The Italian Inheritance

by Louise Rose-Innes

  “Intriguing...” Rico sipped his coffee, eyes on his friend.

  “I need you to do a standard check for me. Place of birth, parents, school, that sort of thing. Oh, her mother’s passed away, so I’ll need the death certificate, too. Dig up anything that might be useful. I’ll call you later with some details. It should all be pretty easy to verify.”

  “That still doesn’t mean she’s the legitimate heir,” pointed out Rico. “She may be who she says she is, with no connection to Giovanni at all.”

  “I know,” agreed Rafael. “But it’s a start. At least it verifies her. After that I’ll have to get a paternity test done. It’s the only way to prove the connection.”

  “Will she agree to that?”

  “She’ll have to. Otherwise I can’t confirm she really is Giovanni’s daughter. No DNA, no money. It’s as simple as that.” He sipped his espresso thoughtfully. “If she doesn’t want to do the test, she’s got something to hide.”

  “It will be a good way to find out,” agreed Rico. “Perhaps you should suggest that now and get the ball rolling.”

  “I’m not going to waste everyone’s time until you’ve given her the all-clear. The last four girls were eliminated after basic checks remember? Let’s not jump the gun here.”

  “Up to you my friend. What’s this mystery girl’s name, anyway?”

  “Anna. Anna Crawford.”

  “Anna? Mm... A very Italian name for an English girl.”

  Rafael grimaced. “Don’t start, Rico. I’m not in the mood.”

  The smiled faded from Rico’s face. “Fill me in on the shelter, Rafa. Did you have much luck stopping that bastard?”

  “No, I only managed to get a week’s respite. Mancini must have the district attorney in his pocket. There’s no other explanation.”

  “I didn’t pick anything up,” shrugged Rico. “But I agree. It seems like the only answer”

  At Rafael’s taut expression he asked, “What are you going to do about Streetwise now?”

  “Look for new premises, of course. What else can I do? In a week the shelter will be bulldozed to smithereens.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s the kids I’m worried about. Finding a new place, setting it up and getting everything ready will take months, which means they’ll be homeless for months.” He gave Rico a sideways glance, “And that means trouble for a lot of them. School work suffers. Jobs get lost.” He shook his head. “You know what it’s like for many of these kids, you’ve been there. We both have.”

  Rico frowned. “What about a temporary shelter?”

  “I thought of that, but where? You want to do it at your place?”

  Rico grimaced. “I’ll look around, see what I can find.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” The best he could hope for was to make a deal with one of the other street shelters in the district. Even then, it would be impossible to get the word out to everyone.

  “What happens to the staff, while all this is going on? Don’t you have a teacher there, as well?”

  “A house mother, a cook, a teacher, an admin assistant, handyman... they all have to be paid. I’m not going to risk losing them.”

  “What a bastard,” muttered Rico, with uncharacteristic viciousness. “If only he knew what an effect his building work is having.”

  “Oh, he knows,” confirmed Rafael. “I’m sure he did his homework before he moved his crew in. He just doesn’t care. What do a few homeless kids matter when there are millions to be made?”

  “Pity he didn’t give you more warning.” Rico looked very concerned. “The bastard sprung it on you with the finesse of a steam train.”

  “Less time for me to react,” spat Rafael bitterly. “And it worked. Now I’m scrambling... just like he wanted.”

  They finished their coffees and said goodbye. Rafael got back on the phone and rang up some old contacts in the real estate business. His mind was focused. He needed to find premises for the shelter and he had to do it as soon as possible.

  It was almost five when a decidedly weary Rafael clambered on board his motorboat and headed for home. The cabin cruiser had a powerful motor and made short work of the forty minute crossing to Capri.

  Rafael was hungry. He debated popping in at his local tratoria. It had been a long day and a plate full of pasta and a cold beer would go down really well.

