Tomaso sputtered and stammered, but did not manage an answer. I noticed Ernesto and Graziella look at each other with sly pleasure at Tomaso's discomfort. Cinzia backed away from the group. Anna and Ovidio were surprised by the marshal's question. Laura and Giovanna reacted with concern. It was Giovanna who spoke up in her son's defense. "You can't suspect Tomaso?"

  Marshal Tadeucci did not answer. Instead, he pulled a cellphone from his pocket, punched in a number, and then spoke into the phone, in Italian.

  Aldo whispered to Laura and I, "He's calling the coroner and the scientific team. You should go back to the house. Colin and I will stay."

  Only with Aldo's forceful insistence did Laura finally agree to return to the house. I was glad to see Laura brighten at the sight of Pina. I let the two lead the way down the path. The last thing I saw before following them was Marshal Franco Tadeucci standing at the entrance to the oil shed, eyeing Tomaso suspiciously.

  *****

  "Why can't you stay with your mother or with the maid, while your father works?" Beatrice Bartolini asked Pina Tadeucci.

  From the kitchen I could hear the children practicing their English with Laura and Michela in the back garden.

  "We don't have a maid and my mother's dead," Pina answered matter-of-factly.

  Laura said, "You must miss her, but I think you're very lucky to have such a good father. Anyone can see that he loves you very much. What's your favorite subject in school?"

  "Mathematics. My mother was an economist," Pina said proudly. "I want to be one, too."

  Beatrice and Leo joined in the conversation at that point, both speaking at once about what they wanted to be when they grew up.

  Donatella entered from the dining room. "I've set a table for the children in the back garden. Giusi and Cecilio are going home for a quiet dinner. I don't expect any of the Bartolini group to stay, so I've set the dining table for just us friends. It'll be good for Laura, just what she needs!"

  I imagined that good food and the company of friends would cure any shock in Donatella's world.

  Giusi took the platter of food Donatella had prepared for them. "Keep an eye on Laura this evening. It was such a terrible thing to happen on such a nice day." Giusi spoke of Antonio's death as if it were nothing more than an inconvenient interruption to our party. She seemed more upset for Laura's distress than for her friend Giovanna, who had lost a son.

  "A terrible thing to happen to my press," muttered Cecilio as he followed his wife out the kitchen door.

  "You look tired, Bert." Laura entered from the back garden. "Why don't you join me in the living room?"

  We sat on the sofa together and watched the children sit down to dinner with Michela at a table just outside. Pina Tadeucci spoke a moment to Michela, and then the young girl rose and came into the living room and stood next to Laura. "Mrs. Whitehorse said I could ask you something."

  "Yes, what is it, Pina?"

  "For English class we have to interview someone about their life and then write a report. May I interview you?"

  Laura laughed with pleasurable surprise. "How flattering! Yes, I'd love to be interviewed for your class. I'll give you my phone number."

  "You can come to our house, but you should give your number to my father." Pina returned quickly to the table outside, looking very proud of herself.

  Moments later Aldo and Colin entered the living room. Colin fell exhausted into one of the armchairs and Aldo in the other. Donatella set a tray of drinks and appetizers on the coffee table before us. "You look like you could use these."

  "I could use one." Michela joined us. "This is the first quiet moment together all day. Was it very terrible up there?"

  "The forensic people and the coroner are still working," Colin said.

  Aldo pushed back his dark hair with a weary hand. "The Bartolinis and their friends have closed ranks. Our Marshal Tadeucci is not going to get much from them." He reached up and switched on the lamp next to him.

  The light illuminated our faces. I noted that Aldo's expression was drawn with tension and worry. Michela was alert and watching the others intently. Donatella stood near the kitchen door, seemingly distracted, perhaps by the meal she wanted to serve. Laura was looking more like herself than she had since finding Antonio's body.

  Colin said nervously, "Tadeucci has his work cut out for him."

  "I don't know." Aldo shook his head. "He seems pretty sharp for a country policeman. His superiors in the Carabinieri gave him command of the investigation. They don't do that for just any non-commissioned officer."

