The Veils of Venice (22 page)

On the way to the Giudecca with Urbino, the contessa had not been able to let the topic of Apollonia's death rest, and she returned to it now.

‘Poor Apollonia.' The contessa stopped herself from adding, ‘She was young to go,' realizing the illogic of the comment. It had been something her mother used to say in her advanced years when a friend her age or older died. It had struck the contessa as amusing back then, but not any more.

‘A natural death, it seems,' Urbino said.

‘What are you implying? That her death
wasn't
natural?'

‘I always try to keep an open mind as well as an open heart. Don't you think we should be suspicious of another death in the house coming so quickly after Olimpia's murder? Even if Apollonia had been ill; even considering her age?'

This had occurred to her, too, but she had done her best to push it aside. If Apollonia had not been allowed to live all her full natural years – no matter how few more there might have been – it put much of what they had been thinking about in a completely different light.

‘And if she didn't die a natural death,' Urbino was saying, ‘how could it be separated from Olimpia's murder? Two unrelated murders under the same roof? No.' He shook his head. ‘And with her gone, however she went, a door has been closed on whatever she might have known that could have helped us. But she was a difficult woman. Who's to say that she would have been forthcoming with any information?'

‘You're right. Apollonia hadn't shown any interest in talking about the past ever since her conversion.' The contessa took a sip of wine. She was limiting herself to only one glass today after her overindulgence last week. ‘It seems that Eufrosina and Alessandro are trying to make up for the haste Olimpia was buried in. I was surprised when he told me the funeral wouldn't be for five days. Seems a long time.'

‘It is strange. And they're having a wake. I don't think I've ever been to one in Venice or anywhere in the north.'

‘I didn't have one for Alvise – and I wouldn't have had one even if it were the custom in Venice. I hate them.'

‘Maybe they want it to seem as if they can't bear to say goodbye. But of course if they do have anything to hide about Apollonia's death, they would have her buried as quickly as possible.'

‘You say “they”, but I don't believe Eufrosina has much to say in the matter. From what I understood when I was there yesterday, it's Alessandro's idea. He had come to it quickly, considering she had been dead for only a few hours.'

‘It's something he could have planned much earlier. And to be fair, it may have been Apollonia's wish.'

For the next few minutes, they gave their attention to the risotto, which was perfect to have on a cold day like this.

‘I wonder if Eufrosina and Alessandro will move back to their house,' the contessa observed when she had finished her portion. ‘Or sell it.'

‘Nedda has her center of operations there. She may not want to leave. You know how difficult it is to get a tenant out here.'

‘Nedda is giving them an excellent rent. They would have that consolation.'

‘They'll both be getting a lot of money, even if they don't sell the building.'

‘Their great expectations, as you called them, have been realized.'

Urbino nodded. ‘Money. So many of our questions involve money. There's the money that was scattered on the floor of Olimpia's atelier. And the money that could be got from the sale of the house and the collection. And we have no idea about Apollonia's will. That could have some bearing on the whole picture. I'm not counting anything out.'

After the waiter poured Urbino another glass of wine, he told her that he had learned from Ercule what was in the blue rooms. The contessa had not expected something as mundane as clothes.

‘So no dead women hanging on hooks,' she said. ‘We should be grateful for that.'

‘You're barely concealing your disappointment,' Urbino joked. He then described how he had looked through Olimpia's atelier.

‘It seems that what you found there were the kind of things you would expect – sewing implements and clothes. As for the receipt, all of the spools listed on it were blue thread? Blue thread, blue doors.' The contessa realized she was stretching things, but wasn't that what Urbino often did, and with good results? ‘Does it mean anything?'

‘I don't think so. But what it does mean is that someone seems to have gone through her things. Not just the clothes on the rack but her desk. It was empty except for that receipt.'

‘We already know that Gaby took the ocelot coat. She's probably the one who went through the atelier. It isn't unusual to go through a dead relative's belongings. You have to, painful as it is.'

