The Italian Affair (16 page)

‘Sure. Go ahead.’

But he never had time to utter any of them as a plain clothes detective burst open the door and said, ‘We just had an emergency call. Gina’s disappeared. They can’t find her anywhere.’

By the time Rick reached the Rosselini residence, he cursed himself for the hundredth time. He shouldn’t have left her alone. Only she hadn’t exactly been alone, he reminded himself, he’d arranged a
security guard to take his place. And there were others patrolling the property.

‘She’s left a note …’ Rosa said, fumbling with the piece of paper and handing it to Rick.

He quickly skimmed the contents.

Luigi stepped forward. ‘I’ve told her she’s to have someone with her at all times. Why doesn’t she listen to me?’ He turned to the security guard whom Rick had appointed while he was away. ‘Why didn’t you stop her, eh? It’s your job to look after my granddaughter.’

The security guard shifted awkwardly. ‘I tried to reason with her, sir. But she wouldn’t listen.’ He looked towards Rick for support. ‘As soon as I realized what she intended, I came upstairs to inform Mr Rosselini.’

Rick nodded. He knew only too well what Gina was capable of when she set her mind on it. He’d already come across Gina’s stubbornness before. ‘It’s OK, you did your best.’

The security officer looked relieved as he moved away.

‘Do you know where she might have gone?’ asked Rick.

Luigi shook his head, his face worried. ‘No.’ He shrugged in the Italian way of accepting the inevitable. ‘But when I find her, I’m cutting off her allowance. She has to do as we say.’

‘You can’t pin her down, Luigi,’ interrupted Rosa, a note of warning in her voice. ‘I’ve told you that before. She needs to be free to do what she wants to do. If you try to cage her, you’ll lose her.’

‘None of us is free,’ grumbled Luigi. ‘We’ve all got responsibilities. It is time Gina learned this.’

Rosa clicked her tongue. ‘Don’t talk such rubbish. She left a note, didn’t she? I don’t blame her wanting to get away on her own. I feel like that sometimes too.’

Rick wasn’t about to get into an argument about what Gina needed or didn’t need, because he knew they had to find her as quickly as possible.

‘Gina asked me this morning to take her for a drive up the coast,’ he told Luigi. ‘Have you any idea what direction she might have taken? Does she have a favourite spot she’d stop at?’

‘Not that I know of,’ Luigi replied, shaking his head. ‘She could be anywhere.’

‘I’ll ask Brougham to put a ten one out to all patrol cars. We should hear something soon.’

Rick paced up and down. He’d already rung Gina on her mobile, but she wasn’t answering. He racked his brains trying to think where she might have headed. While drinking his second cup of coffee, a call came through from Brougham. A red Ferrari had been seen heading north towards Cable Bay. A traffic officer sitting in a lay-by had pulled her up.

It took thirty minutes to reach her. Rick flung open the car door and strode towards her. ‘What the hell do you think you are doing?’

She flung a hostile glance at him. ‘The officer had no right to stop me. I wasn’t breaking any law and I wasn’t over the speed limit. So would you mind telling me what this is all about?’

‘You should have taken a security guard with you.’

Her green eyes flashed. ‘I would have
if
you had been available.’

‘I didn’t have a choice this morning,’ he reminded her. ‘Something urgent came up.’

‘Look, I didn’t mean to upset anyone. I just needed some time out. Before I knew it, I was behind the wheel of my car and zooming on to the highway.’

He didn’t know whether to believe her. Something in her tone made him suspicious, but he’d play along with it for now. ‘At least you’re safe.’

‘Would it worry you if I wasn’t?’

He frowned remembering his reaction when he heard she had disappeared. It was just a normal response, he reassured himself. No
point in reading more into it than necessary. ‘Of course, it would.’

Then, because she couldn’t resist it and knowing it would take some heat out of their argument, she said, ‘Good. I wouldn’t want to make your job too easy.’

He gave a low laugh. ‘Oh, something tells me you’d never do that.’

The watcher had driven past the Rosselini residence three times. On the last occasion, he noticed the cop cars parked outside. Something was going on. He strained his eyes but it was difficult to see for the large flowering rhododendron bushes bordering the fence. He pulled over to the side and watched for a few more minutes. At that moment, the red Ferrari with Gina and her bodyguard came racing down the hill and turned into the driveway.

