Tuesday 22nd January 1923 continued…
Canals: By late afternoon, waters have risen and become foul. By evening the water level would lower and the waters clear a little.
San Marco Basilica: There are a number of chapels within the basilica. It is easy to find the chapel dedicated to San Isidoro. The chapel is dark, the walls and stonework decorated with frescoes. One fresco depicts a man (presumably Isidoro) about to have his left leg torn off by galloping horses.
It was noted on arrival that four copper-gilded horses are prominent above the entrance to the Basilica. The horses were brought to Venice from Constantinople by Napoleon’s troops. Hubert’s impromptu performance provides a diversion for us to search the chapel and locate the paving stone beneath which the leg of the Sedefkar Simulacrum should be buried. We case the establishment and will return tomorrow.
The Weeping Statues: We spend the evening out on the town. There is a commotion in St. Mark’s Square. The square is adorned by many statues and people are declaring a miracle - the statues are weeping. Outside the Basilica, Pierre notices that a statue of San Isidoro is weeping blood.
Wednesday 23rd January 1923
Morning Papers (Murder): The morning papers report another murder in Venice. Paolo Rizzo, a gondolier, was found murdered in his boat on the Grand Canal. His remains drained of blood. Speculation is rife that the murder is the work of a maniac, satanists or even ghouls. Our breakfast waiter tells us his brother-in-law, Gino, witnessed death himself poling a gondolier on the canal last night.
Canals: The paper reports waters rising on the canals again, foul and evil smelling. There has been localised flooding. Children playing in the flood waters have developed black blotches on their lower limbs. People are talking of a new plague. We heard rumours of people seeing fish with limbs in the water. Later this day we are astonished to witness one for ourselves. A huge fish, the size of a shark, with distinct hands at the end of its front fins.
Gino witnesses death: We track down our waiter’s brother-in-law to a bakery where he works. Gino swears he saw death poling a gondolier last night. It was Paolo Rizzo’s gondolier and his body was slumped in it. Death, according to Gino, was pale skinned and wore dark ragged clothes. Gino was alone. There was no other witness.
Break-in at the Basilica: We spend the afternoon acquiring tools and equipment to break into the basilica after dark. Letty attended evening mass and attempted to hide in the basilica before it was closed for the night. Her plan failed so we had to break in from the outside through a side door and gate. We lift the black (meteoric iron) stone in San Isidoro’s chapel to discover and empty space. There was no leg. Some thieving sod had beaten us to it!!
The Letter: In the vacant space where the leg had once rested was a faded envelope closed with a wax seal. The seal depicted a winged cherub cradling a doll. The note inside was written by an anonymous apologetic author. Snippets read: “God forgive me. I have need of it, so I took it.”...”His statue was broken. I needed to repair it.”…”grandson died on Monte Grappe alongside dear Marco and his figures are all that comfort him”…..
Monte Grappe is a mountain of the Italian pre-Alps, and the site of a series of battles of the Great War that raged for weeks at a time.
Hotel: There’s no way to cover up the fact that a break-in has occurred at the basilica. We simply return to our hotel. Walking brazenly through the lobby at 2 a.m. carrying crowbars, hammers, bolsters and flashlights. With hindsight perhaps we should have dumped the tools in the canal first.
Thursday 24th January 1923
Morning Paper (Unrest): A slight lie-in after last night’s exertions. The paper reports of looting and civil unrest around Venice. We’re saved! Surely police will link a break-in at the basilica to last night's unrest in the city!? The atmosphere of Venice is changing. A tangible mood of uncertainty and pervading gloom, just like in Milan (and everywhere else we’ve been). We’re attracting more attention – as if Venetians have developed an increasing distrust of foreigners.
Biblioteca: We research the design of the wax seal on the old envelope. It is the mark of the Gremaci family; famed as doll makers. The family business still exists on the Campo de La Bambino here in Venice.
Leads:
[1] The Gremanci doll makers. Who authored the note and what statue did they repair with our leg?
[2] Miss Anselma Morietti. The woman who Cartwright and Letty chased through the streets. The police should have released her by now. What did she see on the night her fiancé was murdered?
