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She scanned the list. “Matteo Frenzi?”
“That’s right. Young man. But very successful. He was always here. People used to joke that the two were attached at the hip, they were always together.”
“Thank you, this is great,” Daisy said, still trying to decide where to go, next. Clearly, the wife wasn’t going to show up anytime soon, and the housekeeper’s manner wasn’t unfriendly, but it wasn’t welcoming, either. She couldn’t ask to sit by the pool and wait for Kiki to return. “Could you tell me, is Mr. Tate’s private plane located at the Venice airport?”
“Oh, no. This is Mr. Tate’s private island. He had his own runway, hangar, and everything, right nearby so he could easily go off whenever he liked. It was the first thing he built, even before the house.” She stood up. “The first Ms. Tate said you might want to go see it. Would you like to?”
“Yes, thank you. That would be great.”
Daisy expected the woman would escort her there, but instead, she just pointed out the window. “Go out the way you came, down the steps, but at the dock make a left. Ask for Arlo. He manages things down there.”
“Great. That’s perfect. Thanks.”
The woman stared at her expectantly, hands on hips, as if to say,Now, please leave me alone.To confirm the fact, the moment Daisy stepped out the door and turned to thank the housekeeper again, she found the door already closed behind her.
And as she began her walk down to the airplane hangar, she couldn’t fight the feeling that someone, inside the house, was watching her every move.
CHAPTER SIX
Thankfully, the walk back down the steps was much easier, but by the time Daisy reached the dock again, she’d had it with her suitcase. She left it there, then walked inland. By the time she reached the clearing with the airplane hangar, she really could’ve used that lemonade. It was hot, and her mouth was desert-dry.
She doubted she’d find anything to quench her thirst, here. As opulent as the house was, this area was anything but. All it consisted of was a large tarmac overgrown with weeds and needing repair in places, as well as an old, rusting hangar. It looked closed up, too, abandoned.
Even as she drew closer, she saw no signs of life. She went to the service door, which had the only window into the place, cupped her hands around her eyes, and peered inside.
There was a man reclined behind a desk, sneakered feet up on it. She couldn’t see him very well because the place was full of smoke.
She knocked.
Immediately, the man sprang to attention, nearly falling back on his chair. He righted himself and jogged to the door, unlocking it, and cracking it open. “Si?”
The wall of pot smoke that hit Daisy was enough to give her a high. She waved it away, eyes tearing. “Arlo?”
“Si, that’s me. You that investigator from America?”
She nodded, still choking on the fumes. “Can I ask you some questions?”
“Sure! Come in, come in! Roberta told me you’d be around.”
She hesitantly looked toward his office, which was still lost in a cloud of heavy smoke. “If you don’t mind, could you show me the plane? I can ask you the questions from there.”
“Oh, sure, sure,” he said excitedly, feeling in his pockets. He pulled out a set of keys and led her to the doors to the hangar.
He struggled for a long time to find the right key, until Daisy nearly offered to take over for him. “Ah, here,” he said, holding up the right one. “Sorry. Didn’t really have much on the agenda, today, so . . .”
So you decided to get high. Makes sense, I guess.“Not a problem,” she said as he shuffled in. He had longish dark hair and a painter’s cap, and faded jeans that hung too low on his frame, showcasing the band of his white underwear. His t-shirt, though, clung tightly to his body, displaying his lean but fit frame. “You’ve worked for the Tates for a long time?”
“Sure, sure. I was here when they built this. Fifteen years ago? My first job out of school was FBO of this place.”
“FBO?”
“It means that I manage this place. We had more pilots and more planes, before, because we used to fly other people on the island. But gradually that dried up, and Tate sold it all off. Now, the only jet that takes off out of here is this one, and my little plane. And I’m FBO and pilot.”
“You’re a pilot?”
“I’m his regular pilot. Si. He has a couple of people to maintain the plane, but I pilot the aircraft and keep the place running.”
“That sounds like a lot of work for one person?”
