Marco stared after her, feeling as though his arm was on fire from where she’d touched his jacket, and the simple gesture had lit a spark of hope within him. But right now he needed to focus. Everyone was wishing him good luck – but this job wasn’t about luck.
Up in her penthouse suite, Lucia de Santis looked down over the action. She’d spent the morning watching the preparations as she sipped her hot water and got ready for the day, the buzz of excitement reaching all the way up to her top-floor window.
Some crew members from Elicotteri Conti were gathering around the helicopter and setting up equipment, as others spoke into walkie-talkies, monitoring the sky and the weather conditions. Lucia spotted Marco and gave a catlike smile, enjoying the feeling of observing him from above without his knowledge, appreciating his strong, powerful body as he moved, knowing that he was at the centre of the action today. If Davide wasn’t in the picture, she’d consider Marco as a serious prospect. But he would do for now, for a little fun.
He appeared to be nervous, pacing back and forth anxiously, and Lucia watched as he greeted his brother-in-law. Even from up here, she could discern how awkward and tense their body language was. She remembered everything that Edoardo had said to her that night in the Casanova Bar, about the animosity between the two men, and Edoardo’s claim that Marco had been responsible for his wife’s death.
Lucia put on her lipstick, emphasizing her Cupid’s bow with a dazzling shade of red, and noticed that another, older man had arrived. He headed over to speak to Marco and Edoardo, and Lucia turned away to spritz herself with Coco by Chanel perfume. When she came back to her spot by the window, she saw that Gina had appeared on the scene. A bolt of white-hot fury shot through her. Gina looked stunning, classic and understated in a way that Lucia never was and never would be. She and Marco were talking – it looked intense – and Lucia felt an intense wave of jealousy, a feeling that reminded her of how she’d felt many years ago, the sense of being left out and feeling the need to be the centre of attention.
So, Gina thought she could go back on their agreement and imagined Lucia wouldn’t find out about it? Lucia needed to teach her a lesson. Marco was hers – for now at least, until Davide saw the light – and Lucia had no intention of being jilted for Gina. What did Marco see in her? Lucia was rich, famous, beautiful, celebrated – Gina was a functionary, a nobody.
A movement below caught her eye, and Lucia tore her gaze away from Gina and Marco. On the terrace outside the Casanova Bar, Detective Gallo was sitting down with a cup of coffee. He positioned himself near the balcony, clearly preparing to watch the filming. He wasn’t the only one to have that idea, and he struggled to find a spot as the tables filled up with gawping hotel guests.
Lucia looked back towards the helicopter and saw Gina reach out and touch Marco’s arm. Lucia let out a strangled cry of fury. How dare she! Their agreement was clear – Gina was to stay away from Marco, or else she might find her little secret exposed to the world, with all its consequences. Well, now she would have to face those consequences.
Lucia strode purposefully away from the window, pulling on her shearling aviator jacket and heading for the elevator. Detective Gallo would be delighted to discover that La Leonessa’s memory had suddenly returned with a vengeance. She was going to tell him everything she knew – and she was going to destroy Gina Bellini in the process.
Chapter 33
Detective Gallo lit up an MS cigarette and inhaled, the grey smoke drifting up into the cloudless Venetian sky.
The Casanova Bar terrace was almost full, with guests taking afternoon coffee and watching the preparations for the filming. It was all very exciting, with the crew rushing around, scribbling on clipboards and setting up equipment, pretending not to notice everyone’s curious glances. He was certainly a long way from Cannegia now, Detective Gallo thought, with the beauty of Venice across the water and the excitement of a Hollywood movie set within touching distance.
But of course, he wasn’t here as a tourist, and he couldn’t let himself be distracted by the glamorous comings and goings. He shifted in his seat, staring up at the White Palace, at the beautiful, enormous, ancient palazzo situated high on the rocky green island jutting out of the sea. He felt sure that the answers he was looking for were somehow connected to the hotel, but pieces of the puzzle were still missing.
Roberto was still berating himself for the way he’d dealt with Lucia de Santis. He’d been so certain that she had the answers; all the circumstances fitted. He should have formally brought her in for questioning, but he’d gone rushing in, so certain that his theory was foolproof. And then she’d given that ill-advised press conference – clearly all done so that she could bask in the resultant publicity. Her name being linked to a mysterious case kept her name in the newspapers, Detective Gallo thought cynically, as he took a sip of his coffee.
If someone out there did know something more, the blaze of publicity would surely have given them time to go to ground, to disappear once again before Detective Gallo could even get on their trail. Or perhaps, he thought optimistically, the press coverage would have a positive effect and generate a breakthrough, jogging someone’s memory.
‘Hello again, Inspector. Mind if I join you? It’s rather busy today.’