He slid down the seat and pulled his baseball cap over his forehead. He’d come back later, when it was quieter, he decided. Still, he was surprised to see Caruso still around, especially after he made that phone call to the police telling them about the cocaine stashed in Caruso’s office.

He thought they would have kept him down at the police station for a while and that would have given him plenty of time to get Gina on her own. Only it hadn’t worked out like that, damn it. She’d taken off within minutes, just as he was attempting to climb over the wall to the house. He’d bounded back to the car and, although he’d followed her for a while, he’d seen the cop car pull her over, so he’d had no choice but to continue on his way, and turn around as soon as he could. He’d lost her. His hand smacked down on the steering wheel in frustration.

As for Caruso, the cops had let him go sooner than he had reckoned. He’d known Caruso had been a police officer in the past.
They were like a brotherhood. Always watching out for each other. Disgusted, he put the car into first gear and discreetly drove past, planning his next move.

Gina couldn’t afford to tell Rick the truth. By going for a drive on her own, she had been hoping to draw the killer out. Rick would never have allowed it. And, if he knew what she was up to, her freedom would be curtailed even more.

All morning she had been waiting her chance again. She saw it when he was busy supervising the workmen installing another alarm. Only he caught her as she had opened the car door, ready to climb in.

‘Going somewhere?’

She whirled around. He was right behind her. How did he manage to move so quietly? ‘Damn you, Caruso. Do you have eyes in the back of your head?’

‘Yeah, I do where you’re concerned.’ His eyes glittered. ‘Get out.’

Gina felt her face heat. She certainly wasn’t going to argue with him in front of the security men standing nearby. With her bag hitched over her shoulder, she marched down to her apartment. He caught up with her. ‘So that’s what you were up to.’

‘What do you mean?’ she said, feigning innocence. She should have known she couldn’t fool him.

‘You were hoping to lure the killer out.’

‘OK. So what if I was?’ She shrugged. ‘It was worth a try.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘Forget it.’

‘You can’t be with me twenty-four hours a day. What about at night?’ she threw at him.

‘Babe, if I have to, I’ll sleep right beside you.’

‘You wouldn’t dare.’

‘Try me.’

Fuming, she paced the living room. She was considering her options when an urgent message came through. Detective Brougham wanted to see her urgently upstairs along with her
grandparents and Anthony.

‘What do you think it’s about?’ she asked Rick.

‘I don’t know. But if Brougham wants you all together, I’d say it’s something very important.’

Gina took a seat next to her grandmother and waited for Brougham to speak.

The detective cleared his throat. ‘There have been some new developments.’ He looked at each of the members of the family seated in front of him. ‘We’ve arrested Dani Russo for the murder of Maria. The rifle that shot your sister has been found in his garage after a tip off. Russo’s fingerprints are all over it.’

‘So it was him,’ exclaimed Gina.

‘A court of law will judge that,’ reminded Brougham. ‘But we believe so.’

‘And have you found Jason?’ she added.

‘Jason Gallagher is dead.’

‘Dead?’ repeated Gina, stunned. ‘But … but I don’t understand.’

‘Gallagher left a note in a motel saying he was committing suicide; that he couldn’t live without you. The motel manager contacted the police first thing this morning to let us know. The note left specific instructions where they could find his body and the car. He drove off a cliff. Earlier today, we sent divers down and they’ve confirmed the car’s there. Vehicle recovery are in the process of bringing it up.’

Gina couldn’t believe it. Jason was dead. Suicide. Because of her. When their divorce had come through she couldn’t have been happier realizing it officially finally freed her from the nightmare of the last three years. She’d been relieved she was no longer legally tied to him. But why had he done this now? Had stopping the cheque tipped him over the edge? She knew he had been desperate for the money.

Luigi gave a deep sigh of relief. ‘So it’s over then.’ He walked over to Rosa sitting in a chair nearby and took her hand in his.

She gave him a brief, sad smile. ‘It will never be over for me,’ she
added quietly. ‘Not with Maria gone.’

