Glasses clinked, then Garini returned with a phone fixed between his ear and his shoulder. He held two glasses in his hand, filled with a transparent liquid. "Yes," he said. "Via delle Pinzochere 10. You got that? I'll join you there. Wait for me. Ciao."
He gave one of the glasses to Carlina. "It's only water, but I think you should drink it."
She nodded and accepted the glass, then started to sip. The water ran down her throat, soothing, cool. It made her feel better.
He placed the phone on the shelf, emptied his glass in one thirsty draft, and put it down next to the phone. "Please continue."
"Are you going to my apartment?"
He nodded and glanced at Lilly. "I would like you to join me, so you can explain everything while we're there."
"No way." Her response was unequivocal. "I promised I'd stay with her."
Rather to her surprise, he didn't insist. "Can you give me your keys?"
"Yes." Carlina looked around. "They're in the pocket of my coat." She made a move as if to get up.
"Don't." He held out his hand to stop her. "I'll get them on my way out." With a twist of his wrist, he glanced at his heavy wristwatch.
She had never noticed it before, but then, he usually wore his leather jacket.
He said, "I have to get to the apartment before anybody from your family does. Above all, I need to get the knife." He clasped his hands around one knee. "Tell me as much as you can. We still have about ten minutes before I have to leave. What happened after you discovered the knife?"
"I was paralyzed at first. When I could think again, I called you, but you weren't there. Afterward, I acted by instinct." She looked at him in the hope that he would understand. "I was on autopilot. I just had one goal, to get Lilly out of there. I felt it was too dangerous to stay another minute. So I told Lilly we were pirates, and I hid the knife behind a cushion, but I didn't move it."
"Well done."
"I'm sorry I brought the canary. Lilly insisted, and I didn't want to upset her." The words rushed out of her like a gush of water. It was a relief to share the responsibility.
"Did anybody see you when you left the house?"
"No. We saw Angela, Marco, Ernesto, and Uncle Ugo leave from Uncle Teo's apartment, but they didn't see us."
She took a deep breath. Now came the embarrassing part. "When we hit the street, I realized all of a sudden I had no idea where to go. Then I thought of you, and that you lived next to a hotel. Lilly was tired, so I figured I would try to find you, and if that failed, I would book ourselves into the hotel next door." She shot him a glance. "I'm sorry I imposed on you."
"No problem." He seemed to grapple with another problem. "Do you know when the knife was rigged up?"
She shrugged. Pain shot through her, and she winced. Damn that shoulder. "Anytime during the day. Lilly I and were out for hours. We went around the hills on my Vespa. It was great." Tears darted into her eyes. "I'm responsible for her."
"Did you see anybody during your trip on the hills?"
Carlina brought herself up short. What did that question imply? Did he want to check if she was lying? Did he think she had set up this whole rigmarole to clear herself? That she had cut herself with the knife? Tried to seduce him on top of everything else? Her face burned. "We stopped at an inn and had lunch." Her voice was glacial. "I can't recall the name, but I can take you there."
His hard eyes met hers.
She knew he had sensed her change of mood, had followed her thoughts. Damn.
"We can do so tomorrow," he said. "I have to leave now."
She felt embarrassed to be here, in his apartment, and if it hadn't been for Lilly, she would have left that very minute. But the idea of moving Lilly again made her swallow her words. Lilly's needs came first. Besides, his apartment was safer than a hotel room where anybody had access.
Apparently, Garini's thoughts were going along the same lines. "Where did you leave your Vespa?"
"Down the road, at the next intersection."
"Good." He got up. "I think it's safest if you both stay the night." His immobile face didn't betray a single trace of emotion. "I'll place Lilly in my bed, then you can sleep next to her."
Carlina jumped up. "But I can't take your bed." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I should never have come."
"I'm glad you did. I'd rather have you here than anywhere else."
Her heart stopped beating for an instant. Had he really said that?
"It's the safest place I can think of under the circumstances. I would hate to explain to my boss that I had not managed to prevent a third murder."
Carlina swallowed. So that was why.
