He nodded to the bartender for a whisky. ‘Make it the finest malt, the lady’s paying.’ Then he looked to his right and noticed for the first time a middle-aged couple who were sitting next to him at the bar.
They seemed to him like the usual well-heeled sorts that the White Palace attracted. The bartender placed a drinks mat in front of Edoardo, hesitating slightly as he scrutinized his boozy customer, before placing a Macallan eighteen-year-old single malt on ice before Edoardo, who picked it up and said, ‘Salute’ to the couple, before taking a swig.
The woman turned to him, clinked her G&T glass to his and said, ‘Bottoms up’ in an English accent.
‘You’re English?’ Edoardo asked and the couple nodded.
‘We’re getting married,’ she told him, ‘in a few days.’
‘A wedding and honeymoon all joined into one,’ the man added.
‘Ah, true love eh?’ Edoardo slurred, leaning his elbow on the bar, missing the first time. ‘I never got married myself, never wanted to be tied down by a woman, you know?’
‘Oh, I think there’s nothing more wonderful than having that someone special in your life, someone who will always be there for you, don’t you agree Max?’
The man smiled indulgently at his fiancée, ‘I couldn’t agree more Olivia.’ He kissed her on the cheek.
‘So, as you are footloose and fancy-free, what do you do with yourself, Mr—’
‘Conti, I’m Edoardo Conti. I fly helicopters.’ He took another slug of the Macallan, it was quite strong, and he felt the room start to sway around him a little. ‘I got my own company,’ he lied. ‘It’s a family business, but I run the show.’
‘How exciting!’ the woman said, enthusiastically, her eyes twinkling with interest. ‘Are you something to do with all the filming that’s going on? Brad Redford is one of my favourite actors, I got a glimpse of him the other day, he’s quite dreamy, I must say.’
‘Olivia, you’ve wounded me,’ Max teased.
‘Don’t be silly, darling, you know I only have eyes for you.’ She squeezed his hand. ‘My friend Gina, who works here, says that he has a body double, who looks almost like him. A very handsome chap, apparently, and he sounds as if he’s very much the expert on helicopters too. Do you know him?’ Olivia asked innocently.
Edoardo felt his anger rise again, dangerously this time. It seemed as if he couldn’t move for people who were fawning over Marco. Couldn’t he just get away from that pompous ass for five minutes? ‘Know him? You know what, signora, the man you’re talking about is a nobody, he’s a bastardo!’
Olivia pulled back slightly at this unwelcome outburst, and the barman, who had noticed the rise in volume of Edoardo’s voice, was walking towards him, shaking his head.
Edoardo stood then, wobbling on unsteady legs. He faced Olivia and Max, trying to keep his voice to a whisper, but failing. ‘Everyone thinks they are better than me, everyone! But they are all going to pay, especially Marco. One day I’m going to fix it so that he’s going to get into that helicopter and it’s going to come crashing down to the ground. If my sister is dead, then he deserves to die too.’
The bartender picked up the phone, ‘Security to the Casanova Bar immediately.’
Edoardo swung on his heels. ‘Don’t bother, I’m going, but if I’m finished, I’m taking Marco with me as well.’ Then he headed out towards the exit, leaving Olivia and Max to wonder what on earth had just happened.
Chapter 25
The following day, Marco caught the train out to Gaggio, to the hangar outside Venice where the company helicopters were kept. His mind was a jumble, thinking of Gina yesterday, and everything they’d talked about. He’d been shocked to discover that she’d thought he was still married. It certainly explained a lot – why the intense chemistry between them had never been acted upon, and Gina’s reluctance to get too close.
Marco hoped there wouldn’t be any barriers to them moving closer now. He pictured Gina’s face – beautiful, laughing, her almond-shaped green eyes sparkling as she teased him. She’d already agreed to go on a date with him, and Marco had to admit that he felt a surge of hope and excitement that he hadn’t experienced for a very long time. He hadn’t felt it with anyone since Stephana’s death, and he dared to hope that this tentative relationship might blossom into something serious.
