Delayed Death (Temptation in Florence Book 1)

by boeker, beate

  "Nico was a lousy card player," a voice behind them said.

  They both swiveled around.

  "Uncle Teo!" Carlina gave her great-uncle a hug. "What are you doing here, so early in the morning?"

  "It's not early." The skin around Uncle Teo's eyes looked crinkled and saggy. "I've been up since six. I walked here. I'm still fit for my age." His stance was a far cry from his old swagger.

  Her heart went out to him. With both his wife and his brother dead, what was life like for him now? "Would you like some water? I'm afraid I don't have coffee."

  "No." Uncle Teo shook his head. "I came to make you an offer."

  Carlina gulped. "An offer?"

  "Yes." Uncle Teo looked at her with a determined expression. "I wish to work at Temptation."

  Garini turned to the shelf behind him with a sudden twist and studied the label on a golden bra as if he couldn't find anything more fascinating on the whole earth.

  Carlina's mouth went slack. "What? But . . . you don't have to work, Uncle Teo."

  Her great-uncle frowned and made an impatient move with his hand. "I know that. But I think I could help you. A free worker is always welcome."

  "I'm honored that you'd consider working for me."

  "I don't consider it. I'm offering it. You just have to snap it up." He rocked back on his heels and beamed at her.

  Carlina swallowed. "Yeah. I mean, thanks. It's only--" She threw a helpless look at Garini's back. Was he shaking with silent laughter? "Actually, I need especially trained people. Selling underwear may sound easy, but you have to know a lot and be very tactful."

  His eyebrows pulled together until they looked like a scraggly ridge. "Are you telling me I'm not tactful?"

  You're the least tactful man on earth. With the exception of the guy standing behind you. "Em."

  Garini turned around. "It sounds like a great idea."

  Carlina glared at him. "This is none of your business."

  Uncle Teo shook his head. "That wasn't a tactful thing to say, Carlina."

  She clenched her teeth. "I don't think it would work, Uncle Teo."

  "Why not?" Her great-uncle adopted a belligerent stance.

  Damn. Carlina threw a fleeting glance at Garini. He seemed to be having the time of this life. At least he'd snapped out of his bad mood. I don't have time for this. "You have to know a lot about women's underwear to work here."

  Uncle Teo winked. "But I do know a lot. More than you'd think."

  Carlina suppressed a shudder. If he winked like that at any of her female customers, they'd turn on their high heels and vanish quicker than the last piece of tiramisu at a family party.

  Garini chuckled.

  That did it. Carlina clenched her teeth. "All right," she said. "Sell him something." She leaned her shoulders against the shelf and pointed with her chin at Garini.

  Garini's eyebrows went up. "Me? I don't need underwear."

  "Never mind. Pretend you're buying something for--"

  His eyebrows climbed even higher.

  "For your sister. It's a gift. For . . . for her birthday."

  "She'd faint if she ever got underwear for her birthday from me," Garini said.

  Carlina nudged her great-uncle. "Go ahead. He's only shy. Many men are. Get him out of his reserve."

  Garini looked revolted.

  Carlina smiled. Maybe this was fun after all.

  Uncle Teo cleared his throat. "Buongiorno, young man."

  "Do you mean that young bit ironically?" Carlina cut in.

  Her great-uncle frowned. "But no. From my point-of-view, everybody is young."

  "I'm thirty-four." Garini sounded put out. "In my book, that's not old."

  Uncle Teo beamed at him. "But that's what I'm saying, young man."

  Carlina grinned. "Go on, Uncle Teo."

  He waved at the display. "Anything take your fancy?"

  Garini rolled his eyes. "No."

  "Come on," Carlina said. "Be a bit more spontaneous. You have to buy a birthday gift for your sister. You only have two days left, and this is the last chance."

  "Her birthday is in six months."

  "Spoilsport."

  Their eyes met.

  A smile quivered in a corner of Carlina's mouth. "Waded in too deep, Garini?" She made sure her voice sounded sweet.

  A tiny flame sprung up in his eyes. He turned to Uncle Teo. "She has the same size as your great-niece." A move with his chin left no doubt which niece he was talking about.

  Damn. Carlina could feel her face going hot. She was not going to discuss her size with him or anybody else, for that matter.

