Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 05:29:06 -0400
From: SSch191950@aol.com
Subject: The Lizard, part 3, chapter 7

THE LIZARD, part 3: Autunno
by Stefan

Comments are welcome

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7
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Thursday evening Tristano returned from the gym where he had gone alone. He
had become used to the workout and felt great. Alfredo was already home and
worked in the kitchen in his silky dressing gown.

"Sorry, pup, but I have a customer in half an hour. Well, actually
two. That's why Sergio's out of the house", he greeted Tris. "Do me the
same favour, please."  Tristano was disappointed. "Can I have a shower
first, please?" Tristano never showered in the gym because he was still too
shy to share it with other guys. Heaven knew what would happen to him when
he looked at them.

"Go ahead." Alfredo planted a kiss upon his lips. "If you like you can
return later." A grin graced his face. "Or do you want to share the bed
with us?"

Tristano's face flushed briefly. "No, thanks." He grabbed his bag and
vanished into the bathroom. He didn't hear the doorbell when it rang.

Alfredo opened the door, a bit pissed since it was too early for his
clients. Three guys were standing there. Alfredo propped his elbow and said
"Hi, sweeties. The deal was for two." He beckoned them into the
apartment. "But where there's a place for two, there's a place for three."
He went ahead into the living room. "Drink?" He turned to the three guys
and froze. The expression on their faces was pure hatred. And then
everything happened so quickly, Alfredo hadn't time to cry out.

Tristano padded out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist and a towel
around his head. "Fredo, can I use your lotion?" he shouted into the
room. Then he listened. The customers must have already arrived for he
heard voices, suppressed cries and heavy panting. He grinned to
himself. Something dragged him along to be a secret witness to this frenzy.

But when he entered the bedroom he stood petrified and felt a sudden twinge
of nausea rising. Alfredo's upper body was fixed upon the bed, while
another guy was pressing his face into the mattress. The guy behind him
pressed an abnormous big dildo into Alfredo's anus while the third one
stood at the side, giggling senselessly.

Then he saw the movement at the door. "There's another of those fags." He
rushed to Tristano, grabbed him by the towel and threw it aside. "Whoohoo",
he hooted and planted his fist into Tristano's face. Blood spattered from
the corner of Tristano's lips. He tried to run, but the guy was close
behind, grabbing him, throwing him to the ground. Another hit. Tristano's
head swirled and his sight was blurred. When he saw the guy open his belt
and unzip his trousers, he yelled.


An hour later Sergio entered his flat. "Hi sweeties, I'm back", he shouted,
but nobody answered him. He rushed into the living room and stumbled over a
body, laying on the ground. He switched on the light and gasped. Tristano
was laying unconscious, his face swollen from bruises, like his ribs, in a
puddle of blood, that had seeped from his anus.


"Jesus Christ", Sergio shouted, bent down to slap Tristano's
cheeks. "Fredo? Fredo?!" he jumped up and hastened to the bedroom to find
his friend kneeling in front of the bed, a thick candle sticking out of his
butthole. He was unconscious as well. Sergio's body trembled. He panicked,
not daring to touch him. After a minute of staring he pulled out his mobile
and called for the police and ambulance.




"Vittorio del Chiaro", the police officer introduced himself, shaking
Sergio's hand. "You found the men?"  Sergio eyed the large officer in his
olive green, tight fitting shirt. "Yes", he whispered, completely in a
state. Vittorio patted his shoulder while the paramedic was still busy
caring for the injured ones. "It looks worse than it is. Sit down,
please. I have a few questions."

Sergio stepped first to the bar and poured himself a brandy. He swallowed
it down, coughed and sat down, wiping his mouth.

"One of the men is Tristano d'Astangli whom I had the pleasure of meeting
before. You remember?"

Sergio looked completely dumbfound.

"At the Cascine last summer. And I dare to say that we've met before, too."
A faint twinkle appeared in Vittorio's eyes. "Vito. One of your customers."

