A Few Drops of Blood by Jan Merete Weiss Read Free Book Online

threatening to kill herself.”
    Natalia brushed away a curl. “It’s coming back to me now. Lucia set her daughter up with a small heroin distributorship afterward.”
    “Small?” Mariel said. “It had to bring in several millions.”
    Their waiter brought them their coffee and a plate of biscotti. “My treat,” he said.
    “You’re wicked,” Natalia said, immediately dunking one.
    “Mmmmm,” Mariel agreed, her mouth full. “What do you hear from the cycling policeman?”
    “Pino’s enjoying his leave of absence reading Dante,” Natalia said and wiped crumbs from her lips. “He’s staying at his uncle’s farm near Airola. Does chores and repairs in lieu of rent. Wants me to visit.”
    “Are you going to?”
    “I don’t know, Em. I miss him. The other night the phone rang late. Scared the shit out of me. He’d dreamt someone was trying to harm me and wanted to come make sure I was okay.”
    “And?” Mariel said, her expression hopeful.
    “I was tempted … but I couldn’t, Em. Can’t. You know?”
    Mariel nodded. “And now he’s practicing
La Smorfia
?”
    “That’s what I love about him,” Natalia laughed.
    “That he’s following that old, crazy, mystical psychic numbers thing to foresee winning lottery numbers?”
    “No. That he doesn’t live in the real world. Monday I found this in the mail when I got home.” She reached into her pocket.
    Mariel read it aloud
.
    Hermits hide from mankind
    Most go to mountains to sleep
    Where green vines wind through woods enraptured
    Free of what stains the world
    Minds pure like white lotus
.
    Mariel exhaled loudly. “How come you get the interesting boyfriends? Mine are always checking their Blackberries.”
    “What about that German artist?”
    “Franz? Who set up a studio in my living room, made my sainted grandmother’s brocade couch look like a Jackson Pollock?”
    Natalia smiled. “He was sexy.” She handed Mariel a package. “Sorry for the wrapping.”
    “What’s this? It’s not my birthday. Have I ignored so many that I’ve actually forgotten the date?”
    “I couldn’t resist. Open it.”
    “Yes, Mama.” Mariel unfurled a red silk scarf with Vesuvius embossed in gold. “It’s gorgeous.” She pulled aside her silky hair and knotted the scarf around her neck. “Perfect,” she kissed Natalia. “Who needs boyfriends anyway?”
    Mariel picked up the check, and they said goodbye. Natalia took out her mobile to call the countess.
    “Captain?”
    “Contessa, you should be forewarned. The tabloid press is running a picture of the murdered men on the sculpted horse.”
    The countess sighed. “Yes, I’m aware. My maid informed me of it.”
    “Excuse me for asking this, but do you think one of your servants might have taken the picture?”
    “Impossible. There are only two, and both are dears who have been with me for decades. Besides, they are old like me and technically inept. It’s all we can do to operate the toaster. No. No, it wasn’t them.”
    Driving back to work past elite shops displaying the latest Versace and Gucci, Natalia abruptly stopped on Via Petrarca by the fountain she’d recognized as she raced past to Countess Cavazza’s residence and the bodies in her garden.
    The fountain’s marble cherubs blew the same trumpets she had marveled at as a child, but back then they’d spouted streams of water. Now the basin was dry, the tiles surrounding it, worn and cracked. Like much of Naples, the fountain hadn’t worked properly in a long time.

Chapter 6
    Natalia returned to the station. She made a few calls then set out on foot to her next interview. On Via San Agostino she saw the familiar figure of Lola’s boss, Bianca Strozzi, trailed by her two daughters, each pushing an expensive baby pram. She kept her distance: an unspoken agreement not to acknowledge one another in public. The ladies went single file where the sidewalk was torn up, careful not to wreck their stilettos, and entered the butcher