Canna shrugged. There went admitting the truth about killing Yuri Dementyev. “I’m not a wholesome princess.”
“I’m well aware of that fact.”
“I married someone who committed a lot of crimes; stealing, fraud, bribery. But there were also murders in Giuseppe’s history and during our marriage. Giuseppe never had blood on his hands, he ordered others to kill. Am I guilty by association?”
“That’s very murky. Was your husband ever found guilty of any crime?”
“Never.”
“Then you wouldn’t be, either.”
“I kept my mouth shut to protect myself. I’m caught up in a life far more complex than can be imagined and I always look out for myself first. No one else is going to look out for me. My life was controlled by the man I married, and I had nowhere to turn to, and I kept my mouth shut for my own protection and self-interest. Now, the police want me to spill my Caraceni secrets in return for a not-guilty verdict in the Giorgio case. I don’t want to turn against the Caraceni family, or they will kill me. Am I a bad person?”
“You’re here again, to recover from a life of excess and a bad person wouldn’t want to be well.”
“I didn’t kill Giorgio, Doc. The cop who arrested me knew that. He just wanted to hurt the Caraceni family. He wanted to pull down the ‘one-percenters’, as we get called these days. He wanted to be famous for five minutes.”
“Then, if that’s true, you will be exonerated eventually.”
“Doesn’t matter. Mud sticks. People will always think of me as the whore and killer. Perception is reality.”
“I won’t lie, that is going to be hard to cope with, especially now.”
“The worst thing is that Claudio’s name was put out there, caught up in the scandal.”
“You really love him, don’t you?”
Canna screwed her face up as she began to cry. “I do,” she sobbed. “He hates me in reply.”
“Why?”
“We had a fight last time I saw him. It was downright ugly. I knew that all this murder drama was about to play out, and I pushed him away, for his own sake. But I guess I pushed too hard because now he hates me. Maybe he thinks I’m a killer.” He knows I’m a killer.
Dr. Riberi waited until her sobs died down again. “You have a serious communication breakdown.”
“Which is ludicrous because we have terrific communication.”
“Really?”
“Sometimes we don’t even speak, and we still know what’s going on.”
“Then why is there a breakdown now?”
“I’m not sure. I guess I pushed him too hard this time.”
“Considering your past, I find it hard to believe.”
“Claudio is a good person. He’s moody and complicated and doesn’t live an innocent life, but he’s a decent person. He expects honesty, and I didn’t give him that. Usually, I give him blunt honesty, and when I failed on that, I broke something invisible between us.”
“Trust.”
“I suppose.”
“I will call him again, Canna. You need support, and I’m assuming he is the one you want to support you through this time.”
Canna shook her head. “It gets worse.”
“Why?”
“I have an alibi for the night of Giorgio’s murder. I lied to Claudio about something massive. The night Giorgio died, I was in Finland, with my ex-lover. I spend the night in Helsinki with him at his sister’s wedding.”
Dr. Riberi raised his eyebrows. “Claudio doesn’t know?”
“He thinks I was here, drying out after my incident with the Ecstasy tablets. We weren’t speaking, because I was angry at him for leaving me here without his support. I went it Finland, to get away from everything, and then went to London to rekindle things with Claudio.”
“So in order to prove your innocence in a murder, you need to admit your night with another man.”
“It’s not that simple but Claudio will see it in a simplistic fashion. He will think I’ve gone back to being a whore and liar.”
“You’re here under court order for two weeks, Canna. You need to tell the truth after your release, and I will deliver my psych report on you. However, we need to come up with a plan to keep you on a straight path. You need to deal with this drama with Claudio, whether he likes it or not.”
CHAPTER 38
MADRID
Claudio loved his little apartment in Madrid’s stylish and quiet Salamanca district. It sat outside the bustle of the inner city area and gave him space. No, it wasn’t on the tourist trail, or in one of the less-affluent ‘character’ barrios, but Claudio liked it. He earned his money and bought himself an apartment in his home city, and he was proud of that. He was at the stage of his life where he deserved a little luxury and his 1860’s restored apartment gave him that.
