“I'm fine.” Her voice was calm. “The rest at lunch time helped a lot.”
“Good.”
“You sound strange,” she suddenly said.
“Strange?”
“Yes. Preoccupied.”
He gave a snort. “No wonder. I just interrogated the wife of my boss.”
“I see.” She sounded thoughtful. “Was she cooperative?”
“Not in the least.” He felt better already, just talking to Carlina. “In fact, I'm one hundred percent sure that she knows one of the other ladies, but she didn't tell me. I assume she is working to her own agenda.”
“Scary.”
“Hmm.” He could get addicted to this. “So, what are you up to tonight?” he asked.
“We have a meeting with Sabrina.”
“Sabrina?”
“She's the mayor's wife, the one who organizes the Florence Christmas fair.”
“I remember. You also had a meeting with her the night I walked you home.”
“Yes. By the way--” she broke off.
“Yes?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Garini frowned. Was she hiding something? Something to do with the case? He opened his mouth to ask, but she beat him to it.
“We're all of us meeting at the historical palazzo where the Christmas fair will take place. It's called the Palazzo Davanzati. I'm sure you know it. We'll discuss how to set up the booths, and then, she'll invite us to her home for a drink.” Carlina sighed. “It'll be a long night, but I think it'll be worth it. I have to make sure I find a chair somewhere. It would be too cruel if she invited us without sufficient chairs.”
He smiled. “When is the fair going to take place?”
“Tomorrow.”
Garini frowned. “Tomorrow, the twenty-third? Isn't that one of the biggest shopping days of the year? How will you manage?”
“The fair will only start at three in the afternoon and will continue until ten at night. I'll set up the booth early in the morning,” Carlina sighed, “between six and nine, in fact. I've asked my mother to tend the booth between nine-thirty and three, because I plan to spend the morning at Temptation. I know that quite a few of the other store owners will do the same thing.”
“Sounds exhausting.” I hope her mother won't let her down.
“If you run a small business, you have to be flexible. Anyway, in the afternoon, I'll leave Annalisa and Marianna at Temptation and will return to the Christmas Fair together with Ricciarda.”
Garini frowned. “Who's Marianna?”
“You don't know her, but she's a part-time help. She often helps out when I'm on vacation or in other emergencies.”
He grinned. How like her to call a vacation an emergency. “And on the twenty-fourth?”
“That'll be the last and most hectic day of the Christmas battle.” Carlina sighed again, “and I'll probably fall asleep in the middle of midnight mass when it's all over.” She laughed. “But I usually do that anyway.”
“I'll see if I can drop by at the Fair tomorrow,” he said.
“That would be nice. You can do some last minute Christmas shopping.”
“Last minute is done on the twenty-fourth,” he answered. “But maybe it's time for a more sedate lifestyle.”
Chapter 13
Sabrina's steps sounded hollow on the polished parquet floor. The medieval room on the first floor had a high ceiling with small windows giving onto the street, but the early winter night had already closed in, blackening out the view of the honey-colored stone houses opposite.
Carlina followed Sabrina together with the other exhibitors. She studied a hand-written map and tried to find the right location for her booth.
“I had to promise the town that we would under no circumstances nail anything onto the wainscoting or damage the parquet floor.” Sabrina said to the group. “That's why we developed the cardboard folding walls with the soft edges as a background for each booth.”
Carlina smiled. She was delighted with the crinkled gold foil and the distinctive Temptation logo in the center of her folding wall. It made a great backdrop for the three mannequins she planned to show. Three hollow black cubes would serve as storage areas and sitting places at the same time. She had asked Sabrina for a position in a corner, so her customers would be able to try on her special lace underwear behind the folding wall without being seen.
Sabrina turned around and faced the group of fourteen women in front of her. “So if you plan to bring any additional furniture, make sure you glue felt underneath any sharp edges.” She handed out large pieces of felt with an adhesive on their backs. “I've brought one for each for you, and you can cut it into the necessary size. If you need more, come back to me.”
