by J. L. Drake
“We must go.”
He took her hand, and they soldiered on. Their earlier exuberance had vanished. His shoulders were slumped and his smile disappeared. Instead, there was sadness in the air, and both of them felt it.
Her time with Tony was short; only one more stop before they went to the embassy. What would she do then? What would happen? Would she go back to the same life she just walked away from? Maybe she didn’t want that life anymore. Maybe there was more out there than the privileged life she’d been leading. Now that she experienced a different culture, and met Tony, she didn’t know if she could go back to attending soirées with her family where she made small talk and pretended to be interested. It seemed so insignificant. There had to be more to life.
“We’re here.”
The building was small and there were cracks and pieces of the mortar falling off the walls. There was no sign, just the number 416 hand painted over the door. She looked through the window and noted the jewelry. Tony held the door and waved her through. They were quickly greeted by the owner, and Tony spoke with him in Italian for a few minutes before introducing her in English.
The owner stretched out his hand. “My name is Luigi. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You as well.” She extended her hand as Luigi kissed the top.
“What brings you here today?”
Tony spoke slow and deliberate. “My father sent me here to purchase an engagement ring. We are to get married on April sixteenth.”
Luigi’s smile faded and his jaw clenched. Katherine’s own pulse quickened as the words computed in her mind. She suddenly doubted all her thoughts and feelings since she met Tony. What is going on? Who is he buying an engagement ring for?
“Please excuse me. I believe I have the perfect one for you. I’ll be right back.”
Luigi disappeared into the back of the store. Tony directed his attention toward her. “Oh my God. Kate. What’s wrong? You’re as pale as a ghost!”
She shifted her eyes from the floor to him, “What’s going on? Who are you buying a ring for?”
“It’s not what you think. I can see you’re nervous but there’s no need to be. You’ll understand shortly.”
“Tony, I…” Katherine stopped speaking as the owner returned. He held a red velvet ring box and a large manila envelope. The owner placed the tiny box in Tony’s hand. He hesitated before opening it. When Tony finally did, he let out a gasp.
“Sir, do you like?” Luigi asked.
“Yes, it looks just like my mother’s.” Tony’s words were once again deliberate.
The owner relaxed his posture and a large smile spread across his face. His eyes twinkled as he spoke. “I’m so happy to see you. When I read about your family, I was broken up. Your dad was my best friend growing up.”
“Thank you. He said you had something for me.”
“Yes. Your father wanted the love for your mother to live on. He had this replica made in hopes when they passed away, one of their sons could continue what they had built.” Tony wiped away the tears that trickled down his face. It reminded Katherine of his panic attack back at the hotel.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Luigi gave Tony a tissue.
“You don’t know what this means to me. I have nothing to remind me of my family except my memories. This ring…this is the one thing symbolizing their love. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Your father would be very proud. You boys were his world. He worked hard to make sure you could have a life after he was gone.”
“Did he know this was going to happen?”
“The last time he was here, he was very cryptic and I could tell he was worried. I expect he knew his days were numbered.”
“When was that?”
“About two months ago. He also gave me this envelope.” Luigi handed the package to Tony. “Your dad was a good man. When I was in my early twenties, I’d been married for only a few months. My wife got sick and I lost my job. I couldn’t afford to pay for our rent or her medical bills. I couldn’t find a job and just putting food on the table was a struggle.” Luigi shook his head. “I can’t tell you the despair that set in. Your dad was kind enough to loan me the money to pay my rent and purchase this store. It took me several years to save the money to pay him back. When I finally did, he refused; said that’s what friends are for. Because of his kindness and generosity, I was able to buy a house. I don’t know where I would be without your dad. Don’t ever question his loyalty to you.”
Katherine stood quietly next to the door. It was uncomfortable watching the interaction between the two men. Why had Tony brought her here? He was obviously not telling her something. The desire to flee the store swept over her. Instead, she stood her ground—just like when she found Mike.
Tony was obviously still hurting over the loss of his family. If she were in his shoes, it would have destroyed her. She thought back to when she first met him. She didn’t remember him laughing or smiling; he had been very solemn. When Katherine found him on the floor in the hotel, she thought he was having a heart attack. Instead, he was suffering from a broken heart. Her heart ached for him and her natural response was to reach out and comfort him.
“You must go now. You must not let them find you. Your father wouldn’t want anyone else hurt from this.”
“Thank you.” Tony put the ring in the envelope and walked out of the store. His head was down, but there was no mistaking the defeat on his face. The life was drained from his body. He looked like a rag doll held up with some sticks. Katherine quickly followed Tony into the street.
“Are you okay?” Katherine placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah, I didn’t expect any of that. I had no idea what my dad left for me. That man. I’ve never met him before. I had no clue he knew my dad since they were kids. It was a little overwhelming. It was like my dad was right there with me.”
