“Well, you did hit the tractor with the left side of your car, the driver’s side. You really were very lucky. You hit your head and they said you were not using your seatbelt,” Luisa said.
“I always have my seatbelt on,” Sofia said. “I don’t know. Perhaps I opened it because I wanted to jump out … I don’t know, but I did have it on in the beginning. I think at least. I’m not sure, not sure of anything.” She sighed. “I still feel a little nauseated.”
“That is because of the concussion,” Luisa said. “Try to lie still and relax. The police were here and they will question you, but I told them to wait until tomorrow. They want to know what happened.”
“Where is the car now?” Sofia asked.
“They towed it somewhere. But I will let the police know about the brakes. They need to check the car. If the brakes did not work, then the rental agency may be responsible.”
“It’s so strange,” Sofia said. “They have always worked … I’m so tired.”
“Rest now. Do not worry about anything. We will look into the matter with your car. We will come back later. Right now, try to sleep.” Luisa gently stroked Sofia’s arm.
Sofia nodded and tried to smile.
After Luisa and Julietta left, a nurse came into the room and asked Sofia how she felt. She spoke heavily accented English but at least Sofia could understand her.
“My head and my arm hurt and I still feel a little queasy but not as much as before.”
The nurse brought her a glass of water and some pills. After taking the medicine, Sofia became drowsy and fell asleep.
PART FIVE: BETRAYED
Chapter 31
“I am afraid, I have to tell you that your brakes have been tampered with.” Sofia and Luisa stared at the fat police officer. He looked at Sofia with a stern face. “The brake pipe was cut.”
Sofia thought she had heard wrong. “What did he say?” She stared at Luisa in shock.
Luisa shook her head, then talked in rapid Italian with the officer. Finally, Luisa turned to her.
“This is terrible. I do not know what to say. They believe that someone had done this on purpose. The brakes themselves are fine, but the brake pipe was cut with a tool.”
“What? But who…? Dottore Santucci?” It was out before she realized it.
Luisa stared at her. “What do you mean?”
Sofia bit her lip. She didn’t want to accuse someone without having any proof. “It’s just … sometimes I think he hates me. But I’m not sure. He changes all the time. Once he even talked to me in a friendly way and asked if I would sell the estate wine in California. But a few days later, he treated me as hostile as in the beginning. I can’t figure him out.”
Luisa shook her head. “He can be unpleasant. And you are right, his emotions are not … how do you say … stable, but I do not think he would do something like this.” Luisa scrunched her forehead, as if she was thinking long and hard about the possibility. Then she shook her head again. “He could not have done it. He and my mother are away. They have been gone since a few days ago. Before the accident happened. It could not have been him.”
“You’re right.” Sofia felt embarrassed. “I’m sorry.”
“He is not always in his right mind. But I do not think he is dangerous,” Luisa said. “But I want to have this investigated thoroughly. Someone wanted to harm you. We must find out who it was. I will go and talk to the police some more.” She touched Sofia’s arm. “Do not worry now. We will find out what happened. Julietta will come to visit you after school.”
When Sofia was alone again, she tried to come to terms with the shocking news. Who could have done this? What a terrible situation. She could’ve been killed or someone else could’ve been hurt. She remembered offering Julietta a ride, which her sister had turned down. What if she’d been in the car as well? What a terrible and senseless thing to do. Who?
Her headache was getting worse again. She wanted to lie down and rest, but she couldn’t relax. She thought of all the people she’d met. Who could have been the culprit—Luisa? Not likely, unless she was a real fake. Sofia didn’t even consider Julietta. Who else? Edoardo? He had warmed up to her while they worked together in the fields. They weren’t really close yet, but she couldn’t imagine him doing something so mean and stupid. And Gina, his wife? She’d been somewhat aloof but never hostile. Then again, John told her once that in cases where families contested a will, for instance, it was often not the children themselves but the spouses who were the driving forces behind the fights. Nicholas? Impossible. But who? Umberto? He wouldn’t gain anything by harming her. No, he was simply an alcoholic and a little crazy. Of course, there was Guido and his interest in her vineyards. But he wasn’t even around. Or was he?