Carlina fingered the gray felt. It felt furry and a bit rough. How typical of Sabrina to prepare every detail.
“Also, we have to make sure not to place anything over these trapdoors.” Sabrina pointed at several squares, placed in a long row, on the floor. “They might not be sturdy enough to bear the weight.”
“Trapdoors?” Carlina asked. “What use did they have? There's no room beneath here, is there?”
“No.” Sabrina shook her head. “Below this room is only the arch that is part of the main entrance. In medieval times, if your enemies tried to storm the house, you could open the trapdoors and pour liquid lead onto them. That proved to be quite an efficient way to stop them.”
Carlina's friend Rosanna shivered. “Gosh, I would think so.” She gave the trapdoor next to her a wide berth.
Carlina shook her head. “It's funny; I've lived in Florence so long, but there are still so many things I don't know.”
“That's because you're not a tourist.” Rosanna said. “When they come to Florence, they spend a full week looking into every crook and nanny, listening to the complete history, starting with Caesar's colony . . . and afterwards, they're experts.”
Carlina smiled. “Well, as long as they manage to look into our stores as well, I'm fine with that.”
They advanced together with the group. Sabrina explained that the bathrooms were on the same floor just around the corner, and that she would open the building at six o' clock the next morning, so they could start the setting-up of their booths. Several ladies groaned.
Sabrina smiled. “You can come later, if you wish, but I know that some of you have to be at your own stores later in the morning. As long as everything is done by three o'clock, you can start whenever you want. The Christmas fair will officially close at ten PM, and afterwards, we'll start the dismantling. We have to return this room to its original condition by midnight.”
Carlina clenched her teeth. Maybe she had taken on too much. It was sheer lunacy to leave Temptation to Marianna and Annalisa, just one day before Christmas. But she felt she personally had to be at the Christmas fair to study the reactions to her new lace collection. If they resembled in any way Annalisa's feelings, the collection would be dead before it was born. She had decided to take Ricciarda with her because she knew that it would be impossible to deal with any crowds if she was on her own. Also, as soon as Temptation closed in the evening, Annalisa would join them at the fair, to help during the last hours and with the dismantling. At least, that was the plan. However, if they should only have a few customers, Carlina had already decided to send them home early.
She suppressed a sigh. Hopefully Annalisa would prove to be a help and not a hindrance. What if she had one of her fits in front of a customer?
She shook her head. Nothing will happen. It's just another crazy Christmas. Once the fair was over, she only had the 24th to survive, and on December 25th, she could collapse, sleep until eleven, and later sit down to the traditional family lunch that Benedetta would have prepared with as much love as usual. In between, she still had to wrap her gifts, but that was done in less than thirty minutes . . .
Sabrina clapped her hands. “I'd now like to invite you to a small drink at my home, to celebrate that we have survived the preparations
. We'll drink to success, because tomorrow evening, we'll be too exhausted to do so. It's right behind the Uffizi Museum.”
Laughter greeted her announcement.
When Carlina dismounted from her Vespa in front of Sabrina's house, she thought her joints would crack, being frozen by the sharp wind. It seemed to get colder every day. Maybe they would even have snow. She shivered and hunched deeper into her jacket. “As long as it doesn't snow tomorrow,” she murmured. If it snowed, traffic in Florence would come to a total stand-still. The inhabitants would either refuse to set a foot outdoors or would drive as if their cars had developed into drunken centipedes, with legs slithering all over the place - with the exception of a few chosen lunatics who drove as if they had seven lives to lose.
She was grateful for the warmth of Sabrina's house when the door was opened to her. A glass of Prosecco, the festive Christmas-tree in a corner of the elegant living room, and the babble of excited voices lifted her mood. “I wanted to say thank you for inviting me to join the Christmas Fair,” she said to Rosanna who was sitting next to her on a modern chaise longue. “I really appreciate it. I got to know so many interesting women.”
Rosanna lifted her glass and clinked it with hers. “I'm glad you were able to join. Here's to our success tomorrow.” Her pixie-like face shone.
