by Fiona Grace
When she rounded a corner, she lost sight of him entirely. She spun around, looking for him. Looking for Dinardo. But all the saw were the faces of people she didn’t know.
I’ve lost him! She sighed.
Suddenly, a voice screamed above the din. It sounded like a frightened child. “Ratto! Ratto!”
Rat? At that point, people scrambled away as if someone had announced “Fire” in a crowded theater, leaving an open path for Audrey to walk through. She found the big, bear of a man, scrambling, flailing his arms and legs to shake off the animal that had securely attached itself to his pant leg.
Nick.
“It’s a fox, idiot,” she said, nearing him and the gnawing animal.
“I don’t care! Get it off! Get it off!”
As if a fox was any stranger than any of the other odd sights in this market? And the man shot bunnies. He shouldn’t have been so disgusted by the sight of the fox, but this one was chewing on his leg like it was a drumstick. Serves you right, Audrey thought, hesitating before pulling him back.
The moment she did, Dinardo rounded a corner and stopped short. “Ricardo? What’s this all about?”
His eyes shifted to Audrey, just as the fox let go and scuttled into her arms. She said, “He was in the orange grove, poaching animals, at the time of the murder. That’s where he kills the rabbits he sells at his stand.”
Dinardo’s eyes narrowed. “Is this true?”
Ricardo nodded sheepishly. He was out of breath, too, doubled over. A small crowd of onlookers had begun to gather around, now, so there was no chance of escape.
“And he saw Pietro and thought it was an animal, but it was Pietro. He killed him. It was an accident, but—”
“I did not! I’ve been hunting all my life! I wouldn’t do anything so stupid.”
Audrey scowled at him. “But you’re the one who called me. I saw his phone,” she said to Dinardo. “Just check it. You’ll see.”
“All right, all right,” he said pulling out his cuffs. “But you were still hunting illegally, and that was pretty stupid. So I’ve got to bring you in. And we’ll get this other stuff sorted out later.”
He snapped the handcuffs on the man, who didn’t resist. Audrey looked down at her pet. “Good job, Bub. I’d say that you deserve an extra apple for that one.”
Backup police cars arrived. Before Dinardo led the culprit away, he leaned into her. “How did you figure it out?”
She shrugged. “Just . . . asking around.”
He snorted and nudged Ricardo away, toward the police car.
Audrey sighed, relieved. It was over. Finally. The killer had been found. Now, she was no longer a suspect, so she could go on with her life, and . . . probably apologize to Rafael for ever doubting him in the first place.
It would’ve been nice if Dinardo felt the same way about her. But whatever.
Officer Ricci popped his head out and began to converse with Dinardo. The two of them looked over at her, before Officer Ricci broke away from his superior and headed toward her.
The young officer grinned at her. “How did I know you’d be in on this?”
She smiled. “I guess I always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Let me guess. You need to take a statement from me?”
“You are getting good at this!” he exclaimed, looking at a woman wheeling a cart of what looked like rags. He grimaced, just as she was jostled from behind by another market goer. “You want to go downtown to headquarters instead?”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. It shouldn’t take very long,” she said. “Hey. How is Bambino? Did your mother get help for him?”
His face fell. “No. Poor pup still sick. She took him to vet in Palermo but—” He shook his head. “He’s no better. If anything, he’s worse. And in such pain. I tell her she should put him out of his misery, but she attached, you know?”
“Oh!” Audrey clutched at her heart. The one small consolation she’d gotten from Mrs. Ricci taking Bambino to Palermo for his care was that maybe they would find out what was wrong before she could, and that he’d be doing well by now. They had more up-to-date technology and better facilities, after all. She’d almost taken for granted that the little dog was better. Tears sprang to her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“Si. Me too. My mama . . . she’s beside herself.”
“Well . . . maybe if you tell her that I had nothing to do with the mafia, she might let me take another look at him?”
