Read Online temptation in florence 03 - bankers death by Beate Boeker - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Beate Boeker
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Garini by the hand and pulled him after her, in the direction of Via delle Pinzochere. “Just follow me quickly, otherwise, we'll have tons of tourists at our house, and that won't help, either.”
Carlina blinked. Tourists? What on earth had her family done now? She hurried to keep up with her mother.
“I won't take this case, Signora Mantoni-Ashley.” Garini said.
Fabbiola didn't react. Instead, she pulled him across the piazza with increased speed.
Garini and Carlina exchanged a look, then Garini shrugged.
Fabbiola marched them down the street and around the corner, so they could see the entrance to their house further down on the cobbled street. She had not exaggerated. In front of the door, a group of excited people had gathered, and several neighbors were hanging out of their windows already, gaping at something on the front step.
“Police.” Garini shouldered through the group. “Let me pass.” One minute later, he bent over the huddled body on the front step.
Valentino was fully dressed.
Carlina felt faint. A hand on her arm made her turn around. “Emma! Don't tell me . . .”
Emma held up a hand and pulled her to the side. “We figured it might be better if he was found here,” she spoke so low that only Carlina could hear her. “I hope you had the sense not to say anything to your Commissario yet?”
Carlina shook her head. “No, but . . . “
“Good.” Emma gave her a short nod. “Benedetta, Simonetta, and Maria are upstairs, cleaning your apartment.”
“Maria is here, too?”
“Yes.” Emma nodded again. “She arrived the minute you had left. It was a great shock to her. For a minute, I thought she would faint, but they all pulled themselves together, and we came up with a plan in less than a minute.”
She looked at the body with satisfaction. “Doesn't it look good? Mama and Benedetta held up umbrellas while we shifted him, so the neighbors from upstairs wouldn't see us if they happened to glance out of the window, and Uncle Teo held watch on the balcony for any passers-by.”
Out of nowhere, a quote she had once heard flitted through Carlina's mind - A good friend will help you move. A great friend will help you move a body. “You'll never be able to hide the truth from Garini.” Her mouth felt dry. “Don't you know they can read blood spatters and all kinds of things from a dead body?”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Have some sense, Carlina. At least, he'll be able to suppress everything that's inconvenient now. If he had found the body in your apartment, it would have been too embarrassing for everybody concerned.”
Carlina forced herself to look at the door again. She saw Stefano standing in front of the body, his hands deep inside his pockets, a frown of concentration on his face. He seemed to focus on something riveting. Overcoming her reluctance, she followed his gaze . . . and gasped. “Madonna! I don't believe this! You buttoned the shirt around the knife, all neat and clean!”
Emma glared at her. “Of course we did. Nobody had the nerve to pull out the knife and stick it in again. If you object to that, I suggest you do it yourself the next time!”
Carlina didn't know if she should laugh or cry. “But Stefano has to call in photographers. They'll spot it in a minute! It's obvious that Valentino wasn't killed here, and it's also obvious that he wasn't wearing this shirt while he was killed!”
“So what?” Emma shrugged and showed her pearly teeth in a smile. “As long as they don't know where he was killed in reality, that doesn't matter.”
Carlina felt her knees go soft. She looked around but couldn't find anything to sit on. This was getting worse and worse - or was it? Maybe it would help Garini if she stuck to the family tale they had so conveniently invented. She bit her lip in indecision.
Garini looked up.
Their gaze met and held.
His face was set.
She saw the challenge in his eyes, and like a flash, a silent message passed between them, as
Carlina blinked. Tourists? What on earth had her family done now? She hurried to keep up with her mother.
“I won't take this case, Signora Mantoni-Ashley.” Garini said.
Fabbiola didn't react. Instead, she pulled him across the piazza with increased speed.
Garini and Carlina exchanged a look, then Garini shrugged.
Fabbiola marched them down the street and around the corner, so they could see the entrance to their house further down on the cobbled street. She had not exaggerated. In front of the door, a group of excited people had gathered, and several neighbors were hanging out of their windows already, gaping at something on the front step.
“Police.” Garini shouldered through the group. “Let me pass.” One minute later, he bent over the huddled body on the front step.
Valentino was fully dressed.
Carlina felt faint. A hand on her arm made her turn around. “Emma! Don't tell me . . .”
Emma held up a hand and pulled her to the side. “We figured it might be better if he was found here,” she spoke so low that only Carlina could hear her. “I hope you had the sense not to say anything to your Commissario yet?”
Carlina shook her head. “No, but . . . “
“Good.” Emma gave her a short nod. “Benedetta, Simonetta, and Maria are upstairs, cleaning your apartment.”
“Maria is here, too?”
“Yes.” Emma nodded again. “She arrived the minute you had left. It was a great shock to her. For a minute, I thought she would faint, but they all pulled themselves together, and we came up with a plan in less than a minute.”
She looked at the body with satisfaction. “Doesn't it look good? Mama and Benedetta held up umbrellas while we shifted him, so the neighbors from upstairs wouldn't see us if they happened to glance out of the window, and Uncle Teo held watch on the balcony for any passers-by.”
Out of nowhere, a quote she had once heard flitted through Carlina's mind - A good friend will help you move. A great friend will help you move a body. “You'll never be able to hide the truth from Garini.” Her mouth felt dry. “Don't you know they can read blood spatters and all kinds of things from a dead body?”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Have some sense, Carlina. At least, he'll be able to suppress everything that's inconvenient now. If he had found the body in your apartment, it would have been too embarrassing for everybody concerned.”
Carlina forced herself to look at the door again. She saw Stefano standing in front of the body, his hands deep inside his pockets, a frown of concentration on his face. He seemed to focus on something riveting. Overcoming her reluctance, she followed his gaze . . . and gasped. “Madonna! I don't believe this! You buttoned the shirt around the knife, all neat and clean!”
Emma glared at her. “Of course we did. Nobody had the nerve to pull out the knife and stick it in again. If you object to that, I suggest you do it yourself the next time!”
Carlina didn't know if she should laugh or cry. “But Stefano has to call in photographers. They'll spot it in a minute! It's obvious that Valentino wasn't killed here, and it's also obvious that he wasn't wearing this shirt while he was killed!”
“So what?” Emma shrugged and showed her pearly teeth in a smile. “As long as they don't know where he was killed in reality, that doesn't matter.”
Carlina felt her knees go soft. She looked around but couldn't find anything to sit on. This was getting worse and worse - or was it? Maybe it would help Garini if she stuck to the family tale they had so conveniently invented. She bit her lip in indecision.
Garini looked up.
Their gaze met and held.
His face was set.
She saw the challenge in his eyes, and like a flash, a silent message passed between them, as
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