‘Before I say anything about what might be going on here, I have to tell you one thing.’ He paused long enough to be sure he had Brunetti’s full attention, then continued. ‘He’s a decorous man, Fontana. It’s an old-fashioned word, I know, but he’s an old-fashioned man. Almost as if he were from our parents’ generation: that’s how people speak of him. He wears a suit and tie to work every day, does his job, is polite with everyone. I’ve never, in all these years, heard a word against him and, as you know, if there is a word to be heard against anyone at the Commune, it generally ends up being repeated to me. Sooner or later, I probably hear everything. But never a word against Fontana, save that he is tedious and shy.’

It seemed to Brunetti that Brusca had finished so he asked, ‘Then why is his name on those documents? And why did you see fit to bring them to me?’ It occurred to Brunetti then to ask, ‘And how did they come to you in the first place?’

Brusca looked at his lap, then at Brunetti, then at the wall, then back at Brunetti. ‘Someone who works at the Tribunale gave them to me.’

‘For what purpose?’

Brusca shrugged. ‘Perhaps because they wanted the information to pass beyond the Tribunale.’

‘That’s certainly happening,’ Brunetti said, but he did not smile. Then, ‘Will you tell me who it was?’

Brusca shook the question away. ‘It doesn’t matter, and I told her I wouldn’t tell anyone.’

‘I understand,’ said Brunetti, who did.

After waiting in vain for Brusca to say something further, Brunetti said, ‘Tell me what it means. Or what you think it means.’

‘You mean the delays?’

‘Yes.’

Brunetti leaned back in his chair, linked his hands behind his head, and examined the ceiling.

‘In the case of an acrimonious divorce, where there is a lot of money involved, it would serve the purposes of the richer party to delay things for long enough to move or hide assets.’ Before Brunetti could ask, Brusca explained: ‘If the papers were delivered to the wrong courtroom on the day of a hearing, or not delivered at all, then the judge would be within his or her rights in ordering a postponement until all the necessary documents were available.’