The Italian Sister (The Wine Lover's Daughter, Book 1)

by Christa Polkinhorn

  Luisa got ready to prepare the risotto with Sofia watching her. Luisa heated butter, then added some olive oil. “So the butter doesn’t get brown,” she explained. She sautéed onions, poured in the dry rice and stirred it until it was translucent. She added the white wine and continued to stir until the wine evaporated. “It has to fully evaporate, otherwise the rice may taste bitter.” Then, she began ladling the hot bouillon, one spoonful after the other, making sure the rice was always covered with liquid, so it didn’t dry out. She sprinkled the saffron over it, let everything simmer for about fifteen minutes and continued adding the broth.

  Soon the kitchen smelled delicious and Sofia’s stomach grumbled. Shortly before the rice finished cooking, Luisa poured in the mushrooms, mixed everything, added some butter and the grated Parmesan cheese. She stirred the dish and asked Sofia to taste it. “Is it seasoned well enough?”

  “Ah, this looks and smells so good,” Sofia said. She picked up a little with a fork and tried it. “It tastes delicious, absolutely wonderful,” she moaned.

  “Good,” Luisa chuckled at Sofia’s display of pleasure. She poured the rice and mushroom mixture onto a heated platter.

  They ate it together with a salad and with a glass of white wine and some lemonade for Julietta. It was a simple but truly delicious dish, made even better by the fact that they had picked the fresh mushrooms themselves. Sofia liked being alone with Julietta and Luisa, the two people she felt most comfortable with by now. The company, the food, and the wine calmed her enough that she was able to enjoy herself once again. They talked and sat around, Luisa and Sofia drinking espresso and Julietta eating a bowl of ice cream. Since it was a Friday and Julietta didn’t have school the next day, she spent the night at Sofia’s. The two walked to Sofia’s house together.

  After Julietta had turned in for the night, Sofia sat in the living room, drinking a cup of soothing herbal tea. Now, by herself, the old fears began to rise again. There was still someone out there, someone who hated her and wanted to harm her.

  A while later, she went upstairs and stood by the open window in her bedroom, staring into the approaching night. As most evenings since the accident, she saw Edoardo in the back of the house walking around the property. This evening, however, he wasn’t alone. A second person walked with him. He was on the far side of Edoardo and Edoardo’s body hid him from view. Then they both stopped and looked around and now Sofia saw that the second person was Nicholas. Sofia was just about to call to them, then changed her mind and tried to listen to their conversation. She was surprised they spoke English. Usually, Nicholas conversed in Italian with the Italian members of the estate. He knew the language fluently. But she also noticed that Edoardo liked to practice his English.

  “What can we do? What’s the best way?” Nicholas asked.

  Sofia couldn’t hear Edoardo’s answer well, since he stood with his back to her. She thought she heard him say. “Kill …” the rest she didn’t understand.

  Then Nicholas. “Shoot …?”

  Sofia’s heart stuttered. What were they talking about? Or who? Sofia wasn’t sure if he said “it” or “her.”

  Edoardo talked a little louder now. “I am not allowed to do it. I would end up in jail.”

  Nicholas seemed to shrug. “We’ll think of something. We need to do something to protect the fields and ... could ruin everything.” The two men walked away and Sofia couldn’t hear the conversation any longer.

  She stood by the window and tried to make sense of the snippets of talk she’d overhead. Shooting or killing something or someone? But Edoardo couldn’t do it. He would end up in jail. Did they talk about her? Shooting her to save the fields? Her two fields? Sofia closed the window and sat on the bed.

  “That’s absurd,” she told herself. No, they must have been talking about something else. Perhaps she misunderstood. She really was beginning to lose her mind.

  Chapter 38

  The day after picking the Sangiovese grapes, which were now hissing and gurgling in the fermentation tanks, Sofia grabbed the bike to drive to Vignaverde to pick up Julietta after school. Although she’d been driving Edoardo’s car a few times, which fortunately was an automatic as well, she still felt uncomfortable. Riding a bike was not only good exercise, but there was less that could be tampered with, she told herself.