He bent forward and gathered Lilly in his arms. Without a word, he carried her through the door and into the next room. With his elbow, he switched on the light and placed Lilly on his bed, then gathered the blanket around her.
Carlina blinked. His bedroom surprised her. It's the complete opposite to the living room. The wall behind his broad bed was covered with fitted shelves which went from floor to ceiling, leaving a free square around the head of the bed. In the middle of the free square, the latest Bang and Olufsen CD player hung like a futuristic piece of art, flat like a painting. The right half of the shelves was filled with CDs, the left with books. In the four corners of the room, just below the ceiling, expensive looking music boxes tilted at an angle, and next to the window, a glittering saxophone on a stand waited to be used again.
Garini played the saxophone? She had never thought about him outside his job, about his interests and life. How self-centered she had been.
The shelves right above the bed had four hidden spotlights, flooding the bed for easy reading. They were muted by the wall opposite the bed, painted in an unusual blue-green shade. It was a vivid room, a room to live in, a room with a personality. Carlina felt like an intruder.
Garini pointed at a flat light switch at the side of the bed. "If you touch the switch in one swift move, you turn it off or on. However, if you leave your fingers on the round centerpiece, you can dim the light."
"Listen, I can't accept this." Carlina crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I've no right to take your bed tonight."
He looked at her, an ironic smile in the corner of his mouth. "You don't have a choice. I can only offer this bed and the sofa. Unless you or Lilly wish to share the bed with me, you have to accept it."
Carlina opened her mouth and shut it again. He was right.
"It's no big deal." He grinned. "I often fall asleep on the sofa. I've slept in worse places."
Did he enjoy seeing her embarrassed? "Right." She pressed her lips together.
"When I'm gone, I want you to stay put. Don't answer your or my phone, and don't open the door, no matter what happens. I'll lock the door when I leave."
"You'll shut us in?" She didn't know if that made her feel safe or trapped. A bit of both, maybe.
He regarded her for a moment. "No. I'll leave you my key, so you can get out if there's a fire. But please, stay here unless you absolutely have to go."
It wasn't like him to ask her something. So maybe he was rattled too. It didn't show in his face, though. He seemed as unruffled as ever. She frowned. "How will you get in?"
"I've got a second key." He went to the entrance of the apartment and took a key from a hook by the door. "Here you are."
Carlina took it. "Thanks. Will you . . . will you be long?"
He nodded. "Don't wait."
Her mouth twisted. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep."
"No?" He looked as if he was considering something, then he said, "Go to the bathroom, take off that shirt and check in the mirror if the bandage is still clean. If not, I'll ask the police doctor to come here. The bathroom is over there." He pointed down the hall.
She obeyed like a puppet on strings. His bathroom, like the living area, had no personality. White tiles, white walls, a thin shelf above the simple sink, faded brown towels with an orange pattern that had been modern in the seventies.
It seemed Garini spent his life in his bedroom.
She unbuttoned the shirt. Her shoulder hurt when she pushed it off to have a look, but she couldn't tell if that was because of the tight bandage or because of the cut. Thank God everything was still snowy white. She dressed again and found him in the kitchen. It was small and practical, no fancy kitchen gadgets anywhere. Apparently, Garini didn't like to cook.
"No blood." she said.
"Good." He leaned against the stove and watched a kettle coming to boil.
Carlina frowned. "I thought you wanted to leave."
He glanced at his wristwatch. "I'll leave in a second, but first, I want you to have this tea." He switched off the stove, picked up the steaming kettle, and poured the boiling water into a teapot. It smelled strange, of herbs and hay on a hot summer day.
Carlina wrinkled her nose. "What kind of tea is that?"
"Something to help you sleep." He placed the kettle back onto the stove and pushed a mug next to the teapot. "Now wait three minutes before you pour a cup."
She lifted her eyebrows. She'd have bet her last shirt that Garini wasn't the kind of man to drink herbal tea.
He glanced at her and misunderstood the skeptic expression on her face. "It helps, believe me."
"Have you tried it?"
"Yes."
She had to ask. "Do you suffer from sleeplessness?" It was hard to keep the incredulity out of her voice.
