“I wonder why Salvatore chose to live here,” Kat wondered. “It’s so very different from the Lombardi estate.”
“I don’t think this is the kind of place people choose to live,” Deborah said.
“That’s true enough,” Kat said. “It’s the kind of place where people get stuck. Its like they’re at the bottom of the barrel and they have nowhere else to go.”
“So, where did Salvatore’s life go wrong?” Deborah wondered. “He started out his life living on a huge wine estate. His first love was Chiari, but then his brother married the love of his life, and he ended up here.”
Kat shook her head. “We’re missing something. Something’s happened that we don’t know about. The course of people’s lives doesn’t tend to vary dramatically like that, unless something unusual happens.” She thought for a moment. “Perhaps he had a mental breakdown?”
“Maybe,” said Deborah. “I guess we could ask Chiari.”
“Yes,” Kat agreed, “but first I’d like to see if we can find out from him. Even though I realize Chiari has to remain a suspect, I don’t want to question her too much and upset her. Keeping that in mind, I’m going to behave as if she’s innocent.”
“Thank you,” Deborah said. “I know that would mean a lot to Luigi.”
“I guess we’d better try to find Salvatore. Maybe we could find a decent place to have coffee and a pastry, too.”
“Let’s try,” said Deborah. “Come on, Primo.”
Kat linked her arm with Deborah’s as they walked toward where they thought the center of the village might be located. Primo went on ahead of them, but kept looking back to make sure they were okay.
“By the way, I didn’t mean I was going to storm in there and accuse Chiari,” Kat said with a laugh. “I was just trying to keep an open mind.”
Deborah laughed with her. “Glad to hear that.”
They soon arrived at a rickety little establishment called Gianna’s Beach Bar. It looked incredibly depressing, and a woman, presumably Gianna, sat behind the counter with a very sour expression on her face as she looked down at her phone.
“Hi there,” Kat said, putting on a smile and hoping it would be returned. “We’re looking for a man named Salvatore Lombardi. Do you know where he might be?”
“Uh?” the woman said, barely glancing up from her phone.
“I think you’d better try,” Kat said to Deborah.
Deborah stepped up to the bar and repeated what Kat had said, but in Italian. Gianna replied.
“Do you want a drink, Kat?” Deborah asked.
Kat looked at the slightly grubby place and didn’t know what to say. It didn’t look like any of the glasses had been properly washed. “Um, do they have Diet Coke?” She was hoping it would come from a bottle or can. “I’ll just have a straw with it.”
“Due Diet Coke,” Deborah told Gianna.
Soon they were walking along a street, which was stained with some black and green slimy substance, and was adjacent to the dirty beach. Primo kept running down to the water, then scaring himself and running back again.
“Gianna said that Salvatore comes to drink there most days,” Deborah said. “We can wait here for him to show up or we can head over to his B and B. She says the directions are quite complicated, because it’s tucked away in some backstreets.”
Kat nodded. “I think going to his B and B is a better idea. He might not come to the bar until late today, and we have to get back in time for Bruno’s sending-off feast.”
“You’re right,” Deborah said.
They turned to look at the little dingy streets and narrow alleyways. Kat took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing. Glad we’ve got Primo with us.”
They made their way past mangy dogs who stared Primo down. Primo growled back at them. There were old men sitting out in front of houses and a couple of old women scrubbing dirty clothes in large plastic basins. The alleyways between the houses were so narrow that several times they had to walk in single file. But there were spots of beauty here and there that they both admired. One of the tiny homes was painted in a dazzling azure, and had hanging baskets of flowers adorning practically the whole of its surface.
Someone else had a front door with a life-size painting of Mary painted on a gold background that made it look as if she was basking in the light of heaven. There was a lovely little chapel tucked away in a backstreet, where no one would expect it, and the singing voice of a child and an old woman came from inside. They were not perfectly in tune, but the effect was rather comforting.
Eventually they reached Salvatore’s Bed and Breakfast. It was down one of the narrow lanes and was painted mint green. Or at least, once it been painted mint green, but most of the paint was now peeling. The words “Bed and Breakfast” were painted on the front in bold black letters.
