Delayed Death (Temptation in Florence Book 1) (30 page)

Carlina wrinkled her nose. "What kind of tea is that?"

"Something to help you sleep." He placed the kettle back onto the stove and pushed a mug next to the teapot. "Now wait three minutes before you pour a cup."

She lifted her eyebrows. She'd have bet her last shirt that Garini wasn't the kind of man to drink herbal tea.

He glanced at her and misunderstood the skeptic expression on her face. "It helps, believe me."

"Have you tried it?"

"Yes."

She had to ask. "Do you suffer from sleeplessness?" It was hard to keep the incredulity out of her voice.

"Not in general. But a few months ago, we had an ugly case." His mouth tightened. "It involved a kid."

Carlina blinked. She had learned more about him in the last few minutes than in all the time she'd known him. "I see."

"Three minutes, don't forget." He went to the door, took his leather jacket off a hook, found the key in her coat, then turned.

Carlina stood in the frame of the kitchen door, awkward, feeling like a wife watching her husband going to work.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

She felt a twinge of fear. "Garini, wait."

He lifted his eyebrows and scanned her face. "Yes?"

"Is she safe?"

He nodded. "Right now, she is." He stretched out his hand and touched her cheek for a fleeting moment. "Don't worry. You've done all you could. Now sleep. You need it." He opened the door, went through it and shut it behind him with a soft click.

Carlina heard the key in the lock, turning twice, then his steps, going downstairs.
I wish he had stayed.
She heaved a deep sigh.
Where is this going to end?
Weariness settled on her shoulders like a heavy blanket.
Who wants to kill Lilly?
She shivered. Aunt Maria's voice came back to her.
A lot more people should be dead
. Someone out there was prowling, ruthless, efficient. Someone from the family. Her family. She couldn't deny it any longer. Someone was desperate. Restless, she walked to the living room and back to the kitchen, going in circles, just like her thoughts.
It has something to do with grandpa's bad past stories, I'm sure of it
.
But those secrets are not secrets anymore. Everybody knows about them.
Carlina frowned. That fit to Aunt Maria's words.
A lot more people should be dead.
So maybe it was a secret nobody took seriously. Something they all knew and laughed about. But what could it be?
The family has changed ever since grandpa's death.
They didn't mention the secrets anymore, not even as a joke. Was that why the murderer took his time, killing them off one by one?

She went to the bedroom and checked on Lilly. Her niece had turned around, arms flung out, the blanket halfway to the floor. Carlina covered her again with the blanket. How on earth was she going to spend the rest of the night? She stood and listened in the silence. No sound but Lilly's breathing. She felt cut off from the world, alone on a foreign planet. Not a sound from outside, no steps from the apartment above her. Maybe Garini had insulated the walls because of his saxophone.

Sleep was impossible. She gave a start. The tea. She had forgotten the tea. She went to the kitchen, poured herself a cup, and sipped the brew. Nasty stuff. She wrinkled her nose. It smelled of cat pee. Looked like it, too. It would make her sick, not tired. She held her breath and gulped down the contents of her mug. There. Hopefully Garini would be happy.

She returned to the bedroom, took off her shoes, covered herself with his blanket, and dimmed the light. The bed smelled of laundry soap. Maybe he had just changed the sheets. Carlina felt a twinge of disappointment. She would have preferred a trace of him, for comfort. Then she shook her head. "You have to stop these fantasies, my girl. Anyone can see he's not interested." Even his touch just before he left could be interpreted as a simple gesture of comfort.

Lilly moved in her sleep. Carlina gathered her in her arms, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and curled up around her. Nobody would hurt her niece while she was close. Nobody. At first, she thought she would remain wide awake the whole night, but the tea's effect was stronger than she had expected, and she soon dozed off.

She woke from a scream.

Lilly! What was happening to Lilly?

Carlina shot up. Lilly was next to her. They were both on Garini's bed, the muted light showing an empty room.

Lilly stretched both arms straight into the air, her face averted, convulsed with fear. "No," she screamed. "I didn't tell anybody!"

Carlina took her by the shoulders. "It's me, Lilly." She gave her a gentle shake. "Carlina. You're safe. Don't be afraid."

Her niece shuddered and fought against her arms.

Carlina released her. "You're safe, Lilly. Everything is all right." What was troubling the child? Was it a dream? Or something more sinister? Gabriella hadn't mentioned any nightmares. Her heart pounded against her chest.

Lilly opened her eyes and stared at her aunt, the whites showing all round the iris. "Oh, Carlina!" Tears flooded her little face.

"Ssh." Carlina bent forward and hugged her. "It was a nightmare. It's over now."

Lilly hiccuped and held on tight. "I thought he would kill me."

Carlina suppressed a shudder. "Who?"

"Uncle--" Lilly gulped and clamped her mouth shut.

"Uncle?" Carlina held her breath.

