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"In Tomas's note, he sounds like he's a man in love.He's worried about J and having sent her his gift.He wonders if that was a mistake.He talks about how he thought everyone was on the same page, but they weren't.He's anxious.You can read the translations.I have them on my phone.Unless you read Italian?How fluent are you?"
"I used to be fluent, but it's been a long time since I spent summers here, so my knowledge has faded."
"You can read the translations then."
"I'll do that later.Did you see the ring?"
"Yes.It's beautiful.I wonder why there is a letterPon it.It doesn't match anyone's initial that we know of."
"No, it doesn't."
She tapped her finger on the second box."I didn't look in this one yet."
"My grandmother said it's filled with their personal papers."
"Let's see."She pulled off the lid, revealing a stack of papers.She picked up Anna and Marcus's birth certificates and found more of the same nature, with a marriage certificate, a school diploma, and baptismal and communion records for his father, James Caruso.Isabella put everything she pulled out of the box on the table between them so that he could look through them as well.
"It looks like what my grandmother said," he muttered."Personal papers, nothing that's tied to the paintings."
"This is interesting."Isabella handed him a driver's license with the name Juliette Sabatini on it.
The woman had short black hair and big, dark eyes, a melancholy expression on her face.The license had expired many years ago.Judging by the date of birth, Juliette would be eighty-three years old if she were still alive.
"I don't know who this is," he said, staring at the woman's face."And I have no idea why my grandfather would have put it in his box."
"The woman's address is in Firenze, and her name starts with a J," Isabella pointed out.
He frowned."True, but this wasn't with Tomas's letters."
"Maybe it got misplaced."
"I can ask my grandmother if she knows who Juliette is.But she won't land for several more hours, so it will have to wait."
"Maybe we can find something about her online."Isabella got up to retrieve her computer from the counter where she'd put it earlier.
He watched as she quickly typed the name into search, her face a picture of intensity and determination.Isabella certainly didn't let the grass grow under her feet.A short time ago, she'd almost been choked to death.She'd been terrified and unsteady and almost falling apart, but now she was in fighting mode.She might get knocked down, but she didn’t stay down.
He'd worked with a lot of tough, courageous women in his line of work, but they'd all been trained to face danger.Isabella had not, but she certainly had guts and a strong survival instinct.Although, he had a feeling her headlong rush toward any lead also had the potential to land her in trouble.He would have to make sure that didn't happen.
"I'm not finding anything," she muttered.
"You just started."
"I didn't say I was giving up.I just said nothing is jumping out at me."
As he took another sip of tea, he felt the weariness of not just tonight but the last several months seep back in.He probably should have gone for an energy drink instead of sleep-inducing tea.
Isabella let out a sigh as she rubbed her eyes.He glanced at the clock on the wall.It was only eleven, but it felt much later."I think we should call it a night, Isabella.We can follow up on this tomorrow."
"I can keep going."
"You can, but at some point, you'll have to close your eyes.I know you don't want to."
She lifted her gaze from the computer to look at him."I'm not worried about closing my eyes."
He stared back at her, seeing the defiance burning bright.She was terrified of being seen as weak.He tried a different approach."I need you to be fresh tomorrow.I have a meeting set up with an art historian."
"You do?When did that happen?"