“Oh, the sign is in English,” Kat said, surprised.
“The Italians still call it Bed and Breakfast,” Deborah explained, “although I’m not sure why. Anyway, shall we see if he’s in?”
“Let’s do it.”
The interior was surprisingly nice and inviting. It was cramped, which was to be expected, given the street size, but it had a wonderful warm atmosphere. The walls were painted in a bright shade of saffron, while contrasting indigo and royal purple details were scattered through the room. A brown leather couch had indigo cushions, the heavy curtains were dark purple, and the lamp at the mahogany front desk had a bright purple shade. It wasn’t modern. It wasn’t luxurious. But it was cozy and beautiful, and had the most wonderful smell of herbs – perhaps thyme and rosemary, Kat thought. It looked exceptionally clean, too.
“Hi there,” a young woman said from behind the desk. She looked to be about nineteen or twenty, and her dark hair was meticulously pulled back into a neat high ponytail which accentuated her huge, dark eyes. She stood up and smiled, and said in a near-perfect American accent, “Welcome to Salvatore’s Bed and Breakfast. I’m Alessa. Have you come to stay with us?”
“Hi Alessa. No, we haven’t,” said Kat. “I have to say that’s unfortunate, though! This place is beautiful.”
Alessa blushed. “Well, I do my best. I like to try my hand at interior design.”
“Your English is fantastic, too,” said Deborah.
Alessa beamed from ear to ear. “You think so? I learned it in school, but mostly I taught myself by watching a lot of American movies.”
Deborah smiled. “Word perfect, my dear. Is it okay for my dog to come inside?”
“Sure,” Alessa said.
Deborah went to the door and beckoned to Primo who came trotting in.
Alessa’s eyes widened when she saw the big dog. He did look ferocious. “What can I do for you?” she asked.
“Actually, we’re here to see Salvatore,” Kat said.
“Oh.” Alessa bit her lip. “Well, that might be a problem, because he just left. He’s going to visit a friend in the north of the island.”
“Yes.” Deborah smiled. “We know. We’re friends with the person he’s going to visit.”
“Oh, right,” Alessa said.
“Have you been working here a long time?” Kat asked.
“Two years.”
Kat and Deborah exchanged a look.
“Do you think we could talk to you for a little while?” Kat asked. Someone’s been murdered, and we…”
“I know,” she said. “Bruno Lombardi’s been murdered. Everyone knows.”
“News travels fast in Sardinia, it seems!” Deborah said.
Alessa gave her a knowing smile. “I can find out what my neighbor’s grandmother in the north ate for breakfast if I want.” She winked. “Of course I can talk to you, although I am not sure I know any more than you do. Would you like to eat with me? I was about to make lunch.”
“Oh, we wouldn’t want to cause you too much trouble,” said Kat.
“It’s fine. You are very welcome!” Alessa grinned. “It’s not that exciting though. Just an Insalata Caprese. Ho
w do you say that in English?”
Deborah and Kat laughed. “Insalata Caprese!” they both said together.
“It’s actually one of my favorites,” said Kat. “Mozzarella cheese slices with tomato slices, right?”
Alessa grinned. “Don’t forget the basil, and I also like to add some olives. I was going to eat it with some focaccia we have left over from yesterday. Does that sound okay to you?”
“It sounds delicious,” Deborah said.
Soon they were in the dining room, another quaint room that reminded Kat of the dining room of a country Italian matriarch, and eating the delicious lunch Alessa had prepared. There was a door leading into a small courtyard, and Alessa set out a bowl of meat and leftovers from breakfast for Primo to eat out there.
“I’m sorry if this is a slightly awkward question, Alessa,” Kat said, “but we’re just trying to get to the bottom of this.”
“Are you detectives?” Alessa asked, her eyes shining with excitement.
“Goodness, no,” Kat said. “But we’re investigators of a sort. A friend of Bruno’s asked us to investigate.”