The contessa's mind started to wander as she thought about how difficult it had been for her to go through Alvise's things. Urbino pulled her out of her thoughts when it registered that he was asking her when she was seeing Eugene today.

‘After lunch. I'll pick him up at the Danieli. I don't know what we'll do.'

‘There are a few sights on his list that he hasn't done yet. Murano, Burano, Torcello.'

‘We should save them for a day when we can start out early. We can do all three. And on a nicer day than this.'

‘Why not take him back to the house? Show him the exhibition – or what has been set up of it. He enjoyed the Palazzo Fortuny. He said he would like a gown for May-Foy. Maybe you can help him find one to bring back.'

‘There's Apollonia's. But it's not the time to bring up a topic like that with Eufrosina and Alessandro. Oriana's friend Amelia from Bologna has one. She might be interested in selling it.'

Urbino described some of the things he had been doing with Eugene. The contessa felt a pang as she was reminded, yet again, of Urbino's looming departure. Was he going to be able to save Mina before then? She had confidence in him, and he functioned well under pressure, but nonetheless she was fearful.

‘Has it occurred to you that Eugene might help you with the blue rooms?' she threw out, interrupting his account of his success at Chemin de Fer. Had there been irritation in her voice? She felt embarrassed. She knew she didn't have to keep him on track in these investigations. In a softer tone, she said, ‘He could ask Gaby to unlock them and show you both what is inside – since they got along so well.'

‘They didn't just get along well – Gaby was also in one of the happiest moods I've ever seen her. She was girlish and seemed smitten with him. Sad, though, isn't it? Starved for romantic attention.'

‘Starved not just to receive it but also to give it,' the contessa amended. ‘Sometimes that can be more of a need. Gaby seized on Eugene, and as I've said before, he can be charming in his own way. Have you told him about Olimpia's murder?'

‘Last night over dinner. But I don't think that would influence him not to help me. It could help. And he knows that the clock is ticking, so to speak. He was adamant, though, about Gaby being innocent of anything but being a little strange. He trusts me to uncover the truth, and he might feel that it could only help her.'

Their plates were cleared away and they each ordered a
torta cioccolata
.

‘So,
caro
, I have a crown on my head and I'm sitting down?'

‘Not just sitting down, but enthroned. Very regal and impressive.'

‘And our Geppetto transformed you into Pinocchio.' The contessa tried to suppress a smile. ‘You do tell lies – all in a good service, of course. And from the privileged point of view of someone who knows you well, you
do
seem to want to be a boy. But on the more serious side, it's clear that he's drawing attention to your snooping. If he had anything to hide, though, he wouldn't put you on your guard like that, would he?'

‘He could be using that way of trying to mislead us, similar to what he might be doing by waiting so long for his mother's wake and funeral. Another one of the Pindar games.' Half an hour later, as they were hurrying to the contessa's motorboat, Urbino said, ‘I'm going to see Oriana. She came back from Cortina.'

‘I know. I poured my heart out to her over the phone last night. We can drop you off.' Oriana lived on the other end of the Giudecca.

‘I'd like to walk.'

‘As you wish, but if you catch pneumonia, you'll be of no use to anyone, Pinocchio. And be sure to keep that nose of yours out of the cold.'

The contessa was enjoying Eugene's company as her motorboat carried them up the Grand Canal to the Ca' da Capo-Zendrini.

His observations about her and Urbino's adopted city cut through a lot of nonsense, and what they might lack in refinement – an over-valued quality, even she would admit – they more than made up for in common sense, a quality she highly valued.

‘All these old houses are beautiful, but look at that one with the circles on it.' It was the Palazzo Dario. ‘It's leanin' to one side, practically ready to collapse if it didn't have the other house to lean against. And that building with the museum that Urbino took me to. It's all faded and fallin' apart in places. But I have to say that Venice looks a lot better in the winter than in the summer. The bright light makes the old lady look more her age, don't you think?'

‘Winter does give Venice a special quality,' the contessa responded, not wanting to pursue the implications of his question. ‘But I don't like the cold, not what we have today.'