“Do you want to open the envelope before we go to the embassy?”
“Yeah, but not here. We need to go someplace else.”
Tony looked both ways down the street before heading to the busier end. Once they got to Via Del Tritone, they were able to get lost into the crowd.
Chapter Seventeen
Thompson got off the subway at Barberini Square. He walked up the stairs from the underground station with Manchetti close behind. The piazza was bustling with people, cars, taxis, and scooters. This was clearly a very busy part of Rome; there was a restaurant of some sort on about every corner. Thompson rubbed his eyes, Katherine Anderson could be anywhere. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
The intel in Italy wasn’t as advanced as it was in America. The fact he was unfamiliar with his surroundings left him with few options in finding Katherine. An overwhelming feeling of defeat settled in his chest. What the hell am I going to do if I don’t get this woman back? This will be the end of my career. He found it very difficult to rely upon and trust the Italian government for everything, but what choice did he have?
“Any word from your people?”
“Neither Anderson or Bertalucci have registered at the local hotels. They’re checking security tapes.”
He hesitated before asking the next question; he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer. “What if they’ve left Rome?”
“They haven’t popped up at any of the train stations, airports, or rental car agencies.”
The lack of whereabouts was almost worse than hearing Anderson and Bertalucci had left Rome altogether. “Great. We’ve lost them and we don’t have any leads. This isn’t going to go over well with my superiors.”
“My office is just around the corner. Let’s head over there and review some of the video footage. Maybe it will give us a clue.”
The two men took a right onto the street and headed up a street lined with buildings. An enormous American flag waving proudly through the air caught Thompson’s attention.
“Is that the U.S. Embassy?”
“Yes, my
office is right across the street.” Manchetti motioned to the brick building on the right.
He marveled at the enormous pink-and-white building housing American diplomats. The architecture was similar to that of many other buildings in the area. If it wasn’t taking up such an enormous amount of space, it would’ve blended in quite well. “The embassy is an impressive building. Does it take up the entire block?”
“Yes. It also houses the U.S. Missions to the UN agencies building. When an important diplomat comes to town, your embassy shuts down the entire block. I remember a time when it took me an extra twenty minutes just to get in my building. Your country provides excellent security. Those gates are locked down like Fort Knox.”
He chuckled. “I’m surprised you know about Fort Knox.”
“Anyone who has studied American history, especially during World War I and World War II, would know the instrumental role it played in your military,” Manchetti replied smugly.
“I see. We don’t learn a lot of Italian history except perhaps its role in the Renaissance era and the history of Rome.” He shifted his focus back on the embassy. “Perhaps she checked in there. Maybe that’s why they came to Rome. She was fleeing from something.”
“My people say she hasn’t shown up yet and the embassy will inform us if she does. It seems to me that Anderson and Bertalucci might be on the run. She may know more than we originally thought.”
“I can’t imagine what she got involved in. Her family is as straight as they come; her father raises money for various charities, her mom works with foster children advocating a better life for them, and her brother volunteers at a local children’s hospital once a month.”
“You failed to mention Anderson. Does she work for any charities, or is she the rogue one in the family?”
“She’s very close with her father; she helps plan most of his charity dinners. In addition, she has donated a substantial amount of money to the Bronx Zoo. She’s considered one of their ambassadors.”
“Perhaps something snapped. Maybe she found the black-market olive oil business a little more lucrative than her family business. Perhaps she’s laundering the olive oil through her family restaurants.”
Clearly, Manchetti hadn’t done his homework on the Anderson family. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be suggesting this sort of thing. “I think that’s highly unlikely.”
“Why? Have you even thought to look into it?”
Thompson clasped his hands into fists. He didn’t like the way this conversation was headed. “No, why would I? Up until the last couple of weeks, no one in her family had any connections to anyone in this country.”
“Until now, when she’s showed up with a man whose family was murdered around the time she arrived in the country. It’s a huge coincidence, don’t you think? Or perhaps she did know someone here. Maybe she was involved with the execution.”
Thompson thought for a moment; his research over the past few days indicated Katherine was a wholesome person with no ties to anything illegal. In fact, while learning more about her, he began to feel an attraction toward her. She was a beautiful, independent, and influential woman who worked hard and clearly loved her family. Katherine fit his criteria for a woman he would consider dating. What Manchetti was proposing couldn’t possibly be true. “When we get to your office, I’ll have my team in the States look into what you’re suggesting. I’d like it to be on the record that I think you are wrong.”
“I hope I am. It would be unfortunate for a woman who has everything to get wrapped up in something as dangerous as the cartel. They’d have a field day with her.”
He couldn’t agree more. From everything he learned about Katherine, she was a straight arrow. Nothing would shock him more than to find out she had dirty hands.
