Breathing Room by Philips Susan Elizabeth

Author:Philips, Susan Elizabeth [Philips, Susan Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Chick-Lit, Contemporary
ISBN: 9780749933739
Publisher: Piatkus Books
Published: 2003-06-25T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

V ittorio and Giulia glanced uncomfortably at each other, then moved reluctantly back into the garden. Anna and Marta disappeared, leaving only the four of them. Ren bore in for the kill.

“I want to know what's happening on my property. And don't insult me with any more crap about water problems.”

Vittorio looked so uneasy that Isabel almost felt sorry for him. “It's very complicated,” he said.

“Simplify it so we can understand,” Ren drawled.

Vittorio and Giulia gazed at each other. A trace of stubbornness appeared in her jaw. “We have to tell them, Vittorio.”

“No,” he said. “Go to the car.”

“You go to the car!” Giulia's hands flew. “You and your friends haven't been able to do this. Now it is my turn.”

“Giulia...” His voice sounded a warning note, but she ignored it.

“This – this goes back to...Paolo Baglio, Marta's brother,” she said in a rush.

“No more!” Vittorio had the helpless expression of a man who knew he was looking at disaster but couldn't figure out how to stop it.

Giulia pushed past him and faced Ren. “He was – he was the local...representative. For ... the Family.”

“The Mafia.” Ren sat on the wall, much too comfortable with the subject of organized crime. Vittorio turned away as if his wife's words were too painful for him to hear.

Giulia seemed to be trying to decide how much to tell them. “Paolo was...he was responsible for making sure our local businesspeople did not meet with misfortune. You know what I mean by this? That a shopkeeper's windows were not broken at night or that the florist's delivery truck did not disappear.”

“Protection money,” Ren said.

“Whatever name you wish to give it.” She twisted her hands in front of her. They were small and delicate, with a wedding band on one finger and smaller rings on the others. “We are only a country village, but everyone understood how this worked, and the businesspeople paid Paolo the first day of each month. Because of this, windows were not broken, the florist made his deliveries, and there was never any trouble.” She turned her wedding band. “Then Paolo had a heart attack and died.”

She bit her lip. “At first everything was fine – except for Marta, who missed him very much. But right before you arrived, Isabel, some men came to town. Not nice men. Men from Naples .” Her lips pursed, as if she'd tasted something sour. “They – they found our mayor and...it is too horrible. But when they were done, we understood that Paolo had been very foolish. He had lied to them about how much money he had collected, and then he had hidden away millions of oldfashioned lire for himself.” She pulled in a deep breath. “They have given us a month to find the money and turn it over. And if we don't...”

Her words trailed off, and Vittorio came forward. Now that Giulia had begun, he seemed resigned to finishing the story. “Marta is certain Paolo hid the money somewhere near the house.

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