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I had to go through the pretense of choosing the ingredients, conveniently forgetting to pick a few items. I told the soldier that Alessio had also asked me to do a general stock up and thus I picked up a huge number of various other household items such as cleaning products, washing powder, snacks, cereals, bottled drinks and anything else I could think of.
As we walked around the end of the store, my heart leapt as I saw that the fire door was again propped open to allow a breeze to come in on this hot, sultry day. I quickly flicked my gaze away from it, not wanting the soldier to notice my interest.
When we reached the pay counter, I told the soldier to start bagging up the groceries while I went back for the few items I had forgotten. I deliberately left my purse on the counter. The large number of groceries would take him a few minutes to pack, particularly since he was a man and probably unused to shopping.
I walked swiftly to the back of the store and instead of heading back to the fresh vegetable section, I turned and exited out of the fire door.
The door opened into a backyard, and I hastily let myself out of a gate and walked down a side alley back to the main road, removing my wedding and engagement rings and slipping them into my pocket to join the cash I had been given for the groceries.
Luck was by my side, and I managed to flag down a passing taxi. “Please could you take me to the nearest police station?” The driver gave me a funny look in the rearview mirror.
“I’m meeting my friend who works there.” He nodded, apparently satisfied, and he left me alone for the rest of the ride.
I sat back, trying not to appear on edge. Now that I had gotten away from the soldier, I knew he would realize after a few minutes that I had escaped.
I hoped he would take a few minutes looking for me and then he would ring Alessio who would probably drive into town himself to find me–and I prayed it would be only after those things that they would contact the police to tell them to keep a look out for me.
When we reached the police station, I paid off the driver and went inside the gloomy building.
“Excuse me, sir? I’m an American tourist and my belongings, purse, and passport have been stolen. I need to get to the American Embassy—can you help me please?”
I wished now that I spoke better Italian—I should have listened to Nonna and practiced it more at home—but I knew that given the rustiness of my mother tongue, it would be quicker if I spoke English right now.
The officer thankfully spoke English. “That is unfortunate, signorina. I am sorry to hear of your misfortune. May I take your name please?”
“It’s Sarah Parker.” I gave the officer a false name. No way in hell was I telling the Italian police that my name was Cate Marchiano—if I did, they would probably hand-deliver me back to my husband.
I knew my supposedly stolen purse and passport would make it believable to the police that I had no formal identification with me. And my as-American-as-apple-pie accent would convince them that I was indeed a tourist needing to get back to her home country via assistance from the American Embassy.
Once I was at the American Embassy, I would explain what had happened—that I had been brought to Italy against my will and that I needed to get back to the States.
And when I made it back to the States, I would disappear. I had the money left to me by my father. I would get a job somewhere where no one knew me and start a new life—a new life away from Made Men, death, and crime.
I would miss Nonna, but perhaps I could convince her to come with me? I would find out a way to stay in touch with her somehow.
All I needed was an hour or so. As soon as I was on my way to the American Embassy, that would give me a head-start and make it harder for Alessio to catch up with me. And once I was at the American Embassy, I would be safe from the Marchianos and the Fratellanza.
The officer showed me to a room and asked me to wait while he contacted the appropriate person at the embassy. There was a table and two chairs, but I was too anxious to sit down and instead paced the room.
I kept checking my watch, wondering how long it would take until I could be on my way to the embassy. A while later, the officer returned. “I have brought someone to see you.”
“Someone from the embassy?”
“No. It’s someone who has been looking for you.”
My blood ran cold. Alessio had found me.
I turned to look at the man behind the officer, the breath being sucked from my lungs as I saw his face.
It wasn’t Alessio.
But I recognized him.
He was the man that had taken me from my father’s house: Dmitri Petrov.
CHAPTER 32
CATE
