Father Matteo (Don Matteo)

Episode 2

Perfect, we've done a good job.

We administer the antibiotic and stitch up, after that we can remove the intubation.

Will you close it, professor?

Yes, of course. The wound is aligned, I don't think many stitches are needed.

Good, we're done.

Professor, his blood pressure is dropping.

We're at risk of losing her.

- Give her adrenaline fast! - Adrenaline, a dose, hurry!

Very low respiratory rate. The heart rate is slowing.

Severe tachycardia! She's going into shock!

It's 60/40, doctor. It's continuing to drop.

- The pulse is, practically, absent. - The patient is going into a coma.

Good day, doctor!

Leave it, he's just thinking about how the operation went.

God bless you in the name of the Father, the Son

and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

- Coward! Don't let me catch you! - Sir, please!

The mass is over. Go in peace.

You're a scoundrel!

- Leave! - I only did my duty!

- Professor? - Be patient.

It's not true!

Take the patients to the rooms, please!

- Let's go! - But what does he say?

I heard you say he made a mistake. I heard it.

It's not possible! It's not true!

- Mario, what's happening? - Enough!

- She went into a coma. - In a coma?

The anesthetist was to blame. Even the doctor admitted it...

I'll rip out his heart, I'll kill that butcher.

Enough, Mario, calm down. Stop.

I'm going to Angela, at least to stay close to her.

Father, my husband is right, I heard the two of them talking.

Doctor Anzillotti. The one who operated on our daughter,

said that anesthetist Giuliani messed up something, I don't know what...

Do you understand, Father? He made a mistake. He made the mistake, and my daughter is dying.

They told us not to get our hopes up. She's in a deep coma.

I know it's difficult, but you must believe, despite everything.

Look at what she's become.

I'll take care of the prayers, but you believe in your daughter.

You must believe in love.

How forgetful I am! How could I forget the clothes in the rain?

How absent-minded I am!

It's said that this is a virtue of saints and geniuses.

- No, I'm not a saint. - Then you're a genius.

A genius? Maybe...

She bent over the child and said:

My God, please, bring life back to this being.

God heard Elijah's voice, and life returned to it, and it lived.

Don Matteo!

The little girl has recovered a little.

The father came here yesterday.

He stayed by her side almost all the time, he talked to her. It seems his presence did her good.

Yes, but my husband can't take it anymore. Yesterday afternoon I came to relieve him

and he told me he'd come after midnight.

I haven't seen him since. He started drinking again.

I'm sure he went off to get drunk. Who knows where? Poor Mario...

Excuse me, but something happened. You need to come with me.

How did it happen?

Allow me! Make room!

Back off! Make room! Captain!

- Officer, make the identification... - It's Dr. Giuliani.

- Who are you? - Dr. Valle, a colleague.

As far as I can tell, death occurred six hours ago.

- You only found him now? - I found him.

I was going to get the cleaning cart.

I understand, ma'am, but the poor man stayed in the middle of the stairs for seven hours

and nobody noticed?

It's not that strange. It's a service stairwell.

From here you can access the courtyard, where some people, including poor Giuliani,

leave their car. Obviously, nobody has passed by here since last night.

I always told him these stairs are dangerous.

Since they were wet after last night's rain...

Doctor, let us understand too.

Doctor Giuliani, around midnight, goes down to his car,

but the lady says the stairs are dangerous, especially in the rain,

so he slips, falls, hits his head, and dies.

I'm surprised he was still wearing his white coat.

Officer, let's discreetly remove everyone who has no business here. Thank you.

Please, anyone with nothing to do here should disappear. Quickly, somewhere else!

You don't belong here. What are you doing here? Please. Leave!

Officer, you don't really think it happened like that!

All right, we'll handle it. Father, don't worry.

I'm sorry, Father.

I was letting you stay. What can I do?

I knew it! Come!

- Don Matteo! Come! - What is it?

- I caught him! - Who did you catch?

The thief.

See? I told you someone was stealing from the donation box.

I'm not stupid.

And I know this one.

It's Nerino. Mrs. Elide's grandson, the old lady from Ponti.

He's here? Good. Have him put on the jacket. He won't feel a thing.

I'll show you...

Wait!

- What will he do with that candle? - What he does, he does. I didn't understand.

- We let him go like that? - Don't worry. I'll take care of it.

I know nothing about that. I know nothing!

- Take him upstairs! - Let go of me! Don Matteo?

Don Matteo, they accuse me of killing him. I do not know anything!