Sofia felt tears streaming down her face. She had felt more accepted and part of the estate and she thoroughly enjoyed working at the vineyards, but now the growing friendship and trust between her and the family had been shattered again. It was just too awful. What should she do? She couldn’t really talk to the police. Most of the policemen didn’t speak English. She had to depend on someone to translate. But could she trust anyone completely until she knew who had done it?
Sofia thought of Adriano Gori. He had told her to call him if she needed help. He would be the one to confide in. He seemed to be the only one she could fully trust now. Sofia wiped the last tears away, called the nurse, and asked her for her cell phone. Fortunately, it still had enough of a charge. She must remind Julietta to bring her the battery charger. All her important phone numbers were on her smart phone.
When a woman answered her call, Sofia asked her in broken Italian for signor Gori. The receptionist answered her in fluent English that Mr. Gori was out and asked her if she could leave a message. More relieved that she could converse in English than embarrassed about her lack of Italian, Sofia asked for Mr. Gori to call her back and that it was urgent.
Ten minutes later, her phone rang and she heard the friendly voice of the lawyer. “Sofia, good to hear from you. How are you?”
“Not very good.” She suppressed a sob and told him about the accident and the fact of the tampered brake.
There was a moment of silence. Then Adriano’s voice again, serious now. “Have you talked to the police?”
“Yes. The policeman told me about the cut brake … brake cable or something. I can’t remember the exact term.”
“Okay, Sofia. Do not talk to anybody else about it. I shall visit you tomorrow.”
“Luisa already knows. She was the one who translated for the policeman,” Sofia said. “And I’m sure by now the family knows about it.”
“This is okay. Do not worry. Rest and relax. We will find out who did this. I shall see you tomorrow.”
Relieved to hear his warm and concerned voice, Sofia lay back and closed her eyes.
Chapter 32
The following day, Adriano Gori came to see Sofia. He brought along a charming, well-dressed woman, probably in her fifties, with short blond hair and blue eyes. He introduced her as his wife Gerda.
“I thought that perhaps female companionship will help you a little. Gerda can make sure you get the best possible treatment here in the hospital. She is a former nurse and she knows a few people from the staff here,” Adriano said.
Gerda greeted Sofia with a hug. The light lavender perfume had a calming effect on Sofia. Gerda spoke fluent English with an accent that was different from Adriano’s.
“My wife is originally from Germany and has lived in the United States for a few years,” Adriano explained.
“In California,” Gerda said. “And I loved it.” Gerda’s enthusiasm was contagious and Sofia immediately liked her. They talked a little about California.
“I would like to go back again for a visit. If my busy husband will ever take any vacation, that is.” She glanced at Adriano with raised eyebrows.
“I will, I promise,” he said and gave a quick smile, then became serious and faced Sofia. “We need to talk
about that unfortunate accident, or whatever it was.”
“I’m going to visit a friend of mine here,” Gerda said. “Should I tell the nurse to bring you some coffee or tea?”
“Are you up for it? How are you feeling?” Adriano asked Sofia.
Sofia felt a little better than the day before. “Coffee would be great.”
Gerda left the room and Adriano pulled up a chair and sat next to Sofia’s bed. He briefly touched her hand. “I talked to the police here in Vignaverde. They assured me they would investigate. Let’s see what they come up with. I also have a friend who is a detective, a private investigator. If the police drag … their feet—is that what you call it?”
Sofia nodded. “Yes, drag their feet or drag their heels.”
“Okay, if they do not produce results soon, I shall ask him to help.” He raised his hand, as if to ward off possible concerns Sofia might have. “Do not worry about payment. He owes me a favor. I helped him out a few times.” Adriano chuckled.