Chapter Eighteen
“What’s in the envelope?” Kate inquired.
“My dad wrote another letter, and the rest appears to be some legal documents. One is a title to the factory.” Tony sifted through the papers. “Hmm, this is interesting. It says my dad owns half of my grandmother’s estate. I didn’t even know that place still existed. I thought it was sold long ago.”
The waiter brought their sandwiches and Tony wasted no time diving into his. They had skipped breakfast and he was ravenous.
When the waiter left, Kate pressed for information. “What are the documents for?”
He continued to sift through the papers. “It appears my dad left something in a safe-deposit box in Geneva. He gave me some additional documentation to be able to access it.”
“What do you think is in there?”
“I haven’t a clue. Everything has been a mystery to this point. I feel like I’m on a wild goose chase.”
“What are those?” She pointed to the papers he pulled from the envelope.
“I’m not sure. It looks like information regarding the tampering of olive oil. It has specific names on it I’ve never heard before. I think it has something to do with the cartel. Perhaps it’s evidence of some sort.”
“Tony, that’s great! We can take them to the embassy. They’ll give it to the local authorities and you can stop running. Maybe I don’t need to go home just yet.”
“First of all, if my picture is plastered all over the newspaper, you can believe your whereabouts are known as well. That means the cartel will be looking for you. Even if we turn in the documents, the cartel can still get to you. This investigation could take months if not years. Second, I can’t hand this over until I find out what’s in that safety deposit box. I need to make sure I have everything before I give it to anyone.”
“Why would your father give the information to you in pieces?”
“Based on what my father had told me so far, he wanted to be able to secure our freedom and safety. By splitting up the documents, it would be harder for someone outside of the family to obtain all the packages. The last few months my father was alive, I thought he was becoming paranoid. It seems as though he may have had good reason to be.”
“So, you’re off to Geneva?”
“It looks that way.”
“How long does it take to get there?”
“About eight and a half hours.” He sucked on the straw, downing half of his Coke.
“I’m worried about you taking a train. They’re looking for you at the stations.”
He took a bite of his sandwich before answering. “Doesn’t matter, I’m going to drive.”
“Do you have a car?”
“I’ll rent one.”
“I’m going with you.” She wiped her mouth with a napkin.
“It’s too dangerous. We need to get you to the embassy.”
“You said I needed to get out of Italy and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m going to Switzerland. There’s an embassy in Geneva if I need one. There’s no way you’re talking me out of this.” She crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair.
“I can’t let you do that. If something happened to you, I could never live with myself.”
“By the time anyone figures out we rented a car, we’ll be halfway to Geneva. They still have to find out where we’re going.”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ve always wanted to drive through the Italian countryside. Please, let me do this.”
She smiled at him with puppy dog eyes, begging for his approval.
He knew then he had no chance of ever saying no to this woman. She quite literally might be the death of him. “Fine, but we need to get moving. One thing before we go.” He opened the ring box. The band was white gold forming into a heart shape at the top and in the middle, was a heart-shaped ruby. He took her hand and placed the elegant piece of jewelry on her finger. “It’s a perfect fit.”
“Tony, I don’t understand.”
“I want you to hold it for me until this mess is over.”
“What if…what if something happens?”
“Then you keep the ring.” He tilted her hand so the light hit the stone. “The way it fits—i
t was made for you.” He winked at her. “Grab your things.” He threw some Euros on the table with the check. She grabbed her backpack and joined him as they started to walk down the road.
“Where’s the nearest rental car company?”
“We’ll get on the bus just down the street and head over to the Coliseum. There’s one by the train terminal.”
Her eyes lit up. “When you say the Colosseum, do you mean the Colosseum?”
“Yes, but, Kate …we can’t go in. The lines are too long this time of day, and we don’t have time to spare.”
“Will I at least get to see the outside?”
“Yes, we’ll be right across the street. You can admire it all you want while I’m getting the car.”
“I’m really glad I didn’t go to the embassy now. See what I would’ve missed?” She clapped her hands. She looked like a little kid opening presents on her birthday.
Tension found its way into his shoulders and jaw as an uneasiness feeling set in. “I still don’t know if we made the right decision. At least I would’ve known you’d be safe and soon be on your way home.”
“Tony, it’s going to be fine.”
At the bus stop, he purchased two tickets from a vendor and handed one to her.
“Do they always sell tickets where they sell souvenirs?”
“They sell them at the train stations too. These places are a little more expensive, but I didn’t want to take a chance being on camera again.” He guided her onto the bus.
The five-minute ride to the car rental was uneventful. She marveled at the sights, including the Pantheon, and the people along the way.
“This is our stop.” He stood and motioned for her to follow him. They stepped off the bus. Once it pulled away, they had a clear view of the Coliseum.