‘It's invigoratin', Countess Barbara. Oh, there's the place where Urbino and I saw the drowned girl.' Eugene nodded his head toward the water terrace of the Palazzo Guggenheim. A pang of sadness pierced the contessa as she was reminded of the dead girl, so beautiful, so tormented, and so threatening to her peace of mind.

‘And Urbino tells me that he's pokin' around in something that has a connection to you again,' Eugene went on as they approached the Accademia Bridge. ‘Seems everybody thinks your maid killed the sister of that Miss Gaby.'

‘Not everybody,' the contessa gently corrected.

‘Of course not everybody! Not you or Urbino. And I'm sure you're both right. Urbino is a clever fellow, the most clever person I'll ever meet. I'm sure of that. He'll figure things out before it's too late. He knows what's what even if he isn't always as clear as water. And you've got a good head on your shoulders, too, Countess Barbara.'

‘Thank you. I have a lot of faith that Urbino will get at the truth.'

‘Sure he will! And that poor maid of yours will soon be dustin' the house and washin' the floors and whatever else it is she does in that big house of yours. I've known plenty of ladies like your dead cousin who had special friends and not one of the friends was the least bit violent. I've told Urbino he should be lookin' into that fellow who makes those little voodoo dolls. Haven't met him, and don't think I'd like to.'

‘I'm sure Urbino is considering all possibilities. He's good at figuring things out.'

‘Always
has
been, the little devil! You should have seen the puzzles he worked on when he was only nine or ten! Hour after hour at a little table set up on the porch, sittin' all by himself, dressed up by his momma as if he was goin' callin' and with her bringin' him out lemonade and cookies. He knew where a piece fit just by sniffin' at it.'

The contessa smiled at this picture of Urbino. It was another one of the reasons she liked Eugene. He drew the curtain away from parts of Urbino's life. ‘The child is father of the man, they say,' she said.

‘That's it. Urbino's just gotten bigger. Hasn't changed much at all. Except for his name. Rayfie in those days, Raphael bein' his middle name, as you probably know. He didn't start usin' Urbino until he went to high school. Took us all a while to get used to the moniker but it made him and his momma happy.' Eugene turned to the contessa and gave her arm a hearty pat. ‘So don't you go worryin' yourself, Countess Barbara. You'll have your maid back lickety-split. He'll put together all the little pieces. There'll be a big celebration before we say goodbye to you. Here. This'll make you feel better.'

He withdrew a small, brightly wrapped package from his coat pocket.

‘A little gift from Louisiana.'

She unwrapped it. Inside was a sterling silver spoon. On the handle was engraved “Louisiana”. The top of the handle had a pelican sitting on top of a nest of baby birds.

‘Brilliant, Eugene. Thank you.'

‘Didn't think it was goin' be so appropriate. If you look, you can see the word “Confidence” under the pelicans. “Union Justice” is above the pelicans but you can forget about that. “Union justice and confidence” is our state motto, you see. You gotta have confidence, Countess Barbara, confidence that you'll have your little chick back in the nest before you know it.'

They didn't return to the topic of Mina or the murder for the rest of the trip to the Ca' da Capo-Zendrini. Eugene started to talk about his new friends the Chins and how Betty the wife was interested in the different boats she was seeing on the Grand Canal. The contessa mentioned a picture book of Venetian boats that Betty might consider buying and said she would write the name down later.

She gave Eugene a tour of the galleries and salons of the house. Zouzou, who had taken a liking to Eugene that was mutual, followed them. They ended in the
salotto blu
, which held some of her most treasured furniture, art, and bibelots and was dominated by the Veronese over the fireplace. It was an allegory of love and showed an ample golden-haired Venus being admired beneath a lush tree by two dark-haired, handsome men. When she told Eugene that it was a wedding gift from her husband, he looked at her in transparent amazement.

‘Pardon me for saying so, Countess Barbara, but that's a strange kind of gift. An almost naked lady sprawlin' like that with two gentleman callers. But I know they do things different here in Italy.'