  Just as she pushed the bike toward the path to town, she saw Nicholas walk across the courtyard and wave at her. He asked her if she needed a ride.

  “Are you going to town?” Sofia asked.

  “I wasn’t planning to but I can give you a ride. No problem.”

  “Thanks, but it’s not necessary. I’m taking the bike. I’m meeting Julietta and we’re going on a short bike ride. Besides, it’s good exercise.”

  Nicholas smiled and waved at her, then kept on walking toward the building where he lived with his co-workers. Sofia thought about the odd conversation between him and Edoardo she’d overheard the night before. She wished so much they would find the criminal, so she could trust people again.

  Out of habit by now, Sofia tested the brakes before driving down the steep hill. Reassured that they worked, she let the bike roll down, enjoying the breeze on her face. She carefully checked for traffic as she eased her way onto the two-lane highway to town. There was very little traffic but since the road was fairly narrow and there was no sidewalk, Sofia preferred to ride on the shoulder wherever possible. Inhaling the scent of pines and the occasional whiff of dew-soaked grass, she enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere.

  After a while, she heard the engine of a car approaching. She glanced back and was surprised when she recognized Nicholas’s red Fiat. She knew it was his because of the yellow rack on top of the car. He must have changed his mind and decided to come to town after all. Sofia stopped her bike by the side of the road and looked back. The car coming toward her slowed down a little, but then instead of stopping it picked up speed and swerved toward the side of the road.

  Sofia’s breath caught. She stared at the now speeding car, which drove straight toward her. Paralyzed with fear, she kept staring at the car, then her survival instinct kicked in. She dropped the bike and ran into the meadow just before the car hit the bicycle and threw it up in the air. It fell down on the concrete with a loud bang, skidded along the road, the basket flying off and hitting the grass next to the road. The car sped off and drove around a bend in the road, tires screeching.

  Sofia, her knees weak and her heart thudding, sat down in the grass and covered her face with her hands. She was trembling all over. It was Nicholas after all. The thought flashed through her mind and the pain of the realization squeezed her throat shut. Why? Why?

  She heard the sound of a car engine again. Getting up with wobbly knees and tears streaming down her face, she glanced in its direction. The car stopped and Edoardo jumped out. He stared at her with a terrified look in his eyes. “Are you all right?”

  Sofia nodded, then shook her head and sobbed. “Someone was trying to run me over with his car.”

  Edoardo walked toward her and put his arm around her. “Are you hurt?”

  Sofia shook her head. “It was Nicholas,” she cried.

  Edoardo hugged her. “No.”

  She was surprised at his gentle gesture. “But …”

  “It was his car. But he was not the one driving.” She looked at him. His face was pale and haggard. A deep crease had formed between his eyebrows.

  “Then who?”

  He shook his head and his voice trembled as he spoke. “Come.” He took her by the arm and led her to his car. He rushed to pick up the damaged bicycle and carried it to the side of the road. “We will pick it up later.” They got in the car. Edoardo’s cell phone rang. He answered it, listened, then nodded. “Capisco.” He slid the phone into the halter on the dashboard and started driving in the direction where the other car had disappeared. His face was hard and cold, giving nothing away.

  “What’s going on?” Sofia asked.

  He sighed an
d glanced at her, the frozen features in his face softening a little, and his eyes registered pain. “I am so sorry. You may have been right from the beginning.”

  As they drove around a bend, a terrible picture presented itself to them. The red Fiat had hit a tree and was badly crushed. Sofia’s heart lurched. She still hadn’t quite digested the fact that it wasn’t Nicholas in the car. A police car was there, sirens screeched and more police cars and an ambulance were racing to the scene.

  Edoardo stopped his car a few yards away. They got out and started walking toward the scene of the accident. Emergency crew workers were prying the car open and were in the process of lifting someone out. As if in trance, Sofia walked toward the damaged vehicle. She felt Edoardo’s hand on her shoulder, holding her back. “You do not want to see this. Wait here.”