He pressed his lips together. “I don’t know. My mama is . . . a bull. You know. Stubborn.” He laughed a little. “But I will see what I can do. I appreciate your trying. I know how much you care.”
Truthfully, Audrey didn’t know what she would be able to do with the poor pup. There were so many mystery illnesses out there that never were discovered, and this was probably one of them. She’d already had her look at Bambino, and so had the vets in Palermo. Sometimes, a doctor had to let go and admit that the solution was out of her hands.
“So . . . statement.” She took a deep breath and proceeded to say, “I spoke to an orange vendor who mentioned seeing a poacher on the grounds while he was there picking up oranges the day of the murder. I followed his description of the car to Ricardo, the man who runs the rabbit-stand in the market.” She pointed in the general direction. “When I asked him about it, he admitted that he had been hunting on those grounds for years. I asked him if he accidentally killed the man who was found dead, there, but he denied doing that. And when the detective came to question him, he made a break for it. So I--”
“Porca miseria!”
Audrey stared at him, trying to understand. Pig . . . misery? She hadn’t heard that one before.
Officer Ricci had been quickly scribbling this all down, but in the middle of it, the point on his pencil snapped. He stared at it. “Ah. I don’t have another.”
“Oh. No problem. I have one.” She reached into her tiny bag and saw the vial of blue liquid, taking up much of the real estate inside. She lifted it out and found a ballpoint pen, buried at the bottom of the bag. “Here you go.”
“Ah, grazie,” he said, taking the pen and grinning as she placed the vial back inside. “I see you got taken by Signora Carina, too.”
She snapped her bag closed, a little embarrassed. “Uh, well—”
“Mi mama, she got the blue liquid, too. For clarity, eh? I don’t think it worked. Mama just as confused as always. Especially with Bambino.” He shrugged.
Oh, well, she thought. She knew it’d be a waste of twenty euros. But that’s how desperate she was. Sometimes people did that, placing their hope in crazy, off-the-wall solutions. Maybe Mrs. Ricci was in a similarly confusing situation and wanted answers, too. She was clearly someone who’d exhaust all avenues to find a solution, judging from how passionate she’d been about getting help for Bambino . . .
Bambino.
Suddenly, the pieces clicked into place. She reached over and locked a hand around the officer’s thick forearm, squeezing hard. He stared at her. “Dottore Smart? Is everything okay?”
“Officer Ricci . . . you say your mother bought the blue potion? When was that?”
“I don’t . . .” He scratched the side of his head with the ballpoint pen. “Last week sometime.”
“And did you see her take it?”
He shook his head. “No. But it was gone the next day when I went there. She’d called me over because she told me Bambino was sick.”
“Wait . . . so he became sick after she got the potion?”
He nodded. “Why?”
She grabbed his arm. “Can you take me to her house, right away? I need to see Bambino.”
“But—”
“Please! I think I know what’s wrong with him!” she shouted, running for the police car. This time, Office Ricci followed.
*
Mrs. Ricci’s house was not far from the market, closer to the center of town but in the more run-down part of Mussomeli. The moment that the patrol car pulled
up in front of the tiny home and Officer Ricci pointed it out, Audrey jumped out and took the stairs two at a time. She knocked feverishly on the door until the woman answered.
“Signora Ricci?” she asked, as the woman stared at her, confused. “It’s me, Dr. Smart. I was wondering if I could take a look at Bambino?”
Her eyes flooded with recognition. “Oh! Oh, no! No no!”
“Mama!” Officer Ricci called from behind her. She moved aside as the officer said something to his mother in Italian. Something about how this doctor was good and would never hurt Bambino.
The woman who’d been called a bull by her son showed just how bullish she could be. She planted her feet and shook her head, muttering something about the mafia and murder.
“But I don’t associate with the mafia! And the murderer has been found!” Audrey said desperately. There was no time to lose.
Ricci held up a hand and spoke in Italian, explaining that to the old woman. Eventually, the woman sighed. Still giving Audrey the evil eye, she moved aside and pointed into the living area.
