Omar and Ernesto had taken the car with the plan to drive up and down the long promenade, looking for Annalisa's distinctive red head while Stefano was doing the same further inland with the police car.
Nora had offered to accompany Carlina downtown, to comb the luxury boutiques.
“I won't be able to help for very long,” Nora said as they went into the first shoe shop, “because I have to return to work after my lunch break, but at least I can help a bit.”
Carlina smiled at her. “I appreciate it.” She was happy that Nora had chosen to help her. It was a lot easier to stay focused with two people, besides, four eyes saw more than two. She also hoped to get to know Nora a little bit better. But going through the stores without being able to stop and admire or try on anything was a tedious job. Besides, with the necessity to look around and getting the shop owners into conversation, any real talk between Nora and herself turned out to be impossible.
In spite of all their efforts, they got no result. Several people remembered a distinctive redhead coming into the store a day or two before, but nobody had seen an attractive redhead today. It took much longer than Carlina had expected, and after two hours, she wished she had chosen the beach for herself. At least her feet wouldn't be so hot. She looked at Nora. “You know what, I think we deserve a short rest. Let's go to the gelateria over there and sit down for a moment. My feet are killing me, and I'd love a nice ice-cream now.”
Nora gave her an anxious look. “Do you think we should? We promised to check everywhere.”
“We've been into almost every store already,” Carlina said. “Besides, you'll have to return to the hotel soon, and you'll work late tonight again. I don't want to drive you to exhaustion.”
“All right, then.” Nora smiled at her, and together, they went down the sidewalk toward the gelateria. However, before they could reach it, a van overtook them and came to an abrupt stop a few meters in front of them. The van had a battered look and writing in faded blue that proclaimed the driver's profession as an electrician.
The driver, a young man, put his head out the window and waved at them.
Carlina thought she'd seen him before, but she couldn't quite place him.
“That's my brother Flavio.” Nora said with a voice that markedly lacked enthusiasm.
“Flavio.” Carlina nodded. “He's the one who stayed with us in Florence some years ago, didn't he?”
“Yes.” Nora nodded.
He's also the one who made a scene the day after the murder. Carlina didn't voice her thoughts, but she still remembered how Flavio had rushed into the breakfast room, and how quickly Nora had whipped him out again. It had taken quite some time until she'd returned to the breakfast room. If I remember correctly, he wanted Nora to stop working at the hotel immediately. No wonder she's so reluctant to greet him.
Nora threw Carlina an apologetic look and said in a low voice, “He's the most overprotective of my brothers, even though he's the youngest. Please don't be offended if he's rude.”
Carlina smiled at her. “Don't worry. I'm used to the Mantoni family, remember?”
Nora gave her a grateful smile.
Flavio waved again. “Ciao!” He nodded a greeting at Carlina, then turned to his younger sister. “What are you doing here at this time of the day, Nora?”
Nora stiffened. “I have a right to be wherever I want to be. It's my midday break, remember?”
He rolled his eyes. “Gosh, don't jump down my throat just because I'm asking a normal question. You don't usually go to town during your break, do you?”
“No, I don't.” Nora held her head high. “But today is different. We're looking for Carlina's cousin Annalisa. She's gone missing.”
His eyebrows climbed. “The redhead? What's happened to her?”
“We don't know,” Carlina said. “We only know that she hasn't been seen anywhere since last night.”
Flavio blinked. He was larger and stronger than his sister, but his eyes and nose had exactly the same shape. “I saw her going into the Club Cinque Stelle d'Oro this morning at ten o'clock while I was driving past, on my way to a customer.”
“The Cinque Stelle d'Oro?” Carlina and Nora looked at each other.
“But that's--” Nora broke off.
“The most expensive beach club in town,” Carlina completed her sentence.
They stared at each other. “She wouldn't go and spend the day there without letting anybody know, would she?” Nora asked.
