Ercolano
Marco told us that if you looking a statue, the place to go is Ercolano, so we thought the place should be checked out. It’s in a dodgy shabby part of town, known mainly for its midnight drugs market on main square.
Ercolano is mostly below ground level and it’s a wreck. None of the houses are really habitable under 1954 HMO regulations. Roofs fallen in, toilets not flushing, cooking facilities outdated.
There’s a secret ramp to the beach, so it would be hard to catch the crims on the spot. I took my usual equipment and stumbled across a couple of jugs which will go nicely in the evidence storeroom.
A couple shifty geezers in soiled togas offered me dirty pictures but, just as I was paying for them, I spotted the object of our whole quest. Standing idly by a colonnaded cloister, posing as a loitering garden statue, there was Michaelangelo’s original David. Sure, it has been melted down and recast, but it’s unmistakable. We arrested the whole of the museum crew and took David into protective custody.
Job done. And still Janet has not revealed her hand.
I want to thank you all for being our back-ups on this mission, now we must get back to our yard, I heard a new case has come in.
Look under the bed when you get home……S.A.J.
Many thanks for this gorgeous trip.
We love all things Italia! great reading this when the children have been a bit naughty & I want to get away from it all by reading some crime facts and fiction ! X
Well done commissario Montalbini & co!! we knew you could find the David again… on behalf of all the Florentine population, many thanks!!!