Dirty Secrets (17 page)

A weight shifted off of her, making it easier to breathe.  Adele could only raise her head a few inches without her headache intensifying.   Her eyes focused on two sets of finely crafted Italian dress shoes positioned close to her head. 

“Dimmi qualcosa?”
  The voice said again. 

It soothed her and made her ache at the same time.  She followed the direction of the words.  The pain increased every centimeter she raised her head.  Finally able to see, Adele blinked at the sight of two Ambrogio’s staring back at her with concern.  The double vision was the last thing she saw before she lost unconsciousness.

Chapter 26

A violent sneeze woke Adele out of her slumber.   It was stuffy.  The air was heavy.  Adele found it difficult to breathe.  

“It’s these ancient walls.  They make my allergies flare up too.  The sneezing is not so bad.  Do it eight times and you’ll have a orgasm or at least that’s what they say.  I hate the coughing.  It’s so unladylike.”  Felicita said.

“Hello?”  Adele hauled the heavy duvet cover off her legs.

“I wouldn’t attempt to walk if I were you, dear.  You took quite a fall.  The doctor prescribed rest and relaxation.”  Felicita said.

Adele couldn’t decipher where the voice—now a soft caress—was coming from.

“Who’s there?” Adele asked.

The panic Adele felt subsided when the lights were turned on.  The brightness was sharp like the blade of a knife, and at it’s tip was Felicità. 

“You gave us all quite a scare,
Tesoro,”
Felicità said

“Umm, you speak English?  Why didn’t you say something?” Adele asked

“I never said I couldn’t speak English.  You were so cute.  You could use the practice if you’re going to marry my Ambrogio.”  Felicità sat side-saddle on the bed. 

Adele was stunned at her appearance.  No longer pale, Felicita looked sun-kissed and vibrant.  Her silvery hair was gathered at the crown of her head in a bun, shimmering like a halo under the fluorescent lights.

“Marry?  This family has way too many secrets for me to evening contemplate marriage.  I can’t believe you speak English,” Adele said. 

She recounted all the R rated confessions she made about him in front of his grandmother.  She could hardly look her in the eye.

“I’ve heard much worse about both my grandsons,” Felicità said. 

“Not only can you speak English, but you’re clairvoyant too?  So, I guess you know what I’m going to ask next,” Adele said.

“
Mi dispiace
, Adele.  It wasn’t as calculated as you think.  Alzheimer’s takes away all my precious memories, but the worse thing is I never know when I will go to that place.  Nothing makes sense there.  It’s like a murky pond full of memories I can’t swim my way out of.  I’m sorry I never mentioned Ambrogio’s twin.  Can you forgive me?” Felicità asked. 

On cue, as if waiting behind a red curtain, Ambrogio and his doppelganger strode into the room.  Ambrogio stood at the head of the bed, near Adele.  His mirror-image stood at the foot. 

“Cara, I’m so glad you’re unharmed.”  Ambrogio emphasized his words by stroking her jawline with his thumb. 

She moved away from his touch, not because she didn’t like it, but she couldn’t afford the distraction, not when she wanted answers. 

“Keep those hands to yourself.  You have some explaining to do.  Why didn’t you tell me that you had an evil twin?” She asked.

“I’m Luca Argentero.  I’ve been called a lot of things, but evil?  That’s a first,” he said.

“If the designer shoe fits,” Adele said.

“I’m Ambrogio’s more attractive, intelligent, and cultured older brother,” Luca said.

“Older?  You were born two minutes before me.  I don’t care what you say, you’re not my older brother,” Ambrogio said.

“I was born first; therefore, I’m older.  See, I told you I was the intelligent one,” Luca said. 

Adele could tell he enjoyed baiting his brother from the dazzling smile he flashed at her.

“Why were you such a jerk?  I didn’t appreciate your treatment, and you’re lucky  Robynne didn’t punch you in the face.  She’s got a mean right hook,” Adele said.