Ego kept Claudio Ramos going. Fifteen painful days had passed since Canna admitted she was a liar, killer and back to self-harm. But Claudio still had his pride. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Before he left London, Claudio spent time with Veena, to see their beautiful baby boy. Casamiro was the most incredible thing Claudio had ever laid eyes on, and Veena had been kind enough to let him stop by every few days for a short visit. She sent emails to share little details about their son. Veena seemed to enjoy having someone to share these details with, and Claudio felt lucky she shared them with him. The visits were rays of sunshine in a difficult time.
One unexpected side effect of being named a secret lover of a murderess was that music sales shot through the roof. When the DVD hit stores, the discs flew off the shelves. All publicity is good publicity, Lea had mused. Six television performances in London, three in Paris and now four in Madrid had Virtuosi’s handsome faces on everyone’s minds. Everyone wanted to hear a bit more from the man who had been caught up in a scandal. Claudio seemed amazed how fast that story came and went. Canna Medici had vanished. He had taken his SIM card from his broken phone and wondered if people had been calling him. He had even got a new iPhone, but turning on the device was a challenge he hadn’t taken.
Claudio sighed as he sat in his quiet Spanish apartment. He could hear the sound of scooters zipping up his street, taking a shortcut up to the trendy Calle Serrano at the end of the block. The other members of Virtuosi had all flown back to Britain. Lea and Henri were keen to get more work done back home, and Erik and Holly had gone home to attend a family function in London. Dane and Rebecca seemed very loved up for change. Dane had been all over her during the promotion projects. He followed his girlfriend around like a puppy dog. It seemed a little odd, like he was covering something up with over-the-top affection to Rebecca, who kept shooing him away so she could do her work.
Ego was a handy thing to have. Enjoying the popularity of his musical efforts allowed Claudio to fool himself into thinking he was remarkable. Adored. Loved. He was, too. It gave him a reason to get up every morning. But every time peace descended, his mind fired to one place – wherever Canna Medici had gone. Canna was a sickness that couldn’t be cured. Claudio knew she had been released from custody in Milan, and the press said she had been admitted to hospital. Claudio hoped that meant she had gone to rehab again. Not that it ever helped.
With a deep breath and a dose of courage, Claudio turned on his new phone and went through the simple instructions of the set-up process. It took a few minutes for the phone to tell him that his old phone number had no less than 24 messages. He looked at the names – a few from his accountant. That was about the €50 million Canna had deposited into his account. No need to listen to those – that was under control, hidden from the tax department. Five messages from Veena, before she knew he had busted his phone in frustration. Eleven calls from a number that he recognised to be the doctor of Beneserre clinic. To listen or not to listen. Not yet. No calls from Canna. Nothing.
There had to be a way to distract himself in the Spanish capital. It was early; 10pm. In a few hours, the trendy clubs would be opening, and they would love
to have one of the city’s most famous faces visit. The late-night photographers would be out, keen to snap a photo. Young, uncomplicated ladies would recognise him from the billboards along Gran Via, which advertised the DVD release and television promotions. Yes, an inflated ego could keep Claudio’s mind occupied.
But first, a stop-off; a quick drink at the local restaurant at the end of his street. Claudio sat at the bar, with a chilled glass of Vermouth and a bowl of olives. He had to ease into his night. He turned and watched the large television in the corner, a football match which filled the half-full bar with noise. Claudio sipped his beverage while he soaked in the Spanish ambiance.
“Claudio? Claudio Ramos Ibáñez?”
He smiled; he wasn’t even at a club yet and he had been recognised, and by a lady no less. He turned on his stool, and his smug smile dropped. “Marta Abano?”
“I can’t believe it’s you!” Marta cried. She placed her grey waitress tray on the bar and kissed both his cheeks. “Wow! I saw you on TV last night! Congratulations on the album.”