  I noticed Michela and Colin look at each other questioningly, but neither said anything.

  Aldo continued, "I told him I was in the study and saw no one the whole time. It sounded suspicious, even to me! I have no alibi."

  Donatella came over and sat on the arm of Aldo's chair. "I was with Giusi and Cecilio. We were so close to the shed, but we saw and heard nothing!" Aldo shared a look of concern with his wife.

  Why were they worried? I wondered why would either of them want to kill Antonio. They did not seem to like him, but that did not mean they wanted him dead.

  "No one saw us, either. We went to an antique shop nearby." Colin looked again with concern at his wife.

  Laura said, "But the people at the shop can tell the police you were there."

  Michela shook her head. "It was closed for the holiday."

  What did the Whitehorses have to worry about? Then I remembered the fight from that morning. I doubted anyone had told the marshal about the arguments Antonio had caused, just that day alone!

  "I'm here for the children. We're leaving now." Graziella's announcement startled us. No one had heard her come in.

  "They're eating dinner in the garden." Laura and Graziella collected the children and Laura accompanied them to the front door.

  Michela offered, "We'll sit with Pina." She and Colin went into the garden and sat with Pina.

  When Laura returned, I was shocked to see how upset she was. "What's the matter?"

  "Graziella's angry we didn't tell the children their uncle was dead! Can you believe it?"

  Donatella stood up and said stridently, "She's a stupid cow! Don't you listen to anything that woman says!"

  Tomaso entered the living room, and Donatella left the job of comforting Laura to him. She returned to the kitchen where I could hear her preparing our dinner.

  To my relief, Tomaso seemed to have calmed down since the first shock of his brother's death. He gave Laura a comforting hug and moved to brush his hand through her hair but she stopped him, taking his hand in hers. Tomaso said, "Tadeucci says we can leave, now. I'm going home with mother. We've made statements but there wasn't much to say. We were all out walking on the property, and no one saw anyone or anything."

  "What do you think happened?" Aldo stood and looked up at the much taller Tomaso.

  "I think it was a freak accident," Tomaso said confidently. "Antonio was fascinated by the press earlier today. He probably went back to look at it. The log that kept the stone up broke or fell out." Aldo looked impressed by the explanation, and I was impressed by Tomaso's composure. "I'm so sorry about all this, Laura and Bert." Tomaso smiled a handsome smile at me, and then turned back to his fiancé. "I'll call you later this evening if I can, otherwise tomorrow." He walked into the study with an arm around Laura's waist. They paused there and Tomaso pulled a seemingly reluctant Laura to him and tried to kiss her.

  "Sorry to interrupt." Marshal Tadeucci's voice broke the couple apart.

  Aldo and I quickly adjusted our positions to get a better view of the study. I saw Tomaso back away from Laura and heard him mumble something incoherent before hurrying out of the room.

  "So much for his newfound composure," Aldo whispered to me. Then he entered the study. "You have a talent for rattling young men, Marshal." Franco suppressed a smile, but Laura looked uncomfortable. "Sorry, Laura." Aldo withdrew quickly into the living room.

  I went into the study and stood protectively next to Laura.

  Franco said respectfully, "Miss Fahey, I'll only keep her a moment."

  I nodded my understanding and gratitude.

  "Miss Walton, could I bother you for a list of everyone who was here this afternoon and their phone numbers?"

  "It's no bother." Laura sat behind her desk and took the top sheet from a stack of paper. The paper had a piece torn from it, so Laura put it in a bin under her desk. She took the next sheet and began writing. "I imagine you're going to want to talk to everyone again."

  "I'm afraid so."

  Franco looked around the room. I noticed his gaze fall on the same comfortable, leather armchair and footstool I had admired.

  "You've made a lovely home for yourself, Miss Walton. I had no idea you were here to stay."

  Laura finished the list, got up, and handed it to the marshal. "To stay?" she asked with some confusion. "Yes, I plan on staying. I've put my number at the top of the list. Pina asked for it so she could arrange to interview me for a school project."

