A Villa in Sicily: Vino and Death

by Fiona Grace

  She turned around, ready to head back to the clinic and talk to Mason. She needed to get him to talk her down from the ledge she was dangling from, the one that would probably have her kicked out of the city, if she didn’t watch herself.

  But she only got a few steps before a black Fiat pulled up in front of the café.

  The words Luca had said to her came rushing back to haunt her: I did see a black car. It go down the street, very slow. Like it was looking for something. I thought that funny. I could not see in. Windows were dark.

  Audrey stared. The windows in this car were tinted so she couldn’t see who was driving it.

  That is, until the door opened, and out popped the mayor.

  Audrey’s jaw dropped. So he had been the one slowly making his way down the street by the clinic, casing the joint? That could only mean one thing …

  He was her guy.

  As she was trying to come up with a plan, her phone buzzed again. She looked down, annoyed, expecting more questions from Mason. Instead, it was Brina: I’m assuming you’re dead, jerk.

  Brina needed to chill. She’d get to her later. Audrey took a step backward, slinking into an alley, as she watched him and a couple of other men in suits shaking hands in front of the café. He was all smiles, the town-destroying, murdering jerk. He grabbed the door and ushered the other men in.

  That does it, she thought, gritting her teeth as she crossed the street to the café. I don’t need Mason to talk me down from any ledge. I’m going full-on psycho on this scumbag.

  She reached for the door, which to her surprise, almost opened into her face as someone came out. “Scuzi,” the man said, holding the door open for her. She didn’t respond. The place was packed with the lunch rush. She scanned over the heads of the people, looking for the mayor, and found him, in a large, reserved table in the back of the restaurant.

  Audrey had only taken one step in that direction when a voice called, “Principessa!”

  For a second, she wondered if she should ignore it, but then she decided that G deserved to know. Just in case things got ugly and tomato sauce and silverware went flying. It would be good to have someone on her side.

  He came around the counter and approached her with his normal greeting, hands on her shoulders, a kiss on each cheek. “Table for one, or can I give you a spot at the bar?”

  She shook her head and said, in a low voice, “I’m not here to eat. This isn’t a social call. I’m here to—”

  “Eh?” He cupped a hand around his ear and leaned forward. “I can’t hear you. You must speak up, little principessa.”

  Normally, she loved G’s theatrics and ebullient personality, but now, she just wanted to put a lid on it. Her eyes went to the side, where she could see the mayor, opening his menu and saying something to one of his lunch companions. He laughed raucously, unaware of her staring.

  “The mayor,” she said, a little louder. “I need to speak with him.”

  G looked over his shoulder. “Si. That is the mayor of Mussomeli, Signore Fanelli. What do you need?”

  “Do you know him well?”

  “I know him as well as I know anyone,” he said, nodding.

  That means he knows him very well, Audrey thought, since G knew just about everyone well. “What do you think about him?”

  He shrugged. “What do you mean, Audrey?”

  “I mean, like, is he good? Or is he more … shady?”

  He laughed. “Shady? No. Not at all. He’s a good mayor. A good man. I like.” He frowned. “What is this all about, Audrey? Is there a problem?”

  “Yes. He’s a snake, that’s what he is,” she said, indignant. Like him? How? He clearly didn’t know all the underhanded things the mayor was up to. “He’s planning on turning Mussomeli into America, basically. Did you know that? Forcing little places like yours and all the other mom-and-pop shops in town out of business in favor of big corporate places.”

  G looked around at the customers nearby, who were starting to take notice of them, since Audrey was so angry, she was shaking. “How do you know this?”

  Audrey glared at the mayor, who, still unaware of her, was smiling and laughing like he wasn’t the biggest flim-flam artist in history. “I saw it with my own eyes.”

  “You saw what, exactly?”

  She didn’t want to go into that here, especially now that people were starting to notice her. She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I just know. He’s going to ruin this town as we know it. And I can’t sit by and watch it happen.”