Audrey rushed through the tiny kitchen and into a small living space, with a worn sofa and an old-style box television set, on low. The place was full of religious relics, statues of saints and Jesus which all seemed to be staring down, watching over the poor Bambino, who lay curled up on a small dog bed.
She dropped to her knees and checked his pulse. It was very faint. Petting his ears, she looked up at the pair, who had followed her into the living room. “Officer Ricci, can you please ask your mother if Bambino drank some of the potion she bought at the market?”
He nodded and asked her the question. She shook her head.
“No,” he said.
She frowned. “No? Are you sure? Because--”
The woman said something, gesturing wildly. Officer Ricci said, “She says she drank it, and it gave her a stomachache.”
“But Bambino didn’t perhaps have a little? Like, maybe it was left somewhere where the dog could’ve—”
He’d already started to translate but she cut him off, angrily this time. Audrey could tell that the women felt this was a waste of time. And maybe it was. She’d been so sure. The answer had been perfect. It made absolute sense that the dog had taken the potion with lupine in it and gotten sick. The symptoms were classic.
She straightened, wondering what else to do. “I don’t understand. This makes no sense. The lupine in the potion would explain all of Bambino’s symptoms, even—”
“Lupino?” Mrs. Ricci suddenly exclaimed.
Audrey nodded. “Yes. Lupino. It’s a flowering plant. And it’s toxic to animals. It’s long, and it has pink and purple blooms, and—”
“Lupino!” The woman said and pulled back the curtain to a back garden. There were several flowering plants, just as Audrey had described. Lupine.
“When were those planted?” Audrey asked.
Officer Ricci said, “She did it a few days ago,” Audrey knew she had her answer.
“And has he been outside, eating the plants at all?”
The officer translated, and Mrs. Ricci nodded.
Audrey smiled. “That’s it. If you keep him away from those plants, he will get better. I can prescribe something to help him feel better until then.”
Officer Ricci nodded and translated. Mrs. Ricci beamed and clapped her hands. Then she came over to Audrey, tears in her eyes, and just when Audrey thought she might reach out and smack her, pulled her into a hug. Shocked, Audrey hugged her back.
“It’s no problem,” she said, tears now in her own eyes. “Really. This is what I do.”
Holding Audrey’s face between her hands, the old woman kissed both cheeks with gusto.
Officer Ricci laughed. “Can I drive you somewhere, Dottore?”
“No, I think I’ll walk,” she said. “But I’ll make sure that prescription gets to you right away so that Bambino’s on the mend. And please, if anything else happens, don’t hesitate to let me know!”
Ricci walked her to the door. “Don’t worry. She’ll be a loyal customer for life, now.”
“I’m glad.”
Audrey went outside, stepped down to the sidewalk, and headed toward the clinic, smiling. The sun was shining brightly, and this time, rather by being annoyed by the heat, she savored it. It felt like a huge weight had just been lifted from her chest, as if now, she knew everything would be okay.
No, she didn’t have all the answers. But at least she knew now that she wasn’t powerless against finding them.
She thought about something her father had said, long ago, when he had mountains of tasks before him in order to complete a house project. One thing at a time is all we can do.
And I will. I’ll find the answers. I just can’t give up.
But there was one thing that was still bothering her, and as soon as the clinic came into view, she realized what it was. There had been two calls to the clinic after the murder that had brought her out to the Tivoli estate—one from Ricardo, the poacher . . . and the second one, later, someone pretending to be Rafael . . . from whom?
She recalled what Ricardo had said. I didn’t realize until later that anyone had moved in.
In fact, very few people knew that Rafael lived there. At least, they didn’t know him by name. It was the last name that seemed to ruffle feathers. People just knew that a Piccolo had moved in. That was all. And yet, when Concetta had relayed the message, she’d told Audrey that Rafael had called.