Gina absorbed everything that had been said. Something still bothered her. ‘What about the anonymous letter I received? Did Russo send it?’

‘It’s possible he could have. Though none of the notepaper found in his house matched.’

‘What about the grey Skyline?’ Rick added. ‘Have you managed to trace who it belongs to?’

‘It belongs to Gallagher. He must have been trying to scare you. Perhaps frustration when he didn’t get his fifty thousand dollars. We can only surmise.’

‘Are you sure that’s all there is to it?’ said Rick. ‘It seems to all fit together too neatly.’

Brougham took a breath. ‘We don’t know all the specifics but certainly nothing points otherwise. Russo was supposed to report to a parole officer during the first six weeks he had been out of prison. He failed to turn up. It would be more likely he killed Maria, rather than Gallagher. He had the motive. It’s unlikely Gallagher would have committed suicide if he was guilty.’

‘So what now?’ asked Gina.

‘There will eventually be a post-mortem on Gallagher when we bring him up. Then a final report from the coroner. That will give closure to the official side of things.’

‘Will Russo get bail?’ asked Rick.

‘Unlikely. We’ll certainly be appealing against it.’

Afterwards, Rick accompanied Brougham to the door so he could talk with him privately.

‘I’m not entirely convinced about Russo. It’s too circumstantial. Something tells me it’s still not over.’

‘Got any facts to back that up?’

‘Nothing other than a gut feeling.’ And it had never proved him wrong before.

Brougham looked thoughtful. ‘OK. I’ll bear that in mind. But don’t forget, Russo had the rifle hidden in his garage. Forensic
confirmed it is the murder weapon. You’d best keep the Glock for the time being until we find Gallagher’s body.’

‘Thanks,’ Rick replied, relieved he didn’t have to hand back the weapon just yet. It could be the balance of life and death, his or Gina’s.

The following morning as Gina sipped her coffee she couldn’t believe the whole episode had finished and soon their lives would return to normal … well, as normal as they could do under the circumstances, she corrected herself. There would be a murder trial eventually, but she would be ready to face it.

Her gaze lifted, settled on Rick. What kind of man was he really when he was away from the job, she wondered? Already she had found that one minute he could be hard and rough, the next tender. Only hours ago he had threatened he’d sleep right beside her if she tried to give him the slip again. The trouble was, she had almost been tempted to call his bluff.

‘How about a few days away from here?’ suggested Rick.

She hadn’t expected that. Surprised she looked up. ‘Where have you got in mind?’

He flashed an easy smile, making her pulse suddenly skitter again.

‘My beach house. It’s pretty secluded, but it’s my kind of place. We could drink red wine, watch the sun go down and listen to some blues. Sound good?’

She hesitated. ‘Well, I …’

‘Of course, if that type of place doesn’t appeal to you….’ He left the words hanging. ‘Maybe a five star hotel is more in your line?’

‘No, you’ve got me wrong,’ she replied in the same tone. ‘It sounds wonderful. The kind of place I’d love. It’s just that….’ Just what, she asked herself? Stop reading more into it than there is. It’s only a friendly invitation.

‘You’re worried about being alone with me,’ he said drily.

Hearing him voice her concerns made her face flush.

‘I’ll be a perfect gentleman,’ he promised. ‘My sister will also be
staying and she’ll be bringing her two kids along too, so you’ll have a chaperon.’

That surprised and disappointed her all in one breath. ‘Your sister?’ she said slowly.

‘Elena. She needs a break and she’s got a few days’ leave from work. It’s the school holidays, so I said I’d help out with the kids so she can relax for a while.’

It sounded good, she thought. ‘OK. So when do we leave?’

‘As soon as you’re packed. Throw some gear in a bag and we’ll go. I was speaking to Elena last night and she’ll be arriving this evening if all goes well.’

‘You don’t waste much time,’ remarked Gina.

He gave a grin. ‘Got anything better to do?’

‘No,’ she admitted.

Later, Gina wondered how she managed to pack so quickly. But then again, there wasn’t really that much to take. It wasn’t as if they were going to hit any night clubs. Or shop in any trendy malls.

