Page 101 of Enduring Caine
“Che cazzo,” I hissed under my breath. Apparently we didn’t need to deal with boiling water to hurt ourselves.
“Be careful.” Leo filled a kettle and put it on to boil, while Cristian opened and closed various cupboard doors.
“The beans are down here,” said Leo, withdrawing a stainless canister from underneath the island. “You’ve never made your own, have you?”
I pulled out a stool on the opposite side of the island from him and sat, while Leo scooped out some dark beans to fill the grinder at the back of the counter.
“Why would I?” Cristian hollered over the grinder as he took the seat next to me. “There’s always someone working here who can make it for me.”
Leonardo shook his head and placed the pot on the island. He went about filling the basket with grounds, leveled it off with a finger, and sat it down in front of us. He yawned, reaching for his neck and stretching it out. “Johann’s file is clean.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean there’s no sign he could have been with Interpol. No gaps in his history, excellent references from other people he worked for…” His eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath. “But I didn’t hire him, so there are questions I would have asked that I can’t find answers to.”
Cristian leaned closer to me. “We only promoted Leo to the security head position a year and a half ago. After Papa’s incident, his predecessor was exhibiting symptoms he may have been involved in the conspiracy with the old chef.”
“And I said we should have gone through everyone’s backgrounds again.” Leo crossed to the stove and removed the kettle, returning to fill the moka’s base. “I’m starting that tomorrow.”
Cristian only nodded, no retorts or jokes to be had. That was as close as he’d get to acknowledging he made the wrong decision then—assuming he was the one who’d made it.
No doubt he’d discover something in Vincenzo’s history, if he looked closely enough. I’d have to tell Samantha about that, so she could warn him. As much as I hated having her ex-boyfriend around, I could hardly leave him to whatever fate Leo would have in store for him after discovering he was with the Carabinieri.
“And I found something else on the video recordings earlier.” Leo dropped the basket into the moka’s base, then held the base with a towel to protect his hand from the heat while he twisted the top on. He pointed at me with the towel-clad hand. “When you and your little investigator were down there.”
Her name is Samantha.The room swam for a moment and I held the counter’s edge. Definitely too much to drink. “What was it?”
Cristian chuckled next to me, gripping my good arm to steady me.
“Nothing helpful.” Leo moved back to the stove with the pot and placed it on a burner, dialing the flame to low. “A blur on the cave’s camera. The best I could figure was that it was the sleeve of a black shirt, but all the men here wear black shirts.”
I swallowed hard, needing the coffee in my system immediately. “I don’t understand.”
Cristian leaned an elbow on the counter. “One of the men snuck through the cave, up the stairs, and pulled the cupboard down next to Samantha?”
“I think so,” said Leo.
The alcohol churned in my stomach. That was it. I was never drinking again. At least, not while I was on medication. Stupid choice. “I talked to Vincenzo before I joined her in there. He said he was—” No. It couldn’t be. “—he was assigned to the perimeter by the cave.”
Leo shook his head. “I suspected him at first, too. I checked the recordings from the other cameras down there, and he appears to have followed his prescribed route. There are moments at which he was not visible, but it’s unlikely he could have done it without missing his checkpoints.”
“But possible?” I said, sliding off my stool, ready to dash up the stairs to her. Except I’d probably trip and break my nose.
“I doubt he’d do it.” Leo scoffed. “I’ve seen the way he looks at her.”
“You son of a—”
“Bad timing, but I need to piss,” muttered Cristian. He stood, pressed my shoulder to force me back onto my stool, and headed for the door. “Don’t kill each other while I’m gone.”
I pointed a finger at Leonardo. I’d attempted to apologize to this man, and this was what I got for it? “Don’t you speak of her—”
“Calm down.” He leaned forward on the counter, taunting me with the nearness of his jaw. Fortunate for him, he was far enough I couldn’t reach him without embarrassing myself again. “I don’t know why, but it would appear his lust is no comparison to her feelings for you.”
“Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Push them together.” It was a guess, based on how often Vincenzo showed up when Leonardo handled the guard assignments and how often he mentioned the two of them were together. Based on the sly look which crossed his face, I was right.