It was not me! Don Matteo, it was not me.

Don Matteo, my daughter is in the hospital. It was not me!

- Why are you arresting him? - For the murder of Dr. Giuliani.

- Then it was not an accident... - It was not.

Is it true that Giuliani fell down the stairs and hit his head,

but we found signs of a struggle. Someone threw him down.

That does not surprise me, but why Ricci?

Ricci threatened him in front of everyone, and he has no alibi.

- He does not have one? - An alibi.

- Why did you let me win? - What? I wanted to see whether you would fall for it.

I would like to play for money, but you have none left, do you?

You are a clever priest, but I was not born yesterday.

It is forbidden to play for money, right, Father?

Fine, we understand each other.

- Hi, Nerino! - You even know my name?

You even know where I got the money. What are your intentions? Do you want to denounce me?

- Good morning. - Good morning, Father!

Is it true that that night you went to the hospital and asked about Giuliani?

Yes, that is right, I had been drinking. I did not even have the best intentions.

Did you say that to the judge as well?

Yes, but I explained to him that when you threaten to kill, it is not like that.

Father, that is what people say... It is one thing to say it, another to actually do it.

I would gladly have given him a few slaps... But that was all.

You know that the police established that there was a confrontation?

And that someone pushed Giuliani down the stairs...

He did not confront me. I did not see Giuliani then.

Only that, instead of going back to my daughter, I went to get drunk.

- Are you sure you did not meet him? - No, I did not see him that evening.

Father, look me in the eye. I did not kill him.

Hello!

Yes, Captain. Sorry to disturb you again.

- Don Matteo is here, who... - Is he still there?

Does he want to become a policeman? Ghisoni, tell him to leave me alone.

He wants to talk about Mario Ricci.

Make something up, I do not know...

If you let him through, I will transfer you to Turkey.

Tell him that I have something contagious. Do you understand?

Fine.

If you are a priest, do your job...

I think he is very busy and I should not bother him...

- Yes. You can come back another time... - Understood. Goodbye!

- How are you, Don Matteo? - Fine, officer.

Be patient with Captain Anceschi. It is hard to talk to him.

Especially for me. Is there really no way for me to get closer?

There would be a way..

Come on! Let’s go.

Come here.

How are you doing, Captain?

Excuse me, I am sorry.

I had only been trying to catch him for two hours...

Who knows? Maybe it was the wrong fish, as in the case of Mario Ricci.

No, Father. Let us stay calm. Today is Sunday, the Lord’s day.

Even He rested, but you did not. All right, what do you want to tell me?

That Mario Ricci is innocent? We do not think so.

Perhaps he has mitigating circumstances, I am not saying otherwise.

It is the desperate act of a father destroyed by pain, but still...

That is exactly the point, Captain.

I spoke with Ricci and I assure you that he had begun to regain hope.

Father,

my work is based on concrete facts, rational elements.

Rational elements?

Correct.

Ricci discovered that by staying next to his daughter and talking to her, he had recovered a bit,

but at night, to kill Giuliani and get drunk without witnesses,

after threatening him in front of everyone...

Father, I am sorry about the child,

but have you seen Ricci’s record?

Father, he did everything.

Besides, he was seen at the hospital at the time of the crime.

Yes, but when leaving he did not meet Giuliani and went home to drink.

That is what he says, but the victim cannot confirm that...

Father, who told you that?

I know because I spoke with Ricci. I am sorry for disturbing you.

I am a little less sorry about that fish...

- I hope you now have some doubts. - No, you did not succeed.

Sure? Not even as much as a flea?

- Look here... - Yes...

Answer the phone, miss.

- How are you, Professor? - Father!

Unfortunately, I have no news.

We doctors should not let ourselves be influenced, but cases like this...

Doctor, excuse me. The police are here. Captain Anceschi wants to speak with you.

I will be right there. Excuse me.

Doctor, we have arrested the girl's father, Mario Ricci.

- The alleged killer. - Alleged...

What did I say? The alleged assassin.

Doctor, can you tell us how Angela Ricci’s operation went?

- That little girl who is in a coma. - Officer, let him speak!

- Don Matteo! - Greetings!

- Good day, Father. - Good day.

Doctor?

It began as a normal appendicitis.

All right, then can you explain to me

how did it come to a coma after a simple appendicitis operation?

Things can happen.

The operation was almost finished, I was stitching it back up,

and then the rapid extubation was carried out.

When you operate under general anesthesia,