  With that, she sidestepped G. He grabbed for her arm, clearly not wanting her to make a scene, but she shook herself loose, weaving her way through the tables. As she marched up to the table, she heard a man speaking Italian in a stuttering French accent, something about how happy he was to be in such a lovely town for a wonderful celebration. Audrey would’ve been proud of herself for interpreting the words, but she was fired up, her wrath focused on the mayor.

  As if on cue, the heads of all four men swung in her direction.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but the mayor beat her to it. “Vorrei un litro di vino della casa.” I would like a liter of house wine.

  She froze there for a beat, completely distracted from her purpose.

  Then she gulped a breath and said, in a shrieking voice, “I am not your waitress!”

  Behind her, the room went completely silent. The mayor looked around, confused. Then he shrugged and motioned her away, as if he had no need for her.

  “Listen here, Mayor. I know what you are up to,” she said, loudly enough for the other patrons to hear. She’d quieted the room better than a tray of dishes crashing to the floor. But at that moment, she didn’t care. These people deserved to know what a creep he was. “I know that you are planning on turning Mussomeli into one big shopping complex.”

  Near her, someone gasped, which distracted her enough that she looked over her shoulder. Here she was on center stage, with at least fifty people watching her, wondering what she’d do next. The mayor pulled on his collar and looked around helplessly.

  “Dear,” he said condescendingly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Could you please leave us to eat in peace?”

  She fisted her hands on her hips. “No. Not until you answer for what you’ve done. What you’re planning to do.”

  The French businessman’s eyes narrowed. “I do not understand. What is this?”

  “It’s the mayor selling out the citizens of Mussomeli who voted him into office,” Audrey said.

  The mayor looked about his audience, and his mouth stretched into an uncomfortable smile. “I don’t know who you are, girl, but this is not the time nor the place. If you’ll make an appointment down at city hall, I’ll be happy to—”

  “Eh, what kind of shopping center, Dottore?” G broke in, standing at her side. “You’re speaking of other restaurants that might compete with my place?”

  She nodded. “Big ones. Chain restaurants. He basically wants to turn this place into one big shopping district.”

  More gasps. Waitresses stopped with their heavy trays suspended near their ears. Diners paused mid-bite. Even the clock on the wall seemed to stop ticking and the lively accordion music being piped in through hidden speakers seemed to have screeched off-track. Everyone was absolutely still, hanging on the mayor’s next words. The drama unfolding before their eyes was just too good.

  “That’s absurd. Where are you getting this information?” the mayor sputtered, the fear and doubt now clear in his eyes.

  “Let’s just say that I’ve seen the plans with my own eyes.”

  He coughed. “What did you see? Because yes, plans have crossed my desk, but I have not given a green light to go forward with—”

  Suddenly the door swung open, and Officer Ricci and another police officer came in, led by a tiny woman who Audrey kind of recognized, though she couldn’t place where. The woman’s eyes landed on Audrey and her face brightened with triumph. “There! There she is. The A
merican!”

  At that moment, Audrey realized exactly where she’d seen the woman before. It was the lady from the information desk at city hall.

  Oh no.

  The tiny older lady, who looked very mild-mannered and sweet, what with her glasses on a chain around her neck and her fuzzy pink cardigan, stomped over to Audrey. “Mayor, I saw this woman coming out of your office while you were at the parade.”

  Audrey winced. Was the information booth in view of his office? Probably. She hadn’t noticed that before. Darn.

  Now, everyone was looking at her, their eyes demanding an explanation.

  “Well, yes. I was there,” she fudged, her voice barely audible, even in the quiet. “You see, I just knocked because I wanted to speak to you, and—”

  “I think she stole something!” the woman shouted.

  “Dottore. Is that true?” Officer Ricci asked, clearly disappointed in her. “Tell me it is not true.”

  All those damning expressions focused on her, making her wish she could melt into the floor. “What? No. Of course not. I didn’t take a thing. I just …”

  “Dottore, maybe you and me go downtown? Talk about this and let these people enjoy their food?”