“Thanks.” The smile had graced Claudio’s lips was the first genuine one since he arrived in Madrid.
Marta glanced over the bar. “The boss isn’t looking, so I’ll take a break.” Marta sat down next to Claudio and placed one hand on his thigh. “I’ve missed you. I don’t just say that because you’re now famous.”
Claudio took her hand in his. Marta was a lovely woman, and had been so deeply in love with Javi Ramos until Claudio’s idiot little brother killed the relationship with his drug addiction. “I’ve missed you, too. I often wondered where you had gone. You work here, as a waitress? What happened to being a lawyer?”
“The financial crisis happened,” Marta scoffed. “I got laid off last month, and rather than live off my parents’ pensions, I decided to get a job waitressing. The money is shit, but it pays the bills – just.”
“If you need anything…”
“No, no, I’m a big girl,” she shot back. “But thanks. Are you still living just up the road?”
“I have the apartment, but I live in London since my recording contract requires me there. And now…” Claudio pulled out his phone and opened a photo. “I have a son there, too.”
“Oh, he’s so precious! Tell me everything. You dumped Nelia, didn’t you?”
“I did, just before Javi died. I ended up rebounding into a marriage with a woman named Veena. She lives in London and got me the Virtuosi job. We’re divorced now, a week ago to be exact.”
“Wow, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. Casamiro was born three, nearly four weeks ago.”
“That must be tough.”
“It is, but not as tough you would imagine. Babies make people see things more clearly, I think.”
“A shift in priorities.”
“I guess so. How about you? Are you seeing anyone?”
Marta looked at her hands, and her long brown hair fell over her face. “Oh, you know…”
“You don’t want to talk about love with the brother of your dead ex?”
Marta smiled. “You know me.”
“It’s okay, Marta. Javi died. He hurt you, and you dumped him. Neither me or my parents could blame you for that.”
“I still feel responsible for what happened.”
“Javi’s death? Oh no, Javi killed himself with his morphine addiction. You did what you had to do. He hurt you.”
“I hurt him.”
“Javi has been dead for early four years now. You can move on to someone new.”
“I have… sort of, there is a boy…”
Claudio smiled. A boy. Made romance sound so simple. “Go on.”
“It’s new, and casual. But I’m happy.”
“That’s all that counts.”
“What about you? What’s all this about getting caught up with some murdering Italian woman?”
Claudio gulped down the rest of his Vermouth. “It’s a long, long story,” he sighed.
“Give me the abridged version.”
“Her name is Canna. She’s a New Zealander who married a rich old Italian guy. He would beat the shit out of her, and she left him. She moved to London and started dating Dane, my English friend in Virtuosi. While she was working for the project, I found out she was a morphine addict.”
“Oh no,” Marta gushed.
“Then, instead of telling my good friend that his fiancé was a married drug addict, I fell in love with her and kept her secrets.”
“Fuck me.”
“Then Dane found out everything and dumped Canna, and she and I started dating each other. We got Virtuosi back on track, and Canna and I had a violent passionate affair while she recovered from her addiction, and I loved every second.”
“At least she recovered.”
“She tried. She has relapsed a few times. Drugs, drink… you name it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Now she is up on charges for killing a work colleague, but I’m certain she is just caught up with the wrong people. But with my career and new baby, I couldn’t take the stress anymore.”
“Do you love her?”
Claudio took a deep breath. “I love Canna more than any man has ever loved any woman.”
“Aww,” Marta said and put her hand over her heart. “That’s why women swoon when they see you on TV. I know I did!”
Claudio snorted with laughter. “It’s safe to assume my fake smiles on television cover everything.”
“So, where is Canna?”
“No idea. We are… I don’t know what we are. We’re broken. The stress, the drama, the drugs. I can’t do it anymore.”
“Do you feel relieved to be away from her?”
“Sometimes. Mostly I feel broken.”