Though he’d been very good at keeping to himself, someone had known Rafael was there.
She stopped, suddenly, when the answer came to her.
Then she took off in the opposite direction, rushing as fast as she possibly could go.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
This time, when Audrey arrived at the Tivoli estate, she didn’t bother to climb the wall and peek in like some devious stalker. She felt far more comfortable than during her previous visits. After all, according to the police, she’d solved the murder that might’ve otherwise landed in their laps.
But she was a little hesitant when she went around to the front of the house and saw even more dark town cars than before. It looked like an important person’s funeral procession.
Don’t worry about it, Audrey. They should welcome you with open arms, perhaps even pin a mafia medal on you.
She rang the doorbell. When the door opened, it was Rafael.
“Audrey!” He seemed both pleased and a little frightened to see her there.
“Rafael. Hi . . .” She noticed the tension in his face, the exaggerated lines. Before, she’d have put him at late thirties, but now, he looked much older. “Is everything all right?”
He looked over his shoulder for a moment, then slipped out onto the front porch. “Well, it is kind of a bad time. What brings you here?”
“Did you hear that the murderer has been found?”
His eyes widened. “No. Is it true?”
She nodded. “It was a man who was using the land, poaching animals. He didn’t think anyone was on the land. When he shot the man, he panicked, ran off, and called me, hoping I’d find the guy and be able to help him. It was an accident. But he didn’t tell the police because he didn’t want to get caught trespassing on your land.”
“Ah. Really?” He pressed his lips together. “That is good news. But I don’t understand. The police worked all this out?”
She shook her head. “Well . . . no. I did.”
“You?”
She gave him a sheepish shrug. “But I did have another question for you. Something that just doesn’t fit. I’m just trying to tie up loose ends and there are a few things that don’t make sense.”
Behind him, several men were arguing, their voices raised in angry Italian. He looked behind him again. “Well, it’s not really a good time . . .”
It certainly didn’t feel like one, which was odd. Why would they be worried, if the murderer had been found? Shouldn’t they be relaxing. Celebrating? “I promise you. It wo
n’t take long. There’s one thing in particular I think you might be able to answer.”
The arguing inside was reaching a fever pitch, which seemed to distress him greatly. He reached inside and pulled the door closed. “All right. What is it?”
“Well, that second call to the clinic wasn’t the poacher, and I really don’t see how it could be anyone else in town, since no one knew you by name. It was you, wasn’t it?”
Now it was his turn to be sheepish. “You are a clever one, aren’t you? Yes, it was me. I’d wanted you to come for dinner.”
“Why did you lie?”
He let out a distressed little laugh. “I promise you, it had nothing to do with the murder. My cousins were there. They’d just arrived, and I hadn’t expected them until the following day. If they knew that I was sweet on a girl, I’d never hear the end of it.” He spread out his hands. “I am sorry.”
She couldn’t help it. She started to laugh. Here was this powerful mafia man, behaving like a high school boy. “I understand,” she said, leaning in and winking. “But your secret is safe with me.”
“That is nice for you to say. And I hope that when everything is said and done, you will be willing to have dinner with me sometime?”
“Well . . . we’ll have to see about that. Truthfully, I’m not sure if I can keep up with your exciting life. Tell me, why do you still seem so upset? I thought you’d be so relieved, celebrating the news. Don’t you think the Grinnelli clan will stop the war, once the news gets out that you had nothing to do with it?”
His face turned grave. “No. I don’t think so. Some things were put into motion, and I do not think it can be undone. It’s too late. War is inevitable.”
“What are you talking about?”
He closed his eyes and let out an uneasy breath. “It is terrible, Audrey. They kidnapped my young cousin, Rocco.”
Her eyes widened. “What? When?”
“Not long. Stupid kid went to town to get breakfast. I told him he needed to lie low, but he never listens to me. We received a text message a few moments ago from his phone. They are in town, and they have him. They will not keep him alive for long.”