They smiled at each other and drank.
Carlina placed her glass on a small side-table and turned to her friend. “I need to go to the bathroom. Do you happen to know where it is?”
“Yes.” Rosanna pointed toward the back of the house. “You have to cross the music room, past the piano. Just go straight on. You can't miss it.”
Carlina winced when she got up. Her feet were hurting her. After all these years, she should be used to standing all day long, but for some reason, it didn't get better. With mincing steps, she crossed the room and opened the door Rosanna had indicated. When she closed it again behind her, the babble of voices was cut off and sudden peace descended. Carlina took a deep breath and looked around. The piano room had an unusual shape, like an octagon, placed in a strategic position in the middle of the house. Several doors led from it.
It smelled of hyacinths. Carlina turned her head - now she could see them standing on a sideboard. Next to it two tall lamps threw muted pools of light against the stucco ceiling. Their light reflected on the shiny surface of the grand piano and the silver frames that decorated it. “What a serene room.” She went past the piano, one hand trailing over the smooth surface.
By pure chance, her gaze came to rest on one of the silver-framed pictures, and when she recognized the faded picture, she froze in horror. She stopped in the middle of her move, her hand half stretched out toward the picture. It can't be. Carlina swallowed. Her heart beat hard against her chest, and her breath came out in sharp gusts.
She looked around her. She was still alone in the room, but the peace she had felt earlier had gone. Suddenly, the smell of hyacinths had become suffocating - and the silence a threat. She bent forward and narrowed her eyes. No doubt. The woman in the picture was Laughing Eyes, Trevor's second lover some twenty-five years ago. And now she knew why she had seemed so familiar. The different hair cut had misled her, and the changes that came with many years, but she should still have recognized the bone structure, and of course those unusual eyes. It was Sabrina.
A door clicked softly behind her.
Carlina whirled around.
“Ah, you're admiring the pictures,” Sabrina came up to the piano, not a hair out of place.
Carlina's heart stopped for an instant. She cleared her throat. “Yes.” Her voice sounded rough. “It's a lovely room.” She made a wide gesture with her hand and turned away from the pictures. “Gorgeous flowers.” Anything to distract her.
Sabrina gave her a sharp glance. “I see you've recognized that ancient picture.” She shrugged. “I should have hidden it, but I had forgotten that it was on the piano until I caught you staring.”
Oh, no. Disconcerted by the direct attack, Carlina took a step back and faked a smile. Pretend you haven't heard her. “I think I'll return to Rosanna. She'll be wondering what became of me.”
“Not so fast.” Sabrina's cool hand encircled Carlina's wrist. “I think we need to talk.”
“I really have to go.” Carlina took a step to the door and pulled her wrist away.
Sabrina let her arm go but blocked the way with her body. “You don't need to be afraid of me, Carlina.” She smiled. “I won't hurt you.”
Carlina shivered. She had never noticed how tall Sabrina was. Her slim figure might well stem from extensive sessions at the fitness studio, making her stronger than she looked, stronger than Carlina. She forced herself to meet Sabrina's gaze. “You don't have to explain anything to me.” Her voice sounded way too squeaky, showing her fear louder than words.
“But I want to.” Sabrina closed her lips until they were a tight line.
Carlina sent a silent message to Garini. If ESP worked, this was the moment to prove it. I'm in danger. She turned half away from Sabrina and used the move to slip her hand into the pocket of her trousers, assuming a relaxed stance. If she could call Garini without Sabrina noticing it, he might get here in time. He had once made her program his name so it came up on top, but she couldn't recall which button she had to press first. Her fingers slid over the tiny keys. Darn. She had no idea if she was reaching him or somebody else, somebody totally useless, like the answering machine at Temptation, or, even worse, her mother. To cover up her gestures, she shrugged and faked a smile. “Well, if you want to talk, go right ahead.”
Sabrina picked up the picture and looked at it with a frown. “It was a long time ago.”