He hadn’t wanted to take her Ferrari, preferring his own Toyota station wagon as it could carry more luggage. She agreed.

On their way out of town Rick stopped briefly to see Anthony at his law office to let him know where he would be in case he needed to be contacted. Anthony opened the door, looking harassed.

‘Is everything OK?’ Rick asked.

‘I’m not sure.’ He paused briefly. ‘My secretary, Denise, hasn’t turned up for work again. It’s a bit worrying.’

‘Have you rung her?’

Anthony nodded. ‘There’s no answer.’

Rick suspected there was more to it than Anthony was letting on. ‘Maybe she’s just not answering on purpose.’

Anthony shrugged. ‘Maybe …’

Rick recalled what Gina had told him about Anthony. ‘Is there something going on between you and your secretary?’

‘Like what?’

‘Come on, Anthony.’

Anthony exhaled. ‘Who told you?’

‘Does it matter?’

‘OK, we had an affair. So what? It finished long before Maria and I were engaged. The problem is Denise took our break-up hard. Things have been a bit awkward between us since then. I’ve tried to keep things professional, but you know how it is….’

So Gina had been right about the other woman. There were more questions he would have liked to have asked Anthony but now wasn’t the time. ‘I’ll catch up with you later. I’m on my way to my beach house. Gina’s coming with me.’

Anthony raised his brows. ‘She is?’

‘Any objections?’

Anthony shook his head. ‘None at all.’

‘It’s a bit off the beaten track. That’s why I bought the place,’ said Rick.

The ocean, a Prussian blue in the evening sun, shimmered with an intensity taking Gina’s breath away. Why didn’t the sea look like that from her apartment? Maybe it was the magic of the place, she thought, as she took in the long wild coastline and the golden sands stretching endlessly.

A few minutes later they reached the beach house, a rustic wooden building perched only metres from the edge of a cliff. Gina suspected there’d be a sharp drop to the beach in front of it and, when she climbed out of the car to investigate, she was right. Large rolling breakers pounded below, luring anyone with a surfing soul to play amongst the foaming brine. She knew Rick heard the call as he stood there looking seaward. He had brought the surf board with him, tied to a roof rack.

Rick hauled their bags out of the rear of the Toyota and laid them on the deck near the French doors. Gina noticed the old ship’s bell at the door and the half-moon pottery of a smiling face hanging on the wall to the left. The earthy charm about the place pulled at her.

‘I never imagined you owned a place like this.’

‘I keep it secret. Only invite close friends or family. I try to come down here as much as I can.’

She took in the flowering honeysuckle as it climbed up the front of the house and the daisies bordering the path. Pink roses bloomed in two identical terracotta pots. She bent down to smell them. ‘The garden’s well kept.’

‘I’ve got a confession to make. My father attends to the place once a month.’

She gave a smile. ‘I should have known.’

He picked a white daisy from a large bush nearby and popped it behind her ear. ‘Suits you,’ he said, tilting her chin one way, then another.

She laughed, feeling more carefree than she had in days. ‘Well, thanks,’ she said, and before she realized what she had done, she reached and kissed him lightly on the cheek. ‘That’s for taking such good care of me.’

His eyes darkened. From the way he looked at her, she thought he might have taken her in his arms, but he stepped back as if to put some distance between them. Just then his mobile phone rang. ‘Sorry.’ He gave a shrug. ‘I have to answer it. I’ve still got the business to run and you never know who is trying to get hold of me.’

While he spoke at length on the phone, she walked up the steps and sat down on the deck to wait.

After a couple of minutes, Rick hung up. ‘That was my sister, Elena. She can’t make it here until tomorrow. Something’s come up. Do you want me to take you back to town until then?’

She shook her head. ‘We’ve spent over a month together in my apartment and one more night on our own isn’t going to make a bit of difference.’

He laughed. ‘Good.’ He pushed open one wing of the French doors. ‘Come on, I’ll show you around.’

‘You don’t lock the door?’ she asked, surprised.

Rick gave her a crooked smile. ‘The day I lock it is the day I find somewhere else to live.’

When Gina entered the large living area, she gasped. The room was painted a sunflower yellow but what astounded her was the candles. They were everywhere.