The August heat had become a living beast that clung to you and wouldn't let go. Vito had spent another two days glued to Ponada, from Piazza Verdi to the alleys behind the Politeama, counting doses, customers, and disappearing money. The boy was smart, but not smart enough: he stole, yes, but out of desperation, not methodically. He wasn't a racial traitor, he was just a drug addict deep in debt. This made him dangerous in a different way: unpredictable. At seven in the evening, the air was still baking hot. Vito felt his shirt sticking to his back, forehead, and balls. "Enough," he thought. A dip in the sea, ten minutes, just to keep from going crazy. He drove his battered Panda to Mondello, parked far from the streetlights, and walked down to the beach. The seafront was still bustling with families, young people drinking beer on deckchairs, couples kissing under half-closed umbrellas. Vito took off his shoes and socks, stuffed them under a lounger, and began walking among the bat
Last Updated : 2025-11-23 Read more