Sofia wondered what kind of fixes a private investigator got himself into. “Thank you very much for your help.”
“Now, tell me exactly what happened before and during the accident.” Adriano took a small notepad and a pen out of his briefcase.
Unlike the day before, Sofia remembered the situation in more detail. Adriano listened and wrote down a few brief notes. Sofia also told him of her initial suspicion that the old Santucci might have done it. “But that’s not possible. He and his wife have been gone for a few days. He wasn’t at the estate before or during the accident.”
Adriano looked at her pensively and nodded. At that moment, the door opened and the nurse came in, bringing a tray with two cups of coffee. After tasting the somewhat weak brew, Sofia made a face.
Adriano laughed. “Not exactly the best espresso, no?”
“It’s okay,” Sofia said, then sighed. “Anyway, I’ve been racking my brains about who would do something like this. In the beginning of my stay, I would have suspected everyone in the family, for instance Edoardo or perhaps even Luisa, but we’ve become much closer and I couldn’t imagine any of them doing something so ugly. Luisa certainly not and I don’t think Edoardo would stoop that low.” Sofia rubbed her forehead. “But then again, I don’t know. Then there was this weird thing with Umberto, a friend of the old Santucci.” Sofia told him of the incident with him in the cellar.
“Well,” Adriano cleared his throat. “As you know, if something happened to you, the property would go to Julietta and indirectly back to the family. Julietta is the next of kin. So everybody in the family would have a motive. But I don’t think either that Edoardo or Luisa would do something like this. And Santucci senior would not gain anything by it financially … Umberto? I have met him a few times. He is a strange old man but I think he is harmless. Although dropping a heavy wine barrel is extremely dangerous. They better not let him work any equipment anymore.
“Actually, I am more worried about this Guido Berlusconi,” he continued, “the son of signora Santucci from a former marriage. I think I mentioned him. He is a real crook, that man. He lives in Rome, but I shall tell the police about him. They can find out if he was anywhere near the property the past few days.”
“Oh, yes, he was here. But that was a couple of weeks ago. I actually met him briefly. He’s a very unpleasant man.” Sofia’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Adriano, I’ve become very happy here. And now I suddenly feel that everybody hates me or there is someone out there that wants to harm or even kill me. It’s so scary.”
“I know. I can imagine how you feel. I am not the police but I shall use whatever influence I have to make sure the culprit is found and brought to justice.” He patted her arm. “Right now, you need to focus on getting well. You are safe here in the hospital, and if you need anything, please let me know. You can also call my wife when I am not available.” Adriano handed her a card with his private phone number.
“Thank you so much. I’m so grateful for your help.”
“You are very welcome. Try to relax and do not worry.”
At this moment, Gerda entered the room again. Adriano got up. “Call us if you need anything.”
“Yes,” Gerda said. “You can call me anytime at home. And once this matter is over with, perhaps we can get together and talk about California. I want to show you some pictures.”
“Oh, oh.” Adriano grinned. “Make sure you have enough time for this. My wife’s picture sessions last a long time.”
“Stop it,” Gerda said and playfully slapped his arm.
After the two left, Sofia leaned back in her pillow. In spite of the unsettling situation, Sofia felt better. The Goris had been able to disperse the worst of her fears. She knew that Adriano would do anything to find out who hurt her.
Later in the afternoon, Julietta came by. Sofia asked her about her day at school, but the conversation shifted to the accident right away.
“Someone wants to harm me,” Sofia said, her voice shaking.
Julietta nodded. “But who?” She narrowed her eyes. “Could it have been Guido? I don’t trust him. But he was not here. At least I do not think so.”
“Yes, Mr. Gori mentioned him too,” Sofia said. “But if he was in the neighborhood, wouldn’t we have seen him?”
Julietta shrugged and looked at Sofia pensively. “I don’t know.” Then she hugged Sofia. “I am so glad you are going to be okay. I was so afraid.” Her voice broke.
