Il metodo Fenoglio - L'estate fredda

Bari, 1991. Marshal Fenoglio, who has been serving in the capital of Puglia for ten years, is one of the soldiers of the operational unit tasked with investigating the Sacra Corona Unita and in particular the boss Nicola Grimaldi. The marshal and his men are called to solve the case of a certain Sabino Fraddosio, a loan shark killed in his own apartment, as well as dealing with the mysterious disappearance of Simone Losurdo, a boy who was killed by Grimaldi and made to disappear for having sold himself, according to him, to the Saponaro, a rival family. In the meantime, a boy with no criminal record named Paolo Fornelli is arrested for the Fraddosio murder.

Fenoglio does not believe that Fornelli acted alone for money and also suspects that Losurdo is a victim of a feud between the Grimaldis and the Saponaros. Vito Lopez, Grimaldi's right-hand man, does not like the end that Losurdo met and begins an internal war. Fenoglio and his colleague Pellecchia trace Maria Colella, a young girl who confesses to having killed Fraddosio who wanted to take advantage of her to pay off the debts that the girl's father had with him. In the meantime, another of Grimaldi's men, Michele Capocchiani, is killed, while Vito Lopez has fled with his family to avoid reprisals. One evening the Petruzzelli theater is set on fire.

The internal feud within the Grimaldi clan continues and one day Damiano, the son of the boss, is kidnapped. Fenoglio and his men soon discover that the child has been kidnapped and try to help the Grimaldis but the boss refuses with disdain. One evening Damiano's body is found in the open countryside.

Dr. Bermond ascertains that Damiano died from a heart complication and therefore was not murdered. Vito Lopez approaches Grimaldi's wife in church telling her that he had nothing to do with her son's death but she sends him away. While Enzo Trani, Grimaldi's lieutenant, discovers that Lopez's family is hiding in Turin, the latter calls the barracks to speak with Fenoglio.

Lopez decides to collaborate but first asks to secure his family, who are saved just in time. During the interrogations Lopez denies having killed Grimaldi's son, of whom he was godfather, and tells how in 1982, after having met Grimaldi in prison, he joined the "Società Nostra", an organization from Puglia created to react to the excessive power of the Camorra and which had the Calabrian 'ndrine as its model. In the meantime Pellecchia and Grandolfo continue to investigate the kidnapping of little Damiano and understand that a pedophile could be behind it, suspecting Professor Manzari. On May 23, 1992, news of Giovanni Falcone 's death arrives .

Lopez, through photo recognition, indicates and describes in detail 42 individuals belonging to Grimaldi's organization who are arrested. At the port, however, the Carabinieri stop a large incoming shipment but Grimaldi manages to escape and become a fugitive. In the meantime, PM D'Angelo wants to clarify, after several years, the death of her brother Filippo, convinced that he did not die of an overdose, the case of which had been closed in a hurry by Judge Castellaneta under pressure from Marco Lorusso's uncle, a brilliant lawyer who is about to run for mayor and whom she has started seeing again. Thanks to Fenoglio's help, the girl discovers that Lorusso lied to her but he, after apologizing, reiterates that he knows nothing about his brother's death. In the meantime, Pellecchia and Grandolfo discover that Manzari has a farmhouse in the countryside and Damiano's body was found right nearby: during the search, the boy's backpack is then found and therefore the professor is placed in custody even if he denies being involved.

Fenoglio does not believe in Manzari's guilt and begins to interrogate several victims of quick kidnappings. Pellecchia confides in him that he committed serious crimes years before with his colleague Savicchio; the marshal is surprised but asks him not to report himself until the end of the investigation. In the meantime, Grimaldi finds refuge on Marco Lorusso's boat, who is also helping him with some business in Montenegro . Fenoglio and Pellecchia track down their colleague Tonino Ruotolo and understand that he is behind Damiano's kidnapping: when they confront him, a fight breaks out and the corporal is grazed.

Ruotolo decides to follow his colleagues to whom he confesses that he kidnapped Damiano together with Savicchio to earn money but the child had died by accident; the two officers thus decided to hide the body near Professor Manzari's farmhouse to put the blame on him since he already had a criminal record for pedophilia. Fenoglio and PM D'Angelo now hang out even after work and end up kissing; the marshal has been in crisis with his partner for some time but he steps aside almost immediately. Fenoglio and his team have to gather damning evidence against Savicchio and so they place bugs in his apartment. Pellecchia is convinced that he is hiding the Grimaldi ransom money in the house and convinces Fenoglio to carry out a search: he himself will find the loot in the ceiling and put the handcuffs on his colleague. Shortly after, Pellecchia says goodbye to Fenoglio and goes to report himself for the crimes committed in the past together with Savicchio. On the same day, July 19, Judge Paolo Borsellino dies in Palermo. In the evening, Fenoglio accompanies D'Angelo home but refuses her invitation to go up and, instead, joins his partner at the hotel; the PM has already decided to distance herself from Lorusso, even more so now that the case on his brother's death will be reopened. In the meantime, the boss Grimaldi has disappeared without a trace.