‘Doubtful’ is the nickname Ernesto Livera is stuck with, and it suits his ever hesitant manner perfectly. Usually, in fact, Ernesto simply can’t make up his mind about anything. But there’s one thing he does know: it’s wise to keep clear of the carabinieri, when you’re smuggling goods over the border for a living. Much as he wishes he’d gone down another road, well, here he is, on the lake, smuggling cigarette cartons from Switzerland, preferably by night, in his little motorboat. And tonight of all nights, Ernesto’s boat has bumped into a woman’s body. After getting it to shore, he’s looked up his faithful customer, Bellano’s town doctor, Dr. Lonati, so as not to materialize before the carabinieri himself. Yet the next day, back on the shore, there’s no sign of that body. Ernesto knows what he saw or did he dream the whole thing? Dr. Lonati well knows that Ernesto has had this sort of hallucination since he was a kid. Maybe he just needs a steady job. A girlfriend. The lake doesn’t lie, though, and when it decides to reveal some of the secrets it’s sitting on, all doubts will dissolve like the morning mist on Lake Como.
