except someone like me, or an historian specializing in that period of Italian or Venetian history. It’s pretty fragile, so what I will do is scan the pages into my laptop so that the text will be preserved, even if the book falls to pieces. Then I’ll take it back to Londonand work on it in my spare time. As far as I’m concerned, we continue with our holiday just like before.”
She looked across at Bronson. “Speaking of which,” she added, “isn’t it about time we had something to eat? That bar of chocolate we shared on the island seems like a long time ago.”
Bronson glanced at his watch and nodded. “You’re absolutely right. I feel a bowl of spaghetti coming on. That family restaurant on the corner might still be open.”
“Good idea,” Angela said, standing up. “I’ll just nip down to reception and see if I can borrow their scanner, and then I’ll be ready to go.”
7
Marietta Perini walked slowly toward the double wooden doors set into the front facade of the gray stone house. Her senses were acutely sharpened by the terror coursing through her, and she noticed that the ground-floor windows, on the right-hand side of the entrance door, were brightly illuminated. Through the old glass, she could see a pair of elegant chandeliers, brilliant clusters of cut glass studded with tiny electric lights. And she could also see figures in the room, perhaps three or four men in elegant evening clothes, moving about and talking and drinking.
She took another couple of steps toward the doors, then felt a tug on her arm.
“Not that way,” one of her captors snapped, pointing instead to a stone path that ran around the side of the house.
Marietta turned down the path, wondering about the scene she’d glimpsed inside the spacious salon. It lookedto her like an upmarket reception, a social evening, or maybe even a group of wealthy men enjoying an aperitif before sitting down to a banquet.
But that didn’t square with what was happening to her. The men who had abducted her in Venice were malevolent, evil, she was certain. Though it didn’t make sense, perhaps they were nothing to do with the elegantly dressed men in the salon she was walking away from. Maybe the people inside the property could be her salvation?
Marietta took a deep breath and screamed her heart out, a shriek of agony and terror that bounced off the walls of the house.
As she had hoped, the sound clearly penetrated the windows of the lighted room, and, as she looked back, all of the men turned to stare at her. A couple of them even walked across to the tall windows and looked out, straight at her.
One of her captors seized her and turned her to face the house, so the people inside could see her more clearly. The two well-dressed men by the window smiled at her, and one nodded approval. Then the man holding her started to laugh. In that instant, the terrified girl knew she was beyond any help, any hope of rescue.
She stared around her. Surely somewhere there was a place to hide, to get away from the three men behind her. But even if by some miracle she could manage to elude them, she would still be a prisoner on the island.
But she had to try.
Taking another deep breath, Marietta stepped off the path and ran for her life.
She heard a muttered curse, and then the sound of the men behind her. Almost immediately, one of them grabbed at her shoulder, but she ducked and swerved, and the man lost his grip.
Her bound wrists were a greater impediment than she’d expected, and in seconds she lost her footing on the uneven ground and tumbled sideways. Before she could even try to get to her feet again, the men reached her. Two of them grabbed her by the arms and pulled her upright.
“I told you what would happen,” said the man with the Taser, his face dark with anger.
“Be careful,” one of the others warned. “She needs to be unharmed.”
The man adjusted something on the Taser, then took a step forward. “Hold her still,” he
She looked across at Bronson. “Speaking of which,” she added, “isn’t it about time we had something to eat? That bar of chocolate we shared on the island seems like a long time ago.”
Bronson glanced at his watch and nodded. “You’re absolutely right. I feel a bowl of spaghetti coming on. That family restaurant on the corner might still be open.”
“Good idea,” Angela said, standing up. “I’ll just nip down to reception and see if I can borrow their scanner, and then I’ll be ready to go.”
7
Marietta Perini walked slowly toward the double wooden doors set into the front facade of the gray stone house. Her senses were acutely sharpened by the terror coursing through her, and she noticed that the ground-floor windows, on the right-hand side of the entrance door, were brightly illuminated. Through the old glass, she could see a pair of elegant chandeliers, brilliant clusters of cut glass studded with tiny electric lights. And she could also see figures in the room, perhaps three or four men in elegant evening clothes, moving about and talking and drinking.
She took another couple of steps toward the doors, then felt a tug on her arm.
“Not that way,” one of her captors snapped, pointing instead to a stone path that ran around the side of the house.
Marietta turned down the path, wondering about the scene she’d glimpsed inside the spacious salon. It lookedto her like an upmarket reception, a social evening, or maybe even a group of wealthy men enjoying an aperitif before sitting down to a banquet.
But that didn’t square with what was happening to her. The men who had abducted her in Venice were malevolent, evil, she was certain. Though it didn’t make sense, perhaps they were nothing to do with the elegantly dressed men in the salon she was walking away from. Maybe the people inside the property could be her salvation?
Marietta took a deep breath and screamed her heart out, a shriek of agony and terror that bounced off the walls of the house.
As she had hoped, the sound clearly penetrated the windows of the lighted room, and, as she looked back, all of the men turned to stare at her. A couple of them even walked across to the tall windows and looked out, straight at her.
One of her captors seized her and turned her to face the house, so the people inside could see her more clearly. The two well-dressed men by the window smiled at her, and one nodded approval. Then the man holding her started to laugh. In that instant, the terrified girl knew she was beyond any help, any hope of rescue.
She stared around her. Surely somewhere there was a place to hide, to get away from the three men behind her. But even if by some miracle she could manage to elude them, she would still be a prisoner on the island.
But she had to try.
Taking another deep breath, Marietta stepped off the path and ran for her life.
She heard a muttered curse, and then the sound of the men behind her. Almost immediately, one of them grabbed at her shoulder, but she ducked and swerved, and the man lost his grip.
Her bound wrists were a greater impediment than she’d expected, and in seconds she lost her footing on the uneven ground and tumbled sideways. Before she could even try to get to her feet again, the men reached her. Two of them grabbed her by the arms and pulled her upright.
“I told you what would happen,” said the man with the Taser, his face dark with anger.
“Be careful,” one of the others warned. “She needs to be unharmed.”
The man adjusted something on the Taser, then took a step forward. “Hold her still,” he
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