Page 86 of Enduring Caine
“It was behind the casks.” A muscle in Antonio’s jaw clicked. More lies, but lies designed to protect me. “That’s how she found the lever to open the door.”
“She needs to go back to her room.”
I drew in a breath through my nose, my head falling back, so I stared at the ceiling.Count to five, Sam. “I do not.”
Leonardo pounded a fist on the counter. “The security of this estate is my responsibility. I refuse—”
Antonio raised a finger to Leo’s face. “Giovanni said she could help and that you were supposed to workwithher, not against her.”
Leo balled both of his hands into fists, raising them to his face, muttering a string of profanities about the Mother Mary, pig’s balls, and a few colorful ones about the private parts of cows. “Johann was Interpol.”
My head snapped toward Antonio, and his did the same toward me. In unison, we said, “What?”
Leonardo lowered his hands, resting them on the counter in front of himself. “We got word from one of our men in the pol—” He glowered at me before continuing. “One of our men this morning. They ran his fingerprints as part of the autopsy and came back with a lot of unanswered questions.”
It may have raised several for him, but it answered some for me. The men who picked up Johann’s body were obviously on Giovanni’s payroll. Undoubtedly, they’d concocted a story which wouldn’t link the death to the Ferraro family.
But it added two questions to my list: One, was his note for Interpol? Two, had Vincenzo been working with him all along?
I held up my hands as if in surrender, a move that didn’t seem to calm Leonardo, but maybe it would satisfy him enough to get me out of there. I needed to talk to Vin. “Why don’t you two go up to the control room and review the footage I have no idea exists. Maybe I’ll take a tour—”
“No!” said both Leonardo and Antonio at the same time. At least they could agree on that.
“Bella, there’s a killer on the loose.”
“It might be natural—”
Leo cut me off. “And I won’t have you snooping around on your own.”
Vincenzo joined us in the kitchen. “Did I hear that Samantha needs an escort?” He smiled at each of us, a move which wasn’t reciprocated by anyone.
“I think this should satisfy both of you?” I nodded to Antonio, surprised at not receiving any argument. Leonardo wouldn’t have been happy unless I was locked in my room, while Antonio’s snarl every time Vincenzo came near was becoming more and more pronounced.
I couldn’t wait to get out of this damn villa.
As soon as Vin and I were out of earshot, I whispered, “They’re heading up to the control room. They’ll be reviewing some old videos, but I have a feeling they’ll be watching us.”
“Then we have to be quick.” He pointed me down a hallway, which led to the family room with access to the outside. “I received a response. You said you’d help if you could—well, I need it now.”
Vincenzo and I stood next to each other in the family room, staring out at the gardens and path beyond. Like almost every room on the main floor, it was plush, with a giant carved fireplace. Red velvet covered the sofas and four gilt wing chairs sat facing a piano. Underneath thick brocade curtains, heavy rain pelted the windowed door.
“I don’t think going out’s a good idea,” I said.
He slid an arm around the small of my back and leaned close to whisper in my ear. “The weather’s a perfect cover.”
I held in the cringe, an awkward need to shove him away settling deep inside me. How focused on searching for clues were Leonardo and Antonio? Would Vincenzo and I standing like this cause them to stop their work? I whispered, “You’re too close.”
“Leonardo’s been pushing us together. This helps our chances.”
And Antonio would be furious. He’d been trying to prove the entire time we were here that he wasn’t jealous, but I’d never dated anyone with as many doubts as Antonio. If he could keep his wits about him, he wouldn’t try to stop us from talking, because he knew who Vin really was.
“But if we go out there, they’ll know something’s up,” I said. “Even the men working are inside guard buildings.”
“My apartment is over there.” He pointed out the window, past the garden and the pool, to a low stucco-covered building. “If we head in that direction, we can visit my place.”
“And Antonio would come after us and snap your neck.” I sighed audibly and half-turned to him, keeping my back to the only camera I’d spotted. My words came out barely above a breath. “How good are the microphones on the security cameras?”
“If they have us on the primary display, they can pick up almost anything, but probably not this conversation.”