Sergio was absolutely embarrassed. The last thing he wanted to have now was
a customer who remembered his profession.

"Well, yes. And now?" he squeezed out.

"Do you have a diary where you make a note of your appointments?" Vito
asked business-like again.

"No. We co-ordinate our appointments in our heads."

"Good. Do you know about Alfredo's appointments then?"

"Two guys called. No names. It isn't usual to give names when you visit a
call-boy." Sergio looked over to the bedroom. "Will they survive?"

"Of course. Though a hospital stay will be necessary. Now, do you have
enemies?"

"Enemies?" Sergio laughed hysterically. "You were a witness to what
happened at Cascine. You were the one helping to put them under arrest,
weren't you."

"Yes. A guy named Raniero Riefoli. He was sentenced to eight months on
probation. His conditions include community service in an
AIDS-hospital. Doubt that will impress him", Vito grumbled.

"He's free? You idiots have left him running free?" Sergio asked
disbelievingly.

"We are the idiots catching the jerks so that the public prosecutor will
let them run free", Vito corrected him sternly. "Otherwise I agree with
you." He rose. "Wait here a second." He stepped over into the bedroom,
where Tristano was being cared for while Alfredo was ready to be
transported to hospital. Briefly he touched Tristano's cheek. He was awake,
but his eye lids fluttered. "You have pain?" Vito asked.

Tristano shook his head.

Vito exchanged a look with the paramedic. "He's had an injection. We'll
need to operate", he whispered.

A vein in Vito's temple started to pulsate, but he tried to smile at
Tristano. "Everything will be all right. Tomorrow I'll visit you." He
pressed Tristano's hand and went to Sergio again.

"He'll need a surgery", he told him. "Alfredo will be all right more or
less, though his wounds needs treatment. I ask you to come to my office
tomorrow, here's my card."

Sergio took it, then he bent forward and hid his face. Vito crouched down
and took hold of the shaking shoulders. "I'll stay in contact. We'll get
them. I promise."


             * * * *


"Luca? There's somebody on the phone for you", Clarissa called from the
hall. Luca slipped from his chair, glad to flee the constricting tension at
the breakfast table he shared with his brothers.

"Pronto?" he said and heard an unfamiliar voice. After a minute he almost
dropped the receiver and his knees threatened to give in. Three minutes
later he stalked back into the kitchen. His dark eyes were two flames in
the middle of paleness. Dante nudged Marcello. At this silent sign Marcello
turned the newspaper to the final page and pretended to read. "Wow, have
you seen this?" he said to his brother. "Two of those fags have got what
they deserve."

"What do they deserve?" Niccolò asked, entering the kitchen. Clarissa's
eyebrows had pulled together and some wrinkles appeared around her
eyes. Niccolò sat at the table and pulled the newspaper to his side.

"Those fags, Pappa", Marcello said. "Whores. They call themselves
call-boys."

Niccolò shot him a look, then he continued reading. "Madonna", he
whispered, quickly making the sign of cross. "What is it, dear?" Clarissa
asked.

"One of those whores was my friend", Luca erupted. "Tristano, you know him
well."

"Tristano, you say?" Clarissa said. Then she examined her youngest son and
found him shaking with anger and pain. "What's happened", she asked.



"Yesterday evening two young men were found in their apartment near Santa
Trinita, obviously victims of an anti-homosexual attack", Marcello read
with glee. "Alfredo D. (24) and Tristano d'A. (18) have been the victims of
rape and have sustained serious wounds; several of their genital
areas. Tristano d'A. had to have a emergency operation. The co-inhabitant
Sergio O. (23) could not give any details of the attack. Alfredo D. and
Sergio O. pursue the occupation of call-boys and their clientele is
exclusively homosexual. Florence Police department is investigating in the
homosexual-milieu."



Clarissa made the sign of cross herself. Then her eyes found
Luca. "Tristano? The pretty, blond boy?" she asked.

