“I know you have done jobs for Giuseppe and Canna in the past, such as removing Marino’s beaten body in Copenhagen, and killing him back home in Rome.”
“The work I do for the Savelli family is strictly confidential.”
“I understand. However, I wondered if you would be able to do a job for me. I wondered if it would be possible for you to threaten or beat someone.”
“I only take orders from Canna.”
“I know. It’s just… my ex-wife, Veena, has a boyfriend. He dumped her last night, in the maternity suite.”
“That’s disgusting.”
“Yes, and I don’t feel like this man should just be able to waltz out of her life after all the pain he has caused.”
“I appreciate your frustration, Claudio, I do. Let’s just say that my position as the bodyguard for Canna entails many different tasks. I can take care of any situation. If I need to intervene in a situation of any nature, I am happy to oblige.”
Claudio smiled. “In that case, I will talk to Canna first.”
“I suggest you do that. You haven’t even bothered to ask why I’m here in London today. I suppose you’re too busy to worry about Canna or her feelings.”
Claudio was taken aback by the sudden rudeness. “I was going to ask Canna when I went inside.”
“Remember, while you were at the hospital experiencing the greatest day of your life, Canna was here, alone. She will never be the woman to give you a child. Let’s not even talk about the pain of her miscarriage years ago. Who was the father of that baby? You?”
Claudio sighed. “I think the situation of our last baby is a discussion for Canna and I.”
“It is, I agree. Just remember, it’s my job is to ensure that Canna doesn’t get hurt, in any way. As I said, my job can involve fixing any problem, or doing harm to anyone who upsets Canna. While I take orders from Canna, sometimes I also intervene when I think it necessary.”
Claudio didn’t have analyse anything; he knew Giancarlo had threatened him to his face. “I want to go into my own home.”
Giancarlo opened the front door and gestured for Claudio to enter. Claudio slammed it shut in the man’s face. How dare Giancarlo tell him what to do? Of course Claudio would be aware of Canna and her feelings about the baby. Canna didn’t mind that Veena had a baby, not at all.
Canna stood up from the seat at the glass dining table in the open plan living room. She had her glasses on, not something she did when in polite company. Across from her, a middle-aged Italian man turned in his seat and gave Claudio a polite smile. “Did I interrupt something?” Claudio asked.
“No,” Canna said. Her voice seemed short and raspy. “I think we’re done for now.”
Claudio walked over the table as the man stood to greet him. “Claudio Ramos Ibáñez,” he said. “Can I help you?”
The man chuckled. “Silvio Costa, at your service.”
Canna watched the pair shake hands. “Silvio is my criminal lawyer,” she explained. “He flew in from Milan this morning, to assist me with my meeting with Interpol.”
“These Interpol bastards, they like to think they can push people around as they see fit. I have more experience with them than should ever be necessary,” Silvio said with the greedy grin. “I can assure you, Mr. Ramos, as I assured Catherine, that Interpol will not bother you again with the matter of Yuri Dementyev.”
“How did you fix that? They seemed so insistent yesterday.”
“Every man has his price, we just needed to find out how much it was for the two officers in question.”
Claudio looked to Canna, who smiled. Claudio didn’t want to know what Silvio meant.
“Anyway, I must be going, Catherine,” Silvio continued. “Don’t worry about a thing because from now on, you won’t be bothered.”
“You never cease to impress me with your talents,” Canna said to him. Canna put her arm around the man as they walked to the front door. Claudio noticed that she limped in her high heels.
“Please, Catherine, nothing is ever too much trouble. You must call me whenever you need to talk. Please take time to read through all the papers I gave you. It can seem overwhelming to begin with, but I can assure you, our office has everything under control.”
Canna opened the door, and Giancarlo stood there, ready to serve. “Giancarlo, can you walk Signore Costa to the end of the street and fetch him a taxi back to his hotel?” she asked.