He glanced up to see Olivia Booth beaming down at him. She was wearing a lavender trouser suit with a quilted cream jacket, and leaning heavily on her stick.
‘Of course, of course.’ He stood up hastily, pulling out the chair opposite him, noticing that almost all the tables were now taken.
‘Isn’t it exciting?’ Olivia smiled, looking out from behind her sunglasses at the scene. ‘I hope it’s not all work and no play for you in this beautiful city. Are you here to watch the filming?’
‘For now, yes,’ he replied, giving nothing away. ‘And you? How are the wedding plans coming along?’
‘Oh, I’m leaving all of that in Gina’s capable hands,’ Olivia told him, speaking in fluent Italian. ‘That woman really is a marvel. I can’t wait to see what she has planned, but I’m sure it’s something wonderful. All I have to think about is marrying my darling Max.’
Detective Gallo nodded as he stubbed out his cigarette. He offered the packet to Olivia, but she declined. ‘Have you known her long?’ he asked thoughtfully. ‘This Gina, I mean?’
‘Oh, yes, for a number of years now. Max and I always stay at the White Palace when we come to Venice – we wouldn’t stay anywhere else – and Gina always makes sure everything is perfect for us. Not that we’re demanding, but she knows exactly how we like things, and the standards here are second to none. Look, there she is, Gina!’ Olivia called, waving as she spotted Gina amongst the film crew. She stood out in her camel-coloured jacket amidst a sea of black, the unofficial crew uniform.
Detective Gallo watched as Gina looked around to see who had called her. Her gaze landed on Olivia and she waved back, smiling warmly. Then her eyes slid to Detective Gallo and her expression seemed to falter – only momentarily, but Roberto didn’t miss much. She stopped waving and turned around, talking to one of the crew.
‘I expect she’s very busy,’ Olivia said, not seeming in the least bit offended. ‘She’s always on the go. She works so very hard. Anyway, here am I rabbiting on about myself and my wedding. What about you, Inspector? Are you any nearer to solving your case?’
‘Not yet, no,’ he said enigmatically, continuing to watch Gina. ‘But I’m getting closer, I think.’
‘It must be a thrilling line of work to be in. Like an Agatha Christie novel brought to life.’
Detective Gallo smiled politely, taking another sip of his coffee.
‘I mean, who knows what secrets these people have,’ Olivia said, darting dramatic looks around her. ‘You never know who you’re sitting next to. Anyone could be a murderer, couldn’t they?’
‘Statistically not,’ Roberto smiled, amused by how Olivia seemed to be getting carried away. He didn’t want to shatter her illusions and admit that – most of the time – his work was terribly dull and involved piles of admin work.
‘Do you know,’ Olivia continued, as though she hadn’t heard him, ‘just the other night, Max and I were chatting to this fellow at the bar, who was ranting and raving about how his father had passed him over for the family business, and how he’d put some other fellow in charge who wasn’t even his son. He seemed most unhinged, talking about how much he hated this other chap that had killed his sister and he was planning to sabotage a helicopter to have his revenge. It sounded quite insane. Perhaps it was a plot from this movie,’ Olivia chuckled, as she indicated the gleaming black helicopter sitting on the helipad.
Detective Gallo didn’t laugh. A memory was tugging at his brain. Something didn’t seem right, he was sure of it. He looked around, his mind grasping for a connection, but the key to unlocking the riddle was frustratingly out of reach. He’d finished his coffee and had originally planned to leave, but he now felt rooted to the spot.
‘Oh … look,’ Olivia said. Gallo followed her eyes to a group of people close to the set, watching the scene. ‘That’s him!’
‘That’s who?’ Gallo asked, a cold feeling flooding his veins.
She raised a finger, pointing towards the scene. ‘The man from the bar, the one who said he was going to get his revenge. It’s that man there with the ponytail.’
Gallo was gripped with the sense that something was about to happen. Detective Gallo was never truly off duty, and right now his instincts were telling him that something was very wrong indeed.
Gina’s heart was pounding as she saw that Detective Gallo was nearby. It made her uneasy. After his questioning of Lucia, then Lucia’s subsequent press conference, not to mention her threat to reveal Gina’s secret if she didn’t give up Marco, Gina felt as though she was constantly treading on eggshells. Recently she’d been having trouble sleeping, dark circles under her eyes that she’d been hiding with make-up. She’d thought she’d outrun her past, but now it appeared to have finally caught up with her.
She waved to Olivia, trying to keep her expression calm, as though nothing was wrong, but inside her pulse was racing.
‘Gina?’
She turned to see a member of the crew approaching her and was grateful for the distraction. ‘Yes? Is everything OK?’