  Should he ring Christina? She was always available for him whenever he needed her. He liked that she didn’t complain about their casual alliance or push for something deeper, more committed. He suspected that she’d like something more, but she knew it was never going to happen. As she’d once said to him, it was better to have him this way, than not at all. That suited him down to the ground.

  But strangely enough, tonight he wasn’t in the mood for Christina.

  His thoughts turned to the tall, willowy blond that had awoken him early that morning. What had she been up to, breaking into his premises like that? Was it really to see if Giovanni lived in the villa or was there more to her story that met the eye?

  A vision of her soft, slender body in that figure hugging black outfit came to mind. Rafael inhaled sharply. She was a beautiful woman, there was no denying it. He was suddenly hit by an urge to see her again. Sure she was coming to his office in the morning, but what was she doing tonight? Would she be alone at the hotel?

  A sneaky thought popped into his head. What if he went to see her? Invited her out for dinner. She probably didn’t know anyone in Capri. They could engage in some light conversation, drink a little vino... Her guard would be down. Maybe she’d divulge something about herself that would make his job of verifying her easier. Some personal titbit of information that would rule her out as a legitimate candidate. She could let something slip that would incriminate her, show her up as a fake and a fraud.

  The more he thought about it, the better the idea seemed. Before he knew it he was heading down the rambling cobblestoned pathway to the Bella Vista Hotel.

  It was a warm evening, typical of mid-summer on the continent and the air was fragrant with the pungent scent of hibiscus flowers and frangipani. It was an evening to be enjoyed with good food, wine and the company of a beautiful woman—even if his motives weren’t entirely honest.

  Anna was perched at the garden bar, sipping a glass of white wine and admiring the sunset when Rafael came in. She started when she saw him. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was in the neighbourhood and I thought you might like to go out to dinner?”

  Anna stared at him. He looked more rugged than when he’d pounced on her first thing this morning, thanks to a generous smattering of five o’ clock shadow around his jaw. She liked it. It made him seem less smooth, less controlling somehow. More human.

  “You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

  She didn’t know what to say. “Er...no, I haven’t eaten yet. But why would you want to take me out for dinner? You don’t even like me.”

  Blunt, sure, but it was the truth. What was he doing here? They had a scheduled appointment tomorrow morning. Couldn’t he wait until then to harangue her about her background? She searched his face for a clue, but the dark brown eyes just crinkled at the corners.

  “I thought it was the charitable thing to do,” he replied, a half-smile teasing his lips. “You are new in town and I am the only person you know in Capri, right?”

  Anna thought for a minute. Perhaps it was time to make amends. After his suspicions about her identity and her subsequent stunt this morning there was plenty of distrust between them. Maybe they could finally set the record straight. At the very least, she might learn something about her father. Rafael had obviously known him pretty well. Well enough to give her some clues as to his personality and his life here on Capri.

  “Okay, dinner would be lovely,” she conceded, offering a small smile in return. “We didn’t get off to a very good start, did we?”

  “No. You are right about that,” he chortled. “I know a local tratoria which is run by a friend of
mine. Luigi makes the best pasta on the island. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds perfect.”

  Anna stood up and pulled her shawl around her shoulders. She was wearing a beautiful floral summer dress that she’d bought in London at the beginning of the season. It flattered her in all the right places. Being cut above the knee it broke her long, tall silhouette and the floral pattern made her seem less of a bean pole. This was the first chance she’d had to wear it.

  She stood up, careful to make sure the dress didn’t’ ride up in the process. Rafael gazed not-so-surreptitiously at her bare legs while she finished her wine. She wasn’t so sure she liked his attention, although admittedly he was being rather gentlemanly tonight. What a change from his previous uptight attitude.

  “Right, I’m ready when you are,” she told him, picking her clutch bag off the bar and giving the forlorn bartender a brief wave.

  The tratoria was situated in a quiet street off the main tourist routes. As her heels clicked on the pavement, Anna thought once again how different Rafael seemed tonight. Gone was the cold, cynical demeanour and suspicious frown. Instead, his broad shoulders looked more relaxed and he walked with a casual gait, like they had all night to get to their destination. Even his clothing were different. Instead of the power suit from the day before, he wore a white shirt which showed off his dark Mediterranean tan, and a pair of jeans. Even that looked glamorous on him.