Claudio watched Canna and the lawyer exchange a friendly kiss, and Giancarlo accompanied the man down the street. Canna shut the door and kicked off her shoes. “Wow, that was an eye-opener,” she commented.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing, never mind all of that. How are Veena and the baby?”
Claudio’s face broke into a smile. “They’re great. Casamiro has managed to feed a little.”
Canna sniggered. “It’s so weird; yesterday he was just a lump and now he is here, doing stuff.”
“I know! It’s astounding!”
“Come.” Canna gestured for him to follow and they went over to the dining table, covered in files. She picked up a simple black box. “I got you a present.”
“You did?”
Canna coughed in an attempt to clear her throat, but it was no use. “Okay, I called Mont Blanc, and they sent it over.”
Claudio opened the box, to find a black pen with a gold inscription:
For my love, Claudio, to celebrate the birth of Casamiro Valadez Ramos. “Blinky… thank you.”
Canna shrugged. “I know you always carry a pen, so…”
“So, it’s lovely.” Claudio pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She felt cold and clammy. “You know I appreciate how wonderful you have been about the baby.”
Canna took a long time to reply in her damaged voice. “You’ve been given a magnificent gift, Claudio. I want you to be able to enjoy your baby boy.”
Claudio watched her expression for a moment. She had a smile, a forced smile. She looked exhausted; heavy bags sat under her eyes. “Canna, I love you. I don’t know how to thank you enough for being here with me.”
Canna shrugged in his arms. “It’s okay. It would be selfish for me to think of anything other than your happiness. I guess I need to get the artists to hurry up and paint the nursery!”
“Yeah, two weeks early. Our little boy has surprised us. I will convince Veena to let you come and visit the baby again soon. As you can imagine, she is a little messed up at the moment.”
“I can imagine. Plus she hates me for ruining her family.”
Claudio paused. For that short time, just the pair of them with their son, being with Veena seemed so natural. He had spoken to his parents and Veena’s family on the phone as they prepared to fly to London. For a little while, things were back to normal. But all Claudio needed to do was think of Canna, and memories of his miserable marriage with Veena came flooding back. “I want to smash Michael’s face so hard that he can taste his own ass.”
“I can arrange that for you. Giancarlo accompanied the lawyer to London this morning, and he is staying.”
“How did they get here so fast?”
“I rang the lawyer’s office last night, and they have their own jet. We had a long chat about a lot of things and got Interpol off my back. None of that needs to be discussed today. Casamiro is your only concern. Have you heard from the Virtuosi boys?”
“Yes, they rang to get the gossip. They all asked about you, too.”
“I didn’t give birth, thank God. I don’t want kids, remember?”
“I know.”
“I’m sure you’re going to say I’m missing out, but no child would love me. Even adults fail to do that.”
“Stop being so hard on yourself. We have a baby now, you’re a stepmother!”
Canna scoffed. “Poor child.” She untied herself from Claudio’s embrace and began to tidy her paperwork on the table.
“Canna.” Claudio watched her look up at him. “What’s wrong?’
“Nothing. Nothing is wrong. I had a dreadful night’s sleep. I’m sure you did, too.”
“I’m going to take a shower and a nap. Would you like to join me?”
“I’m not sure I could sleep. I might just have some tea.”
Claudio followed Canna into the kitchen. He put his hand in his jeans pocket, and to find a tissue he had jammed in there. He opened the cupboard under the sink and went to toss it in the bin. There sat an empty packet of codeine tablets. “Blinky, what the hell?”
Canna turned around, and her tired gaze took a moment to focus on what he had seen. “Oh, those were Silvio’s pills. He said he had a headache from getting up early to get his flight. He took a few pills and tossed the packet in the bin.”
“Oh, okay.” Claudio looked up to see Canna limp across the kitchen to get a cup out of another cupboard. “What happened to your foot?”
“Oh, you know me. Those heels I wore last night hurt me. I tripped on the way home last night. I have twisted my ankle.”
