temptation in florence 03 - bankers death

by boeker, beate

  Ernesto grinned and pulled Rafaele forward. “Sounds good. Rafaele, are you coming?”

  “Sorry, bro.” Valentino shook his head at Rafaele. “It's a Mercedes two-seater. There's no room for you.”

  Rafaele lifted a hand with a languishing movement. “Don't bother, Ernesto. I'll stay here and eat some more of your birthday cake.” He did not look at Valentino.

  Uncle Teo frowned. “I don't think it's right that you leave in the middle of your own birthday party, Ernesto.”

  Ernesto looked like a sad puppy.

  Caroline suppressed a grin. Her little cousin could do that at the drop of a hat. As usual, it worked like a charm.

  Uncle Teo lifted one hand in a gesture of surrender. “Oh, all right. Off you go, then, and enjoy yourself, but think about that bungee jumping. You don't want to make your mother unhappy, do you?”

  Ernesto gave him a crooked smile but wisely refrained from answering.

  As soon as the door had closed behind the two men, a sigh of relief went around the room.

  “Boy, oh, boy.” Simonetta threw her bean bags in a colorful tumble onto the table and dropped onto a chair. “What on earth will you do, Carlina?”

  “Me?” Carlina swallowed.

  “Well, Benedetta told you to solve the problem, didn't she?”

  “Yes, she did.” Emma nodded so hard, her long hair slid forward. “And I have to say, I don't envy you, Carlina.”

  Chapter 2

  I

  A sharp gust of wind blew down the tiny street Via delle Pinzochere and tousled Carlina's brown curls.

  “Well, that was a lively family gathering.” Garini zipped up his heavy leather jacket and unlocked the motor bike. “But I still don't understand that ominous reference to health food.”

  Carlina pulled her jacket tighter around her. “It's a long story.” She didn't feel like telling Garini.

  He gave her a quizzical look. “Something tells me your mother is up to something new. Has she stopped telling the future?”

  Carlina sighed. “She gave up reading the cards on New Year's Eve.”

  “Oh?” It sounded as if Garini regretted to hear this. “Why?”

  “Because the cards did not tell her in advance that I was in danger of being killed last Christmas, so she lost her confidence.”

  “But that's good news, isn't it?” Garini frowned.

  “I'm not sure if this new eccentricity isn't worse.” Carlina shrugged. She might just as well tell him. He would find out anyway. “She has taken up an obsession with health food, and it's driving us crazy.”

  “An obsession with health food?” Garini asked.

  Carlina eyed him. Did he sound amused or disturbed? It was hard to tell. She cleared her throat. “Er. Yes.” Please don't ask.

  “What's so bad about the health food phase?” Garini asked.

  “Benedetta takes it as a personal insult. You know that she usually cooks for the whole family, don't you?”

  Garini nodded.

  “Well, Mama now insists on having special food, and she cooks it for herself.” Carlina rolled her eyes. “She's the world's worst cook, and Benedetta claims it turns her off her own meals when she has to look at the stuff Mama is bringing to the table. They are at daggers drawn, and believe me, it's no fun to be around them at all. It's as if they're fifteen, bickering like teenage sisters.” She took a deep breath. “For breakfast, for example, Fabbiola drinks vinegar combined with honey. She claims the Romans already did that hundreds of years ago, and that it's good for your skin or whatever.”

  “That rings a bell,” Garini said. “If I remember correctly, your grandfather had exactly the same phase, didn't he? Do you think it's hereditary?”

  “God forbid.” Carlina grinned. “Besides, she claims it's something quite different because she uses another type of honey.” She took a deep breath and delivered her mother's clinching argument. “Her honey is collected only by happy bees.”

  Garini's eyebrow went up. “How can you tell if a bee is happy?”

  He kept a straight face, but Carlina could see the smile lurking deep in his eyes. A tingle of happiness ran down her spine, as always, when she saw that he shared her sense of the ridiculous. Maybe he would not run away after all, even if exposed to all her family's idiosyncracies. “Don't ask Mama to define a happy bee,” she said. “Otherwise, we'll have to go through a sermon that takes about three quarters of an hour. Unfortunately, the bees are happier than we are at the moment. The atmosphere in the house is about as poisonous as the meals she prepares.”