Carlina's feet were so hot, they seemed to boil. She was tired and hungry and cranky and the underlying fear that had accompanied her for hours exploded into a burst of irritation. “If she's done that, I'm going to kill her with my own hands!”
Nora gave her a startled look. “Let's first see if she's there. I can't believe she would do such a thing when she must have known that the family would go out of their minds with worry, knowing that a murderer is on the loose.”
Her brother flinched. “Talking about that, I'm going to pick you up tonight after work.”
Carlina already felt ashamed about her outburst. What a way to behave in front of Nora and her brother! She smiled at Flavio to show him that she wasn't always a red-faced fury. “I'm sure Ernesto will be more than happy to accompany her home. You probably have to get up early in the mornings if you work as an electrician.” She turned to Nora. “Nora, would you mind very much if I left you now and headed straight to the Club? I'll call Stefano.”
Nora looked at her for a moment as if she hadn't taken in her words, then she nodded.
“Thank you! Ciao!” Carlina almost ran down the street, her cell phone already at her ear. “Stefano? It's me. We've got a lead. Flavio saw her going into the Club Cinque Stelle d'Oro this morning at ten. Can you meet me there?”
“Who's Flavio?”
“He's one of Nora's brothers. The one who burst into the breakfast room after the murder. Remember him?”
“Yes, I do. And he saw Annalisa?”
“Yes.”
“I'm already on my way. Shall I pick you up?”
“It's just a short walk down to the Club. I'll be there before you can reach me.”
“Good. I'll see you there. But don't do anything before I arrive!”
“Promise, Commissario.”
“Oh, and Carlina?”
“Yes?”
“Have you informed the family?”
“Not yet. I didn't want to create a Mantoni jam at the entrance.”
“Good. Let's keep this under our hats until we know more.”
When Carlina arrived at the Club, the guard at the entrance – in a black uniform with golden decorations – eyed her with disfavor, though she was still on the other side of the street.
She knew she looked a treat with her red face, the straw hat crooked on her impossible hair, and her shirt crumpled and sweaty. Probably they thought she shouldn't be allowed anywhere in the vicinity of the club.
Above the guard, a black awning shadowed the short stretch from the street to the golden portals of the club. The distinctive logo of the club – five golden stars beneath the curlicued name – was etched into the glass doors, and the ground was covered with a red carpet.
Carlina discovered a bench on the other side of the street and decided to wait there for Garini's arrival. She didn't have long to wait – either he must have been close, or he'd broken every speed record. Well, driving a police car had its advantages. He parked right in front of the Club and got out without looking right or left.
His face looked intimidating, and Carlina remembered how serious he'd been when she'd first gotten to know him. Those clear eyes had seemed to scan her soul. Thank God she now knew how attractive that grim mouth could become when softened by a smile. She got up but a quick movement of his hand put her back in place. So he had seen her after all.
She sank back onto the bench, content to watch his next actions.
With several quick steps, he went up to the guard who had lost a bit of his nonchala
nce. Stefano showed him his papers and pointed to her, then to the car.
The guard nodded.
Garini turned on his heels, drove the car a bit further down the street and parked it there, then came back on foot.
“What was that all about?” Carlina asked as she got up from her bench.
“Try to look as official as you can. I introduced you as my staff to get you free entrance. I figured if we arrived as a couple, he wouldn't let us in, and I didn't want to risk that.”
“Cool. Do I get to arrest Annalisa?”
He slanted her a look. “Do you want to arrest her?”
“If she's there, definitely.”
The guard went to the side and opened the glass door wide. Cool air scented with a faint jasmine scent welcomed them in. Nut wood paneling and cubic modern furniture was combined with glossy chrome chairs, a glitzy chandelier up high, and a bar alighted in neon blue. A heavy bass thumbed through the air.
The club was quiet – it was too early for the fashionable crowds, but Stefano walked on as if he knew where to go. They left the building on the other side and came onto a wooden deck with several palm trees and a huge swimming pool. Further down, steps led to the beach and beyond, the blue sea beckoned to them.