Marco glanced out of the train window, seeing Venice recede into the distance across the water, the domes and spires of the distinctive skyline growing distant as the train sped out to the countryside and the landscape became more industrial. La Serenissima was a city that had given him so much, Marco reflected. A wife, a daughter, a career …
Amongst his whirling emotions, guilt featured prominently. Guilt that he might have been, in some way, responsible for Stephana’s death, just like Edoardo had asserted. And guilt that he was considering the possibility of moving on, allowing himself to be open to the idea of falling in love again. It had been three years since the accident, Marco reminded himself. He couldn’t lock his feelings away for ever. He owed it to himself, and to Daniela, not to close himself off from the world.
It was a short walk from Gaggio Porta Est station to the Elicotteri Conti hangar. While the main, client-facing office was in San Polo, in the centre of Venice, the hangar out here included a small office where they kept their paperwork and archives. Marco called hello to some of the mechanics as he entered the office, and they quickly finished up their coffee break and got back to work when they saw him. He needed to pick up some documents, but he also wanted to check out the helicopter he’d be flying for the main stunt. It was happening in three days’ time, and the chopper would be flown to the White Palace ahead of filming, so Marco wanted to ensure everything was as it should be.
The helicopter, a gleaming black Eurocopter AS350 Écureil (‘Squirrel’), had been moved to the front of the hangar, nearest to the enormous exit doors. Marco walked towards it, his leather shoes silent on the polished concrete floor as he approached.
He jumped as Edoardo emerged from the far side of the helicopter. Edoardo started too, obviously not expecting to see him. A flicker of something crossed his face – shock? guilt? – but it was gone before Marco had a chance to really register exactly what it was.
‘Marco,’ Edoardo said calmly, though his voice was loaded with meaning. He was wearing oil-stained overalls and carrying his toolkit. His face was pale, beads of sweat dotted along his hairline, and he looked rather the worse for wear. ‘I didn’t expect you here today.’
‘Last-minute decision,’ Marco replied. ‘I needed the helicopter paperwork for the production company, and I thought I’d check her out ahead of the stunt,’ he continued, slapping the side of the helicopter with the flat of his palm.
‘Of course,’ Edoardo nodded. ‘The big day’s almost here, right? That’s why I thought I’d look over everything, run some final checks.’
Marco nodded. ‘Sure.’
‘How was yesterday?’ Edoardo asked, raising his eyebrows. ‘I’m sure you had a great time without me.’
‘Don’t start again, Edoardo. Your constant antagonism is getting boring,’ Marco replied wearily. Edoardo was clearly feeling even more resentful than usual, and Marco didn’t want to rile him.
‘“Boring”?’ Edoardo parodied, his voice thick with sarcasm. ‘Playing at being best friends with Brad Redford? Cosying up to Gina. Yeah, I guess I am boring in comparison.’
Marco was taken aback by the venom in his voice, sensing that this was about more than just yesterday. He knew that Edoardo found Gina attractive, and his brother-in-law had clearly hoped something would happen between them, but it seemed obvious Gina wasn’t interested.
‘Look, let’s grab a coffee or something,’ Marco suggested. Perhaps, if they couldn’t exactly heal the rift between them, they could start to build a bridge.
Edoardo looked him straight in the eye and his gaze was cold. ‘No, I’ve got too much to do here.’
‘Edoardo,’ Marco began, trying to hide the exasperation in his tone. ‘I know we haven’t always been the closest, but I really don’t want there to be any bad blood between us. Me taking over the business – it was your father’s decision, and I know he’d want us to work together to make the company the best it can possibly be.’
Edoardo glared at him, and Marco pressed on, ‘You’re great at what you do, you know that, right? And no matter what happens between us, you’ll always be Daniela’s uncle. She adores you, and I want you to be part of her life.’
‘Whatever,’ Edoardo muttered childishly. Marco could tell he wasn’t interested in the olive branch, but there was nothing more he could do.
