Shout in the Dark by Christopher Wright Page B

sound
worried. I'm only a journalist."
    His caution was justified. "I can't speak
to the press."
    She was very quick with her reassurance.
"Consider me a friend, Marco. I keep seeing you on
television."
    " Sorry, I'm going to have to fall back on the old cliché: no
comment. I've been sworn to silence by higher forces. I don't want
to get into any deeper trouble with the Church -- and I don't want
to be quoted on that either."
    " My name's Laura. Laura Rossetti. There's some important
information I want to share with you."
    " You're not after a story?"
    " You're going to have to trust me." And she laughed
intriguingly.
    The young woman's voice was seductive,
irresistible. He invited her in, wishing he'd tidied the main room
for the unaccustomed reception of female company. His seminarian
flat mates had already moved out to their first parishes. Until the
fiasco with Amendola he had been packing, getting ready for the
move to the presbytery. Now -- thanks to the stuffy Cardinal -- he
wondered if he would ever be allowed to go into parish work. It was
only when Laura Rossetti was sitting down that he remembered Father
Reinhardt's warnings about the neo-Nazis.
    Laura Rossetti seemed to be genuine,
complete with a notebook and folder. To his consternation Marco
experienced a primitive feeling of attraction. Laura Rossetti was
lovely. Beautiful even, in spite of lips that were colored too
brightly. He offered her a chair, avoiding meeting her eyes. But
there would be no harm in simple friendship. He knew he had an easy
manner with all ages and both sexes. Marriage to Anna had taught
him a lot about women.
    Natalia, happy little Natalia he had once
tried to bed, must have aroused long-forgotten memories of other
girls only too ready to comply, but he found it easy to sweep the
thoughts aside. As at TV Roma, he was reluctant to dig too deeply
into this aspect of his past. But Laura had Anna's large eyes,
pulled-back hair and beautifully filled pale blue jeans. Even the
perfume was Anna's. L'Air du Temps .
Being in the room with Laura Rossetti unsettled him.
    The resolve to stay away from women had been
easily made when Anna died. No one could replace her. His
subsequent vows of chastity and celibacy were genuine, and he
prided himself on learning to control his once obsessive
fascination with the female body. The route from promiscuous youth,
to marriage, to man of God, was hopefully a one-way trip.
    He sat a little way across the room,
facing his visitor. "I'm not sure I can be much help." He could
feel himself blushing as he spoke, and felt angry with himself.
"You've seen my television interview. I'm told I put my foot in
it."
    " Angelo Levi," Laura interrupted. She said the name slowly.
"Canon Angelo Levi. You mentioned him in the interview. He was too
good for the Church."
    " I met him several times when I was a boy," said Marco.
"Sister Maria used to take us on school trips round the Vatican
museum, and Canon Levi pointed things out to us and made jokes. I
don't think Sister Maria liked his little jokes. I remember I was
stunned to hear about his death. Are you a Catholic?"
    Laura stood up slowly and went to the
window. "Catholic? Of course I'm a Catholic." She sounded a little
peevish. Then she turned and smiled. "You have a good view of the
park from here."
    Marco felt pleased by the observation. He
was fond of the student apartment. Until he knew Laura better he
would certainly not talk about his work for Father Josef. "Tell me
how you knew the Canon."
    She took her time before replying. At last
she said, "I was young when he died."
    " Close on twenty years since the murder," Marco prompted,
suddenly aware of the shape of Laura's full breasts under the white
blouse. He had already noticed there was no wedding
ring.
    " I must be about the same age as you. Yes, I knew
him."
    " You're not making notes. I don't think you're here for a
news story."
    Laura returned from the window, walked
past the chair she had been using, and sat