Lilly jerked upright. "I can't tell. It's a secret. I have to keep the secret."

"Lilly, don't worry. You can tell me."

"No!" Lilly shook her head and retreated from her aunt's hug. "Don't make me tell it. I mustn't tell anybody. It's a secret." Her voice rose to a high pitch, broke. The terror in her eyes was tangible. "I can't tell."

"But--"

"No!" Lilly turned around and hid her face in the pillow. "I won't tell." The muffled words were ladled with anguish.

Carlina swallowed. She didn't know much about child psychology, but she knew it was dangerous to force her niece to tell the truth, terrified as she was.

She would ask Garini tomorrow. The police had more experience; they would know how to extract a secret without traumatizing the little girl.

"It's all right." Carlina caressed Lilly's hair. "You don't have to tell. It's fine."

Lilly's tight shoulders relaxed. "Carlina?"

"Yes?"

"Will you stay with me?"

"Yes."

Her niece gave a little sigh.

It brought tears to Carlina's eyes. She bit her lips. Lilly had the key to the secret, and the murderer knew it. Fear grabbed her by the throat and pressed down her lungs, so she had difficulty with her breathing. Lilly had said it was an Uncle. Not Mama, not Benedetta, not Emma. A wave of relief washed over her. Then she stopped short. Who could it be? Lilly called all male family members Uncle. Not Uncle Teo.
Please
. Ernesto?
Impossible
. Marco?
No way.
Uncle Ugo? Lucio?
Oh, God
, she'd never considered Emma's husband Lucio. Her mind balked.
No. No, no, no. This is making me crazy.

Where was Garini anyway? What was the time? She waited until Lilly's breathing had returned to normal, then slid out of bed and padded to the living room. The sofa was empty. Maybe he had decided to stay somewhere else tonight.
Damn.
The need to talk to him felt like a physical ache.

She bit her lips and went to the kitchen, looked into the tea pot. The nasty tea had developed a thin film on top. Carlina averted her eyes and looked for a clock. There it was, next to the fridge. One o'clock in the morning. Where was Garini?

"Carlina, wake up!"

Carlina opened her heavy eyes. For an instant, she had no clue where she was, then her gaze came to rest on the saxophone in the corner, and the memory flooded back.

Lilly stood next to Garini's bed, a piece of paper in her hand. "Stefano has gone," she said. "But he left a note." She looked offended. "I can't read it."

Carlina took the paper and focused her tired eyes to decipher his message. "Had to go." His scrawl was difficult to read. Carlina realized the message was written in English. It felt like a sudden gush of cold water. Wide awake, she sat up. "Bring L. to school, but warn the headmaster. Call me then. Stefano."

"What does it say?" Lilly's hair was tousled, but her eyes were bright like those of a cocky sparrow. She did not seem to remember her nightmare.

"It says he had to go, and that I should bring you to school."

"What about Lollo?"

Carlina blinked. "Lollo? What do you mean?"

"Will I take Lollo to school?"

"No." Carlina kept her voice firm. "Lollo hates to ride on the Vespa."

"How do you know?"

"He told me last night."

Lilly looked impressed. "Can you talk bird language?"

"Sort of." Carlina swung her legs out of bed and went to the living room, where she took the pink scarf from Lollo's cage. Thank God the bird looked all right. "You should give him some water and clear out his food tray while I prepare breakfast," she said. "Then we'll get dressed, and I'll take you to school."

"What about Lollo?"

"We will return after school and collect Lollo."
I have to keep the keys to Garini's apartment. Hope he won't mind.

Apparently, Lilly heard the tone of finality in Carlina's voice because she didn't insist. Instead, she started to clear the cage as instructed. Carlina left her to it and went to the bathroom. Her shoulder still felt stiff, but the bandage had done its job. No sign of blood.
Who will bind it up later?
She pushed the thought away and washed her face, then brushed her teeth with her finger. What a featherbrain she was, packing a whole suitcase for Lilly and forgetting every essential for herself. She shook her head and went to the kitchen.

A bit of butter, a half-empty jar of Nutella chocolate spread, and a loaf of bread had appeared on the table overnight. Next to the bread, she found the key to her apartment.
Bless him.
Carlina hunted for a knife and some plates, made herself a cup of coffee and a glass of milk for Lilly, then called her niece.

As Carlina sipped her coffee and watched her niece eat, she analyzed her feelings. It felt strange to be in his apartment. Then again, everything felt strange right now. She still couldn't believe what had happened last night. It felt like a dream. A scary dream.

"Why are you shaking your head, Carlina?"

"No special reason." Carlina got up. "Are you done? I have to drive you to school."

When they arrived in front of the school, Carlina parked the Vespa. "I have to talk to your teacher, so I'll go in with you."

Lilly's eyes widened. "Why? Is anything wrong?"

