him dead in the train.
Next day, when commissario Guido Brunetti is leaving for his work he reads
Trevison’s death news in the newspaper. When he reaches his office his head
Vice-Questore Patta handles him this case. For further investigation he asks
few questions to Signora Trevison but nothing useful comes up. The following
day, newspapers informed about the death of Rino Favero, one of the successful
accountant. While investigating Trevison’s murder he receives a call from
Captain della Corte from Padua police telling him that he finds Trevison’s
number in Favero’s diary and that both death might be linked. Both dead men’s
connection by some means mysteriously connecting to the same point which is a
bar in Mestre. Brunetti along with della Corte decides to meet in the bar which
was linked to both dead men. In the bar Brunetti meets a girl named Mara, a
prostitute from Brazil.
Each passing day adds up more complications to the case.
Then one morning it startles everyone when news flashes that Ubaldo Lotto,
brother-in-law of Carlo Trevison found shot dead in his car. Della Corte calls
Brunetti to inform him about the restaurant where Favero was last seen and ask
him to accompany him. There they get to know that Favero visited that
restaurant along with a blonde woman. When they are leaving, restaurant’s owner
hand them glasses of that lady which is made up of titanium and Brunetti
estimates that these sort of frames cost almost a million lire so it will be
easier to find the owner.
To know more about the bar in Mestre, Brunetti along with
his officer arrests Mara with bartender Franco Silvestri. After talking to Mara,
he comes to know about girls like her that how they come to this country from
different parts of the world, and resides here illegally because whoever
brought them here has taken their passports. She also tells him about those
girls who went missing but no one ever noticed. They have no more work to do so
they find themselves in prostitution. When Brunetti asks Franco more about the
girls he tells him that he gets all information through an anonymous man’s
call, and there is a lady who collects money from him but he had never seen
her. Brunetti realises that the missing girls that Mara was talking about were
those who found dead in September in Tarvisio.
Now Brunetti knows that the owner of those glasses is Regina
Ceroni who runs a travel agency. It’s time for Brunetti to meet her. After
asking her few questions Brunetti comes to know that Favero and Trevison both
were her clients.
One day while Brunetti is busy in grave case, he receives a
call from his wife Paola, asking him to come home as soon as possible it’s the
matter of their daughter. When Brunetti reaches home, Paola tells him to watch
the tape first before talking to Chiara. The tape contains the brutality of men
raping a women and killing her after. After watching that he meets his daughter
and then she tells him that this tape was given to her by Francesca, Carlo
Trevison’s daughter.
Brunetti in rage, visits Signora Trevison and asks her
ferociously the truth about the tape and her husband. Then she told him that
Rino Favero and Ubaldo Lotto were his partners. They involved in the making of
these videos and were trying to expand this “business” with the help of a
woman. Signora Trevison doesn’t have any idea about that woman, but that woman
managed their travel-affairs. It rings a bell and Brunetti leaves her house and
visits to Signora Ceroni for further queries. One question leads to another
where she confesses that she killed all three of them because of their
atrocious nature and mentality. Brunetti arrests Signora Ceroni and take her to
the Questura, where he held her in the prison but doesn’t record her confession
officially leaving it to the next day. When he arrives in the morning next day
he comes to know that police from Padua had taken her in their custody before
his arrival. He called della Corte in Padua to ask whether she is there or not
but he has no idea about anything. But soon after, he informs Brunetti about
the death of Signora Ceroni. She had used her panty-hose to hang herself from
the heating vent in her cell. Brunetti has no word remains but only a thought
that their network is vast enough to do anything they want.
This story unveils the dark world of prostitution,
extortion, corruption and evil-doers who resides in the society as clean
people. A must read book for those who love crime fiction.