  That’s a nice way of saying “you’re under arrest for trespassing.” Oh, God. Now I really am going to jail.

  “No. No, wait.” She shook the advancing officers away and grabbed her phone out of her pocket, her hand so slick with sweat that she could barely get it to function. “Look. I’ll show you. I have proof that what I said is true.”

  Even G had been starting to distance himself from her, but now, as she paged through her photographs, he came closer and took the phone from her hands. As she pointed out the photos, she was only partially aware of other people holding their phones up, recording the whole exchange. If I end up on national news and Brina texts me, I’m going to die. “Look at that,” she said to G. “That’s right next to your restaurant.”

  “Papa D’s Spaghetti Warehouse,” G said, and his eyes widened. “Is that another restaurant?”

  “Yes, it’s a big chain from Palermo! Like I said, the whole thing is a plan to make all these crazy shopping malls!” she said desperately, looking over at the mayor, who from his expression, had more than had his lunch ruined by her intrusion. She didn’t care. “And what you don’t know is that I heard him and the new inspector talking about Vito Cascarelli, the inspector who was killed, and how he was ruining their revitalization plans! Plus—”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” G said, as the rest of the group erupted.

  “Are you accusing me of murder, now, too?” the mayor asked, incredulous.

  She’d hoped that Officer Ricci would agree, head over to the mayor, and snap some cuffs on him. That didn’t happen. Instead, he just stared at her for a beat. “Maybe he make bad plans for the town, but you have no proof that he committed this murder, Audrey.”

  “But I do!”

  More gasps.

  The mayor swept the napkin off his lap and tossed it on the table. “This is absolutely preposterous. I refuse to sit around listening to this rubbish. I’m leaving.”

  He stood up and took one step, but that was as far as he got.

  “Hold it,” Officer Ricci said, lifting a finger to him. “Dottore, please tell me what you’re talking about?”

  “Well, it makes sense. He had a black Fiat with dark windows, and there was a black car seen casing my clinic, shortly before the murder. Ask Luca, the boy from the hardware store,” she announced. “He witnessed the whole thing. Don’t you see, Officer? It all fits together.”

  The mayor slumped down into his seat as Ricci considered this. “So what? Many people have black cars. What does that mean? It means nothing!”

  “You have motive. There was a witness who saw a car fitting your description on the scene,” Ricci said. “Where were you that night?”

  “That night,” the mayor said, stunned. “I don’t know. I think I was home.”

  “And your wife can verify that?”

  “Well, yes. Actually, no. That was the night of her weekly ladies’ get-together at the school. They make crafts for children in the hospital. And I believe she stayed with her sister that evening. But I wasn’t anywhere near—”

  “I see.”

  The other officer took Audrey’s phone from G and stared at the plans, then motioned to Ricci, who studied it, a vaguely disgusted expression on his face. “You were going to rip down the park where I play football as a kid? All my life? For a big movie theater?”

  The mayor’s voice was small now, miserable. “It was just an idea.”

  Then something happened that Audrey could not believe. Officer Ricci did indeed pull out his cuffs, and motioned to the mayor to give him his wrists.

  “I’m under arrest?”

  The officer nodded. “Si. Charged with the murder of Vito Cascarelli.”

  More gasps erupted around the place. The mayor’s eyes went wide and he blustered, “But I didn’t—”

  “I’d let your lawyer speak for you, now, Signore.”

  Reluctantly, the mayor pushed up his sleeves and held his fleshy forearms out to the officer, then glared at Audrey. “Oh, I will. This is ridiculous.”

  Oh my God, she thought. I did it again. The mayor of Mussomeli is going to jail for murder.

  She averted his dagger-like eyes as he was led out the door, leaving the rest of the restaurant patrons staring after her.

