Shadows of the Past

by Blake, Margaret

  She was aware of Guido, turning over the body of Antonio and uttering curses on the dead man.

  ‘Leave him there,’ Luca ordered. ‘Let the police deal with it.’

  With care and tenderness, Luca helped her up and then, sweeping her up in his arms, he started to mount the stairs. She was aware of him splashing through the rushing tide, the water just above his ankles.

  The off-the-road vehicle was parked close by. She wondered if it would sink into the sand and what they would do if it did that. But as she settled on the seat in the back, Luca next to her, Guido started the engine and they moved off. He had put on the seat heater; it felt wonderful against her aching hips, the warmth soothing her spine.

  ‘He’s dead,’ she said, ‘the other man shot him. He was so callous, the other man, I mean. He said … he said “ciao, baby” … just like that. He said other things, too, that Antonio was too emotional, that he killed … that he murdered Rosa.’

  *

  She knew it would be an ordeal. Expected it and dreaded it and yet at the same time wanted it over with. The commisario was poised and waiting. Something about him intimidated her as if he suspected her of lying or exaggerating.

  The story did not grow easier with the telling, first Luca and now this stern policeman. But it had to be done and going through it all again it seemed fanciful and far-fetched. The questions came at her like bullets. Why had Antonio wanted to kill her? What did she know that frightened him so much that he would do such a thing?

  He was growing a little impatient with her; as if suspecting she was holding things back. She was and had hoped that he would not notice but he was clever in a cunning fox kind of way.

  With a shrug of helplessness she looked at Luca. He took over, he explained about Renata. Alva had not wanted to say anything about that, needing to protect Renata’s reputation. Oddly, the commisario was sympathetic about Renata. He had daughters; he practically shook with disgust when Luca told him what had happened. How Antonio had set about grooming the girl when she was at her most vulnerable. Of course, they knew that now. Renata, shocked by what had happened, at what Antonio had done to her stepmother had told them everything. The fact that he had pushed Alva down the stairs and caused her to lose the baby, the baby that was her half-brother, further motivated Renata to let it all out. He was dead; he no longer was able to exert any evil influence over the girl.

  ‘So he tried to kill you before … ’

  ‘I’m not sure, Commisario, whether it was just an action of anger … ’

  ‘Of course he tried to kill you!’ Luca said. ‘It was no accident. I think you have not remembered fully what it was all about, cara, but you will do … one day … ’

  ‘So … there is a history of something,’ the commisario murmured, ‘but now let us get to the murder of this man. You do not know who the other man was?’

  She shook her head; of course, his voice had seemed familiar but she could not be certain. She told the policeman that he sounded a little like the man who had taken her on the boat, but it was not him. Of that she was sure.

  ‘Perhaps his brother,’ the commisario suggested.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Alva murmured.

  ‘But you say he accused Perseli of killing Signora d’Casta?’

  ‘Perseli?’

  ‘Antonio, that is his name, Antonio Perseli.’

  ‘Oh, sorry, I didn’t know. I hadn’t remembered that. He did not accuse him of it, he said it. He said, you are too emotional, and something about trying to kill me and then about killing Rosa … I can’t sort out in my head exactly what was said.’

  ‘Did he say why?’

  Her heart started to throb, she felt her cheeks burn, had she flushed up? It felt like she had.

  ‘No,’ she lied.

  ‘You’re sure?’

  ‘I … I think so — remember I was lying down, the bag over my head, I might have missed something … ’

  ‘You might have done,’ the commisario said.

  ‘You sound as if you don’t believe any of it,’ she said, not sure whether she had intended actually to say the words or just keep them in her mind.

  ‘Of course I believe you, Contessa; I am just concerned that you are telling me everything.’

  He stared at her, she returned his stare. Her mind told her, think about Luca, there is no point in knowing what they said about Renata. It would hurt him if he knew that Renata was not his daughter, it would in all probability destroy Renata were she to find out.

  ‘I find it rather offensive that you would think that,’ she answered at last, pleased to hear how cool her voice had become.

  ‘Yes, Commisario, and so do I,’ Luca had that cold authority in his voice. The commisario looked at him, a veiled look, but she could see that he had some problem with dealing with an aristocrat. That he was not impressed and intended that they knew that. So he has his own agenda, she thought, well that is nothing to us. It does not matter why the man killed Antonio, just that he did. And as to why Antonio killed Rosa, there was no need for anyone to know that.

  ‘I want these people caught but not at the expense of making the contessa ill. I think this is enough for today. I think that it was Antonio who arranged to have her kidnapped; he must have wanted money, only it went wrong. I employed the wrong man!’

  The commisario shrugged. ‘It can happen. However, it is better we do it now,’ he said, ‘if you want these people caught.’

  ‘We don’t know who they are!’ Luca said, exasperated.

  ‘We can check who Perseli spent his time with. He has no record. How long did he work for you?’

  ‘Seven years. I needed an assistant. He came from Firenze and he was recommended’ — Luca hesitated — ‘he was recommended by Rosa d’Casta.’

  ‘Ah, you see!’ The commisario said, ‘you see we are getting somewhere. Everything is starting to fit into place.’