Claudio pulled at the fabric on her long trousers and saw the bandaged foot. “Ouch!”
“Yes, it hurts. I’m sure I’m not the only woman in the world with a bandaged ankle after an attack by a high heel shoe.”
“No, I’m sure you aren’t. Were you tempted to steal one of Silvio’s painkillers?”
“The packet was empty so that option didn’t exist. I know, as an addict, I can’t take anything for a simple pain. It’s punishment for being so stupid in the past.”
“It’s not that.”
Canna just shrugged as she tossed a teabag into a mug.
“Come on, skip the tea. Come upstairs and have a nap with me.”
“I just did an interview with the police about a dead colleague. I can’t sleep. Plus the reviews about your show last night will be out soon. I need to put them on the Virtuosi Facebook page and website. You really need to consider joining Twitter.”
“No, I don’t yet, and you need to relax. You didn’t kill Yuri. Your scary lawyer seems to have everything under control.”
“Silvio? Yes, he’s scary.” Canna paused to clear her throat. Still no luck. “The police in Moscow have the murder weapon, or so they think, and they have a strong list of suspects. A conviction could be hard to come by, given the lack of physical evidence.”
“That’s what happens when you’re a dodgy businessman and vile human being. So many people hate you that it’s impossible to tell who wanted you dead.” Claudio reached out and took Canna’s hand. He could feel her shake. “Are you okay, Blinky? You haven’t had the shakes since you were high on morphine.”
“I think my adrenalin is pumping a bit more than usual. Lack of sleep, police, lawyers, a sore foot and the small matter of your newborn son.”
“Are you sure that’s all it is?”
“Silvio and I spoke about Giuseppe being investigated for human trafficking. I asked since the Interpol guy mentioned it yesterday. There were some suspicions that the brothel bought prostitutes. They couldn’t prove anything. It puts me off owning brothels.”
“That is what puts you off?”
“Legal prostitution provides a service. Don’t be negative about the girls; the clients feed the industry, not the hookers.”
“You can’t be blamed for the sins of your husband.”
“Tell that to the tax department!”
“Are you about to say you’re going back to Italy?”
“I do need to go back soon since I have a meeting with the boatyard to check the financials. I should show my face at Caraceni. Giorgio hasn’t contacted me for a while.”
“Lucky you haven’t heard from him.”
“I’m starting to wonder about Giorgio. Still, that’s not an issue for right now. I don’t have to dash off to Italy, but soon I will fly back.”
“Not take your motorbike?”
“I thought I could leave that here since I will only be taking a short visit to Milan and Bergamo.”
“I would like that.” Claudio took a deep breath. “Canna, I need to ask a favour.”
“Sure.”
“Veena’s family is arriving from Cartagena tonight. They will be staying at Veena’s place.”
“That’s good. She needs them. I sure hope Michael won’t be there!”
“No, he sent Veena a message to say he had moved his things out. That man couldn’t get away fast enough.”
“What has this got to do with me?”
“My parents are coming, too.”
“I’m sure they want to meet their only grandchild… well, until you accidentally impregnate another woman!”
“I don’t plan on making that mistake again!”
“Good, I don’t plan on forgiving you for that mistake again!”
“My parents and Veena’s parents are good friends.”
“Oh goody.”
Claudio smiled. “Catherine, my darling goddess, who has been so good to me through a difficult time…”
“Blah, blah, blah. What do you want, Claudio?”
“Can my parents stay here?”
“What?” Canna spluttered. “Melina has seen me once, and she almost killed me with an evil look! I don’t know about Yago, but I’m sure he hates me, too.”
“You didn’t meet Mamá under good circumstances.”
“While I was trying to seduce her married son? I don’t think we could have met under any worse circumstances. Your parents know I’m a drug addict, so I have no chance of impressing them. I have no experience with in-laws. Giuseppe’s parents died before I was born.”
“It’s going to be fine. I said they could stay here, so Veena didn’t have too many guests to deal with when she gets out of the hospital tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow, wow.”