  Uncle Teo nodded, his face split into a delighted grin. "Now we're getting somewhere."

  We're not. Carlina clenched her teeth.

  "What's your size, dear?"

  He had no shame. Carlina took a deep breath. "Few men know the sizes of their wives, lovers, or sisters.” She looked at Garini. “In fact, many women don't even know their own size. The size of a bra is separated into two different units, the circumference of the chest, and the size of the cup. As we have a lot of tourists in Florence, you don't only have to know the Italian size, but also the American, the British, the French, and the Australian sizes. They all differ. Depending on the system, you have at least ten different circumferences, some in centimeters, some in inches. The size of the cup varies from A to H." She saw Uncle Teo's eyes glazing over. "Depending on the use, you have different styles. Some bras are especially made for sports, some have straps you can take off for evening wear, some are made to maximize the size, some to minimize. I offer stick-on bras for dresses without a back, and on request, I order bras for breast feeding as well as bras that help the healing process after operations."

  Uncle Teo held up his hand. "All right, my dear. I can see it's a complicated business."

  "I haven't finished." Carlina said.

  "Please don't." Uncle Teo shook his head. His shoulders sagged forward. "I can see you don't have any use for an old stick like me."

  Carlina bit her lips. "I'm sorry." She cast around for something to offer, anything to make him feel better, but nothing came to mind. She felt like a louse.

  "Maybe you can work for the police," Garini said.

  Carlina thought she'd misunderstood.

  Uncle Teo's face brightened. "Really?"

  Garini looked at the old man. "We sometimes need people to spy for us. You would blend in better, sitting somewhere in the sun, than many other people."

  Uncle Teo nodded. "Yes, I could do that."

  "However, we can't start until this case is solved," Garini added.

  He got cold feet. Carlina frowned. I hope he won't leave Uncle Teo hanging for ever.

  "When will you solve the case?" Uncle Teo asked.

  Garini's eyes met Carlina's. "Soon. Very soon."

  Chapter 16

  "Ciao, Carlina!" Bright eyed, her pigtails crooked, Lilly bounced into Carlina's arms. "Hmm, it smells nice here!" She wriggled out of her aunt's arms and ran to the kitchen.

  "I've made a cake for you." Carlina picked up the pink backpack Lilly had dropped. "Oh, my, this is heavy. Are you planning to stay a week?"

  Lilly answered from her place in front of the oven. "I only packed what I need."

  Carlina opened it and took out a box with colored pencils, a drawing book, one teddy bear and one tiger with a missing ear, a package with cards, and a Nintendo player. She placed everything on the low table in front of the sofa. "Hmm," she said. "One tiny thing is missing. Where are your clothes?"

  "Mama will bring them." Lilly hopped back into the living room. "When can we eat the cake?"

  "Carlina!" Gabriella's voice came from below. "Come and help me!"

  Carlina went to her door and looked down the staircase. "Don't tell me you can't carry Lilly's suitcase. She's only staying two nights."

  "It's not the suitcase. It's Lollo."

  "Lollo? Who's . . ." Her voice faded as she saw her sister coming up the stairs with a bir
d cage in her hand. It was covered by a pink shawl. Carlina blinked.

  "It's my canary!" Lilly ran from the kitchen to her mother and stopped right in front of her. She lifted the pink shawl, looked underneath, and clicked her tongue. Then she crooned. "We're almost there, Lollo. Don't be afraid. I'm with you."

  Her mother gave an exasperated sigh. "Lilly, if you'd step to the side for a minute, I could go upstairs and get rid of this heavy cage. Now move, will you?"

  Lilly turned on her heels, bounced upstairs to her aunt, and took her hand. "You don't mind that I brought Lollo, do you? Mom said you would be angry, but I knew it would be fine."

  Carlina's gaze met her sister's for a pregnant moment.

  Gabriella looked defiant.

  Lilly tugged at Carlina's hand. "Lollo would be sad all alone at the house."

  Carlina glared at her sister. "You said two nights, didn't you?"

  Lilly gave her an anxious glance. "Are you angry, Carlina?"

  Carlina took a deep breath. Exasperation and amusement fought within her, but finally, the latter won, and she started to laugh. "No, I'm not. Let's get Lollo inside, shall we?"