“Ouch, my arm.” Sofia gently pushed Julietta away.
“Sorry. Does it still hurt a lot?”
“Only when I move it. I hope it won’t last long. I still want to help with the harvest. At least, it’s my left arm. Perhaps I can still help pick.”
“Do not worry about picking,” Julietta said. “We have enough volunteers. There is still a lot of work to do later. Mamma and Uncle Edoardo said they want you to help them with the blending.”
Sofia smiled. “Yes, that would be fun. I can try.” If Edoardo and Luisa wanted her to help, they certainly wouldn’t have tried to kill her. She probably could safely scratch them off the list of suspects, or could she? They could also use it as a ruse to deflect her suspicion. But she couldn’t get all paranoid about it.
“Uncle Edoardo says hello. He will pick you up when you get out of the hospital,” Julietta said.
The door opened and the nurse came in, carrying a large bouquet of flowers. She put the vase with the flowers on the table and gave Sofia a card. Sofia opened the envelope and saw Nicholas’s signature underneath a brief message: Sorry to hear about your accident. Julietta told me you would be okay. I was worried. I’ll come and visit you tomorrow. Kind regards, Nicholas.
“Look at those beautiful flowers,” Julietta exclaimed. She read the card and winked at Sofia. “He likes you a lot. I bet he is in love with you.”
“Oh, nonsense, Julietta. He’s just a concerned friend.” Sofia’s face, however, stretched into a smile.
Chapter 33
Sofia stood at the conveyor belt where the picked grapes were manually checked once more before they were dumped into the crusher. It had been a week since she was released from the hospital. Her headaches were mostly gone and her left arm felt better. She was still wearing a brace over her wrist and couldn’t lift anything heavy. Physically, she felt almost normal again but her emotions were in turmoil. The police hadn’t found the culprit yet, although they’d come by several times and questioned everyone at the estate. Sofia suspected Adriano’s influence had something to do with their increased attention to the case.
A stern but polite inspector, who fortunately spoke English, had arrived to talk to Sofia. She told him about the strange occurrences, the incident with Umberto and the wine barrel, her suspicions about Guido and her misgivings about the old Santucci as well as the dead animals. The inspector told her basically the same thing as Adriano had mentioned, namely that everyone in the family would have a motive. He dismissed with a smile the dead animals, but assured her that every sing
le person on the estate would be thoroughly investigated. He warned her to be circumspect and not to go out at night by herself, and he gave her his phone numbers and told her to call him anytime.
Sofia glanced at the workers around her. All of them were intently focused on the task of spotting damaged grapes. At first glance, nothing seemed to have changed since her accident. After her return from the hospital, many of the workers welcomed her enthusiastically and expressed their dismay at what happened to her. When it became clear, however, that someone among them might have been guilty of tampering with the brakes on her car and that they might be suspects, their attitude began to change. A cloud of distrust and resentment hovered over the whole estate. During the day, people were friendly and helpful but when she tried to join them as they relaxed after work, she noticed the difference in their attitude. The workers and volunteers who had been laughing and talking became unusually quiet and tense when she showed up. As soon as she left, she heard them laugh and talk again. She felt a jab in her chest. The convivial friendship she enjoyed with them was gone.
More and more she began to withdraw as well. After work, she stayed at her house and waited for Julietta to come home from school. Her sister and Nicholas as well as Adriano, who called her regularly, were her closest allies now. Nicholas often joined them in the evening for a while. Luisa came by regularly, asked her how she felt and reassured her that they wouldn’t give up until the guilty person was found. Edoardo was attentive to her during work and insisted she take it easy. As much as Sofia wanted to feel close to the family again, she couldn’t entirely dismiss the suspicion that they might be involved in the crime. She didn’t want to believe their friendliness and care were fake, but she couldn’t completely trust them either.
The Italian Sister (The Wine Lover's Daughter, Book 1) Page 16