  Alva was a little surprised; she had thought Antonio was long-established. That was the impression he gave and she never questioned that he had not been with the conte for longer than seven years.

  When the commisario had gone she went to her room, telling Luca she going for a long soak in the bath. Her bones still ached and he understood and accepted it. She needed time to think. Desperately, she needed more time alone to go over things. Try to sort out the muddle of the past.

  The water smelt heavenly of orange blossom. She lay in the bubbles, eyes closed, head resting against the cool porcelain of the tub.

  Antonio, she never liked him, never took to him, something about him had her hackles rising the moment she saw him. Yet how could she tell Luca how she felt? It was a woman thing, she had nothing on him to explain her feelings.

  She was, she supposed, weighing him and watching him more than she should. She had noticed he spent a lot of time in the old building adjacent to the indoor pool.

  Sometimes, when she could not sleep she would go on the balcony and gaze out. Now and again she had seen lights on the beach, a yacht in the bay. Of course it was holidaymakers. The beach was private but they probably moored and then swam out and had a party. She was not the type to go and remonstrate over something like that — it wasn’t important. It was not as if it were hordes of people doing it.

  Perhaps she had been seen. Often she had walked down to the beach. Luca, when she was pregnant, would not let her ride, and anyway, she had started to feel so ill she did not want to. But she knew that exercise would help her.

  That was when she had gone down the stairs at the fort, curious, a little bored, and braver than she was now. The door had been partly open. She had pushed it and heard rushing footsteps.

  Fearful, she had run back up the stairs, gone into the dunes and then looked back. Antonio had been there, with another man that she did not recognize. They were checking watches and looking out towards the horizon. Sure enough, around the headland a yacht had come into view. It had moored in its usual place but it was not night, it was daylight.

&n
bsp; There was a glint of something on the yacht. Somewhere a phone had started to ring … she had put her hand in her pocket and then realized she had not brought her phone with her … and anyway the sound was too far away.

  Instinct had made her throw herself down in the dip of the dune. Antonio was talking on the mobile phone. He had whirled around, looking, searching the shore. She had ducked down her head, and then slid her body down the sand. When she reached the bottom she started to run, tripping and falling through the sand as she did.

  When she had arrived back at the palazzo she collided with Luca who had been coming from the disused building. He had lost his temper, asking her what she thought she was doing running like a mad woman, her clothing and her hair covered in sand.

  ‘Oh stop it!’ she had cried, and had wrenched herself away from him. ‘I don’t even want to think about you!’

  Whatever was going on he had to be involved. It was not innocent, she was certain of it.

  From then on she had started to feel worse. Every day had brought another wretched round of sickness and lassitude. Now she saw the reason why. Even then, she had never suspected it was being done on purpose, and yet she knew that the person on the yacht had seen her. That was what the phone call had to have been about.

  And she had thought Luca was involved. Did she think that now? Remember, she said to herself, try to remember if I always thought that or was it just then? Was that why I did not say anything to him, because I was always certain he was involved?

  There was only one way to find out. She left the tub and dried herself, going to the closet to look for a casual tracksuit to slip into. If she confronted him — but what was she saying, confronted him? There was no need to do that because he loved her and whatever had gone on then, had to be over now. But what if … what if … I love this man and there is something sinister about him? No, she was being stupid, as usual, to think so.

  Luca had been angry with her at that time. No, not angry, impatient. He had told her to do things that would make her better but she had ignored him. He had lost patience frequently. Of course she had not known that Renata was also whispering in his ear. Going to her father and telling him that his wife had a crush on Antonio. She was doing it because Antonio had ordered her to do it, just as he had ordered her not to co-operate in anyway with her stepmother. The girl confessed it all. Knowing what she did now about Silvia, she could understand how these lies must have made Luca feel. Here was another woman he could not entirely trust.

  Luca came in quietly and seemed surprised she was not in bed. ‘I thought you would rest. I needed to shower and change. Somehow I feel filthy after all that downstairs.’

  ‘Me too … I’m not sleepy though. I relaxed in the tub.’

  ‘Alva, is there something you are not telling me?’

  The question surprised her, her mouth opened making an ‘o’ shape, showing that perhaps she had something to be guilty about.

  ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘You know you can tell me anything … ’

  ‘All right. But Luca … it isn’t entirely clear in my head. Only it’s to do with when I was first here. There seemed to be a lot of coming and going, a boat would come; there would be lights at the beach. Antonio always seemed to be in the building next to the indoor pool. I watched him, I suspected him of something but I don’t know what.’

  He looked genuinely amazed; he raised his hands, palms upwards and asked. ‘Why didn’t you say? Per Dio, what do you think was going on? Did you imagine I was involved in something?’

  ‘I don’t know, maybe … I can’t remember the details.’

  ‘But what could it be, do you think he was smuggling something … people?’

  ‘People? But where could he hide people? I imagine it was something much smaller.’

  ‘Not drugs? What a vivid imagination you have, Alva.’

  Alva looked at him, her head to one side. He seemed so cold, and then he went on.