  Not sure what to do, Sofia waited. Edoardo walked toward the stretcher where the injured or possibly dead person lay. Sofia couldn’t imagine anybody surviving such an accident. She watched as Edoardo bent over and seemed to say something to the person lying on the stretcher. Perhaps he or she had survived. Then everything went fast. The stretcher was hauled into an emergency vehicle, which sped off with blaring sirens. People were standing around the crushed car, talking. A police officer was talking on his cell phone.

  By then Sofia had arrived at the scene of the accident. She touched Edoardo’s arm. “Who is it?” she whispered.

  Chapter 39

  Edoardo put his hand on Sofia’s shoulder. “Umberto.”

  “What?” Sofia was flabbergasted. “But … why?”

  “We will find out.” Edoardo brushed his hand over his face. He motioned at the car. “Let’s go home.”

  “Is he going to live?” Sofia asked as they sat in the car.

  Edoardo shrugged. “I don’t know. I will go to the hospital later to find out.”

  “What about Julietta?” Sofia remembered that her sister was probably still waiting for her in town.

  “I will call her.” Edoardo pulled out his cell phone. He called and said a few words in Italian, then pushed the button.

  “Did you tell her about the accident?” Sofia asked.

  “No. I did not want to scare her. She will find out soon enough,” Edoardo said with a grim face.

  They drove on in silence. Edoardo stopped to load the broken bicycle into the trunk and then continued.

  At home, there were two police cars in front of the house. Several of the people working at the vineyard were standing outside talking animatedly. Nicholas and Luisa were standing next to each other. Only now did Sofia fully realize that Nicholas wasn’t responsible. She felt ashamed having suspected him, but how was she supposed to know he wasn’t the driver?

  When she got out of the car, he came rushing toward her and embraced her. “My God, I’m so glad you’re okay. He took my car and ...”

  “I know,” Sofia said. She began to tremble as the tension gave way to relief and sadness. She put her face on Nicholas’s shoulder and began to cry. He patted her back and held her.

  “I still don’t know what happened. Umberto was in the car.” She wiped the tears from her face.

  “I am going to the hospital,” Edoardo told them, then hesitated. “He was conscious for a while at the accident scene. He told me that my father asked him to do it.” Edoardo gave Sofia a quick glance, then walked to the car. She thought she had seen tears in his eyes.

  A loud argument broke out inside the house. Two officers were leading the old Santucci in handcuffs out the door. He yelled at the police and when he saw Sofia, he stopped and stared at her, an insane gleam in his eyes. “Impostore, nemico,” he yelled at the top of his voice. Sofia’s heart clenched in the face of so much hatred.

  Luisa hugged Sofia. “They think he blackmailed or bribed Umberto to hurt you,” Luisa said. “This is terrible. I am so very sorry. We should have known. He has been acting weird lately, stranger than usually. I just never thought he would do something like this.” Her voice gave out.

  “It’s not your fault,” Sofia said. “So I was right with my initial suspicion?”

  “Yes.” Luisa nodded. “Let’s go inside.”

  Nicholas, Luisa, and Sofia went to sit in the living room. They were quiet for a while, trying to digest what just happened. Sofia was still trembling a little. Nicholas sat down next to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

  After a while, Luisa took a deep breath. “Umberto and my stepfather have been friends since childhood,” she began. “Edoardo knows more about their relationship. But from what I know, Umberto has been working for my stepfather for a long time and my stepfather has helped him out financially several times. You see, Umberto is a gambler and has problems with alcohol. My stepfather has given him money and jobs at the vineyard. When we took over, we kept him, although he was getting old and could not work much, but we figured he belonged to the family. Lately, however, his drinking was getting worse and I know he got into arguments with my stepfather, who always tried to bale him out.”

  At that moment, the door opened and Julietta came inside. She was close to tears. “Is it true? About Nonno?”

  Luisa nodded. Julietta sat down next to her and started to cry silently. Luisa hugged her. After a while, Luisa got up. “I am going to make some tea. Once Edoardo gets back from the hospital, we will find out more.” Julietta followed her into the kitchen.

