Part 35 (1/2)
”Love you,” Cindy murmured as he started to walk away. But he paused, looking back at Jordan. ”And you-what are you up to?”
She shrugged. ”Maybe I can spread some more nasty rumors about the contessa.”
”Jordan-”
”I'm going to return my costume. Maybe go shopping around the Rialto Bridge.” She rose, giving a wave to Cindy. ”I'll be in my room for a few minutes, if you need anything, Cindy.”
As she walked by, Jared took her arm. ”Jordan-”
”Lay off your wife!” she told him angrily and pulled free from his hold.
She was certain that he wanted to come after her; she was even certain that he wanted to haul off and strike her. But Cindy called him, and he turned back to her.
Jordan took advantage and ran up the stairs.
She didn't stay in her room as long as she had intended. She was really worried about Cindy, but as long as she intended to take a long bath and sleep, that was probably the best thing for her. Jordan picked up her latest costume to return, then, on a whim, brought the cop's book on vampires, and headed back down the stairs. Neither Cindy nor Jared remained in the lobby.
Once again, she asked the concierge to call both Tiff and Roberto Capo for her. Tiff's answering machine came on, and Roberto Capo had yet to report to duty.
She left the Danieli and headed straight for the Arte della Anna Maria shop. After the usual greetings, everyone kissing everyone's cheeks, she lingered, admiring Lynn's latest puppets, and asking if they had all recovered from the hectic pace of the pre-party days.
”Si! All goes well,” Anna Maria told her.
”We have time for coffee, a snack!” Raphael said with pleasure.
Anna Maria frowned. ”All of us?”
”It's slow, not many people ...” Raphael said hopefully. ”Gina is upstairs; she can watch the shop.” He slipped an arm around Anna Maria. ”We'll take Jordan to the trattoria down at the corner; just for a quick break. They have spent a lot of money here, renting so many costumes!”
”Go call Gina!” Lynn told Raphael. ”We'll be out waiting.”
”You only want to light a cigarette. You just smoked.”
”Lynn, you should wait, and catch up with us,” Anna Maria said. She pointed out the window. ”That lady is thinking about buying your latest harlequin. Talk to her-there is quite a price tag on the marionette, eh?”
As it happened, Lynn wound up talking to the woman interested in her art, Anna Maria went upstairs to talk to Gina, and Jordan and Raphael started walking to the trattoria. ”How are you?” he asked her.
She looked at him. He seemed genuinely concerned.
”I'm not sure,” she told him. ”You know your friend, the policeman, Roberto Capo.”
”Of course.”
”Well, I went to meet him in a bar. I believe that he thinks something is going on as well, but though I don't understand the structure of the Venetian police, I think that Alfredo Manetti is his superior, and Manetti is convinced that I'm crazy.”
”You met Roberto?”
”No, I went to meet him, I was almost where we were supposed to meet-then he told me to run.”
”He told you to run?” Raphael was trying to make sure that he was understanding her English.
”I could see the place we were to meet, and I saw him ... I'm sure it was him ... and he suddenly told me to go, to run.”
”Maybe he had stumbled upon a robbery or something. We're not like Rome, where the pickpockets are everywhere, but...”
”I don't know. I called the police station a couple of times, but he isn't in.”
”That's strange. I'll call for you again from the trattoria.”
They went through the line at the trattoria. Jordan liked the place very much; she could see all the food. No chance of winding up with seppia, or cuttlefish.
When they were seated, she showed Raphael the book she had carried with her. She sipped coffee, watching him. ”I know that all of Venice is convinced I'm overreacting to everything because I was engaged to a cop who was killed. But this book ... well, it stresses the feet that there are cults, and there are sick people, and that bad things do happen.” Before Raphael could reply, Anna Maria joined them, a plate of cold cuts and pasta on her tray.
”Ah, at last!” she said sitting, then she glanced at the book. ”What is this?”
”A book about killers who are vampires,” Raphael said.
”Raphael!” Jordan protested. ”It's about criminal cases in which people thought they were vampires, or monsters of some sort.”
”You shouldn't be reading it,” Anna Maria said, twirling her pasta. ”You suffered enough with your fiance.”
”I know that Jared used my past as an explanation for my behavior, but I swear to you, I am completely sane,” Jordan said. Was she? Hadn't she spent the morning buying garlic and collecting holy water?
Raphael flipped through the book. ”You know, it wouldn't surprise me if the contessa was some horrid monster.”
”Just because we don't like people doesn't make them monsters,” Anna Maria said.
”But a severed head was found in a ca.n.a.l,” Jordan said.
”And there have been other things,” Raphael said. ”Of course, in other places, they would not be so big. But here, in Italy, to desecrate a Catholic church ...”
”What Catholic church?” Jordan demanded.
”It was no longer a Catholic church!” Anna Maria said. ”The building had been deconsecrated because of the danger in the structure.”
”Still, it looked like a church, had been a church, and was still owned by the Church,”
Raphael said.
”What happened to it?”
”All manner of strange graffiti, that is all,” Anna Maria said.
”Ancient strange graffiti,” Raphael said. ”Babylonian ... Persian, something like that.
The scholars never quite put it all together, or understood what was written. Much was in hieroglyphics.”
”Egyptian?” Jordan murmured.
Raphael shrugged. ”Rome did conquer Egypt!”