Part 15 (1/2)
When she emerged, he was gone. She looked to her left. A small bridge crossed a narrow ca.n.a.l about a half block down. She saw the man in the black cape pa.s.sing a couple in Victorian dress. She hurried that way.
Not at all sure what kept her footsteps so dogged, she followed the next pa.s.sage along the ca.n.a.l.
Once again, ahead of her, she saw him turn the corner.
She pa.s.sed by shops selling Versace, Dior, and Ralph Lauren, stores with handsome facades and fine goods within. The streets were crowded again; the party-goers of the night before had done their sleeping and were up and about, again some costumed, some not She felt bold, not crazy, and not afraid; there were still a few hours of daylight left.
No matter how fast she walked, though, he seemed to remain ahead of her, always in front of several groups of people. She quickened her pace again and turned a corner. She pa.s.sed under an archway between two buildings.
A balcony with gargoyles and stucco lions suddenly seemed familiar; she realized that she had walked this way the night before.
She paused, surveying her surroundings. As she did so, she looked ahead.
At the end of the pathway, off the busy and beaten track, there was another bridge. The black-cloaked figure stood upon it, looking back at her.
”Hey!” she called out. ”Who are you!”
Apparently he didn't hear her. Once again, the man turned and started walking.
One more bridge, she decided. Then she was giving up this silly chase.
On the next bridge, she paused. She couldn't see the man anymore. Ahead, right after the bridge, was a piazza. At the far end of it was a beautiful old church. The walls were peeling; stained gla.s.s windows were broken and covered with boards. The structure, however, was very handsome, with marble steps; stone angels guarded the double doors of the entry, and the wooden doors themselves were carved, and apparently, at one time, gilded.
Jordan forgot the cloaked figure for a moment and approached the old church. Just as she crossed the bridge, she heard someone call to her.
”Signorina!”
She turned. A gondola was about to slip beneath the bridge. She recognized the handsome young gondolier she had seen two days earlier.
He'd said that his name was ... Sal D'Onofrio, she remembered-and that she should come to him, of course, when she was ready for a gondola ride. He had sung so cheerfully the last time she had seen him near the Danieli. Now, he had no customers in his craft, and he looked grave and tired.
”h.e.l.lo,” she said, looking briefly back to the church, and surveying the corners of the piazza. The cloaked figure was gone. Following him had been foolish anyway. He probably hadn't even been looking at her. It was impossible to see a man's eyes through a mask like that at a distance.
The gondolier was shaking his head. ”Beautiful lady, you should not be wandering here.
This is not the area where there are people, not much to see.”
”Haven't you heard? All tourists want to see what other tourists don't see!” she told him.
He didn't laugh; he didn't even smile.
He shook his head, maneuvering his pole to bring his gondola next to the low wall fronting the piazza. ”Venice is wonderful. But now, you should be back with the crowds, by San Marco. You should feed the pigeons-all visitors must feed the pigeons.”
”I'm not even sure where I am right now.”
”I'll take you back.”
”You know, I do intend to take a gondola ride, and I'm sure you're the best. But I was thinking more of a time near sunset-”
”No charge, signorina. I will bring you back to the Danieli.”
”I'm sure I can find my way.”
”Please. Allow me.”
”There's no dock.”
”You can jump the wall.”
”Is that legal?”
”No. But please, this is not .. . this is not where people roam.”
”I had thought to explore that church-”
”No,” he said, shaking his head impatiently. ”It is abandoned. Not a church anymore, you understand? Please, let me take you back.”
Because he seemed so earnest, and so sincerely concerned for her, Jordan found herself relenting.
”Step on the wall,” Sal encouraged her.
She did so. He had perfect coordination, and amazing agility, leaning to grasp her hand, then lifting her by the waist to set her into the gondola.
She teetered a little as the gondola listed from side to side, as the water lapped at the hull. He seemed relieved when she took her seat, and then he pushed off from the wall.
The gondola shot down the ca.n.a.l with startling speed as he wielded his pole.
They had entered a larger body of water when he turned to her. ”Venice is a good place, a really good place. Little crime, but always, when you have so many people from so many places, people with money, jewelry ... there will always be criminals who want what isn't theirs.”
”Thank you for being concerned,” she told him, studying him. She wondered suddenly if she was a total fool-if he could be among those criminals, planning to bring her down a deserted ca.n.a.l, lift her purse, bonk her on the head with his pole, and toss her into the water.
No. He was moving quickly, not singing, not pointing out the sights, bringing her bit by bit to more heavily traveled areas. Soon, she realized that they were back in the area behind St. Mark's Basilica. She knew these waters; they were lined with restaurants, hotels and shops.
”You're so serious today; is something wrong?” she asked him.
He hesitated, but smiled, shaking his head. ”No. But you must be careful. There are so many people. All people are not good. There are thieves, maybe . . . worse.”
”I am very careful.”
”Be more so. Please. Stay with people you know.”
He was so somber that she nodded, not at all tempted to tell him that she was independent and capable. Or that she had already been scared enough to make sure that she was doubly watchful in all that she did like following a stranger in a cloak and mask? she mocked herself.
”I'll be more careful, Sal, really.”
About to pa.s.s beneath a bridge, she noted that Ragnor was standing on the calle to her left side; she saw him immediately because he was taller than those around them, his light hair a beacon against the black leather of the cape he was wearing.