Part 10 (1/2)
She heard fierce muttering in Italian. An old man rose, shaking his head, steadying her as she nearly tripped over him. He said something about ”Carnevale” and something nasty about ”turistas!”
Jordan could barely apologize-in any language. ”Piazza San Marco!” she said. ”Per favore!”
The old man pointed.
She nodded and thanked him. She ran again, then saw that she was on the path that led directly to the left of the Danieli-and that let out on the well-lit area that edged the Ca.n.a.le Santa Maria della Salute.
She burst into the light. There, on the broad walkway before the water, were other people. Not many. A couple ambling beneath the blue moon. A threesome waiting at a vaporetto stop. A restaurateur, sweeping up in front of his cafe.
She stopped running, doubled over, caught her breath. In seconds, in the light, she regained a sense of sanity.
She'd been lost and confused. A bat had gotten into her hair. She'd panicked, and she'd run like an idiot, and hurt herself, but now she was safe.
She rose and felt a sharp pain in her side from the running, and she felt the soreness in her knee.
d.a.m.n Jared! He had waited for her, but not long enough for her to catch him! He hadn't been worried, she told herself. He probably hadn't realized that she was lost, or for that matter, afraid.
She stretched and looked back. If the old man was still out on the path, she'd give him a wave of thanks.
The old man was not there.
Her breath caught again.
In the moonlight, she saw a wolf. A huge silver wolf, sitting in the center of the path.
Yet even as she watched, the wolf rose to all fours. Strange glittering eyes seemed to stare back at her in the night.
Then the wolf turned and disappeared into the shadows.
CHAPTER 5.
Entering the Danieli, Jordan saw that some night owls were still in the lobby bar. The tables in the handsome lobby and bar area were occupied by couples and small groups. At one of the period sofas that flanked a Persian rug, Jordan saw Jared and Cindy. On a coffee table in front of them were empty espresso cups. The two were tete-a-tete, apparently feeling both drowsy and romantic.
Jordan was about to accost Jared, telling him he should have stopped for her, when she gazed at his cup again. Empty. He leaned back in the sofa, his arm around his wife, his mask cast to the floor by the sofa.
”Jordan!” Cindy straightened, then stood. ”I was starting to worry about you. We knew you left with the folks from Anna Maria's, but the party has been over now for quite a while.”
”I didn't leave with the group from Anna Maria's,” Jordan told them.
A waiter hovered nearby, smiling pleasantly.
”Last call, Jordan, if you want anything. They do have decaf espresso.”
”Tea, thank you, something like an English Breakfast,” Jordan said, sitting across from Cindy and Jared in a richly upholstered armchair.
Cindy sat again, staring at her. Jared leaned forward frowning.
”Where were you?” he asked.
”I knew we shouldn't have left. I thought you'd taken your mask and gone. As a matter of fact, I was angry with you for not telling us you were leaving.”
”You left together?” Jordan asked.
”Of course,” Cindy said.
”You've been back a while?”
”At least half an hour,” Cindy told her.
”Were you all right?” Jared asked. He sounded anxious.
”I'm fine.”
”But you weren't with the people from the art shop?” Cindy asked.
Jordan shook her head, watching them. ”They thought I left with you; you thought I left with them.”
”But where were you? You weren't in the tent when we left,” Jared said.
”I ran into two of the cops.”
Jared's frown deepened. Before he could say anything, Jordan added, ”Don't worry. I made no accusations against anyone. I was charming and totally sane. We just talked about the artist's ball-and the beauty of Venice. And, of course, the heat of vinyl.”
”You are smas.h.i.+ng,” Cindy said, smiling. Jordan smiled back at her. Cindy was a wonderful friend. Sympathetic when she needed a defender and pleased with her every little accomplishment.
”Thanks.”
”Smas.h.i.+ng, but too provocative,” Jared said, sounding distracted, a frown still furrowing his forehead. ”You came alone? I mean, that's a definitely red costume, and I'm sure the streets were filled with wolves tonight.”
”As a matter of fact, I thought I saw a wolf along the way.”
”I didn't see any wolf costumes tonight, did you Jared?” Cindy asked.
Jordan decided not to mention the fact that she thought she had seen a real wolf.
”No wolves,” he agreed. ”Believe it or not, I did see a giant ape. Jordan, I'm sorry. We'd have never left you. As Cindy said, I was kind of put out, worried, and angry-thinking you'd just walked off without telling us.”
She shook her head. ”I wouldn't have done that.”
”But you made it home all right,” Cindy said.
She lifted her hands. ”I'm here.” She smiled a thank you to the waiter as he brought her tea. Leaning forward to pour the tea, she told Jared, ”As a matter of fact, I was ready to come in here and yell at you. I think it took me so long to get back because I was following the wrong dottore.”
”What?” he asked.