Shadows of the Past (22 page)

‘No, I’ll wait to see if he calls me … ’

‘Contessa, I must insist.’

Someone help me, she thought desperately, someone come to me now, don’t let me do this, but her hand was moving quickly, sliding under the shirt, pulling the gun from her pocket, she brought her hand round and held it out. She was not certain who was the more amazed, her because her hand was steady or Carlo because of what she had done.

‘Contessa, what are you doing?’

‘I know who you are, Carlo. You killed Perseli.’

He relaxed, he was big and strong and somehow omnipotent and she was stupid if she imagined he would let her get away with it. But she had to try, did not want to be a victim yet again.

‘Now where did that come from?’

‘I recognized your voice.’

‘No … not enough, Contessa … besides, I saved your life, isn’t that something worth celebrating with me? That I stopped that bastard from killing you?’

‘I wonder why you did that.’

‘Stupid thing to do — it was bad enough that he killed Rosa, bringing cops all over the island. Imagine if he had killed you — the island would have been crawling with them. Everything is going to end — we’re getting out. It’s getting too hot, but he messed everything up for us. One more delivery and then I have what I want; you won’t deprive me of that, Contessa.’

‘What about the other man, the man on the boat?’

‘Perseli’s guy, nothing to do with me. But he has gone, Contessa, the way of all flesh — isn’t that a saying or something?’

‘You killed him too?’

‘No one messes up my operation, Contessa. Not even someone as beautiful as you.’

‘Sit down,’ she commanded, pointing with the gun to the chair. ‘We can wait for the conte to return.’

‘I told you, Contessa, he is waiting for you … ’ He laughed. ‘You think it was a lie, a trick? It was no trick, Contessa; he really is waiting for you. At the port, he wants to take you somewhere special … ’

‘That’s an old story and one I am not going to fall for again.’

Carlo shrugged, ‘Suit yourself, Contessa, but I assure you the conte will wait and wait … and then he will find a telephone and call here. No one will answer, at least not until it is too late.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because they are off duty till five, all of them and by five o’clock, well, we have to be gone from here by then.’

‘You’re going nowhere, Carlo. I do assure you of that.’

‘And you think you are going to stop me, you and your little pistol … ?’

It was an old trick she had seen in so many films — Carlo looked over her shoulder, and his mouth turned in a faint smile.

‘I told you I should take you to the conte,’ he said.

‘It’s all right, Alva, give the gun to me.’ Luca! Rather than turn her head she gave a sideways glance, it was all right, it was Luca.

‘I didn’t believe him … he’s … ’

‘I know, Alva, give the gun to me. I suddenly remembered our arrangement and knew you wouldn’t forget. Now give me the gun, you don’t want to hurt yourself.’

Speechless now, she handed him the gun. Luca’s long fingered beautiful hand clasped it and then let his hand drop to his side.

‘But … but — ’ she began.

‘I think it’s time you left,’ Luca said to Carlo.

‘Luca, he … he was the man … on the beach, the one that shot — ’

‘Be quiet, Alva, you don’t know what you are saying.’ His voice was calm and cool, yet the effect was a like a slap across her face. Stumbling away from him, she reached out a hand for something to rest against. She came up against the huge carved dresser and leaned against it, looking up at Luca, not understanding. Not wanting to understand.

Carlo said. ‘
Ciao
, Luca.’ He held out his hand. Luca ignored it.

‘See you around sometime … ’

‘I hope not,’ Luca said.

With frightened eyes, Alva watched as Carlo swaggered out, closing the kitchen door softly behind him.

‘You really should have listened to him. I wanted you away from the house.
’
■

‘I don’t understand!’ But she did; now she knew what it was all about. The shocking truth flashed in her mind, the memories long buried surfacing at last. Luca in the past, ignoring her warnings that something was going on. Arguing with her, being cold and unresponsive, almost brutal in his rejection of her concerns. Telling her she was being hysterical and imaginative. Of course he would have said that. He was involved. He had
known
about it all.

‘You let him go,’ she said, ‘and he killed Antonio.’

Luca, the man she thought she loved, merely shrugged. ‘Antonio was an idiot. He went too far.’

‘He almost killed me.’

‘Who did?’

‘Carlo.’

‘No he didn’t. He saved you.’

‘He threw me down the steps at the tower; he left me there with a bag over my head.

‘He took you down the tower and dropped you from halfway down. He threw you nowhere, and you imagined it was further because of the bag over your head. You were never in real danger because I came to get you.’

‘Why? Oh, Luca, why? I don’t understand it; look at who you are — ’

‘Who I am,
cara
? I was a penniless aristocrat. My father left me this house, this island and nothing else. I have made it what it is and I had to cheat in order to get the money to do it all. I did not like what I had to do but I had to do it. Nothing is more important to me than this island and its prosperity, not even you!’

She stared at him, remembering how she had felt when she had gone out with him, how he made her feel when they made love. The magic she thought he brought into her life. It was a fairy tale, only the fairy tale really had an ugly side to it like, she supposed, all the old fairy tales really did.

‘Look, it happened. I am sorry that Perseli got so out of control, I didn’t know he would do that and then Rosa wanted to punish me because I took you back.’

‘You had her killed?’

He shook his head. ‘No, I didn’t. That was how you heard it. Perseli was afraid that if she told you about Renata other things would come out as well. She was angry enough to tell you everything in the hope that you would leave.’ He shrugged. ‘As if I would have
married
the whore.’

