Viper - Michael Morley [17]
‘Cantante! ’ spat Valsi. His eyes were on fire.
Alberta knew what was going to happen next. The police had warned her about it. She’d seen it in her nightmares. The hand of the henchman reappeared. His fingers fumbled in her mouth. And then, she felt the acidic tang of metal on her tongue. Pliers. She could see the end of them as he squeezed tight and pulled the tongue through her smashed teeth. Punishment for the cantanti, those who sang to the authorities, was always the same. They had their tongues cut out. Then, almost as absolution for the sin of speaking to the police, the sign of the cross was razored across their lips.
The pain was unbearable. Her vision fogged as a switchblade clicked open and the henchman sawed off as much of the pink muscle as he could.
‘Vaffanculo! ’ he swore as Alberta’s blood spurted on to him. He slashed a crucifix across her skin, backed away and deposited the severed tongue in a handkerchief held for him in the leather-gloved palm of Bruno Valsi. Blood dripped and balled up on the dusty factory floor.
Valsi studied his new pink present, then folded the white cotton gently around it. ‘Va bene,’ he said unemotionally. ‘Sal, bring me her present.’
The grey man at his side smiled and disappeared into the shadows.
‘You like jewellery, don’t you, Alberta?’ Valsi grinned as he circled her bloodied face. ‘Of course you do. All girls like jewellery. Well, you’ll die for this piece – literally – it was designed just for you.’
Alberta Tortoricci couldn’t see what they were doing. The room was too dark and her eyes were blinded by tears and pain.
‘It’s a special designer necklace.’ Valsi hovered over her.
She was more frightened now than she’d ever been in her life. But she was determined not to show it. Alberta shut her eyes and tried to distract herself from what was happening. She conjured up images of her first day at school.
Blue dress, white top, hair in pigtails, new brown shoes.
‘It’s a necklace; our Frankenstein necklace.’ He looped a thick steel collar around her neck. Wire flexes trailed from both sides.
Her first kiss – Roberto Bassetti, thirteen years old – his mouth tasted of liquorice.
‘This jewellery is unique, Alberta, rather like the testimony you gave in court, you being the only witness against me.’
Valsi fell silent as he concentrated on fastening two bolts at either side of what were semi-circular steel strips that overlapped each other and had been punched with holes to accommodate the bolts.
First boyfriend – Armando Rossi, seventeen – they rode his Lambretta. She’d leaned her face against his back and wrapped her arms around his waist.
‘Beautiful. Bellissimo. It fits perfectly. You’ll look a dream. Well, my dream at least. You see, five years is a hell of a long time to think about revenge. Because that’s what this is about, Alberta, revenge – pure and simple…’
First true love – Bernardo Santo – a man ten years older than her, a man who’d always smelled of forests, a man she should have married and had children with.
‘Sockets, please.’
Wires were handed to two goons. Valsi squatted, so that he was at Alberta’s eye level.
‘I hope the voltage is good. We’ve rewired it especially for you. Too little and the current will cook slowly through your neck until your head drops off. Too much and it may explode. Pop! Neither is a nice way to die.’
Die!
Alberta’s powers to distract herself were gone now. There was no past to dip into.
No more firsts to go through.
Only lasts.
The last moments of her life.
Valsi smiled in mock sympathy and touched her cheek. ‘Hey, enough of these sad looks! You know you have to die, Alberta. I must show the polizia what happens when they exploit people like you. All informatori must know what awaits them if they ever try to do the same.’
Valsi paused and watched for fear on her face. He was saddened that there was none. Brave bitch. Brave, arrogant bitch.
‘Sal, throw the switch!’
The air buzzed and hummed.
Alberta