  “Is the food really so bad?” Garini asked.

  “Worse than you can imagine.” Carlina shuddered. “If it was only the vinegar-honey-drink, I could live with it, but she also insists on making her own bread. She bought two massive sacks of corn and grinds the stuff herself with a huge grinder in her kitchen.” She made a move with her head, indicating the third floor where Fabbiola had her apartment.

  Garini inclined his head. “Interesting.”

  “It makes enough noise to shake the whole house and covers everything with flour,” Carlina continued. “Besides, the bread tastes absolutely vile, as Mama refuses to add salt or spices. She even says you can use the corn as chewing gum if you mash it long enough between your teeth.” Carlina shook herself in disgust.

  “I see your point.” The corners of Garini's mouth quivered.

  Carlina spread out her hands. “And now, as if our nerves weren't already stretched to breaking point, Valentino had to come back from Dubai and give that stupid voucher to Ernesto.” She bit her lip. “I'm sorry. I didn't see that coming when I asked if you'd like to join Ernesto's birthday party.”

  Stefano gave her a wry smile. “I've learned to expect the unexpected from your family.”

  “Yeah, but unexpected is one thing. Total war is another.” Carlina hugged herself. The wind was making the air brisk, as if spring was still a long time away. In spite of that, she was glad she had followed Stefano outside after the party because she wanted to say good-bye without half the family checking on their every move.

  “I can only give you one piece of advice: Stay out of it.” He looked at her, his light eyes scanning her face.

  “I can't.” Carlina shook her head. “Benedetta asked me to help.”

  “That made me wonder. Why didn't she ask Uncle Teo? After all, he's the patriarch of the family.”

  Carlina grinned. “She knows he's a softy.”

  “And you aren't?” His smile teased her.

  She squared her shoulders and grinned at him. “It may not seem like it at first glance, but I'm tough, you know.”

  “I see.” His smile was tender, then he became serious. “So what will you do? Tell Ernesto to return the voucher? Don't kid yourself. Your intervention will only make him angry, and, just for the hell of it, he'll jump from an even higher roof top. He's a teenager.”

  Carlina sighed. “I know. I'm stymied.”

  “So don't do anything.” He shook his head. “I'll spare my breath. You know, if you had less family loyalty, it might be easier.”

  She looked up. “What do you mean?”

  He didn't reply. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a hard kiss.

  Carlina could feel herself softening. She fell into the kiss with every fiber of her being, feeling, as always, that as long as she was in his arms, the world could get lost, and she wouldn't mind. Their relationship was not yet very old, in fact, it had started more or less after Christmas, but Stefano's job as Investigating Officer at the Florence Homicide Department did not leave them much time to develop their friendship. In January, he had been called away on an international job that required his presence in the Netherlands and had only returned three weeks later. February had given them more time, if one didn't count two homicide cases on his plate and the illness of Carlina's shop-assistant, leaving her all alone with the work at her lingerie store Temptation on Via de' Tornabuoni.

  However, with March, spring ha
d come, and Carlina hoped that they would be able to spend more time together, building their trust and love. She knew she had hesitated before inviting him to any family event, thinking that her exuberant and eccentric family might turn him off. Not that he didn't know them - after all, two murder cases in the past six months had brought him into close touch with the Mantoni family, but it was different if you came into it as an outsider than if you were presented as The Boyfriend. The latter position was subject to much deeper analysis. In spite of that, he had not yet run, which said much about his feelings for Carlina.

  “Why are you smiling?” His voice was soft.

  “I'm just thinking that you're very courageous to keep up being with me in spite of my family.”

  Before he could reply, a horn blasted behind them.

  Carlina turned her head.

  Valentino inched a matte black Mercedes convertible with cream colored leather seats through the narrow street, one hand hanging in a relaxed way out of the window. His dark sunglasses hid most of his face. They were equipped with a mirror effect so that Carlina could only see a distorted version of herself when she looked into his eyes.

