Summary

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Manno and Roscio's lifeless bodies were found in a field, victims of close-range gunshots. That day, they had been hunting, and their catch lay scattered around them. Clues were scarce, leaving only a Branca cigar stub near the scene as a potential lead.

Threats and Suspicions

Days before the murder, Manno had received a threatening letter, its words pieced together from newspaper clippings. The public quickly speculated that Manno had been involved in an affair, possibly with a young woman, and that Roscio's death was collateral damage for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite a thorough investigation, lists of suspects compiled, and even the filming of funeral attendees, the police eventually abandoned the case.

Laurana's Intrigue

The crime captured the interest of Paolo Laurana, a high school teacher driven by intellectual curiosity. Laurana lacked any desire to bring the perpetrators to justice, stating, "Laurana had a kind of obscure pride which made him decisively reject the idea that just punishment should be administered to the guilty one through any intervention of his." He discovered that the words from the threatening letter were clipped from the Vatican's newspaper, L’osservatore Romano, and that only two locals subscribed—both members of the clergy. Despite this lead, many had access to the publication, rendering it a dead end.

The Social Gathering

Laurana attempted to leverage his findings at a local men's club, hoping to provoke a reaction. His efforts only served to alert the guilty party of his investigations. He remained convinced that the killer was an acquaintance of the victims, as hunters typically kept their planned locations secret, suggesting the murderer was a trusted friend, not a fellow hunter.

An Unexpected Revelation

Laurana's next clue came by chance. While in Palermo for school examinations, he met a former schoolmate, now a Communist legislator, who recounted a visit from Roscio weeks before the murders. Roscio had sought the legislator's help in exposing a powerful figure from their village, someone known for corruption and manipulation. Laurana surmised that Roscio, not Manno, was the intended target of the assassination.

Connecting the Dots

In a discussion with the rector of Sant’Anna, Laurana identified Rosello, a lawyer, as fitting Roscio's description. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw Rosello outside the Palace of Justice with a politician and a suspicious character smoking a Branca cigar—the same brand found at the crime scene. Investigating further, Laurana discovered the man was Ragana, a known hitman.

Unraveling Motives

Laurana was sure of Rosello's guilt but puzzled by his motive. It seemed likely that Rosello and Manno's wife, Luisa, were lovers, not just cousins, and that Manno's death would pave the way for them to marry and consolidate their fortunes. Despite this theory, Laurana was reluctant to believe Luisa could be involved in such a plot.

A Trust Betrayed

Luisa approached Laurana during a chance bus encounter, expressing her own suspicions about Rosello’s involvement. She suggested a secret meeting in Agrigento at the Cafe Romeris to discuss their next steps. Laurana, eager for the rendezvous, arrived early, but Luisa never showed.

The Bitter End

After waiting in vain for hours, Laurana left to catch the last train back. On his way, he accepted a ride from a familiar face from his village, unaware it was a trap. Laurana was murdered, his body discarded in an abandoned sulfur mine halfway to his town.

The Inevitable Outcome

When Luisa announced her engagement to Rosello after a year of mourning, it validated the villagers' suspicions about Rosello's role in the murders. They had long believed that Rosello and Luisa were lovers and that Roscio's discovery of their relationship had led to his threat to expose Rosello's crimes. This ultimatum, and Laurana’s ill-fated curiosity, sealed their fates. The villagers were unsurprised by Laurana's disappearance, deeming him a fool for not keeping his suspicions to himself.

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