Louigi Roccossa exited through the rear of his café to see the black girl who’d run through his kitchen being lifted from the ground. ‘Hey you,’ he called out in his best Italian English. ‘What are you doing wi’ dat girl?’ but the man who’d hitched her onto his shoulder ignored him.
Louigi started to walk towards the man but was unsure if he should accost him in any way. ‘Hey, I’m talking to you, leave her alone!’ he added, but these words were just as uncared for.
Louigi kept to a steady pace, albeit to a lesser degree of brisk. He watched a blue car pull up and a man climb out to assist the first in getting the girl into the trunk. On seeing this he quickened, although bulk and age allowed him little more than an ungainly trot.
When he reached the end of the alley the blue car sped off screeching on the warm tarmac. Close to breathless and shaking with an unaccustomed burst of adrenalin, he plucked a stub of pencil from behind his ear and wrote the licence number on a cigar packet he’d taken from his shirt pocket.
He returned to the café and spoke to Nancy his waitress. ‘Dat young girl, the one who ran through my kitchen just now, she was a customer?’
Nancy knew he’d be pissed at her for allowing a customer into his kitchen. ‘No, she just came rushing in the front door and ran through while I was serving someone down there, at the other end.’ She pointed to a corner of the café.
Louigi had a feeling she wasn’t being entirely truthful with him. He looked around his customers and noticed some schoolbooks on a vacant table by one of the windows. His facial expression swiftly turned to one of anger. ‘Den who is the owner of those schoolbooks?’ he demanded to know.
‘I was looking the other way Lou. I didn’t—’
‘Call the police, now…’ he yelled interrupting her.
‘Why, what’s happened?’
‘Do you care what has happened? Do you?’
Although Nancy put on a cold front for the customers she was now close to tears. ‘Of course I care, tell me. Please.’
‘Just do it. Then get your coat and leave, we are closed for de rest of de day.’
‘But what about all these customers?’ she said with a wave of her arm.
‘I will sort them out. Go into the kitchen and call de police, tell them a young girl has been abducted. And then you can leave. Go now!’ He shouted again.
On hearing what happened Nancy covered her mouth as a tear rolled from her eye. ‘But won’t… won’t they want to speak with me?’
‘If dey do, I will send them to your home, now leave.’
Nancy went into the kitchen and called the police. After doing so she picked up her bag and coat and left through the back door whilst Louigi addressed all his customers.