  Anna felt like she should say something, but she didn’t know what and he didn’t seem perturbed by the silence. So she gave up thinking what to say and thought instead of her behaviour over the last two days. She’d been in turns pushy, frantic, angry and desperate. Not to forget foolish! Her stunt this morning was embarrassing in its stupidity. But it did have one positive outcome. She knew about her father’s death now. If she hadn’t climbed over that wall this morning, she’d still be ignorantly trying to track him down.

  At least now she could be herself. She didn’t need to solicit his help to find Giovanni anymore.

  “This is it,” said Rafael, coming to a stop outside a rustic looking restaurant with a low wooden entrance and ‘Luigi’s’ printed in red neon lighting above the door.

  The sound of laugher and incessant chatter radiated from inside. Rafael opened the door and stood back to let Anna enter.

  The restaurant was warm and inviting. Tables were filled with laughing families or animated groups of men, eating pizza or slurping up spaghetti. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. No sooner had they walked in when a short, stocky man in a dirty apron came rushing forwards to greet them.

  “Rafael, bona serra,” he enthused and then turned to Anna.

  “Signorina, welcome to my tavern.” He took her hand and kissed it. Anna gave him one of her best smiles causing him to blush and stammer, “Please come this way. I give you my personal table.”

  Rafael went to pull out Anna’s chair, but Luigi beat him to it.

  “Luigi is quite taken with you, I think,” teased Rafael as they sat down.

  “He’s very sweet.” Anna looked around her. Luigi had seated them in front of a big archway that opened up into a picturesque courtyard filled with even more tables and laughing guests.

  “Gosh, Luigi is a busy man,” commented Anna, as waiters rushed from table to table carrying large plates piled high with food, decanters of wine and jugs of water.

  “Its simple fare, but it’s good and the service is fast.”

  “The atmosphere is great in here, too,” Anna remarked as the table next to them burst into hysterical laughter. “Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves immensely.”

  “Ah, Italians always talk loudly and laugh even louder,” remarked Rafael with a grin. “We like to enjoy ourselves.”

  “I can see that.”

  There was a pause. “Is that why you brought me here tonight?” Anna asked softly. “So we could enjoy ourselves? Or was there another reason?”

  “Purely enjoyment,” lied Rafael, signalling for the waiter. “You must eat and you may as well see something of Capri while you’re here.”

  A sweating waiter appeared. Anna’s mouth watered as Rafael ordered a carafe of wine for them to share and a starter of Parma ham, olives and a small salad.

  “So this is for my benefit?” Anna gave him a sideways glance. “Well, that’s very decent of you, Rafael. Perhaps you’re not the lawyer from hell after all.”

  “I try my best,” he smiled, not quite meeting her eye.

  Rafael proved to be a considerate and amusing companion. He enthralled her with interesting facts about the island, legends and folk tales.

  “Have you lived here all your life?” Anna felt compelled to ask. He seemed incredibly knowledgeable about the island.

  “I used to come here for holidays as a teenager,” he told her. “But I grew up in Naples.”

  “So you had family here?”

  “Yes,” he replied vaguely, changing the subject. “How about you? Where did you grow up?”

  “Oh, I lived with my mother in a small English village in Surrey. We had a lovely old Victorian house, which unfortunately had to be sold after she died.” She looked wistfully at Rafael. “I loved that house. My uncle used the money to send me to boarding school.”

  “How old were you when your mother died?” His dark eyes roamed casually over her face.

  “Twelve. It was an awful time and I was desperately unhappy for a few years, but then I made some good friends, friends I still have today, actually, and life improved drastically. I learned to look after myself.”

  “It’s a valuable skill to possess,” remarked Rafael, a tad cryptically, but he didn’t elaborate. Instead, he changed the subject. “There are a couple of things you should see while you’re on the island.