"Just a fag", Marcello said. The next moment his head flung back. Niccolò
had given him a slap and Marcello's cheek instantly reddened. Shocked he
glared at his father but he was stared down. "How dare you to laugh about
it. Nobody deserves this, capisce? Who do you think you are to say such
kind of words to us. You behave like a brute and it's completely
unacceptable." He threw a look over the table to Luca. "How do you think
Luca feels about this? His friend was hurt by these monsters."

Dante dared to protest. "Pappa, it's just a truccare. You know how they
are. Getting a thick candle stick up their arses would certainly make them
happy. As fat as they want it. Right?" He turned to Luca. "Am I right?"

"Say that again", Niccolò started. He tried hard not to lose control over
Dante's words. "What candle? What do you know about a candle?"

Marcello and Dante exchanged a worried look. "Well, wasn't there something
about a candle in the article?"

"No." Niccolò's fingers drummed upon the kitchen table. Luca felt
thoroughly sick.

"Dante, Marcello", Niccolò eyed each of his sons. "If you have something to
do with this tell me now."

Silence.

"Good. If I should hear that you both lied to me then you aren't my sons
anymore."

Luca swallowed empty. Ideas and images whirled in his head. Had they pushed
a candle into... He forbade himself to think on.

"Can I visit Tris?" he heard himself asking. "He's woken up."

Niccolò nodded. "I'll make your excuses to Coppo."

Luca jumped up, ran up his room and vomited into the toilet sink. His heart
beat fast in his throat. Suddenly he didn't feel safe anymore. He washed
out his mouth and brushed his teeth again. Then he was on his way to the
hospital Vito had named. Sitting in the bus he constantly thought if it was
a betrayal if he reported his brothers to the police.

Luca swallowed hard when he was allowed to enter the ward, finding Tris'
stepmother sitting next to the bed with tear-stained eyes. Her make-up had
ran down her cheeks. Tristano's cheeks were swollen and on his temple he
had nasty bruises. His dull eyes though lit up when he recognized his
friend.

Luca smiled at him, then at the woman. "I'm Luca, his friend. Signora
d'Astangli?" he asked unsure.

She nodded and rose to shake his hand. "Thanks for coming. A policeman was
here to ask questions, but Tris couldn't tell anything for he was too dazed
from the surgery." She sobbed and more tears welled up in her eyes. "Can
you stay for a while?"

Luca nodded. She looked so tired. Then she took him by the sleeve to a
corner and whispered "His family does not know how this could have
happened. Tristano was in the flat of a call-boy. You are his friend. Have
you any explanation?"

Of course Luca had. But how to tell her? Apparently Tristano had never told
his parents. "Well", he started. His eyes were fixed on Tristano who stared
bleakly back. "I guess Tristano has to tell you himself. I can't." The hell
he would out Tristano. He had become wary. Who knew how she would react?

Signora d'Astangli seemed to be disappointed but didn't insist. "His father
is coming in this afternoon", she said when she gave Tristano a cautious
peck and vanished through the door.

Luca stood with hanging arms. Only after quite a time later was he able to
move and sit upon the chair next to the bed. He'd had enough of visiting
his friends in hospitals. First it had been Sandro, then Rosso and now
Tristano. And the latter had gotten it worst. He touched his arm, laying
upon the white bed cover. A canula stuck into his vein and connected him
with the intravenous drip.

"Where's Alfredo?" Tristano whispered finally.

"Alfredo?" Luca repeated. "I don't know. I came as quick as I could. I'll
ask the nurse, all right?" They stared at each other and Luca didn't dare
to ask the most important question. "Do you have pain", he asked instead
and Tristano shook his head. "They patched up my anus", he said
hoarsely. Luca flinched. A heat wave rushed through his body. "A candle?"
he blurted out.

"Candle?" Tristano blinked. His eyes rolled uncontrollably in their sockets
and Luca feared he would pass out. Then his eyes fixed on Luca's
face. "Candle. Right. Also."

