back to earth. "Did your grandfather mention an episode from your bad past?"
"Oh, yes." Carlina placed the cover over the cable. "He said I had chased away a prince and would end my days as an old maid or married to --" she broke off just a second before the next words slipped out. . . . a garbage man. That's what he said, but I won't tell you so, after the things I said at Temptation. Don't want you to get the wrong idea.
"Or what?" he asked.
Of course Garini had caught her hesitation. "A butcher," she improvised.
"And had you?"
Carlina fixed the last screw that held the cover. "Had I what?"
"Chased away a prince?"
She dusted her hands and climbed down. "No."
"So the tale was completely invented?"
Carlina threw him a look and sighed. If she didn't tell him her story, someone else would. "No." She opened the front door. "I'm not running away, don't worry. I just have to check the bell."
He held the door for her as she went out.
Carlina pressed the lowest bell next to a row of shining brass plates engraved with their names. The bell in Nico's apartment rang so loud, it could be heard outside. Carlina smiled. "Good."
Then she straightened her shoulders. An uneasy feeling pooled in her stomach. She wasn't going to enjoy telling her story to this man made of steel. "We have two choices," she said. "Either we sit on the stairs or we go upstairs to my apartment."
"Can't we remain standing?"
"No." She shook her head.
"Why not?"
Was he laughing at her? She was sure his mouth had twitched. "Because I have to stand all day long at my store. That's why I choose to sit whenever I can."
"I noticed."
"Good."
"Your apartment, then," he said.
Now why did I give him a choice? She gave a sharp nod.
"But first, I'd like to check your grandfather's bathroom." He took a folded piece of paper from his leather jacket. "I need to show this to your Uncle Teo."
Carlina eyed the paper. "What is it?"
"It's the search warrant."
The word triggered a surge of fear inside Carlina. He's going to arrest someone, someone from my family. They will be put away behind bars, away from life, away from the sun, away from happiness. For what? Twenty years? More? Her head swam.
"Signorina Ashley?"
"What?" Her mouth felt dry.
"You're not going to faint again, are you?"
She clenched her teeth. "No." She could feel herself sway and sat on the first step so hard, she hurt her backside. "Uncle Teo is upstairs, in Benedetta's kitchen. You go and find him." With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and leaned against the banister.
"I'm here, Carlina." Uncle Teo's voice came from above. "What do you need?"
"I'd like you to see this search warrant." Garini held out the piece of paper.
Uncle Teo came down the stairs and took the paper. He unfolded it, fished his glasses from his breast pocket, placed them on the tip of his nose and read the paper. "The whole house?" He sounded surprised.
"Yes." Garini didn't elaborate.
"Are you planning to search other houses as well?"
Garini lifted his eyebrows. "Like whose?"
Uncle Teo lifted both hands. "The rest of the family. Gabriella, Bernando, and little Lilly's house. Alberta, Angela and Marco's villa."
"Not yet." Garini didn't twitch a muscle. "We'll start here."
"All right." Uncle Teo inclined his head. "I will inform the others."
He turned and narrowed his eyes at Carlina. "Are you all right, dear?"
Carlina got up. "Yes."
"One more thing, Commissario." Uncle Teo focussed his rheumy eyes onto Garini. "When can we have the funeral?"
Garini frowned. "We'll need a few more days. I'll be in touch as soon as I know more."
"All right." Uncle Teo sighed and went upstairs again.
Carlina's heart went out to him. He looked so frail and alone, without the competition of his twin brother to push him to new heights every day.
The Commissario waited until Benedetta's apartment door had opened and closed, then he nodded at Carlina. "Would you now open the door, please?"
"Yes." Carlina pushed her key into the
"Oh, yes." Carlina placed the cover over the cable. "He said I had chased away a prince and would end my days as an old maid or married to --" she broke off just a second before the next words slipped out. . . . a garbage man. That's what he said, but I won't tell you so, after the things I said at Temptation. Don't want you to get the wrong idea.
"Or what?" he asked.
Of course Garini had caught her hesitation. "A butcher," she improvised.
"And had you?"
Carlina fixed the last screw that held the cover. "Had I what?"
"Chased away a prince?"
She dusted her hands and climbed down. "No."
"So the tale was completely invented?"
Carlina threw him a look and sighed. If she didn't tell him her story, someone else would. "No." She opened the front door. "I'm not running away, don't worry. I just have to check the bell."
He held the door for her as she went out.
Carlina pressed the lowest bell next to a row of shining brass plates engraved with their names. The bell in Nico's apartment rang so loud, it could be heard outside. Carlina smiled. "Good."
Then she straightened her shoulders. An uneasy feeling pooled in her stomach. She wasn't going to enjoy telling her story to this man made of steel. "We have two choices," she said. "Either we sit on the stairs or we go upstairs to my apartment."
"Can't we remain standing?"
"No." She shook her head.
"Why not?"
Was he laughing at her? She was sure his mouth had twitched. "Because I have to stand all day long at my store. That's why I choose to sit whenever I can."
"I noticed."
"Good."
"Your apartment, then," he said.
Now why did I give him a choice? She gave a sharp nod.
"But first, I'd like to check your grandfather's bathroom." He took a folded piece of paper from his leather jacket. "I need to show this to your Uncle Teo."
Carlina eyed the paper. "What is it?"
"It's the search warrant."
The word triggered a surge of fear inside Carlina. He's going to arrest someone, someone from my family. They will be put away behind bars, away from life, away from the sun, away from happiness. For what? Twenty years? More? Her head swam.
"Signorina Ashley?"
"What?" Her mouth felt dry.
"You're not going to faint again, are you?"
She clenched her teeth. "No." She could feel herself sway and sat on the first step so hard, she hurt her backside. "Uncle Teo is upstairs, in Benedetta's kitchen. You go and find him." With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and leaned against the banister.
"I'm here, Carlina." Uncle Teo's voice came from above. "What do you need?"
"I'd like you to see this search warrant." Garini held out the piece of paper.
Uncle Teo came down the stairs and took the paper. He unfolded it, fished his glasses from his breast pocket, placed them on the tip of his nose and read the paper. "The whole house?" He sounded surprised.
"Yes." Garini didn't elaborate.
"Are you planning to search other houses as well?"
Garini lifted his eyebrows. "Like whose?"
Uncle Teo lifted both hands. "The rest of the family. Gabriella, Bernando, and little Lilly's house. Alberta, Angela and Marco's villa."
"Not yet." Garini didn't twitch a muscle. "We'll start here."
"All right." Uncle Teo inclined his head. "I will inform the others."
He turned and narrowed his eyes at Carlina. "Are you all right, dear?"
Carlina got up. "Yes."
"One more thing, Commissario." Uncle Teo focussed his rheumy eyes onto Garini. "When can we have the funeral?"
Garini frowned. "We'll need a few more days. I'll be in touch as soon as I know more."
"All right." Uncle Teo sighed and went upstairs again.
Carlina's heart went out to him. He looked so frail and alone, without the competition of his twin brother to push him to new heights every day.
The Commissario waited until Benedetta's apartment door had opened and closed, then he nodded at Carlina. "Would you now open the door, please?"
"Yes." Carlina pushed her key into the
Similar Books
