Page 32 of Bonded in Death

“We have coffee,” Peabody began. “Tea, water, of course, and soft drinks. It’s a very nice tea, Signora Rossi. It’s soothing.”

“Yes, Mamma, you’ll have some tea. I would have coffee, if it’s no trouble. Black will do.”

“He thinks to take care of me.” Anna Maria looked up at her son as he led her to a chair at the conference table. “He forgets he’s mybambino.” She clung to his hand a moment longer, and sat.

Then she straightened her shoulders, turned fierce eyes on Eve. “The doctor said you would tell us what happened to my husband, to the father of my children.”

“We will. We have questions.”

“We will answer your questions. But first, we will know why Gio is gone.”

“You said he left quickly for New York.”

“Hours after he told me his friend needed him. Have you found this friend?”

“No. Mr. Rossi had nothing on his person, or in his luggage to indicate who asked him to come. An old friend, you told me.”

“He says an old friend, an oath taken. He says he will explain it all when he comes home. My Gio would never break a promise. He left to keep one.”

Tears swirled in her eyes again, but didn’t fall.

“He can’t keep the one he made to me, but he would have. I understand who you are, and what you do here. Did this friend kill Gio?”

“We don’t know.” Eve waited while Peabody set out the tea, the coffee. “We do know whoever killed him knew of his plans, and the quicknessof his travel, the actions of the killer indicate his killer knew of his travel details.”

Until she got this part over with, Eve knew, she’d get no answers.

“His killer posed as a driver. He had a sign with your husband’s name on it at the shuttle terminal. We’ve seen the security feed and there’s no indication your husband recognized this man. He drove a limo, stolen a week ago.”

“This is all deliberate. Very deliberate.”

Eve looked at Antonio. “Yes. Your father was the target. He was escorted to the limo. And there, trapped inside. The locks were engaged so he couldn’t open the doors, the windows. The privacy window between the driver’s area and the back seat, also secured, and sealed. The driver released a toxic gas into the passenger area.”

“Oh.” Shaking her head, shocked eyes spilling tears now, Anna Maria pressed both hands to her mouth. “Madre di Dio!”

“He fought. He fought to get out, but it wasn’t possible. He succumbed within minutes.”

“Assassino!Murderer!”

She collapsed against her son, and he wrapped his arms around her, wept with her.

“Alone. Alone. This man who harmed no one dies alone, away from his family, through such wickedness.”

“It was wickedness,” Peabody said softly. “We’re doing, and will keep doing, everything possible to find this wicked person. We need your help.”

“Help? What help can we give? He was away from us. No one at home would hurt Giovanni Rossi! He was loved! His family, his friends, neighbors. Oh, the children would flock around him when he went for a walk. He always had a joke, sweets in his pocket for the children. Who does this to such a man?”

“Someone he knew.” Eve said it flatly to stop the rise of hysteria.

“No. How?”

“Mamma.” Antonio gripped her hand. “How else?” Then he kissed her hand before using an already damp handkerchief to dry her tears. “We’ll be strong for Papà now. And help however we can help.”

Now he kissed her cheeks, and whatever he said to her in Italian sounded so loving to Eve’s ears she felt her heart crack a little.

“Sì, Sì.”She picked up the tea, drank. “Un attimo.Ah, one moment, please.”

“Take all the time you need.”

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