Luca shivered from cold anger. Candle. Also. "Did you recognize them?"

"No." He hesitated. "I had passed out then, you know."

The door opened and a police officer entered the room. He was large and
well built. Over his olive-coloured face scurried a brief smile. He nodded
to Luca and took Tristano's hand. "Are you well enough to answer a few
questions?" he asked. Luca eyed the man. This was Vito, the guy Tristano
had tried to call for so long and who had always been on holiday. What an
odd coincidence that Vito had found him then in this condition. And what if
Tris never wanted to have anything to do with gays after what had happened
to him? What if he returned to his "straight life"? Determinedly Luca
interrupted Vito's whispering. "I want to give a statement."

Vittorio's black eyes looked astonished. Then he pulled out his notebook
and a pencil and waited.


                 * * * *

Vito, with two of his colleagues, entered the Opificio delle Pietre
Dure. "Please watch the exit", he said to one of them. "You're coming with
me." to the other. He beckoned his colleague to follow and took the
staircase that led to the work shops. The doors were open and they heard
the screech of machines cutting stones.  Vito's colleague grimaced while
Vito pulled out his police badge. Together they entered the large room
where several men sat, bent over their cutting machines wearing plastic
glasses over their eyes and dark blue smocks. He cleared his throat and
started to shout, "Who of you are Dante and Marcello Montori?"

Heads flung up and the screeching of the machines gradually subsided. The
men stared silently.

"I repeat: Who of you are Dante and Marcello Montori?"

Some heads turned to two man on the left side of the room. Vito followed
their stares. Both policemen walked slowly toward the brothers. Dante tore
off his plastic glasses. "What do you want?"

Vito showed him his badge. "You need to come with us, Signori. There's the
grounds for suspicion that you had something to do with the attack on two
young men last Thursday."

Dante jumped up while Marcello sat dumbfounded, unable to move. His face
was unreadable while Dante's was distorted with anger. "What?" he
shouted. "You dare to accuse me of a crime?"

Vito's muscles flexed and he threw a side glance at his colleague who stood
a little behind him, eyeing Marcello. Vito beckoned to Dante. When he
didn't move he grasped his upper arm very firmly but Dante struggled. "I
had nothing to do with it."

"What's this uproar about?" Niccolò stood in the doorway. He had been
working in the room next door. Now, flabbergasted, he examined the two
policemen in their blue coloured uniforms. "Dante?" he asked sharply.

"Officer del Chiaro, Signore", Vito introduced himself. "Officer
Lanfranco", he nodded to his colleague. "Who are you, please?"

"His father. Are you going to take him with you?"

"Yes, Signore Montori." Lanfranco dragged Marcello from his seat and Vito
gave Dante a push.

"Are they under arrest?" Niccolò asked.

"No. They will be questioned." When he passed Niccolò he gave him his
business card. Niccolò took it and stood petrified until the rumble upon
the staircase had ceased. All eyes were on him.


                    *

"Dante and Marcello have been taken in custody!" Luca yelled into the
little loudspeaker of his mobile phone. "There was an attack on Tris and
the call-boys and now they think it was my brothers, though Tris didn't
recognize them."

Alessandro, on the other end of the line, wrinkled his forehead and tried
to follow Luca's harsh and quick words. "Attack?" he stuttered.

"Yes! Yesterday. Vito arrested them right from the workshop. My father
witnessed it and now he's in a state. It's all my fault. I gave a statement
to Vito and..."

"Hold on!" Alessandro called. "I can't follow! Who is Vito?"

"The police officer Tris met at the Cascine park when the attack happened
there", Luca said impatiently. "He was called to Sergio's flat. Sergio had
found Alfredo and Tris badly hurt. Tris needed surgery on his anus." Luca's
voice was constricted with sobs. He took a deep breath. "I... my brothers
had their rocks off when they heard about it and Dante mentioned a candle
... Tris was raped with one." Another sob. Then silence.