  Franco started to say something but stopped.

  Laura continued, "I admire the work you've done as marshal." She smiled. "That may sound self-serving right now, but I am sincere!"

  "I know you are," he eyed her closely, "and I don't for a moment believe you're being self-serving, Miss Walton."

  "Please, call me Laura."

  "Don't be offended, but I'd feel more comfortable calling you by your Christian name only after this case is resolved."

  He was drawing a line, I thought, because he suspected Tomaso. He had to keep a distance. I could see that Laura understood this, too.

  "I'm not offended. I understand." her voice wavered slightly.

  "I'm very sorry that you're in this situation."

  I thought Franco looked extremely sorry.

  "Thank you for taking care of Pina. I can take her home now. The forensic people will be busy for a few hours, but they'll let themselves out."

  "She should be done with dinner." Laura led him into the living room and indicated Pina at the table in the garden chatting and laughing with Michela and Colin.

  I saw the marshal's surprise at the sight of his usually shy daughter socializing with ease. Franco Tadeucci changed in that moment from marshal to father. He turned to Laura and said softly, "It's so nice to see her like this."

  Laura nodded in silent agreement as she noticed the father next to her, where a moment before a marshal had stood.

  "This is for you, Marshal." Donatella pushed a platter of food toward the man's chest.

  Franco took the platter with both hands and looked questioningly at the chef. Donatella explained, "It's just some things for dinner. We had enough for a lot more people, so you're welcome to it. Don't wait too long to eat the pasta; it'll get soft!"

  He opened his mouth to speak but Donatella cut him off. "I'm Donatella Bianchi. I was with the Cecchis during the time we were separated. All we saw and heard was the food cooking on the grill and in the wood oven. I don't know anything else, so don't even waste your time questioning me!"

  He fought back a laugh and said, "Thank you for the food and the information, Signora Bianchi. May I ask, are you the Donatella Bianchi who writes the restaurant reviews and the cooking column in the newspaper?"

  "Yes, that's right, so you can be sure this food is good!" Donatella tapped the cover on the platter for emphasis then returned to the kitchen before Franco could say another word.

  "Marshal?" Michela came into the living room. "I'm Michela Whitehorse, Colin's wife. We went to an antique dealer in the area but the store was closed. We sat on a terrace and then drove around, and then we came back here. I know Colin told you that already, but I thought you might need to hear it from me, for the record."

  "Thank you, Signora Whitehorse. What I really wanted to ask you was if you passed the oil shed on your way to your car."

  "Yes, we did. Oh, you mean did we see anyone? No, no one."

  "Did you notice if the door to the shed was open or closed?"

  She thought a moment before answering. "I think it was open, but only a bit. I couldn't swear to it, though. I'm sorry. We were talking and not paying attention to things like that."

  "I understand. Thank you." Franco called to his daughter, "Pina, we're going now."

  She joined him and took the platter from his hands. She lifted the cover and started telling her father, in Italian, about the food she had just eaten. Then Pina told him about her visit, mentioning Laura's name more than once. Franco waited patiently for his daughter to take a breath, during which he said, "Thank you, all of you. Come along, Pina. You can tell me everything on the way home." Franco turned to Laura who was still at his side, "We can see ourselves out. You should try to rest. It will all seem like a bad dream in the morning. I promise you."

  His words appeared to offer great relief to Laura. Only then did I realize that Laura and Franco were the only two who had seen Antonio's dead body, besides his killer.

  *****

  "We've no need to feel guilty about it," Colin assured Michela.

  Even with my bedroom window closed, I could hear their voices clearly in the still night air. I was under the covers, but had not been able to sleep. The stillness had been broken by the voices of Laura's friends as they passed along the path to the guest garages.

  Michela asked, "Shouldn't we at least feel sad at the loss of a life?"

  "Aldo and Donatella didn't seem very sad. Aldo told me justice had been done."

  Their voices faded away as they moved closer to the garage gate, and I finally fell asleep.