  “Here's another man I haven't yet met.” Valentino shouted. “You didn't introduce us upstairs, Carlina.” Without waiting for an answer, he continued, looking at Stefano. “Are you sure you're allowed to mess around with my cousin, mate?”

  Carlina sucked in her breath. “There's just one person who allows whatever it is that's happening with me,” she said. “And that's myself. Get lost, Valentino.”

  Valentino shook his head and laughed. “Have you heard that, Ernesto? She's got guts, your cousin. I like women with guts.”

  Ernesto grinned and waved.

  Carlina rolled her eyes and turned away.

  “Hey, at least be polite and present your lover to me!” Valentino stopped the car right next to them.

  “His name is Stefano Garini,” Ernesto said. “He's a Commissario at the Homicide Department, and he solved the murders of grandpa and the rich American.” His voice was still filled with awe.

  Carlina suppressed a smile. Ernesto had been quite impressed with Garini, and with good reason.

  Valentino shook his head. “He's not good enough for you, Carlina. Take a lawyer or a doctor or . . . “ he gave her an exaggerated wink, “ . . . a banker. Policemen are so . . . “ he took a look at Stefano's immobile face and broke off. “Oh, my, I'd better not continue. The law might have it in for me.”

  “Exactly.” Carlina made sure her voice was dry. “Ciao, Valentino. Shove off now.” She turned back to Garini.

  Valentino revved up the motor until the historical street was filled with ear-splitting noise, then took off with squealing tires.

  “I'm glad you've got a sturdy bar at your apartment door so you can lock yourself in.” Stefano's voice was calm. “This is an ugly customer if ever I saw one.”

  “He's quite popular with the ladies,” Carlina said. “Did you see Annalisa smiling at him? Not everybody can pull off a hand-kiss and get away with it.”

  “Quite.” He gave her another short kiss, put on his helmet and drove off. Carlina hurried back into the house with the uneasy feeling that the next days were not going to be fun.

  II

  “I keep telling you, I can't!”

  Valentino's exasperated voice stopped Carlina in her tracks. Her mother had told her to bring Uncle Teo some of her homemade bread before he went to bed, so he would have it for breakfast the next morning,. As the day had already been stressful enough, Carlina decided to obey without further comment. After all, Uncle Teo could always throw it away when Fabbiola wasn't looking. Finding the door ajar, Carlina walked into her great-uncle's apartment on the ground floor without further ado, but Valentino's harsh sentence froze her to the spot.

  “What do you mean?” Uncle Teo's voice sounded weak and broken.

  “I mean it's impossible, and you have to accept that.” Valentino's impatience showed in every word.

  “But I can't wait. I have to give it back, or we'll all be in deep trouble.”

  Never had Carlina heard her Uncle Teo speak like that. He sounded freaked out, not at all like the patriarch who was sure of himself and knew how to guide the whole family.

  “Tell them to wait. Another month or two, and it'll all work out. Don't worry.”

  Valentino's glib words raised her hackles, even though she had no idea what the subject was.

  “They won't believe me.” Uncle Teo said, “I told them four weeks ago, and they said they would wait four weeks. Not more. The four weeks are up now.”

  “Oh, what the hell!” Valentino exploded. “Go to them again; tell them it'll take a bit longer. Make up some tale. Surely you didn't get this old without being able to invent a plausible story? Remember, if you're sunk, they're sunk, too. I know the business. Trust me. They'll give you more time.”

  “Why don't you go with me, Valentino?” Uncle Teo's voice gained a bit of strength. “You'll be able to sell the concept much better.”

  Valentino gave a harsh laugh. “Me? Not on your life. I won't appear at all.”

  “But I really think . . . .”

  “No.” Valentino's voice was final. “You go to them, tomorrow morning.” A chair scraped across the floor. “You'll be ok.”