Alessandro let the words sink in. He still only understood half of
it. Tristano had been raped? By Luca's brothers? Madonna, if this was the
truth.... Hate boiled up in his stomach. A hate he had never felt before.

"Your brothers raped Tristano?" he managed to say.

"No. I mean, I don't know. They mentioned a candle, though, and there was
nothing of it mentioned in the newspaper. Tris said that it was true. So I
told Vito and he has taken them both to the police station for
interrogation. And the worst of all: Raniero's free."

"Raniero", Alessandro said coolly and nodded to himself.

"I'm not sure what father thinks I've done. I've betrayed my family."

"What? That's nonsense, Luca. Your brothers are swines and deserve this
treatment. Remember what they did to me."

"Perhaps", Luca said in quiet voice. "There's no evidence for it."

Alessandro shook his head. He bet that Marcello and Dante would deny
everything. On the other hand... if they raped Tristano and the other guy
there would be traces enough to find out the DNA. But in the case that they
used a condom....

"Luca, listen to me. I'm coming home Friday as early as I can. Wait for me
at the palazzo, OK?


                      *

Vito had sent the forensic team to the home of the call-boys to gather
finger-prints and any other evidence. Dante and Marcello had to give saliva
for a test. Tristano and Alfredo had both enough remains of sperm to mean
they both needed a test for several diseases.

"Unprotected sex", Vito mumbled to his colleague while he was leafing the
inquiry reports. "How can somebody be so stupid."

Carlo Lanfranco, his colleague, nodded. His face was angry. "You could
hardly call this sex, could you?"

Vito looked up. "No. I know the boy Tristano d'Astangli. We met at the
Cascine when the attack started there."

Carlo nodded. "I remember Raniero Riefoli. Do you think he's involved?"

"I'd bet my arse."

Vito hurried back to the hospital again, showing Alfredo a photo. He
instantly recognized Raniero Riefoli as his attacker.

The cordon search was in full swing. But Raniero had vanished without
leaving any real trace. Vito and Carlo visited the gym where Dante and
Marcello had been members and wasn't surprised that Raniero belonged there
too. The girl at the refreshment bar recognized Sergio, Alfredo and
Tristano as being occasional visitors. Vito had have a keen sense of
smell. The connection was the gym.

Since neither Tristano nor Alfredo had recognized Dante and Marcello, the
brothers had been released from custody. The saliva-test had come out
negative.

Luca was desperate. His brothers had been released and Luca feared the
worst despite the fact that Vito had explained that no police officer had
given away the informer. But wouldn't they be able to add two and two
together after the scene at the kitchen table when Dante had blabbed it
out, mentioning the candle? It could only be Luca who had informed on them.

Niccolò didn't speak to him anymore. Probably he was thinking the same,
despite what he had said that Dante and Marcello wouldn't be his sons
anymore if they both had had something to do with the event. But wasn't
blood thicker than water? Wasn't it an unwritten rule that you must not
give the names of your family members to the police no matter what they had
done? Probably Alessandro would understand that code of honour.



Luca moved into the Gondi-palazzo. Rosso had declared he would spend the
time with him until Alessandro arrived. They had brought up a bottle of
wine from the dusty, gloomy wine cellar and sat in the kitchen in complete
darkness where both could keep an eye on the yard.

Rosso occasionally glanced at his friend. Being gay seemed not to be always
fun. Especially when there were such idiots as Luca's brothers. On the
other hand he couldn't imagine them doing harm to their youngest
brother. But who knew?

"Your mother must be beside herself", Rosso started cautiously. "And your
father?"

"Pappa? I'm not sure. He was broken when he came home without the
brothers. He felt so ashamed about the scene in front of his colleagues
that he's ill."

"It's not the responsibility of a family for the crimes of one of its
members", Rosso threw in.

"No? Of course there is liability. Everything falls back to his upbringing
he said. He raised monsters."

