asked.
Carlina met her eyes. I have to tell her, even if it sounds brutal. "Whenever he's in town, he buys underwear for his current lover."
Annalisa flung her fork next to her plate. "You're lying."
"No." Carlina wanted to hug and shake her at the same time. She bit her lip, all her feeling of well-being gone. "I wish you hadn't met."
"How can you say that?" Annalisa flashed her an angry look. "He's the best thing that's ever happened to me. For the first time, I feel alive. You might just as well wish that I should be dead."
Carlina's throat was dry. "I'd rather wish he was dead."
III
"Are you still awake?" The text message flashed green through Carlina's darkened bedroom like an extraterrestrial presence, landed in a tiny capsule on her bedside table.
Carlina smiled, slipped her arm from underneath the leopard print bedspread, grabbed her cell phone, and called Stefano. "Barely," she said instead of a greeting.
"I'm lucky then," he said.
She could hear the smile in his voice and tried to picture him. His light eyes and lean face usually looked so harsh but were transformed when he smiled.
"I just wanted to ask if you'd have time to have dinner with me tomorrow," he said.
Her heart did a somersault. She had not seen him for weeks, no, months.
"I know it's a lot to ask." He sounded nervous.
Garini nervous?
He said, "You'll be exhausted from the Christmas shoppers at Temptation."
A thousand thoughts zigzagged through her brain. She had the nylon launch tomorrow. She would be dead on her feet by the time the day ended. She would look like a scarecrow. She didn't give a damn. "No, that's fine." She smiled. "As long as I can sit the whole evening."
He laughed. "I think I can arrange that."
She didn't want him to hang up. She wanted him to laugh again. It went straight through her, warm and strong, like fire. "Are you sure your lovely boss won't throw another body your way the minute you want to leave?" His boss had done just that, twice. Okay, so maybe it was normal for a police inspector from the homicide department to come across bodies all the time, but the timing had been rotten.
"I told him half the city of Florence could be murdered in their beds, and I would still take the evening off." His voice held the faint ironic note she had somehow gotten addicted to.
Carlina chuckled. "What a dramatic way to put it."
"His words, not mine. Whenever a case isn't solved quick enough for his taste, he asks me if the citizens of Florence are still safe in their beds. He claims it's the mayor who's saying it, but I know better."
"How do you know that?" Carlina stretched and wriggled her feet. I will see him tomorrow . Her body tingled to the tips of her toes with joy.
"The mayor has changed, but the question is still the same."
Carlina laughed. "I see."
"Honestly, I feel bad about standing you up so many times."
"It's not your fault. Of course you had to be with your father after he broke his wrist." It had taken him a full month to get better. She had counted the days.
"I knew you would understand that. I've never met anybody with such a fierce family loyalty." His voice teased her.
"Well, tomorrow, we won't cancel, come hell or high water. Family and murder be damned." As she said the words, a faint feeling of fear crossed her heart. Had she challenged destiny? Carlina shook herself. Nonsense. She had a date with a busy man. That was all.
He laughed. "It's a deal. Shall I come to your house at eight?"
"Yes." That would give her enough time to take a shower and dress, even if the store was open later than usual. Thank God Florence still stuck to traditional opening hours.
"Sleep well, Carlina."
"Good night."
She snuggled underneath the covers with a happy sigh. She would see him tomorrow. She could also ask his advice how to protect Annalisa.
All would be well.
Chapter 2
I
Carlina woke early. Everything inside her hummed with expectation. She put on a pair of the new nylons in black, a short skirt
Carlina met her eyes. I have to tell her, even if it sounds brutal. "Whenever he's in town, he buys underwear for his current lover."
Annalisa flung her fork next to her plate. "You're lying."
"No." Carlina wanted to hug and shake her at the same time. She bit her lip, all her feeling of well-being gone. "I wish you hadn't met."
"How can you say that?" Annalisa flashed her an angry look. "He's the best thing that's ever happened to me. For the first time, I feel alive. You might just as well wish that I should be dead."
Carlina's throat was dry. "I'd rather wish he was dead."
III
"Are you still awake?" The text message flashed green through Carlina's darkened bedroom like an extraterrestrial presence, landed in a tiny capsule on her bedside table.
Carlina smiled, slipped her arm from underneath the leopard print bedspread, grabbed her cell phone, and called Stefano. "Barely," she said instead of a greeting.
"I'm lucky then," he said.
She could hear the smile in his voice and tried to picture him. His light eyes and lean face usually looked so harsh but were transformed when he smiled.
"I just wanted to ask if you'd have time to have dinner with me tomorrow," he said.
Her heart did a somersault. She had not seen him for weeks, no, months.
"I know it's a lot to ask." He sounded nervous.
Garini nervous?
He said, "You'll be exhausted from the Christmas shoppers at Temptation."
A thousand thoughts zigzagged through her brain. She had the nylon launch tomorrow. She would be dead on her feet by the time the day ended. She would look like a scarecrow. She didn't give a damn. "No, that's fine." She smiled. "As long as I can sit the whole evening."
He laughed. "I think I can arrange that."
She didn't want him to hang up. She wanted him to laugh again. It went straight through her, warm and strong, like fire. "Are you sure your lovely boss won't throw another body your way the minute you want to leave?" His boss had done just that, twice. Okay, so maybe it was normal for a police inspector from the homicide department to come across bodies all the time, but the timing had been rotten.
"I told him half the city of Florence could be murdered in their beds, and I would still take the evening off." His voice held the faint ironic note she had somehow gotten addicted to.
Carlina chuckled. "What a dramatic way to put it."
"His words, not mine. Whenever a case isn't solved quick enough for his taste, he asks me if the citizens of Florence are still safe in their beds. He claims it's the mayor who's saying it, but I know better."
"How do you know that?" Carlina stretched and wriggled her feet. I will see him tomorrow . Her body tingled to the tips of her toes with joy.
"The mayor has changed, but the question is still the same."
Carlina laughed. "I see."
"Honestly, I feel bad about standing you up so many times."
"It's not your fault. Of course you had to be with your father after he broke his wrist." It had taken him a full month to get better. She had counted the days.
"I knew you would understand that. I've never met anybody with such a fierce family loyalty." His voice teased her.
"Well, tomorrow, we won't cancel, come hell or high water. Family and murder be damned." As she said the words, a faint feeling of fear crossed her heart. Had she challenged destiny? Carlina shook herself. Nonsense. She had a date with a busy man. That was all.
He laughed. "It's a deal. Shall I come to your house at eight?"
"Yes." That would give her enough time to take a shower and dress, even if the store was open later than usual. Thank God Florence still stuck to traditional opening hours.
"Sleep well, Carlina."
"Good night."
She snuggled underneath the covers with a happy sigh. She would see him tomorrow. She could also ask his advice how to protect Annalisa.
All would be well.
Chapter 2
I
Carlina woke early. Everything inside her hummed with expectation. She put on a pair of the new nylons in black, a short skirt
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