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“Exactly!” Franco reached for her, tenderly putting his hands on her smooth arms.
“Just don’t anchor me too much,” Violetta whispered, kissing him.
“Just don’t sail too far,” Franco whispered back, breathing her in.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Gaetano checked his pocket watch and decided he had time to interview a few more families before heading back to the office after a client meeting. He had already eliminated six more boys by meeting the child himself or seeing nothing amiss at the house.
Gaetano started with the home of the Michangeli family, which had a façade of soft ocher stucco and a front window with green shutters. He knocked, and the door was opened by a woman who struck him instantly as melancholy, which alerted his senses. Signora Vera Catena had a lovely face and a mouth shaped like a seraph’s bow, but her smile seemed strained and her eyes had darkish circles. Her maroon dress hung on her, as if she had lost weight.
Gaetano introduced himself, then said, “You must be Signora Catena, Dante’s mother.”
“Yes, I am.” Signora Catena emitted the slightest gasp, and Gaetano thought it came at the child’s name.
“Is your husband at home?” Gaetano peeked into the living room and spied a toy sword in the corner. The room seemed still, quiet, and too neat for a home with children.
“No, unfortunately, my husband’s away right now.” Signora Catena’s hand fluttered to her slim throat. “Perhaps I can help you. What’s this about?”
“A private matter.” Gaetano began to get excited, wondering if she was the kidnapped boy’s mother.
“Does this private matter concern my family?” Signora Catena’s weary eyes widened with hope.
“Yes.” Gaetano felt like they were talking about the same thing, in oblique terms. “Perhaps we should discuss it inside?”
“I agree.” Signora Catena opened the door, and Gaetano entered the house, surprised to find his boss, Don Matteo, and his wife, Donna Angelina, sitting in the living room.
Don Matteo rose. “Gaetano, what are you doing here? Do you have a message for me from the office?” He paused, puzzled. “Wait a minute. We decided to stop in only at the last moment. How did you know I was here?”
“I, uh... didn’t,” Gaetano stammered, caught. He was supposed to be at work.
“Gaetano, how nice to see you.” Donna Angelina smiled, a kind, elegant woman with a sleek twist of dark hair.
Gaetano forced a smile back. “You as well, Donna Angelina.”
Don Matteo frowned. “What are you doing here, Gaetano? I thought you were at a meeting.”
Signora Catena interjected, “Do you know this man, Uncle Matteo?”
Gaetano’s mind raced, and he got his bearings. So, Signora Catena was Don Matteo’s niece. It was a coincidence, but not unlikely. Palermo’s upper class traveled in the same circles. But Gaetano still had to explain why he was here.
Don Matteo was saying, “Gaetano works for me. I’m just not sure what brings him here, in the middle of a workday.”
Gaetano defaulted to his cover story. “Well, sir, I’ve been visiting families with young sons, to see if they need new wills.”
Don Matteo recoiled. “How did you know my niece had a son?”
“I obtained baptismal records and I—”
“Come with me. Excuse us, ladies.” Don Matteo took Gaetano by the arm, walked him to the door, and brought him outside into the street.
“Don Matteo, I can explain—”
“Not here.” Don Matteo eyed an alley up ahead. “Go that way, right now.”
Gaetano did, his thoughts churning. He was in trouble, but he wasn’t going to forget about the kidnapping investigation. Signora Catena’s son Dante could still be the kidnapping victim, so either Don Matteo didn’t know the boy had been kidnapped, or he did know and was keeping it secret.
Don Matteo led him into the alley. “Gaetano, what’s gotten into you? Knocking on doors isnothow we attract clients. What do you think you’re selling? Pots and pans?”