Around the pool, expensive deck loungers were dotted at strategic intervals. Each had its own elegant little umbrella with a black canvas. The loungers had pristine white cushions, and each had a black towel rolled up at the foot. The towels had the distinctive logo stitched in gold, and they were arranged in such a way that the logo glinted in the sunlight.
Integrated in one side of the pool was another bar, so you didn't even have to get out of the water to get a refill. And that's where they found Annalisa. She was sitting on one of the seats at the bar, her long legs crossed, a cool long drink in her hand, her sunglasses firmly in place. She was flirting with the muscled bar keeper and as they watched, she threw back her head and laughed.
Carlina made a sound like an angry cat and rushed forward, but Stefano's hand held her back. “Police business,” he said. “Let me handle it.”
He walked up to the pool and stood at the edge, looking down at Annalisa. “Annalisa Santorini.” His voice was hard.
Her head snapped up.
“I'd like to invite you to accompany me back to the police station immediately.”
Annalisa's eyes widened. “What? Why should I?”
The barkeeper drew back visibly.
“I'd prefer to discuss this later,” Garini said. “Will you please get dressed and come with us now?”
Carlina tried to imitate the look of the blues brothers. No emotions. Impassive face. Good thing she was still wearing her sunglasses. The straw hat was a problem, though. She tried to make up for it by crossing her arms in front of her chest. That was the safest option anyway. Her hands were itching to close around Annalisa's neck. How dare she scare the family like that?
Annalisa looked from Carlina to Garini. “Carlina! What happened?”
Carlina looked into space and concentrated on not moving a muscle. It was more difficult than she'd thought.
“Come with us now,” Garini repeated. “We can't talk here.”
Annalisa shook her head, but she placed her drink back onto the bar and got up.
The barkeeper had averted his face and pretended that all his attention was focused on wiping the surface of the counter.
She gave him a last look, then, realizing that she couldn't count on help from that quarter, sighed and came out of the pool. She dried herself, put on her summer dress with extra slow movements, and slipped into her sandals. Then she dropped a glossy magazine and her sun lotion into a bag and straightened. “I'm ready,” she announced. She tried to look nonchalant, but her gaze was anxious.
As well it might be, Carlina thought grimly. Let her be anxious. She has no idea what her mother has gone through these last hours.
“Why don't you both get in back and have a talk,” Stefano said in a low voice while Annalisa was preceding them out of the club. “I'll call Benedetta and let her know that Annalisa is safe and on her way back to the hotel.”
“All right.” Carlina nodded.
As soon as they were seated in the police car, with the glass walls in front of them closed, Annalisa let go of her cool attitude and turned on her cousin with fury. “What on earth is this charade all about? Have you gone out of your mind?”
“That's what I'd like to ask you,” Carlina gave her a murderous look. “Is it true that you spent the whole day at the Club?”
“Yes.” Annalisa glared at her. “What about it? Don't I have the right to go to the club whenever I want?”
“You can go to any darn club whenever you want, Annalisa, but didn't it just cross your mind that we might get anxious about you? Why didn't you leave a note?”
Annalisa's full mouth started to pout. “We're not in Kindergarten. I have a right to go anywhere I want.”
“Of course you have the right, but it's not very considerate of you. Benedetta is worried out of her mind, and the whole family is combing the city, looking for you! There's a murderer out there, you know!”
“There's a murderer out there,” Annalisa mimicked her with a grimace. “I was safe at the club. No murderers at all.”
Carlina wanted to hit her. “Good that you at least knew you were safe. It would have been nice if the rest of us had known about it, too. That was super egotistical, Annalisa. Particularly as you didn't answer your phone and pretended to have disappeared off the face of the earth.”
Annalisa gave her a look that would have burned a potato into a crisp. “If I had told the others, I would never have heard the last of it! They would have insisted on coming with me, and it would have been awful.”
“I know that you sometimes need space from the family,” Carlina said, “but why didn't you at least leave a note, telling us not to worry? Why create such a ruckus? You knew that would happen, didn't you?”
