Part 31 (1/2)
THIRTY-FIVE.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1909.
Giovanna had spent all day Thursday pacing the small apartment waiting for word. The second she heard a sound in the hall, she would throw open the door, only to startle a neighbor. At the call of the iceman, she ran to the window and asked if he had anything for her.
”I have a big block of ice.”
”No, I mean an envelope.”
”Signora, I am the iceman, not the postman.”
Today, Rocco had left the house at dawn, only to return minutes later. Handing the letter to Giovanna, he said, ”It was in my empty cart.”
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Giovanna shook and wept. Rocco tried to comfort his wife, his large hands patting her shoulders.
”What about going to that lawyer and getting the rest of the money?” asked Rocco.
”I tried, yesterday. Signore DeCegli became suspicious. He showed me in the contract where it said that the money can only be paid on the dates in the agreement.”
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1909.
Padre Luongo exited Our Lady of Loreto and was surrounded by a gang of children tugging at his vestments. Mary noticed the group from afar and watched them come toward her. One little boy was shouting, ”Padre, Padre, it's my birthday!” The priest stopped, dug into his robes, and produced a gleaming nickel, which he placed in the boy's hand. The children surrounded him and then ran off together in the opposite direction.
The priest, now alone, pa.s.sed Mary. She ran a couple of feet to catch up.
”Padre, you give all children a nickel on their birthday?”
”If they ask.”
”It's my birthday, Padre.”
”Well then, here's a nickel for you. Happy birthday, my child.”
Mary made the sign of the cross. The priest smiled at what he thought was her piety.
”Please, G.o.d, forgive me, but I know you'll understand,” Mary muttered.
SAt.u.r.dAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1909.
Giovanna cleared the dinner table and retreated to her bedroom. She dropped to her knees before the shrine she had created of candles flanked by statues of the blessed mother and Saint Rocco. Balanced on the top of the largest candle was a prayer card depicting Saint Anthony, patron saint of the lost. From the moment Giovanna knew Angelina had been kidnapped, not an hour went by that she didn't beseech Saint Anthony for the safe return of her daughter.
A knock at the door interrupted her prayers. She heard Rocco tell her upstairs neighbor she was resting. Giovanna remembered that this was one of the women on the stoop.
”No, no, I'm awake,” declared Giovanna, coming out of the bedroom.
She brushed past Rocco and into the hall with her neighbor. ”Excuse me, signora, we just ate and the kitchen is a mess,” apologized Giovanna, closing the door to the apartment.
”See, you're a good, proud woman, not like that puttana, Limonata. That's why I stopped by. I saw that boyfriend of hers, Leo!”
”Did you see Limonata?” Giovanna blurted.
The neighbor's gossipy tone and expression changed at Giovanna's outburst. ”No, signora levatrice...”
”Oh, I am sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that...we're finding she took more than the beer pitcher.”
”Really! Well, he claims that he doesn't know where she is. He acted like he didn't even know her. He was going into an apartment, so I waited and asked someone if he was living there with a woman and a young girl. But they said he was a boarder in the building.”
”Where was this apartment?”
”Sixty-six Hester Street. But don't bother, signora. She's not there, and that Leo is a mean one. He scared me. The only reason I stayed to ask questions is our super offered a few dollars if we got him Limonata's address.”
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1909.
Giovanna waited on the east end of Hester at Mulberry Street and Rocco at the west end at Baxter. They arrived before sunrise, and with the dawn came rain.
After an hour, Rocco ran through the rain toward Giovanna, s.h.i.+elding his head with his coat. Reaching her, he grumbled, ”We don't even know if he has anything to do with this. I should just go and knock on his door. I'll beat him if he doesn't talk.”
Giovanna answered with little patience. ”If he's involved he may say nothing, and then we'll never know where she is! If you follow him, he can lead you to her, Rocco. Just do what we planned!”
As Rocco walked back in frustration, Giovanna wiped her eyes. It was going to be extremely difficult to spot this Leo in the rain. Another hour pa.s.sed. She could see Rocco pacing.
The first man to exit the building was stocky. It was the fourth man who'd left the building that matched the description. He was using a piece of cardboard as an umbrella, so Giovanna couldn't see his eye, but he was tall, skinny, and dark. Rocco noticed him, too, and took pursuit. Giovanna swept into the building, shaking herself off in the vestibule.
At the apartment on the right, she listened at the door. It sounded like a family was eating breakfast. At the apartment on the left, she heard nothing but knocked, calling, ”Limonata!” She did the same thing on the second floor, and an apartment door opened.
”Signora, can I help you?” asked a woman.