“Oh, I see.” Alessa nodded. “You don’t think Salvatore did it, do you? He couldn’t have done it, because he was here until just a half hour ago. He never leaves the town. He doesn’t even have a car or a bike or any other vehicle. He had to get a taxi to go to the Lombardi estate this morning. I booked it for him myself. Besides, he’s a nice man. He is very sad, but he is not a murderer.”
“Very sad?” Deborah asked.
“He is very depressed,” Alessa said. “He tells sad stories about the past all the time, and cannot look to the future. His favorite story to tell is how Chiari…” She trailed off, and her eyes went wide with alarm.
Kat nodded. “How Chiari was his first love?”
Alessa looked right and left, right and left, very rapidly, clearly panicking. “Um… Um…”
“It’s okay, Alessa,” Kat assured her. “It doesn’t mean that we’re going to think he’s guilty. The truth will come out. We just need to get all the information we can about everyone. We know that Salvatore loved Chiari very much, but then she ended up marrying Bruno. Do you know how that happened?”
“Yes,” Alessa said quietly. “Salvatore has told everybody, so it’s not a secret.” She explained about how Bruno and their father bullied Salvatore and turned Chiari against him.
“That was a long time ago,” Deborah said. “But you say everybody knows this, and you’ve only been here two years. That must mean he’s still talking about it.”
“Yes. I would say he mentions Chiari’s name at least once a day.”
“From that I presume he’s not had any other girlfriends,” Kat said.
“Not that I know of,” said Alessa. “I’ve told him to move on and find someone else, but he simply ignores me.”
Kat paused. “Would you say he’s still in love with her?”
Alessa nodded. “Absolutely.”
CHAPTER 14
When Kate and Deborah returned from Esporico, the luxury of Hotel Pitrizza was all the more pronounced. It was lovely coming back, like diving into a cool refreshing swimming pool after sweltering in the heat all day. Kat rushed to her villa, and lay back in the jacuzzi bath in the bathroom. Thankfully there was a mindless romantic comedy playin,g the sort of thing Kat loved when she needed to wind down.
Kat wanted to dress well for Bruno’s send-off meal. Thankfully, she’d brought several fancy dresses with her in addition to her matron of honor dress, because Deborah had warned her Luigi loved to eat at fancy restaurants.
She picked out a jade green silk dress in a Grecian style. It had silver beaded detailing on the waist, and she spent a few minutes, looking at the jewelry she’d brought on the trip. She selected chandelier earrings with Swarovski crystals, a simple white gold snake chain for her neck, and a white gold bracelet watch Blaine had bought her a couple of birthdays ago. The watch looked so glamorous she didn’t get to wear it much, but it was perfect with her outfit.
She had plenty of time before dinner, and Blaine was out somewhere with Luigi, so Kat took her time getting ready, and it felt sinfully decadent. The hotel bathroom cabinet was stocked to the brim with all kinds of beauty products, and Kat enjoyed looking at all of them, while wearing the white fluffy robe and slippers the hotel had provided. Eventually she picked out a “burnt sugar and ginger” body cream, and took her time massaging it in while still enjoying the mindless entertainment playing on the television.
Blaine came back just as she was fastening on her second chandelier earring, her outfit complete.
“Wow,” he said. “Who’s the glamorous movie star that I see before me?”
Kat grinned. “Oh, stop. I haven’t even done my hair and makeup yet.”
Blaine massaged her shoulders as she sat at the dressing table. “Well, I think you look perfect.” He kissed her on top of the head. “How did it go in Esporico?”
“It was okay,” Kat said. “We found out Bruno’s brother is still in love with Chiari, and he’d just left to go up to the Lombardi estate. How was your day?”
“It was great,” he said. “Luigi and I went sailing and had a man-to-man talk.”
Kat smiled. “I’m glad you can be there to support him.”
After Blaine changed into a gray linen suit, they made their way to the restaurant. It was a blend of traditional Italian stone, sleek, white, and luxurious, just like their villas. Luigi and Deborah were already seated at their table, drinking 1993 Dom Perignon. Luigi had a cigar in his mouth.