Carlina measured the distance to the door. It was too far to escape. “Yes.”
Sabrina looked up, her face distorted with hatred.
Carlina flinched.
“Marcella Cervi was here this afternoon. She saw a picture in the police files. A picture of me and Trevor. Marcella recognized me, but she didn't tell anybody - or so she said.” Her shoulders shook. “I thought I was safe. Twenty-five years, and now this old story is blowing up into my face.”
Carlina pressed a few more keys, praying silently. I'm in danger. “What story?”
“I had been married one year. Only one year, but Trevor blew me away.” A wistful smile played around her lips and disappeared.
A sudden feeling of sadness swamped Carlina. I've heard this before.
Sabrina lifted her head. “Can you imagine that Marcella Cervi had the effrontery to blackmail me? She came to my house today and threatened to blab unless I helped to push her into the top position on certain committees.” Her eyes blazed with anger.
Carlina took a shaky breath. Is Marcella Cervi still alive? “Really?” It sounded like a croak.
“That slimy, inefficient, fake--” Sabrina broke off, her chest heaving.
Carlina took another step back.
Sabrina narrowed her eyes and followed her. “Stay.”
“I think you should talk to the police,” Carlina swallowed hard. “They know what to do with blackmailers.”
Sabrina laughed.
The mirthless sound chilled Carlina.
“Oh, I don't need the help of the police.” Sabrina narrowed her large eyes. “I have my own way to deal with Marcella and her kind.”
“Great.” Carlina took another step toward the door. “I . . . I'm glad to hear that.” Why does nobody have to go to the bathroom? Have they all left?
Sabrina's hand shot forward and grabbed her wrist again. “I don't want you to run to the Commissario now. Stay.”
Carlina felt sick. I'm in danger. “Why did you kill Trevor?” The question came out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
Sabrina reared back. “Me?” She sounded flabbergasted. “I didn't kill Trevor.”
Carlina's knees started to tremble. “You . . . you didn't kill Trevor?” Her head whirled.
“Of course not.” Sabrina shook her
head. “Oh, I knew he was in town every Christmas; I met him at a reception of the American consulate three years ago.” Her mouth twisted. “He was with a girl young enough to be his daughter.”
Either Sabrina was a very good actor or she wasn't lying. Carlina sank onto the piano bench. “But . . . if you didn't kill him . . . why did Marcella Cervi try to blackmail you?”
Sabrina threw back her head and laughed. “This Commissario of yours has to be a very unusual man if he accepts that you're having affairs right and left.”
“Oh.” Carlina blinked. “You mean Marcella threatened to tell your husband about that ancient affair with Trevor?”
“Of course.” Sabrina frowned. “What on earth did you think?”
“I thought she threatened to tell the police that you were Laughing Eyes!”
“Who?”
Carlina dropped her head into her hand. “That's what the Commissario called you when he saw that picture of you and Trevor.”
“So you have seen it?” Sandra's voice was hard. “Was that part of the normal police procedure or does it have something to do with your special relationship?”
Carlina straightened her back. “He officially asked me if I could identify you. Remember, I was one of the last people to see Trevor alive.” She gave Sabrina a glance that spoke volumes. “I still don't get it. Why didn't you go to the police? Trevor had many lovers, and even if it places you into an inner circle, it doesn't automatically follow that you killed him.”
Sabrina flattened her short skirt over her hips. “My husband is rather close to Cervi. Once it's part of a police record, it's a matter of time before my husband knows about it.”
“I see.” Carlina gathered her courage. “And what did you mean when you said you knew how to deal with Marcella Cervi and her kind?”
Sabrina sat next to Carlina. “I happen to know a few things about Cervi that would not . . . let's say they would not foster his career.”
Carlina caught her breath.
Sabrina gave her a lopsided smile. “That's the other side of the coin when it comes to my husband's friendship with Cervi.” Her smile grew malicious. “Knowledge is power.”
Charmer's Death (Temptation in Florence Book 2) Page 21