  Sofia and Nicholas looked at each other. Nicholas’s face was somber. He shook his head. “I’m still trembling. I was so afraid something was going to happen to you. Umberto opened the door to my car. First I thought he was looking for something. I called him but he didn’t react. He just got in and started the car and drove off. I was totally flabbergasted. But then, I remembered that you were on your bike. I thought of the incident with the wine barrel and I got this really bad feeling. I called Edoardo and told him about it. He jumped into his car and drove after him.”

  Sofia nodded. “I heard a car and looked back and saw it was your car. I thought you were on your way to town and then the car drove right toward me.” Sofia covered her face with her hands. She didn’t want to admit that she thought it was Nicholas behind the wheel. “First I was like paralyzed and then at the last minute I jumped into the meadow.”

  “Jesus Christ, you probably thought it was me.” Nicholas got up. “What a bastard that man is.”

  Julietta and Luisa came back with a pot of tea and cups. Luisa poured the tea and put a plate of cookies on the table. They sat around in silence, sipping tea.

  Sofia tried to come to terms with the jumble of thoughts and emotions that flooded her. She had been right all along, it had been the old Santucci. She didn’t dare to think about what it all meant in the end. She looked around at the other people. They all looked somber and sad.

  Half an hour later, Edoardo came back. He stood awkwardly in the room for a moment, then sat down next to Luisa.

  “How is Umberto?” Luisa asked, exhaling deeply.

  Edoardo shook his head. “The doctors do not think he is going to make it. It is probably better he does not survive. He would end up in jail for the rest of his life for attempted murder,” he said with a grim voice.

  Sofia’s heart ached. I destroyed the family. The realization hit her full force. If she hadn’t come here to claim her property, none of this would have happened. “I feel so bad. I should never have come here. It’s my fault.”

  “This is not true.” Edoardo faced her. He spoke sharply. “This is not your fault. This is my fault. I should have known my father better. His mind had been deteriorating for some time and he became more hateful. He even beat my mother. I should have seen the signs. I did not want to believe that he could be so mean, so insane.”

  “What I don’t understand,” Nicholas said. “How did they think they could get away with this? I mean their behavior, their plan, they are so stupid. Okay, so the thing with the brakes might have worked. But stealing my car and running Sofia down on the open road. It was obvious that
Umberto would be caught. How? I don’t understand.”

  Edoardo sighed. “This is because you look at it with a sane mind. Obviously, my father was not in his right mind. This is the plan of an insane person. He never got over his experience during the Second World War. His family was hurt badly by some American soldiers. And because of this he hated Americans. It made him blind. He thought that by using your car, you would become a suspect. That way he could hurt you, too. In his troubled mind, you are the enemy as well. My father is mentally ill and I think Umberto’s mind is gone too. Too much alcohol.” His voice broke. He brushed his hand over his face and got up. “The police will be here soon. I need to go and talk to my mother.”

  After he left the room, it was quiet again. Then Nicholas got up and walked toward the window. He turned around and shook his head. “I feel I’m a character in some absurd movie.”

  “Well, we do not know what will happen to these two men, but they will not hurt you anymore.” Luisa’s voice was sad but composed. “We owe you a big apology. This should never have happened. And I want you to know that we love and appreciate you for being here. You have helped us a lot during this harvest. And, Sofia, it was very important for Julietta to have you here … for all of us.”

  Sofia nodded. “Thank you. It will take me a while to digest all this.”

  Julietta who had stopped crying got up and sat down next to Sofia. “Please, do not leave.” The two hugged.

  Chapter 40

  Later that afternoon, a police officer came by and told them that Umberto had died in the hospital. He’d made a full confession and told them that Silvio Santucci blackmailed him and threatened to expose a crime Umberto committed a few years before that the old Santucci had helped him cover up. The officer did not give any details about the alleged crime and he couldn’t tell them what would happen to Silvio Santucci. For the time being, he was in the local jail. They would probably indict him for attempted murder and blackmail.