  Tuesday: Suspicious Fiancé

  Martedí: fidanzato sospetto

  "It was such a strange day from beginning to end." Laura removed our used breakfast plates to the kitchen and then returned to the back garden with a fresh pot of American coffee.

  "The strangest thing was the engagement," I agreed. "I wonder why they'd kept their relationship a secret. I suppose because they knew it would upset people."

  "This may sound strange, but I wonder if the engagement was for real. At first I thought Antonio seemed serious, but then he died and did you see Cinzia's reaction? She was more worried than sad."

  "Her reaction was odd, but I thought it was odder that no one cared about her reaction, not even her mother. And I don't think anyone mentioned the engagement to the marshal."

  "Oh, you're right! I didn't say anything at first because it just seemed the wrong time. Then I forgot completely!" The ringing of the telephone interrupted Laura. She answered it, listened a moment, then thanked Cecilio before hanging up. "Speak of the devil. Our local marshal is coming down the drive right now."

  *****

  Laura adjusted her terrycloth robe self-consciously and explained, "I'm going swimming later. Please, won't you join us? Would you like an espresso?"

  "No espresso, thank you." Franco sat down next to me. "If that's American coffee, I'd love some."

  I noticed him eyeing the biscuits with butter and honey. "We have a few left." I set the plate next to his coffee cup. "Have you been to the States, Marshal?"

  "Yes, for work, several times, but never to the West Coast." Franco sipped his coffee and finished off one of the biscuits. "You're both from the West Coast, aren't you? Mother and daughter?" he asked innocently, as he started on his second biscuit.

  Laura said, "Actually, no, we're not mother and daughter. I'm sorry about the confusion yesterday. It just seemed, well, it seemed—"

  "I can understand how it seemed. I can understand that an Italian family, especially the Bartolinis, would expect to meet someone from your family. You've no reason to apologize to me. You didn't lie to me. But you did lie to your fiancé."

  Laura rearranged her coffee cup nervously as she spoke. "Bert has already pointed out the mistake of marrying with a lie hanging over us."

  Laura sounded embarrassed. I suspected she was most embarrassed about having to admit that she did not trust her fiancé with the truth.

  "I wanted to thank you for taking care of Pina last night. That was very kind of you and your friends."

  "She's a lovely young woman." Laura smiled warmly as she spoke of Pina. "It was no trouble."

  "She was very impressed by all the donne sveglie, as she called you and your friends." Franco translated for me, "All the smart ladies. They reminded her of her mother."

  "She mentioned her to us with pride. Pina told us she wants to follow in her mother's footsteps and be an economist." Laura's words affected Franco greatly. "What aspect of your work took you to America?"

  "Police work," Franco said vaguely. "Conferences on policing, but I don't do that much, now. I transferred from Florence and took this position so I could spend more time with Pina."

  "Colin seemed to think this was going to be a difficult case."

  "Difficult, but not impossible. There are a limited number of suspects."

  "Suspects." Laura repeated the word worriedly. "Tomaso said that it could have been a freak accident."

  "Antonio Bartolini was murdered, Laura." Franco paused, as if to let his words have their full effect on his listeners. "You know how the oil press works. Antonio's head was over the trough when the stone fell. He couldn't have reached the wooden bar to release it on purpose or by accident. The bar wasn't broken. Nothing had been attached to it so it could be removed from a distance, and it could not slip out on its own. Even if it had slipped, there's no way it could have fallen across the room where it was found." Franco paused to finish his coffee, and then continued. "I think someone knocked him unconscious, raised the stone, placed him with his head in the trough, then removed the wooden bar to release the stone. The killer then dropped the bar on his way out of the shed."

  I followed his logic with trepidation. I saw the upsetting effect his words were having on Laura. It was painful to see her suffer from Franco's recital of the cold, hard facts, but I knew just as surely as he did, that it was important Laura accept the fact that one of her friends or one of the members of the Bartolini family, including her fiancé, was a murderer. I was grateful Franco had pointed out the very thing I had been afraid to bring up with Laura.