Chianti Classico (22 page)

Donata smiled. “All taken care of. The receipts are in his drawer.”

“Do you know where Ermanno is? I need to know the whereabouts of my husband.”

“Giulio’s up north in Verona. It’s a winemakers’ convention, I think. Then he goes to Milano to a lovely restaurant on Via Gesu.”

“So he has no plans to come home anytime soon?”

“I don’t think he’ll tell his brother to come home. When Ermanno needs to send more supplies, he usually asks me to take them to him. Why?”

Viviana could feel the heat on her face.

Donata brushed her auburn hair off her wet cheek and stepped out from behind the desk. “It looks like I’m done here. I guess I should go back to the tasting room where I have air conditioning.”

For the first time, Viviana realized Donata wasn’t the young innocent girl she was told Giulio had hired. Donata was several centimeters taller than she was. As the young woman slipped away, Viviana watched her shapely legs strut through the doors into the sun. On her shoes, she wore heels—five inch heels. Viviana felt another pang and grabbed her side.

That evening after fixing her mother-in-law dinner, Viviana suddenly screamed. Serena helped Viviana into the car and drove her to the hospital in town. Serena sat with her sister-in-law as she writhed in pain. Twelve hours later, Viviana gave birth. Serena had already left to go to work. No one from the family was there.

Sister Angela sat down in front of another box of evidence provided by Detective Sergeant Turo. “Let me see,” she said aloud. “Concerning the accident, we haven’t any identification for the driver and nothing on the vehicle. What about the DNA, Sergeant?”

“We have that but no matches.”

“Missing person’s reports. Surely there’s been something in four years.”

“We saw many. We followed up on those missing persons reports within weeks of the accident. Nothing.”

“And beyond the five weeks?”

“There were too many reports to continue to investigate them all. Most of the missing persons are found or eventually show up. Of course, we still examine local missing person’s reports, but none seem to be related to this accident.”

“Where’s the body now?”

“Interred in the church cemetery. Of course there’s no name because we don’t have one.”

Sister Angela rested her chin on her palm. “Perhaps this woman went missing, but those who knew her wanted to keep her disappearance a secret. If the family didn’t know about it when it happened, surely they would’ve inquired about her when she didn’t turn up—even months later.”

Turo stopped clicking his keyboard and, sighing, sat back. “If you want to go through all the missing person’s records over the past four years, you’re welcome. I’m afraid you need to get the information from Roma. Perhaps they have it all online. We didn’t hold onto ours because we don’t have room to keep everything.”

Sister Angela smiled. “That’s an idea, Sergeant Turo. If we decide to, I can do that. But I’ve been informed that our victim in Filari came from Rufina. It might be easier to concentrate on those missing from Rufina zone.”

Sister Daniela stood in front of her classroom once more, but it was difficult to put the thoughts of the investigation and the La Barcas out of her mind. She glanced through the windows that overlooked the vineyard next door and shivered. Had Nocera been casing the classroom days or even weeks before the kidnapping? How did Nocera get into the orphanage?

She stared out at her students who looked back at her expectantly. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I see by my notes that you’re all in the middle of reading projects. Why don’t we continue with those? Allegra, would you please come up and organize the groups? I have to step out for a few moments.” Sister Daniela began to walk toward the door, but hesitated. “Evelina, would you come with me?”

The two walked to the lower stair treads and sat down.

“I’m still troubled about the situation that allowed the kidnapper to enter the building. Let’s go over your steps that evening again.”

Evelina took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Let me see. At about ten o’clock, I walked over to the front door and made sure it was latched.”

“Was it secured or did you have to lock it yourself?”

“I don’t remember. I was used to doing both so I wouldn’t have thought twice about it.”

“Then where did you go?”

“I always followed that by heading for the kitchen and the back door that leads to the outside landing. Sister Carmela’s usually locked that already, but I still check it.”

“Has it ever been unlocked?

“Yes. But it’s usually when Sister Carmela’s visiting the nuns in Siena or when she’s sick.”

“Then you retraced your steps?”

“Yes. I walked past the staircase and followed the passage to the nurse’s room.”

“You mentioned you did this every evening.”

“Yes. I’m the only one who does it because it’s so spooky with all the equipment in there.”

Sister Daniela looked surprised but regained her composure. “So you walked down the passage and went into the nurse’s room…”

“I went in and checked the door. It was locked, as usual. Then I turned off the lights downstairs and followed the others to bed.”

The nun stood and brushed off her black skirt. “Follow me,” she said. “Let’s do this together.”

The two climbed the stairs to the main floor. This part of the house was more quiet than usual. Was it always so peaceful when the children were downstairs with her? The only sound came from the kitchen where Sister Edita was preparing lunch.

“So, it’s five to ten, and you’re watching television with the children in this room. Where did you sit?”

“No, I was in the dining room. That’s where a few of the others were still studying. I was reading a book.”

Evelina sat down in one of the chairs at the dining room table, and Sister Daniela slid into a chair next to her.

“Ding. Ding. Ding. You look up. It’s ten o’clock. What do you do?”

“I tell those around me to put away their books because it’s time to go to bed.”

“And you wait for them to leave the room?”

“No. Many of the younger ones are slow to make it to the stairs. I’m probably the second or third to get up. I walk through the television room and flip off the TV. The children groan but start to rise. I keep walking until I get to the front door.”

Sister Daniela continued to follow her.

“I put my hand on the knob and rotate it.” She shows the nun. The door opens. Evelina closes it and flips the lever below the knob. Then she tries it again. The door doesn’t move. “This is how it was. It wouldn’t move. I remember that now.”