Rosso pondered. "But everything only started when you came out, right?"

Luca nodded. "Except that they always talked bad about faggots."

Rosso poured them another glass and pushed the bread basket in front of
Luca. "Eat something." Luca took a piece of unsalted bread.

"You can't hide here for all the time, Luca. You have to face them."

"I can't yet. What if they beat me up? They did it before." He saw Rosso's
questioning eyes and told him about the attack on the streets in the
Spring. "I know there is no evidence but Dante didn't deny it when I
mentioned the subject."

"Well, you were brave enough that time", Rosso said. His stomach hurt. "We
should sleep", he said finally and yawned. "Come", he pulled Luca up and
dragged him up the stairs. Luca guided him to Alessandro's room where they
fell upon the bed. Luca was determined not to sleep but ten minutes later
he had slipped into dreams.

He struggled; fought with hands and feet and started to yell. "Sshhh!" a
voice said, gripping his hands tightly. "Stop kicking me!"

Luca woke up with a start and stared into Alessandro's eyes. Rosso snored
at his side.

"Oh gosh!" Luca fell into Alessandro's arms. "I thought... I thought they
had come to get me."

"Who's going to get you?" Alessandro sat on the edge of the bed, holding
Luca's shoulders. "Nice bed comrade", he pointed to Rosso. "Your nanny?"

Luca glared and Alessandro grinned. "Sorry. Were you afraid?"

"Dante and Marcello have been released. They certainly will beat me up."

"Rubbish. Your father would stop that."

"My father can't be everywhere."

"Come up. Let Rosso sleep." They went out, down the stairs into the
kitchen. Alessandro took the kettle and heated water. "Let's have some
tea." He eyed the empty wine bottle and the glasses. "I see you drowned
your fear in wine", he teased.

He took a box with dried peppermint leaves and crumbled them into a sieve
hanging in a pot. Then he poured over the boiling water.

"Sit down and let's make a plan of action." He pulled out his box with
cigarettes and lit one. "Do you mind? I need one now. Actually I was going
to visit Leoni, but this is more important. This Alfredo recognized Raniero
from a photo, yes? But not your brothers. What about Tris? Did he recognize
one of them?"

"He didn't. But he saw just the backs of two of them. The one, raping him,
was not one of them. He knows my brothers."

"Anyway. I guess where Raniero is, your brothers are not far from him, even
if they weren't directly involved. What about the leather- jackets? Does
either of your brothers have one?"

"Of course. Mother said after the attack at Cascine Marcello's jacket was
torn and bloody. She had to throw it away."

Alessandro raised his eyebrows. "That's a point. Have you told Vito?"

"No. I forgot. It's just a suspicion anyway."

"Where do you think Raniero would hide? Have your brothers any meeting
place beside the gym?"

Luca pondered. "A playing field near the stadium where they used to play
football. There's a little casino where they drink and play pool." Luca
sipped at the hot tea. "Tris has had to have a test for HIV and hepatitis",
he said quietly. "The bastards didn't use condoms."

"I thought it was a candle?"

"Candles, dildos and cocks", Luca said, fighting tears.

Alessandro burnt his tongue on the hot fluid. The heat of his anger matched
the temperature of the tea. He wished nothing more than to get those
monsters and gave them the same treatment. Preferably in jail with dozens
of sex-hungry guys just waiting for them...

Then he pulled himself together. He had to be sensible. Revenge in cold
blood was more satisfactory. He thought about the casino at the stadium.

Luca's head had sunk upon his arms.

What if he could summon up enough buddies to teach them a lesson? What if
he told the carabiniero Vito? Would their punishment be enough or would
they be released again all too soon because raping fags wasn't important
enough to hold them in jail for a considerable amount of time? And who
cared about the victims anyway?

Luca snored softly. Alessandro watched him lovingly. He lit another
cigarette, leaned back and put his feet upon the chair next to
him. Considering the possibilities he developed a plan during the night.

------------------
to be continued