“Tomorrow night. She has a nanny accompanying her. Canna, are you all right? You look terribly pale today.”
“I’m in love with a man, whose wife has just given him a beautiful son. Their families are coming together to celebrate this glorious moment, and I’m meant to host these people. I’m the home-wrecker who ruined this family’s chance of happiness, and you stand there and ask me if I’m all right?”
“Canna, I take all the blame for the failure of my marriage. I would have left Veena whether I loved you or not. She didn’t love me. I know things are messy right now.”
Canna put her arms up in defeat. “I’m sorry. Let’s stop this right now. Yes, your parents are welcome to stay here. It’s your home. When do they arrive?”
“Tonight. When their plane from Madrid arrives, I will take them straight to the hospital to see Veena, so they don’t miss visiting hours. Then we will come back here.”
“Then, by that time, everything will be ready for them. I will make up the spare room for Melina and Yago.”
“You’re welcome to join us at the hospital.”
Canna laughed. “No, please no. I went last night because you couldn’t be there. This is your family and your son. I have no part in it, and I only cause trouble.”
“Everything will work out, I’m sure of it.”
“I think you’re wearing ‘post-baby happiness’ glasses. Yes, I’m sure things will sort themselves out one way or another. However, at this extremely special time, and with Veena so vulnerable, the best thing I can do is stay out of the way.”
“You joke and say you don’t have a heart. Nothing is further from the truth, Blinky.”
“I’m supposed to be making amends. I have to do nice things for others, whether I feel like it or not.”
“I know you’re doing it because you care. Please be honest, how do you feel about Casamiro?”
“The pain of seeing you with the child hurts far more than my sore ankle. But life has given you this miracle, and I need to stand aside. I don’t feel malice towards the boy; it’s not his fault at all.”
“Canna, I love you…”
“It’s okay. Go and have a shower and a nap. I’ll do the cooking so you can have dinner with your
parents later. I will find myself an evening AA meeting.”
“You don’t have to hide away.”
“I do have to hide if I want to heal myself.”
“I want you to be honest with me. You don’t have to like everything right now.”
“Trust me, if I get angry, you’ll know.”
Claudio laughed. “I’m sure I will.” He kissed her cheek and headed for the stairs. He hadn’t been this happy in a long time.
CHAPTER 31
LONDON
Shit, it was cold even through her leathers. Canna brought a cigarette to her lips and took another deep breath of the noxious delight. She sat on her motorbike seat, with one foot up on the saddle. The streets were busy, and Canna sat on the bike in its parking space, just to watch the world circle her in the dark. A cigarette helped far more than any AA meeting. Claudio, what a fool. Canna had no intention of going to a meeting! He seemed so consumed with his precious baby that he didn’t notice Canna was full of codeine pills. All the symptoms were there, and he didn’t see a single one. Claudio fell for the lie about the twisted ankle. He didn’t notice the warning signs because he didn’t care. Claudio only cared about Veena and the baby. You know that’s not true, Canna.
“Hey there, titties, wanna give us a blowjob?”
Canna turned around to a young guy and his mate. “That’s Ms. Titties to you, son.”
“So, how ‘bout it?”
“With a romantic invitation like that, why not? Go on, get it out right here.”
The guy shifted uncomfortably in his cheap shoes while his friend laughed.
“What, is your dick so small you don’t want anyone to see it? Or so small I won’t be able to find it?”
“Shut up, you cunt.”
Canna didn’t see Dane until he appeared out of the crowd and shoved the kid to the ground. Dane stood over him as the boy scrambled to his feet. “Why don’t you boys go and play with each other,” Dane said, and the kids ran off.
“Thanks, Dane. I didn’t want to have to smash in a young kid’s face, not in public anyway.”
The cheerful Englishman put his hands back in the pockets of his warm grey coat. “You’re welcome. I don’t where guys get off, talking to women like that.”
Violent Daylight Page 30