  “I’m listening...” Anna smiled indulgently. She didn’t know how much free time she’d have, or how long she could stay, but it was worth visiting one or two landmarks before she left. Capri turned out to be far more expensive than she imagined and she was already down to the last of her budget. Anyway, she enjoyed listening to Rafael speak. His deep voice with that sexy Italian accent definitely did it for her. Amazingly she found herself gazing at his perfect bone structure under the rough exterior and thinking how under different circumstances...

  But no, it wasn’t worth even going there. He wasn’t her type anyway. Gorgeous local Italian men were for holiday flings and one-night-stands, not long lasting relationships. Right up her friend Lara’s alley, but sadly not Anna’s. She was after something more substantial. A husband, a provider, a father for her children. She wasn’t going to find that on a week-long reconnaissance mission on the island of Capri - that was for sure.

  So she concentrated on what he was saying, and mentally made a list of things to see, if she got the time, starting with the Grotta Azzurra - the Blue Grotto. Perhaps tomorrow, after their meeting...

  After they’d finished a bottle of wine and talked some more about the Amalfi Coast and all the romantic towns situated along the coastline, Anna was determined that someday, when she had the money, she would come back and explore it properly. Rafael had aroused her interest and made it sound so exotic.

  “That was lovely. I’m stuffed,” complained Anna once their plates had been cleared away and two cappuccino’s had been placed before them. Secretly she welcomed the coffee after all that wine. She was quite tipsy. In fact, so much so that she found herself gazing appreciatively at her dinner companion. He really was superbly put together. Right from the top of his beautiful brown locks to the tips of his casual designer footwear.

  Rafael caught her staring at him. “Do you like what you see?”

  The brazen question caught her off-guard. She blinked. “Sorry, I didn’t realise I was staring.” How embarrassing to be caught ogling. She gave a self-conscious laugh. “It’s the wine. I don’t usually stare so blatantly at men.”

  Rafael laughed. “Don’t worry. I believe you.”

  Something in his tone c
aused her to ask, “What’s that supposed to mean?” Did she appear so prim and proper that she wouldn’t dare look at a man if she liked him?

  Rafael shrugged. “You don’t look like the type of girl who takes the initiative when it comes to men. You would rather wait for the man to approach you.”

  At her look of astonishment he added, “Am I right?”

  “No, you’re not right. I can take the initiative.” But when had she ever done that? Every boyfriend she’d had had asked her out.

  “Oh, really?”

  The bill came and Anna watched as he charged the meal to his credit card. Platinum Visa. This guy wouldn’t have a clue what it was like to struggle through life. He was so self-assured, with his Rolex and platinum credit card. She sat up straighter.

  “Yes, really. I would quite happily take the initiative if I met someone who was worth the effort.” Except the problem was she never met anyone who was worth the effort. Well, she hadn’t yet, anyway.

  “So, what would you do?” He stared intently into her eyes. “If you liked someone, what would you do? How would you let them know?”

  Anna swallowed. Was he coming on to her? She felt her pulse rate quicken as she gazed back at him. Or was he trying to make her feel uncomfortable?

  She didn’t know what think. The restaurant, the dinner, the light-hearted conversation. It was all so surreal. After the frustration of the last few days, and the hostility between them, Anna couldn’t reconcile this sudden change in attitude.

  She took a deep breath. “I’ll let you know when it happens.”

  His mouth curved into a smile and he gave a little nod. “You do that.” There was an awkward pause. Rafael stood up. “Shall we go?”

  They stepped out into the balmy night air. Anna couldn’t believe how warm it still was despite being nearly midnight. Time had flown. They’d been at the restaurant for over three hours.

  Rafael led the way back to Villa Rosa. They walked at a leisurely pace, without talking, listening as the chatter and music of the town faded into the background. Every now and then Rafael’s hand brushed against hers sending little shivers down her bare arm.