"Not in general. But a few months ago, we had an ugly case." His mouth tightened. "It involved a kid."
Carlina blinked. She had learned more about him in the last few minutes than in all the time she'd known him. "I see."
"Three minutes, don't forget." He went to the door, took his leather jacket off a hook, found the key in her coat, then turned.
Carlina stood in the frame of the kitchen door, awkward, feeling like a wife watching her husband going to work.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
She felt a twinge of fear. "Garini, wait."
He lifted his eyebrows and scanned her face. "Yes?"
"Is she safe?"
He nodded. "Right now, she is." He stretched out his hand and touched her cheek for a fleeting moment. "Don't worry. You've done all you could. Now sleep. You need it." He opened the door, went through it and shut it behind him with a soft click.
Carlina heard the key in the lock, turning twice, then his steps, going downstairs. I wish he had stayed. She heaved a deep sigh. Where is this going to end? Weariness settled on her shoulders like a heavy blanket. Who wants to kill Lilly? She shivered. Aunt Maria's voice came back to her. A lot more people should be dead. Someone out there was prowling, ruthless, efficient. Someone from the family. Her family. She couldn't deny it any longer. Someone was desperate. Restless, she walked to the living room and back to the kitchen, going in circles, just like her thoughts. It has something to do with grandpa's bad past stories, I'm sure of it. But those secrets are not secrets anymore. Everybody knows about them. Carlina frowned. That fit to Aunt Maria's words. A lot more people should be dead. So maybe it was a secret nobody took seriously. Something they all knew and laughed about. But what could it be? The family has changed ever since grandpa's death. They didn't mention the secrets anymore, not even as a joke. Was that why the murderer took his time, killing them off one by one?
She went to the bedroom and checked on Lilly. Her niece had turned around, arms flung out, the blanket halfway to the floor. Carlina covered her again with the blanket. How on earth was she going to spend the rest of the night? She stood and listened in the silence. No sound but Lilly's breathing. She felt cut off from the world, alone on a foreign planet. Not a sound from outside, no steps from the apartment above her. Maybe Garini had insulated the walls because of his saxophone.
Sleep was impossible. She gave a start. The tea. She had forgotten the tea. She went to the kitchen, poured herself a cup, and sipped the brew. Nasty stuff. She wrinkled her nose. It smelled of cat pee. Looked like it, too. It would make her sick, not tired. She held her breath and gulped down the contents of her mug. There. Hopefully Garini would be happy.
She returned to the bedroom, took off her shoes, covered herself with his blanket, and dimmed the light. The bed smelled of laundry soap. Maybe he had just changed the sheets. Carlina felt a twinge of disappointment. She would have preferred a trace of him, for comfort. Then she shook her head. "You have to stop these fantasies, my girl. Anyone can see he's not interested." Even his touch just before he left could be interpreted as a simple gesture of comfort.
Lilly moved in her sleep. Carlina gathered her in her arms, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and curled up around her. Nobody would hurt her niece while she was close. Nobody. At first, she thought she would remain wide awake the whole night, but the tea's effect was stronger than she had expected, and she soon dozed off.
She woke from a scream.
Lilly! What was happening to Lilly?
Carlina shot up. Lilly was next to her. They were both on Garini's bed, the muted light showing an empty room.
Lilly stretched both arms straight into the air, her face averted, convulsed with fear. "No," she screamed. "I didn't tell anybody!"
Carlina took her by the shoulders. "It's me, Lilly." She gave her a gentle shake. "Carlina. You're safe. Don't be afraid."
Her niece shuddered and fought against her arms.
Carlina released her. "You're safe, Lilly. Everything is all right." What was troubling the child? Was it a dream? Or something more sinister? Gabriella hadn't mentioned any nightmares. Her heart pounded against her chest.
Lilly opened her eyes and stared at her aunt, the whites showing all round the iris. "Oh, Carlina!" Tears flooded her little face.
"Ssh." Carlina bent forward and hugged her. "It was a nightmare. It's over now."
Lilly hiccuped and held on tight. "I thought he would kill me."
Carlina suppressed a shudder. "Who?"
"Uncle--" Lilly gulped and clamped her mouth shut.