“We’re going all out!” he said joyously to Kat and Blaine as they sat down at the table. He slapped Blaine on the back quite hard, and said, “Let’s go wild for Bruno!”
And so they did, eating some of everything the hotel had prepared from focaccia bread to tiramisu and everything in between. Truly, the hotel kitchen staff had prepared a feast that would not soon be forgotten.
“Are you sure you should drink any more?” Deborah asked Luigi quietly as they were finishing dinner.
“Of course!” Luigi roared happily. “Bruno loved to drink and drink and drink and drink until the very last drop was gone. Good man, I say!” He poured more champagne into his glass until it was overflowing and spilled on the tablecloth. Then he lifted his glass in the air. “To Bruno!” he shouted in a loud voice.
Kat hadn’t drunk quite as much, and consequently felt a little awkward about Luigi’s boisterous conduct, but she couldn’t hold it against him. This was his grieving process, after all. “I’ll have another,” she said, thrusting her glass out and trying to get in the spirit of things.
“Thatta girl!” Luigi said, and poured her a huge glass of champagne that spilled over the edge of her lass. But before long, his laughter turned to tears. “Bruno,” he cried. “Where is Bruno? He should be here.”
Other diners were looking over at their table, since Luigi was being quite loud. Kat glanced over at the staff. They hovered around, looking uncomfortable and feeling uncertain about what they should do. They couldn’t very well ask Luigi to leave, since he was one of their best customers, and they knew he was mourning Bruno.
Kat saw one of the other diners go up to a staff member and point to their table. The staff member took the man and the woman he was with around a corner. It looked like the staff was going to move some of the other diners and let Luigi mourn in peace.
Deborah was holding Luigi close to her. “I know, my darling. You’re right. He should be here.”
Luigi wiped away his tears, and said, “Our wedding won’t be the same without him.”
Deborah looked worried. “Do you want to postpone the wedding, out of respect for Bruno?”
“No, definitely not,” Luigi said. Suddenly his voice sounded much less slurred. “Bruno would have hated me to do that. He was so happy I was marrying you and had found a true love. He wouldn’t want us to postpone that for even a moment. And he will be there in spirit, cheering us on. Then I will have
two best men. One in the spirit, one with us.”
“Have you decided who you’re going to have as your best man?” Kat asked.
“No, I haven’t,” Luigi said. “But it will be a good man. A man Bruno would have approved of.”
CHAPTER 15
The next morning they returned to the Lombardi estate. Kat and Deborah were hoping to see Salvatore. They were disappointed, and very surprised, to learn that he and Chiari had decided to go out for the day.
They were sitting on the veranda with Primo, trying to work out how to politely refuse the copious cakes and alcohol Chiari’s family kept trying to force on them, while Luigi and Blaine went for a walk through the vineyards.
Kat said, “Chiari and Salvatore are really not making themselves look good, are they?”
“They’re innocent, that’s why,” Deborah answered. “It would be more suspicious if things were awkward between them.”
“Hmm.” Kat sipped on some more of her Guappa. It seemed to be Chiari’s family’s favorite, and looked out at the glittering Mediterranean. “I don’t know.”
“So, what?” Deborah said, in an incredulous tone of voice. “You think the two of them teamed up to get rid of Bruno, so they both could inherit the estate and live happily ever after? Chiari found out Bruno was cheating and reverted back to how she felt about Salvatore before she married Bruno, even after all these years?”
“I’ve heard of crazier things,” Kat said.
“And now, with Bruno not yet in the ground, they’re out on a date.” Deborah gave her a slightly withering look. “No, I would bet that they’re out making funeral arrangements. The two of them were his closest relatives.”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
Deborah sighed. “This whole thing is beginning to totally stress me out. I don’t know how you do it.”
Kat found a smile from somewhere. “Yes, it is very stressful, and I know what you mean. In fact, it’s so stressful, and there’s so much at stake, that sometimes I just have to numb out. Like if I were to allow myself to shoulder all that pressure, I’d just crumble, so I have to find a place of deep calm within myself. I step back, and try to look at everything objectively.”
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