“My apologies,
Bella.” 
Luca closed the distance between him and Adele, grasping her hand and moving it to his lips in one fluid movement.   Ambrogio retaliated with a cold stare, aimed directly at Luca. 

“Why are you so territorial,
fratello mio
?”  Luca asked.

“I will forget we’re brothers if you touch her again,” Ambrogio said.

“
Basta! 
Enough!  I’ve never seen you two get this far out of hand.  Shame on you two for acting this way in front of Adele,” Felicità said. 

Her scolding finger was locked, loaded and ready to go.  She pointed it at her grandsons in a silent dare to disobey her. 

“
Scusa, Nonna
,” They both said in unison. 

“Adele, it was all a ruse…..an act.  One concocted by my dear brother, I’m afraid.  My apologies,” Luca said. 

He bowed like he had been called back on stage for an encore.

“You’re not on stage right now,” Ambrogio said.

“An act?  You mean you’re not a raging asshole?  Sorry Felicità,” Adele said. 

“It was necessary in order to get you to leave Italy,”  Ambrogio said.

“If you wanted me to leave, you should have just said so,” Adele said.

“Make no mistake, my heart leapt when I discovered you were here,” Ambrogio said.

“I still don’t understand what’s going on here.  Why did you want me to leave?” Adele said.

“You’re leaving is more of a necessity than a want,
Tesoro
,” Felicità said.

“Again, why?”  Adele’s head was spinning.

“We feared for your safety.  I knew you would fight me if I asked you to leave, so I came up with this scheme.   Luca’s goal was to make you hate me.  He played his role perfectly,”  Ambrogio said.

“Acting is my craft.  Of course, I played my role perfectly.  Why wouldn’t I?” Luca said.

“And modest too.  Your brother was protecting me by pretending to be a jackass?  From what?  Does it have anything to do with me almost getting run over this evening?” Adele asked.

“It’s best you don’t get involved more than you already are.  A jet is waiting to take you and your friend home immediately,” Felicità said. 

“Have any of you contacted Robynne?” Adele asked.

“No, I tried calling her from your cellphone when you passed out, but there was no answer.  Where is she?” Ambrogio asked.

“The guide from our walking tour took her on a date.  She texted me once, but I haven’t heard from her since.”  Adele began to worry. 

She saw the trio exchange glances, an action which only served to increase her uneasiness.

“What’s the name of the tour company?  We’ll call them,”  Felicita said.

“I gave Robynne the only copy of my reservation, but I might have the tour company’s info in my e-mail,”  Adele said.

Even the laptops arrived on gold-plated trays, Adele thought as she accepted the computer from Cesare.  With the tour company’s number found, they made a frightening realization--no one named Nico was scheduled to make any pick-ups anywhere in Florence.

  “If anything happens to Robynne because of your big scary secret, I’ll never forgive any of you,”   Adele said.

  Whatever was happening, it didn’t fare well for Robynne.  The next hours shuffled slowly by while Adele’s imagination ran circles in her head.  She envisioned her friend being hung by her ankles over the ledge of a skyscraper.   The thought of receiving one of Robynne’s limbs wrapped in newspaper like a fish at market made her stomach turned.  She wished she hadn’t watched so many Mafia movies. 

Chapter 27

Adele’s impatient heels clicked against the marble leading up to Ambrogio’s office.   Her desire to lay eyes on Ciro Guidice, Maurizio’s father outweighed her need for rest.   To make her stalking sound less conspicuous, she removed her stilettos.  Shoes in hand, she paced the length of the hallway.

She didn’t notice Cesare’s presence until he was behind her.   “You have this annoying habit of sneaking up on people.”

“It’s my job to be seen and not heard.” Cesare said.

Although she was talking to Cesare, her attention wavered towards the door.  “It’s your job to be seen and not heard...at three in the morning?  Don’t you sleep?”

“My loyalty to the Argentero’s eclipses my need for sleep.”

His black suit creaseless, leather shoes polished, tie straight around his neck, Cesare’s elegant appearance defied the late hour.  Adele smoothed down the wrinkles in her dress.   A contestant for Miss America, she was not.