"Uncle?" Carlina held her breath.
Lilly jerked upright. "I can't tell. It's a secret. I have to keep the secret."
"Lilly, don't worry. You can tell me."
"No!" Lilly shook her head and retreated from her aunt's hug. "Don't make me tell it. I mustn't tell anybody. It's a secret." Her voice rose to a high pitch, broke. The terror in her eyes was tangible. "I can't tell."
"But--"
"No!" Lilly turned around and hid her face in the pillow. "I won't tell." The muffled words were ladled with anguish.
Carlina swallowed. She didn't know much about child psychology, but she knew it was dangerous to force her niece to tell the truth, terrified as she was.
She would ask Garini tomorrow. The police had more experience; they would know how to extract a secret without traumatizing the little girl.
"It's all right." Carlina caressed Lilly's hair. "You don't have to tell. It's fine."
Lilly's tight shoulders relaxed. "Carlina?"
"Yes?"
"Will you stay with me?"
"Yes."
Her niece gave a little sigh.
It brought tears to Carlina's eyes. She bit her lips. Lilly had the key to the secret, and the murderer knew it. Fear grabbed her by the throat and pressed down her lungs, so she had difficulty with her breathing. Lilly had said it was an Uncle. Not Mama, not Benedetta, not Emma. A wave of relief washed over her. Then she stopped short. Who could it be? Lilly called all male family members Uncle. Not Uncle Teo. Please. Ernesto? Impossible. Marco? No way. Uncle Ugo? Lucio? Oh, God, she'd never considered Emma's husband Lucio. Her mind balked. No. No, no, no. This is making me crazy.
Where was Garini anyway? What was the time? She waited until Lilly's breathing had returned to normal, then slid out of bed and padded to the living room. The sofa was empty. Maybe he had decided to stay somewhere else tonight. Damn. The need to talk to him felt like a physical ache.
She bit her lips and went to the kitchen, looked into the tea pot. The nasty tea ha
d developed a thin film on top. Carlina averted her eyes and looked for a clock. There it was, next to the fridge. One o'clock in the morning. Where was Garini?
Chapter 17
I
"Carlina, wake up!"
Carlina opened her heavy eyes. For an instant, she had no clue where she was, then her gaze came to rest on the saxophone in the corner, and the memory flooded back.
Lilly stood next to Garini's bed, a piece of paper in her hand. "Stefano has gone," she said. "But he left a note." She looked offended. "I can't read it."
Carlina took the paper and focused her tired eyes to decipher his message. "Had to go." His scrawl was difficult to read. Carlina realized the message was written in English. It felt like a sudden gush of cold water. Wide awake, she sat up. "Bring L. to school, but warn the headmaster. Call me then. Stefano."
"What does it say?" Lilly's hair was tousled, but her eyes were bright like those of a cocky sparrow. She did not seem to remember her nightmare.
"It says he had to go, and that I should bring you to school."
"What about Lollo?"
Carlina blinked. "Lollo? What do you mean?"
"Will I take Lollo to school?"
"No." Carlina kept her voice firm. "Lollo hates to ride on the Vespa."
"How do you know?"
"He told me last night."
Lilly looked impressed. "Can you talk bird language?"
"Sort of." Carlina swung her legs out of bed and went to the living room, where she took the pink scarf from Lollo's cage. Thank God the bird looked all right. "You should give him some water and clear out his food tray while I prepare breakfast," she said. "Then we'll get dressed, and I'll take you to school."
"What about Lollo?"
"We will return after school and collect Lollo." I have to keep the keys to Garini's apartment. Hope he won't mind.
Apparently, Lilly heard the tone of finality in Carlina's voice because she didn't insist. Instead, she started to clear the cage as instructed. Carlina left her to it and went to the bathroom. Her shoulder still felt stiff, but the bandage had done its job. No sign of blood. Who will bind it up later? She pushed the thought away and washed her face, then brushed her teeth with her finger. What a featherbrain she was, packing a whole suitcase for Lilly and forgetting every essential for herself. She shook her head and went to the kitchen.
Delayed Death (Temptation in Florence Book 1) Page 25