  ‘I was so busy at that time. We were developing the port, if you remember, and I was also modernizing many of the homes of my workers on the other side of the island. It was a major project; there was a lot of coming and going. I can’t think he would be doing that behind my back. But of course it could be possible, I suppose.’

  ‘It could be that. Oh Luca, I wish I had told you. I felt so ill — you seemed so distant … everything was going wrong and I just didn’t want to … ’

  ‘You did not know that I was not involved. It’s all right, Alva, how could you know such a thing? That you would be married to the man who owned Santa Caterina and people were doing things behind his back. That he was too stupid to realize what was happening. That could be it … but I do doubt it, Alva.’

  ‘Do you know what I think, Luca, I think you were just too trusting. You’re straightforward with people and expect the same from others. I know you treat everyone very well, that people respect and love you … you were really the perfect person to deceive because if anyone, and I include me, even suspected you were involved in something like that, no one would have told on you.’ She went to him and gave him a deep hug.

  ‘Do you think that Rosa was involved too?’ he asked quietly. ‘Was her murder because of a falling out amongst thieves?’

  She hesitated. But she could not do that, could not betray Renata. It was not the girl’s fault that she was not his daughter. Alva, not knowing what to do, merely raised her shoulders.

  He released her and went into the bathroom. He paused and asked her to order dinner. If she liked they could eat it here, out on the balcony in the peace of the warm night. Something in his attitude gave the strong impression that he did not want to talk about it, not now and not ever.

  *

  Later after they had eaten they sat quietly, sipping their wine and looking out over the beautiful landscape. The sea was a mass of scarlet ribbons from the burning embers of the departing sun. Drifting in on a soft breeze was the scent of a million flowers, intermingling and exotic.

  ‘There is something else I have to tell you,’ Luca said. ‘I want to share this with you, and only you, you understand. It goes no further?’

  ‘Of course. You know I can keep a secret.’

  ‘Yes, I do know,’ he smiled. ‘Renata is not my natural daughter.’

  She gasped, the gasp sounded so loud in the still evening air, that he looked at her curiously. ‘Cara, did I shock you that much? I’m sorry … ’

  ‘How do you know?’ she demanded intensely.

  ‘I’ve known for years. Easy really, Renata was ill at one time and she needed blood. Mine was not deemed suitable. A child will have the same blood as its father. Later I had another check done. DNA. It was hurtful, at first, but then I realized it did not matter. You see, Renata was my daughter in practically every sense of the word. I am not a man that would reject a child because she was not from my body.’

  ‘Oh, Luca … I have to come to you,’ she left her seat and slipped behind his chair, embracing him deeply. ‘You see each confession you make draws a confession from me. I was not honest with the commisario. Luca, I do know why Antonio killed Rosa.’

  Later, when she had explained, he murmured, ‘And you would keep quiet because of Renata and because of me?’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘Do you think it will make a lot of difference if we don’t tell him?’

  ‘No. What purpose would it serve as to why he killed her? He’s dead, we know he did it,’ Alva said.

  ‘But whoever the other man is in this, he knows too? How many other people know about Silvia’s secret? Silvia was a very indiscreet woman, in more ways than one,’ Luca recalled.

  ‘It’s too much to share with Renata just now, anyway. If it comes out, well then we should deal with it. I think Renata has too much to contend with.’

  ‘I agree.’

  She slid on to his lap, and he held her lightly to him. ‘I knew that very first day, when we spoke on the telephone. I felt you would be so sp
ecial in my life and then I went and almost lost it.’

  ‘I was horrid,’ she said, ‘I know that now. I can see me being so waspish, so unco-operative, yet it wasn’t my fault. He must have been putting something in my food. Damn the man, he made that special time of Alessandro growing in me so unhappy and then he does that … ’ She shivered. ‘It’s funny but I can’t think that I even remembered exactly what happened afterwards. When I was in the hospital and everyone was fussing, for a time I thought I had tripped and fallen. Perhaps it was the fall that first started my memory’s erosion and the car accident just made it worse. There’s so much I still don’t know. I can’t even remember what I was doing in London after I left Santa Caterina. I recall I went to live outside the city. Someone had asked me to do some research, but I was really in no fit state to do it. I couldn’t cope and I left. Then I went to London but why, I can’t say, it won’t come … do you think someone lured me there? Was it Antonio and his friends?’

  ‘I don’t know and you must not force yourself to think too much. Everything has been going so fast for you. You have had these devastating things happen to you … Cara, you now have to let go of it all for your own sake.’

  ‘I will … but it’s hard to do that — these things keep flashing in and out of my mind. Still, as long as I have you then I am afraid of nothing and no one … ’

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The kindest thing that Renata said was, ‘I did not want to dislike you. I thought you looked nice but it was difficult. I needed to please Antonio.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it now.’

  They were sitting in the car. Renata had agreed to go into the clinic voluntarily. Guido had gone to find someone to arrange for her room and to take up her bags. She had asked that Alva go with her and had said her goodbyes to her father at the palazzo.

  ‘I didn’t want to share Papa with anyone either. I had been used to it just being us.’

  ‘None of it matters anymore, Renata, it just matters that you get better.’