  As they settled the cage in the kitchen, Gabriella gave many contradictory instructions about how to deal with any possible crisis and how to take Lilly to school the next morning. Then she helped to make a bed out of Carlina's sofa and took her leave.

  Carlina looked at her niece who was munching cake with a happy grin. "Well, Lilly? What do you want to do today?"

  Lilly didn't hesitate. "I want to ride with you on your Vespa. You said you would take me to the hills."

  Carlina smiled. "Did I?"

  "Yes." Lilly shoved another piece of cake into her mouth. "I brought my helmet."

  "But we can't take Lollo."

  "Oh." Lilly put her head to one side and gave her canary a considering look. "I think Lollo is tired from moving. He will enjoy a rest now."

  Carlina suppressed a smile. How easy to interpret everything the way you wanted. "That's settled, then."

  Lilly's helmet was bright pink. It had been Carlina's birthday gift for her niece two months previously. Feeling her arms circling her waist, holding on tight, hearing her squeal with glee when going round corners, and stopping whenever they saw something they liked, filled Carlina with happiness. They had agreed that two tugs meant "please stop", and so they ambled through the hills of Florence, alongside vineyards filled with heavy bunches of grapes, dusty, purple, and sweet. Their way led them alongside low stone walls, giving off heat after a morning full of sun and sheltering them from the autumn wind. They found a donkey with ears that looked as if somebody had chewed on them, an olive tree that reminded them of an old mountain troll Lilly had in one of her picture books, and a quiet church built of beaten sandstone where every whisper returned with an echo. At a small inn, they had Lilly's favorite pasta, spaghetti with pesto sauce. Their last stop was at the historical Gelateria Vivoli where they both devoured a huge portion of homemade ice-cream. When the sun set, they trundled home, happy, exhausted, and full of good food. Carlina decided to warm Lily up with a hot bath before putting her to bed. While her niece soaked in the hot water, singing a song for Lollo to compensate for the long day all alone, she went to the living room to get Lilly's pajamas from the sofa they had already turned into a bed.

  As she bent down to retrieve them, she stumbled and caught her balance with one hand on the bed. The bed moved against the wall, a swoosh rushed past her ear, and just as she started to laugh, remembering the fish mobile, the laughter froze in her throat. A long, thin knife was stuck in the middle of the bed. On top lay the mobile with the wooden fish. They had come down together, but the knife, sharp and thin, had penetrated the mattress at the exact point where Lily's back would have been had she jumped into bed as usual.

  The room around Carlina receded, then started to turn in circles. She sank to her knees. Her hand curled into the fake leopard skin on the armchair next to her.

  "Carlina!"

  With an effort that felt as if it came from outside her body, Carlina pulled herself together. She opened her mouth. Nothing came out. She swallowed and tried again. "Yes?"

  "Why aren't you coming back?"

  Carlina stared at the knife, mesmerized. Garini. I have to call Garini. She forced herself to get up and looked around the room, blinded by panic.

  "Carlina!" A splash followed the words. "Come and have a look! I have great soap bubbles."

  "I need to call someone. Stay in the bath." There. Carlina pounced on her phone, lying on her favorite window seat. Thank God he had made her program his number. Aaawful Commissario. She pressed the speed button with shaking fingers. Please. Answer the phone. Please. It rang once, then it clicked, and an unknown female voice said. "This is the police operator. How can I help you?"

  Carlina swallowed. "I need to talk to Stefano Garini."

  "I'm afraid he's not in the office right now. Try to call him on his cell phone."

  "I did." Her voice sounded as if it came from a long way off.

  "Oh. I'm afraid I can't help you in that case. Can it wait?" The operator sounded stressed.

  Carlina looked at the knife stuck in the sofa, at the closed door to the bathroom where Lilly sang, happy and without a clue of how close she had been to death, at the useless bar on the entrance that had failed to protect them.

  "Hello? Are you still there?" The female voice snapped.

  Carlina felt unable to explain anything to the impatient woman on the phone. "Yes. Thanks." She cut off the connection.

  "Carlina!"