‘Did you know what he was doing to Renata?’

‘Not in the past, only in the last year … I am not a monster.’

‘You did nothing to stop it?’

He shrugged. ‘She was eighteen, what could I do? Besides, she is probably going to be like her mother.’

‘She’s your daughter.’

‘I thought we had discussed that,’ he said, angry now and clipped. ‘Look, Alva, it is unfortunate that you recognized Carlo, that you had to know everything — but it’s over. The deal is finished. It is too dangerous and besides that I don’t need the money now.’

‘What are you saying, Luca?’

‘That we can start again. Put all this behind us. It’s all over.’

‘Start again? You think I can forgive you, that I can accept that you supplied drugs, or something else?’

‘I supplied nothing. The drugs were nothing to do with me.’

‘You facilitated in their distribution. You let them use the island. Did you have me run over in London, Luca? Were you afraid I would tell everything I suspected?’

‘No, I didn’t do that. No one did that to you from here. It was an accident. Obviously you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just some kid probably joy-riding, who knows? It had nothing to do with us. You were gone and I knew you would not tell anyone.’

‘You did?’

‘What could you tell, Alva? That something was going on but you did not know what? I didn’t want you to be hurt, Alva believe me — your kidnap — that was nothing to do with me.’

But she knew she could never believe him or trust him again. There was something about him, she saw now, with her eyes wide open, a cold cynicism that had always been there but she had been too blinded by love to see it. A woman in the throes of love for the first time, that was what she had been, and in that state she had brushed all her doubts to one side.

‘You as good as did it,’ she said, ‘all of it, because you brought these horrible people into your life. That makes you just as guilty.’

‘Oh, Alva, Alva, please do not be so high-minded about it. It was business. That is all.’

Pulling herself away from the dresser she looked at him with sad eyes. Aware that she could just sob, but she would not do that. She was strong now. Now she knew who she was. Moving across the kitchen she went to open the door, hesitating she turned again.

‘I remember everything now, Luca. It wasn’t my aunt that took my money, it was you. You said you would invest it.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘I invested it in our future, in the island. You can see the results; I am getting to where I need to be now.’

‘Well then, you can send me a cheque sometime, with interest.’

‘I’m sorry? I don’t know what you mean?’

‘You will pay me back won’t you Luca? One day?’

‘But of course, but you will enjoy the fruits of it all. Now we really can go places.’

She almost smiled, felt it tugging at her lips. But it would be a bitter smile, echoing the bitterness that was swelling inside her. He did not get it, thought himself so irresistible, believing that he would charm her back into his web, but twice bitten she thought … she had learned her lesson and learned it the hard way.

‘When we first got together and Tony found out, he warned me against you. He said you were slippery and not to be trusted. He told me I should get out while the going was good.’

‘I know he did. I just could not forgive him for that.’

‘You set him up for his fall didn’t you?’

‘Of course, it was so easy, he was a stupid man.’

‘Everyone is stupid who crosses you, Luca, even me … ’

She turned to leave.

‘Where are you going?’ he demanded.

‘Some place,’ she said, ‘but I don’t know yet where that place is.’

‘Alva, do not be stupid, we can be together. We are wonderful together and I love you.’

She thought he meant it, just then. There was that hint of desperation in his voice, as well as that seductive quality that had lured her to him in the first place.

‘Sorry, Luca, I just don’t love you … any more.’

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The one thing she regretted was leaving Alessandro in his cold little grave. Yet she knew she would carry him in her heart wherever she went. She left the clothes, the jewels, everything that he had given her, apart from a pair of jeans and a blouse and jacket to travel in.

It was an extravagance to take the boat to Australia. Luca had sent a cheque, not all of her money, not even half of it, but enough to tide her over. When she received a birthday card from Australia she could not imagine who it was from. On opening it she saw it was from Chloe’s parents. They wrote a letter as well, saying how much they regretted cutting her from their lives. Could she forgive them?

The letter was forwarded from the palazzo; of course Chloe’s parents knew nothing of her first leaving Luca, after her fall, or her subsequent separation. She recognized on the envelope the rounded letters of Claudia. Of course, she doubted that Luca would have even bothered to forward the letter. It was fortuitous that she had written to Claudia to thank her for all she had done, and given her the address where she was living. Besides she did not even care that Luca knew where she was. She knew he would not do anything to her; he knew she would not tell anyone what had happened. She had no proof and who would believe anything against the Conte Luca San Giovanni Mazareeze.

Now she was going to go out to the people who had been like a father and mother to her. She might stay, she might not — she would think about that when she arrived in Australia.

Whatever happened, she would make a new life for herself …
somewhere
.

Finding a quiet corner of the deck she looked out to sea, watching the tender swell of the vivid blue Mediterranean. Inside, she felt empty and drained of emotion. The love she had felt for Luca had shrivelled and died. She could not love a man that she did not respect. He had made it easy for her to get over him, but sometimes, in the dark of night she remembered moments of tenderness shared … they would stay with her for some long time but did not fill her with longing to be with him again.

Whatever the future held she knew it had to be better than the past. She was at heart an optimist; things could not be bad forever, nothing, after all, lasted forever, even love … she smiled, now that was cynical and she was not going to let Luca or anyone else turn her into a cynic.

The soft warm breeze brushed against her cheeks, bringing with it the promise of something … but she did not know what.

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