The nun flipped the lever back, opened the door, stepped out, and closed it. “Lock it again,” she said to Evelina, still standing on the inside. Sister Daniela unsuccessfully tried to open the door. Then she examined the keyhole. No sign of tampering. She knocked, and Evelina let her back inside. “Who has a key?”

“Sister Carmela has one in her room.”

“Who else?”

“No one. Everyone else uses the basement door. You have one for the basement, don’t you?”

Sister Daniela fingered the key in her pocket. “Who else has one of these?”

“I’m sure Sister Natalia has one. I’m uncertain about the others, though I suspect some of them do. Sister Carmela has a few on her wall for some of us who have to go out at night and need to get back in.”

“I hadn’t even thought that any of you might want to go out.”

“We don’t have a nurse. Last fall, some of us got the flu. A nun came from Siena to take one of us, Grazia, I think, to the doctor.”

“What happened to the key?”

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask Sister Carmela.”

“Perhaps the sisters at Mercy House have some keys too.”

“I have no idea.”

“And as far as you know, the La Barcas don’t possess one. Sometimes neighbors keep them in case you get locked out.”

Evelina stared at the nun. “Someone’s always here to let us in, Sister. Why on earth would we give one to the neighbors?”

“Okay, you’ve checked this door. You turn around. Stop. You are about to cross through the television room again. What do you see?”

“The television’s off. Cammeo and Elenora are on the couch. Liliana’s pulling Pia out of the chair.”

“Pia’s still up? Ten’s a bit late for her, don’t you think?”

“Pia’s resisting. Liliana has probably awakened her and is helping her up to bed.”

“Perhaps,” said Sister Daniela. “She could be throwing a tantrum.”

Evelina scrunched up her eyes and tried to concentrate on the scene. “I’m not sure. We could ask Liliana, I suppose.”

“So you walk through this scene and then through the dining room. Stop. Who’s left in here?”

“I see no one. Someone’s turned off the lights.”

“Do they normally do that?”

“No, but often enough. Someone probably thought they were helping me. It depends on who was in here last.”

“But you can see enough to know there’s no one still lingering.”

“Actually I trip on one of the chairs because it’s dark. I confess that I swore. No one called me out on it so I figured the room was empty. Touching the wall, I make my way to the kitchen.” She pushed open the door.

“Stop. Can you see?”

Busy fixing lunch, Sister Edita and Elenora look up but don’t say anything.

“Yes. There’s a nightlight on in the kitchen. Sister Carmela doesn’t want all the lights out in case she needs to tend to someone during the night.”

“Is there anyone in the kitchen?”

Evelina hesitates. The two cooks stop to listen, but when Sister Daniela stares at them, they turn away and resume their work.

“Yes Grazia’s getting a drink of water.”

“She takes a glass with her?”

“No. We aren’t allowed to take a container of liquid upstairs at night. The nuns worry that there’ll be accidents—bedwetting.”

“So how does Grazia get her water?”

“She crawls up onto the counter and turns on the tap. Then she leans over to sip the flowing water.”

“Like a fountain?”

“Yes.”

“She gets down and passes you as she leaves the kitchen?”

“Yes. She gets down but she doesn’t pass me.”

“She stays in the kitchen?”

“No. There’s a door just left of the one to the outside landing.”

“This little door?” the nun asked, opening it.

“Yes. There are back stairs to the second-floor rooms. It lets us off right next door to Grazia’s room.”

“So anyone can come downstairs to get water and such anytime during night.”

“I suppose, but they’re taking a risk.”

“What do you mean?”

“If Sister Carmela catches anyone using
her
stairs, she makes them do double their chores.”

“Did she catch Grazia that night?”

“I don’t think so, but she once caught Terza, and Terza had to clean the bathroom by herself for a week. I’ve never seen her use those stairs again.”

“All right, Grazia climbed down from her perch and scrambled up the stairs. Then what do you see?”

“Nothing.”

“Did you turn this way to see if Sister Carmela’s light’s on?”

“I’m not sure, but I still wouldn’t be able to tell. She always has a nightlight on in her room and her bathroom too. She’s afraid of the dark, I suppose.” Evelina turned toward the door. “I check the door to the outside landing. It’s locked. No surprise.”

“Nothing unusual then. The hairs on your neck don’t stand up. You don’t look toward the window to see if anyone’s watching you?”

Evelina stared at Sister Daniela again. “No, but I probably will from now on.”

The two women retraced their steps to the dining room.

“Stop. Is the dining room light still off?”

Evelina hesitated. “No. I don’t think it is. I flip it off at the far switch. As I’m walking through, I check under the table.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I just wanted to make sure no one’s there before I turn off the light.” Evelina continued to the television room.

“Stop. Who’s here?”

“No one. The light’s on, but the children are gone.”

“Did you think to look in the office right off the television room? Is the door closed? Are the lights off in there?”

“I didn’t notice anyone. I don’t remember if the door was open or closed. It’s usually open, I suppose.”

The nun walked into the office and checked the windows. They were all latched—except for one. Sister Daniela tried to latch it but couldn’t. “What do you know about this window?”

“I don’t know anything. We usually don’t come in here.”

Sister Daniela headed through the front door and down the steps. The window was behind the branches of a thick bush and just above her head. Nocera would’ve had to have some kind of ladder to gain access through that window.

She retreated inside and found Evelina. “Okay, you pass through the television room and turn off the light.”

“No. I leave it on. I walk past the stairs and head down the passage to the nurse’s office.”

“Stop. Did you check the door again? Could one of the children still remaining in the television room have opened it before going upstairs?”

“No, I don’t check the door. I don’t think one of the children would do that.”