Cesare palmed Adele’s head, smoothing out her bedraggled hair.  “You look well rested.”

Adele swatted his hand away. “Why don’t you say what you really mean?”

Despite his super human powers, Cesare’s eyes drooped and his shoulders sagged.

Cesare moved out of Adele’s reach.  “How long have they been in there.”

Adele eyed him up and down.  “I don’t belong here in the first place according to you.   I’m not obligated to answer any of your questions since you won’t answer mine.” 

Cesare turned his face to the side.  “You’ve misunderstood, my intention was not to offend.”

“I didn’t misunderstand.  I heard your racist rant loud and clear.” 

“I”m not a racist.  I am very protective of the Argentero’s.” 

Buried under the sound of broken glass, Cesare’s admission died a quick death. 

There was more glass shattering, followed by more yelling.   The commotion lured both Cesare and Adele into the office where they saw Ambrogio squeezing the life out of Ciro.  Ciro’s face, a shade darker than the ripest tomato, contorted in fear.  The more Ciro gasped for air, the harder Ambrogio squeezed. 

Ambrogio’s eyes burned coal black with intensity. 

“Adele grabbed Ambrogio’s arm, feeling him tense under his dress shirt.  She tried yanking, prying and even digging her nails into his corded muscles, yet he remained unmoved.  

“You’ll kill him.” 

Ambrogio looked at Adele as if she had just entered the room.  “Don’t worry, Cara.  I will not kill him before he reveals Robynne’s location.”

“I’d rather you didn’t kill him at all.”  Adele said

“Even if he had nothing to do with Robynne’s disappearance, he still turned a blind eye while his son plotted to kill you.  The offense warrants his death.” 

“You are not a killer...insufferable and infuriating, yes, but a killer?”

“I can adapt.” 

Ciro Guidice had taken to kicking his legs as if the motion would somehow release him from Ambrogio’s grip.  In the interim, Cesare had summoned the guards who came barreling into the room.

“What do we do?”  A baby-faced guard asked the another guard. 

“Why are you asking me? It’s seems that Mr. Argentero has the situation under control?”

“If he controls the situation any longer, you fools will be out of a job,” Cesare said.

The guards resembled children bickering more than the security guards.  It took five guards and three attempts to pull Ambrogio off of Ciro, who was now wheezing and coughing. 

“Who do you work for?”  Like a dog ridding itself of an annoyance, Ambrogio shook the guards loose. 

Another box-shaped guard squinted at Cesare until Ambrogio cleared his throat.  “We thought it best to remove your hands from their dangerous position around Mr. Guidice’s neck.”

“If I paid you to think, you would have been fired years ago,”  Ripped from wrist to forearm, Ambrogio’s sleeve flapped loosely against his exposed skin. 

Ciro, now on all fours, greedily suckled the air back into his lungs. 

Adele inched herself close to Ciro, “Where is Robynne?  She could be hurt or dead for all I know.”

“How dare you address me?  Thanks to you, my son is missing.” 

Ambrogio waved his arm, dismissing the guards who scattered like roaches.  “I see your honoring your family’s tradition of blaming everyone else for the troubles you have caused.” 

Ciro used his palms to iron his tie.  The move did nothing to right his unflattering appearance.  He placed the tie back into the confines of his suit and corralled his thinning hair into place.

Ciro used a chair as a crutch to stop his body from swaying.  The chair wasn’t very cooperative, nearly toppling over on a few occasions which set his progress back a few steps before he finally stood. 

“I will reveal nothing until I know the whereabouts of my son.” 

In a rage, Adele charged Ciro, staring him down, belly to belly.  “You know where Robynne is, and you won’t tell us.  You’re no better than your psychotic son.

Adele’s words were like a stab to Ciro’s gut.  “Maurizo, though ill intentioned, looked after the interests of his family.”

Ambrogio captured Adele’s hands in his. “Adele, go to bed.”