  As she stood there, watching him leave, she waited for the relief to fall over her, that sense that now, everything was right with the world. But for some reason, it didn’t. Something tickled in the back of her mind, something she couldn’t quite bring to the forefront. Whatever it was, she had the distinct feeling that she’d missed something.

  The rest of the restaurant went back to their meals, and business as usual. G rubbed her shoulder and said, “That was exciting, no? I can’t believe that the mayor … after all this, he was a murderer. He was an important man. A good man. A powerful man.”

  A shiver went down Audrey’s spine, because she had to admit that, although she didn’t know the mayor well, something about it didn’t feel right. A powerful man who will make my life in Mussomeli a living hell if they ever find out he didn’t do it.

  Her phone dinged in her hand. A message from Mason: I’m leaving.

  She’d noticed a few messages on her phone when she’d tried to show the plan to the police, but she’d quickly cast them aside, unread.

  Now she pulled up the messages on her phone to find four others from Mason:

  Can I use the sink in the bathroom or do you want me to use the utility sink in the back room?

  It’s been a half hour. Where are you?

  Hello?

  Are you alive?

  Whoops. She was an hour later than when she’d told him she’d meet him. On my way, she typed in.

  Waving at G, she said, “Sorry, I have to get back to the clinic,” and broke into a run as she pushed her way out of the café and into the afternoon sunshine.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  She arrived to find Mason on the front stoop, paging with one thumb through his phone, drinking a can of soda with the other hand. His face was sweaty and his white T-shirt was stained with sweat and mold. “Well, look who it is. Nice for you to join us.”

  “Hi,” she said. “Sorry. I had some things to—”

  “I know. You’re a regular media darling, ain’t you?”

  “What?”

  He moved over on the stoop to let her sit and thrust the phone under her nose. Sure enough, there was a grainy video of her, confronting the mayor at La Mela Verde. She winced. “Where did you—”

  “It’s all over Facebook right now. Making friends in high places, huh, Boston?”

  Great. Brina’s definitely going to call me tonight when she sees that. She sighed. “Ugh. I didn’t mean for it to blow up into this big media circus, but I needed to get in front of him right away, and that wa
s the only way I could do it.”

  He tilted his head as he watched the video, where Audrey, looking half-insane, thrust an accusing finger at the mayor. “You really broke into his office?”

  “Broke in is a little harsh. The door was open.”

  “That being said, did you go someplace where you weren’t allowed, which is called trespassing, and is in fact, illegal?”

  She smirked at him. “Well. Yes. But …”

  “But Nancy Drew saves the day again. So the murderer’s been caught and all your past crimes are forgiven. Is that it?”

  “Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission, I guess.” She shrugged. “So how’s it going with the mold?”

  “Getting there. Should have it scrubbed pretty well by tonight, then I’ll do a second sweep to get rid of everything I missed the first time. Okay?”

  She nodded. This was really great. Everything was working out in her favor. And yet, for some reason she couldn’t quite pinpoint, something was off. “Yeah.”

  He went on, talking about the specific steps he’d taken, and she nodded along, thinking about the case. G had said the mayor was a good man, but G liked everyone. The mayor was kind of a pompous jerk. He’d laughed about Vito Cascarelli’s death. And those horrible development plans which would serve no purpose other than to line his pockets? Total jerk.

  But that didn’t mean he was a murderer.

  Plus … the mayor was the one with the power. If he didn’t like the inspector, all he had to do was fire him. Murder? That was a little extreme.

  “… and she wanted to lodge a complaint against your treatment of her and her family.”

  Audrey blinked and looked at him. Last she remembered, he was talking about some Mold-B-Gone stuff that had really done the trick. When had he changed the topic? She’d missed the whole beginning of that. “What? Who?”

  “Charlotte. The Spider. She’s been living down in your crawl space for months and she’s very upset that you don’t like her the way you care for all the other creatures in your place. After all the insects she’s been keeping out.” He grinned. “She’s really very pleasant when you get to know her. I could reintroduce you.”