Carlina glanced at her. How much should she tell her? She knelt and looked at her niece. "You have done everything right, Lilly. However, I believe you are in some danger right now.” She swallowed. “Promise me not to leave the school today with anybody but me, no matter who comes to get you."

Lilly's eyes grew wide. "No matter who?"

"Yes. Don't go with anybody, not even grandma, no uncle, no aunt. Nobody at all, no matter what they say. Even if they say I'm in hospital and that I have sent them. All right?"

Lilly swallowed. "But . . . if you don't come?"

Carlina took a deep breath. "If I can't come, I will send Stefano."

"I can go with Stefano?"

"Yes."

Lilly nodded. "All right."

Carlina straightened. "Good. I'll tell your teacher the same." She led Lilly to the entrance of the ancient school building. Lilly walked by her side like a grown-up. No hopping, no singing today. Carlina bit her lips.
We will catch the murderer, and then life can be carefree again.

She brought Lilly through the busy halls to her class. A boy ran past them, shouting. A group of girls giggled as they came into the building. It smelled of industrial detergent. A feeling of nostalgia gripped Carlina. It seemed so normal, so safe. How deceptive.

The teacher had not yet arrived, so Carlina left Lilly with her friends in the classroom and went to find the school secretary. A helpful boy pointed out the way. As Carlina pushed open the door, a wave of heat came out to her. Somebody had turned on the radiator to the max. The room smelled of cheap perfume. Carlina wrinkled her nose and advanced toward the desk at the side of the room, where a woman with a mop of brown curls was busy typing.

Carlina smiled at her. "Good morning. I'm Caroline Ashley, the aunt of Lilly Lombardi. I'd like to speak to the headmaster, please."

The secretary shook her head. "I'm afraid the headmaster isn't in today."

Damn.
"Then I need to speak to Lilly's teacher. He's not yet in the classroom."

"Which class is she in?"

Carlina swallowed. "I don't know."

The secretary frowned. "I'll look it up." She continued clicking for what seemed an eternity.

Carlina checked her watch. She still had two hours before Temptation opened, but she expected a delivery early this morning. The carrier had already missed her last week and had left a message that he would return on Monday morning. Too bad.

Finally, the secretary lifted her head. "Lilly's teacher is
Signor
Arredi, but he's ill today. His replacement is
Signorina
Biffi." She looked at a big clock above the door frame. "She should be in the class room by now."

Carlina suppressed a sigh. She should have stayed with Lilly. "Thank you."

By now, the halls were empty, and her steps echoed with a hollow sound from the walls. Carlina knocked on the closed classroom door and peeked inside. Lilly waved at her from the third row. Carlina smiled back.

"
Buongiorno,
Signorina Bi
ffi." Carlina looked at the woman in front of the class. She was small and round and reminded her of a rubber ball.

Dressed in jeans and a pink sweater, the young teacher responded with a vague smile. "Yes?"

"Could you step out with me for a minute?"

The teacher lifted her plucked eyebrows, but she joined Carlina outside the classroom.

Carlina waited until she had closed the door. Only then did she realize that she had no idea how to bring across her message. "I'm Caroline Ashley, the aunt of Lilly Lombardi."

The teacher looked as if she had never heard Lilly's name.

"I understand you're not the usual teacher."

"That's right."
Signorina
Biffy looked offended.

"But you know the class, don't you? You know who Lilly is?" God, she was making total hash of this. No wonder the teacher was looking at her watch. Carlina hurried on. "Em . . . there's a bit of trouble at home."

"Trouble? What do you mean?"

Someone is trying to kill her.
"We have reason to believe that someone is trying to harm Lilly."

Signorina
Biffi's eyebrows rose until they almost reached the hairline.

"Please don't mention it to Lilly, but keep a close eye on her. Make sure she doesn't go with anybody, no one but me or Commissario Garini."

"How about her parents?"

"Her parents are not in town right now."

"I'm afraid I can't accept the responsibility in such a case."
Signorina
Biffy shook her head with a little snorting sound that showed Carlina what she thought of her request. "You'd have to talk to the headmaster."

"He's out of town."

Signorina B
iffi shrugged. "Then talk to his replacement."

Carlina clenched her teeth. "Who is responsible when the headmaster is away?"

"It's Signor Arredi."

"But he's not in today, either!" Carlina wanted to shake the teacher. "Please. I've told you about it, and I rely on you."

Signorina
Biffi pressed her lips together. "I'm not--"

Desperate, Carlina interrupted her. "It is a request from Commissario Stefano Garini. He's a police Commissario."
Better not mention the homicide department.
"If you wish, I can get him on the phone, so he can tell you personally about it."

Signorina
Biffi opened the door. "I have no time to talk to anybody right now. I have a class to teach. And I certainly can't take over the responsibility for a child that's involved in domestic fights.
Arrivederci.
" She nodded at Carlina and disappeared inside the classroom.