“It gets easier. After Javi, I felt relieved to be free of the hurt, as cruel as that sounds.”
“He lied and hurt you, Marta. You don’t deserve that.”
“You’re all kindness.”
“Yes, yes I am,” Claudio joked with a grin. “As much as I loved Javi and I miss having a little brother, I did get all of the looks, charm, personality and talent.”
Marta laughed. “I know that to be true, Claudio.”
With a new of sense of impulsiveness, Claudio sprang from his stool and kissed Marta on the lips, a long full kiss she didn’t stop him from taking.
Claudio heard a person clear their throat behind Marta. He looked up, expecting to see her boss wondering why she was kissing punters instead of waiting tables. Instead, he felt stabbed in the chest.
“Hello to you, too,” Canna said with her arms folded.
Marta turned in her seat and looked at the beautiful woman behind her. “And you are?”
“I’m the woman who makes this guy’s life pure hell.”
“Marta,” Claudio said, “meet Canna. Canna, meet Marta.”
“Nice to meet you, Marta,” Canna said, her voice cold.
“This isn’t what you think,” Marta said back.
“I don’t have the energy or patience to care about what this is.”
“Marta is Javi’s ex-girlfriend,” Claudio added.
“Would you like a drink?” Marta asked, her voice little and nervous.
“No thanks, I’m fresh out of rehab again,” Canna replied. “Could you excuse us?”
Marta couldn’t get away fast enough.
“She is a friend of mine,” Claudio as he sat back on his stool. “You were rude.”
“I’m sorry. You can go back to making out with the waitress if you want. I’ll wait.”
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Well, that’s too bad.”
“How did you find me?”
“I knew Virtuosi was in Madrid, so I called Lea and she told me you had stayed here. I went to your apartment and your doorman, who recognised me from my last visit, said that you mentioned you were off to your favourite bar for a drink. When we had our two-week love-in here, this was the only place we visited. So, here I
am.”
“Detective Blinky.”
“You did say you enjoyed Madrid-Canna over all the other versions of me.”
Claudio shrugged as he gave the barman a €10 note. “Doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Are you dumping me in a bar?”
Claudio stood up and leaned right into her face. “I dumped you the moment you admitted you killed Yuri Dementyev,” he whispered. He turned to see Marta standing at the other end of the bar. “See you again soon,” he called before he stepped around Canna and straight out the front door.
Claudio walked down the street towards home, but he could hear Canna’s boots behind him. “I’m not finished with you!” she cried.
Claudio spun to find Canna right behind him. “I’m finished with you, you stupid bitch,” he spat at her. “I don’t love you anymore.”
“Then why are you so fucking angry at me?”
“I’ll always be angry at you.”
“That’s because love and hate are so fucking close together!” Canna screamed. “They are the most powerful emotions. You can’t hate someone unless you loved them first!”
“LOVED!” he yelled back. “I loved you. Past tense.”
“Why?”
Claudio almost screamed with frustration. “Why? Where do I fucking start, Canna?”
“What did I do to upset you? You’ve forgiven everything else!”
“The lying! I hate that you lie to me!”
Claudio watched Canna glance around; it was lucky that it was late enough for the quiet street to be deserted. But the people in nearby apartments were probably checking through their blinds by now. “We can’t do this here,” he said.
“Where should we do it?”
“Nowhere!”
“For fucks sake, you stupid man! Why can’t you let me explain? I lied to you as a favour. I was trying to do the right thing!”
“Have you ever noticed how that fucks everything up, Canna? When you’re upfront, we can work things out. You didn’t have to lie to me about anything!”
“I wanted you to enjoy the birth of your son, so I lied to you for your benefit!”
“If you had told me the truth, I would have understood!” Claudio cried out. “You stupid cow! I’m not some little kid you have to babysit! If you were struggling with Casamiro’s birth, you should have said so, not hurt yourself instead!”
Violent Daylight Page 37