  Carlina turned on her heels and rushed out of the apartment. What on earth is going on? She ran to the first landing, then turned around, her hand on the smooth wooden banister, as if she had just come from upstairs. Usually, she loved to feel the silky surface of the wood underneath her hand and reveled in the feeling whenever she ran downstairs, but now, her thoughts were too confused to notice it more than in passing. What was happening here? Why did Valentino suddenly have such power over Uncle Teo?

  Valentino came out of Uncle Teo's apartment, shrugging into an extravagant winter coat with silk lining in dark purple. The scowl on his face disappeared without a trace when he saw Carlina on the landing above him. “Carlina! How nice to see you. Has the lover gone?”

  She decided to ignore his question and slowly descended the stairs. “Are you going out?”

  “Of course.” Valentino checked his platinum watch. “It's only ten thirty; the evening is just beginning. Want to join me? We could talk about old times.”

  She could not remember any old times with him, as he had gone to a private school and had kept apart from his cousins during family meetings. “No, thank you.” She twisted her lips and hoped it would pass for a smile. “I still have to do my bookkeeping.” That was only half a lie. There was always some sort of bookkeeping to be done, if she looked long enough.

  Valentino laughed so hard, he had to lean against the door frame. “Bookkeeping? What kind of bookkeeping do you have to do in the middle of the night?”

  “I happen to be the owner of a store.” Carlina made sure her voice sounded cool. She wanted him to go now, so she could check up on Uncle Teo. He had not appeared behind Valentino. That was unusual. In general, Uncle Teo was a high stickler for etiquette and saw any visitor out. Though maybe Valentino didn't count as a visitor, since he stayed at Uncle Teo's apartment.

  “A store?” Valentino frowned. “What kind of . . . ?” He broke off and slapped his thigh. “Yes, of course! I remember now . . . you have this highly expensive lingerie store.” His eyes became speculative. “Nice.”

  Carlina stiffened and braced herself for some sexist remark, but his next words surprised her.

  “I bet you're making great profits.”

  Carlina recoiled. She was not going to discuss her store with a shark.

  Valentino took her arm and turned her to the front door of the house. “Listen, you and I, we need to talk. I've got an idea or two how you can increase your assets without ever moving your pretty butt.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks.” Carlina stepped to the side so he had to let go of her arm. “I'm fine.”

  He gave her his charming smile. “I guess you sincerely believe this, but trust me, a
layman never does. It's a complicated world out there, and it takes an expert to understand the intricacies of the financial markets.”

  “Sure.” Carlina put as much boredom into her voice as she could manage. Would he get the message? Probably not. He had a hide as thick as a rhinoceros and a matching ego. She feigned a yawn to emphasize her point. “Sorry, but I have to bring this bread to Uncle Teo now.”

  He stepped into her way. “Listen, Carlina, business apart, I'd really like to get to know you better.” His gaze dropped to her chest.

  Carlina wished she hadn't put on her favorite sweater with the leopard print and the interesting neckline. Some men managed to make you feel dirty no matter what you wore. With a pang, she remembered the day when Stefano had taken off her blouse to bind up a knife-cut in her shoulder. Not with the slightest flicker of an eyelid had he betrayed that he had been distracted - though he had told her later that it hadn't been easy. She suppressed a smile.

  Valentino inched closer. “I had forgotten how charming you are while I was in Dubai.”

  Enough is enough. “And I have not forgotten your . . . character, either, my dear cousin.” She narrowed her eyes. “Besides, do you remember that we are first cousins?”

  Valentino grinned. “You mean it would be incest?” He waved the argument away. “In many countries, that's not an issue at all. In Dubai, for example, it's one of the most respected connections you can make. It all stays in the family, so to speak.” He laughed at his own joke.

  “Wonderful.” Carlina's voice dripped irony. “But in spite of that very tempting offer, I still say no.”

  “Carlina.” His voice dropped. “That's a very attractive name, you know. How about this? We have a nice dinner in one of the most expensive restaurants in town, and then, I'll take you to an exclusive night-club. Is the Elitissimo as good as it was?”

  She gave an exasperated sigh. ”You still have to learn a lot if you don't recognize a no for a no, Valentino. Now get out of my way, or I'll shove you.”