Annalisa shrugged.
Carlina stared at her, and suddenly, she remembered Annalisa's immobile figure when Emma had announced her pregnancy beneath the olive trees. Emma had sat like a queen in the middle of the family circle, accepting congratulations from them as her due. Everyone but Annalisa had been overjoyed. Suddenly, Carlina realized why Annalisa had acted in this inconsiderate way. First, Ernesto had been at the center of their mother's attention, with the threat of being arrested like a Damocles sword above him, then Emma. Nobody had had eyes for spoiled, beautiful Annalisa. “I know why you did it,” she said. “You wanted to be at the center of our attention again.”
Annalisa lifted her chin. “Nonsense.”
Carlina had had enough. She looked out of the window. Thank God they were just arriving in front of the hotel. “We're here,” she said. “Have fun explaining to the assembled family why you thought disappearing would be a good idea. I'm going out for dinner with Stefano. Alone.”
She jumped out of the car and got into the front seat, slamming both doors behind her. Then she looked at Stefano. “Did you hear us?”
He nodded. “She's a spoiled little kid.”
Carlina gave an exasperated sigh. “By now, she should have grown out of it.”
Annalisa got out of the car and closed the door with a bang.
Carlina sighed again. “Have you told the family?”
“I called Benedetta.”
“What did she say?”
“At first, she was too relieved to say anything at all. Then she was upset. And I really mean upset. I've never heard her like that.”
“I can understand her. If Annalisa is murdered tonight, you've got a whole lot of Mantonis as suspects.”
“Yep.”
Carlina bent forward and massaged her feet. “I'm hungry and thirsty and really, really fed up with my family. Can we go as far away as possible?”
He smiled at her, then hit the gas. “I know the right place. Let's return the car to the police station.”
“But I
can't walk anymore.”
He nodded. “I noticed. Don't worry.”
They returned the car; Garini briefly went inside to report the latest developments, and then he came back and took her arm. “It's just down the street.”
She stopped. “Won't we run into the family?”
“No. It's guaranteed Mantoni-free.”
“Then I'll like it, even if they have nothing but spaghetti bolognese on the menu.”
“They won't. It's operated by immigrants from Jamaica, and the food is quite spicy with lots of coconut milk and sea grass and stuff. Lampone told me all about it.”
“Yummy.”
He crossed the street and led her to a small place, where he knocked.
“But this is a private house.” Carlina frowned.
“Not really. It's the smallest restaurant in Forte dei Marmi, operated by one cook and her son. They have five tables in the backyard, and Lampone says her dishes are to die for.”
Lampone's recommendation was justified. Carlina could hardly tell what she enjoyed more – Stefano's presence all for herself, the quiet backyard, overgrown with vines and bougainvillea, the slight wind from a modern fan in a corner that cooled her hot feet, or the delicious spicy chicken that was cooked to perfection in a light lime sauce.
When they slowly walked back to the hotel, she snuggled close to Stefano. The air had cooled down enough to be pleasant; her feet didn't hurt quite as much anymore, and above them, the stars were shining in a cloudless sky. “What a day.” She sighed. “We've worked like crazy, but we didn't get anywhere.”
“I wouldn't say that.” He pulled at a curl that had escaped from her straw hat. “You've got a new look; Pucci is cleared, and we've found Annalisa. Could be worse.”
“Ha.” Carlina shook her head. “If you count that as progress, all right. But we still haven't found the murderer.”
“We will,” he said. “These things take time. It's like a puzzle. You have to take each bit and look at it, and sometimes you have to put one to the side again, only to take it up later, when it suddenly makes sense.”
“Well, I'm not going to take up anything tonight,” Carlina said. “I want to sleep for ten hours straight.”
But her wish wasn't fulfilled. They went to sleep at ten o'clock but an hour later, someone hammered against their door.
temptation in florence 05 - seaside in death Page 21