  "One moment, Lilly!" Her next move was instinctive. Without thinking, without asking herself why she acted as she did, she put on her coat, slid the phone into its pocket, pulled out Lilly's suitcase, threw in Lilly's clothes for the next day, the tiger with one ear, and the picture book, placed a big cushion in front of the knife so it wouldn't be seen, then took Lilly's pajamas and went to the bathroom. "I have a surprise, Lilly." She forced herself to sound cheerful, but it sounded stilted, even to her own ears.

  Lilly looked up. "A surprise?"

  "Yes. We're going to sleep somewhere else tonight." Carlina took a large towel and held it out to her niece. "Get out. I'll rub you dry." Thank God Lilly hadn't put her head underneath the water or she would have caught a cold when going out again.

  Lilly obeyed and stood dripping in front of the tub. "Where are we going?"

  Carlina gathered her into her arms with the towel and hugged her tight. I don't know. "It's an adventure." Carlina forced a smile. "I won't tell. Get ready. Quick."

  Lilly jumped into her pajamas. Then they added a sweater and a pair of jeans. She giggled. "It's not right to dress like this."

  "It's an adventure dress." Please don't ask why.

  Two minutes later, they stood at the door, ready to leave. "Let's make it a secret adventure." Carlina said. "We're leaving the house on tiptoes. Nobody should hear or see us. All right?"

  Lilly nodded.

  Bless you. Carlina opened the door a crack and looked out.

  "But what about Lollo?" Lilly's voice rang out, clear and loud enough to be heard all over the staircase.

  Carlina shut the door again with a hasty move. "Lollo? He'll stay here. He's still so tired from the last move."

  Lilly's mouth turned down at the corners. "He wants to stay with me. I know he does. I have learned at school that canaries are unhappy if they're on their own." Her voice rose. "They pull out their feathers, and then they die!"

  Carlina bit her lips. She had to get Lilly out of here, now, without being seen, without being heard. If Lilly was upset about the canary, she had no chance, unless she gagged and bound her niece. She clenched her teeth. "All right." She pushed the suitcase at her niece. "You take this. I take the cage." In two steps, she was in the kitchen, grabbed the cage, flung the pink shawl over it, and returned to the door. "Now quiet. No sound. Okay?"

  Lilly nodded. Her eyes shone.

  Carlina wanted
to hug her, keep her close to her chest, covered by her arms. The responsibility for her niece choked her. How close to death Lilly had been. She had to make sure nothing happened to the child.

  The door closed with a soft click behind them. They tiptoed downstairs. Just as they reached the landing to Fabbiola's apartment, they heard a door opening further down.

  "Buona notte, Benedetta," they heard Fabbiola say.

  Carlina turned on her heels, grabbed Lilly's shoulder, and raced upstairs again.

  "Good night," Benedetta's voice floated up. "Do you know if Carlina and Lilly have returned from their spree?"

  "They have." The stairs creaked under Fabbiola's weight. "Lilly's just taking a bath. I heard the water gurgle."

  "Well, if you see them, say good night to them too."

  "I will." Fabbiola had reached the landing which led to her apartment.

  Carlina, one floor higher, opened the door to her apartment with a shaking hand and darted inside, pulling Lilly with her. She flung the suitcase behind the door and dropped the cage on the low table in front of the sofa so it hid the cushion before the knife.

  "Now don't say a word, Lilly, all right?"

  Fabbiola appeared at the open door. "Have you finished your bath, love?"

  "Yes, she has." Carlina blocked the entrance to her apartment and pulled Lilly close to her.

  "How nice." Fabbiola bent down and gave her granddaughter a kiss. "Hmm, you smell good." She looked up and frowned. "But why are you dressed again? Isn't it time to go to bed?"

  Desperate, Carlina cast around for an explanation. "It's an experiment." She made an airy move with her hand.

  "An experiment? What kind of experiment?"

  "Em." Carlina swallowed. "A . . . a clothes experiment. We were talking about the life of adventurers, and we have read how often they sleep in their clothes, so we decided we would try that too."

  Lilly nodded with vigor.

  Bless her.

  Fabbiola crossed her arms in front of her chest. "But that's ridiculous. It's much too hot and uncomfortable."

  Carlina took a step forward, crowding her mother's space. "Never mind. It's my evening with Lilly, and tonight, our own rules apply." She tried a carefree smile. "Grandmothers not allowed."