To Love Again by Danielle Steel Read Free Book Online Page A

or where or how? Isabella shook her head miserably. It is my suspicion that they are amateurs. Lucky ones perhaps, but nonetheless, they are not professionals. Their second call, to remind you not to call the police, shows that. Professionals would have told you that immediately, the somber senior officer said.
    I knew it myself. That was why I didn't let Signore Franco call you.
    You were wise to change your mind. The officer in charge spoke again, soothingly and with great compassion. He was the kidnap specialist on the Roman force. And regrettably, he had had a great deal too much experience in recent years.
    Will it help us if they're amateurs? Isabella gazed at him hopefully, praying that he would quickly say yes.
    Perhaps. These matters are very delicate. And we will handle it accordingly. Trust us, signora. I promise you. And then he remembered something he himself had forgotten. You were going somewhere this evening? He glanced again at the jewels and the dress.
    She nodded dumbly. We were going to a a dinner ' a party' . Oh, what does it matter now?
    Everything matters. Whose party?
    For a moment Isabella almost smiled. The Principessa di Sant'Angelo. Will you make inquiries of her too? Oh, God, the poor gargoyle.
    Only if it becomes necessary. The inspector knew that name. The most formidable dowager in Rome. But for the moment it will be wisest if you tell no one yourself. Do not go out, do not tell friends. Tell people that you are ill. But answer the phone yourself. The kidnappers may not be willing to speak to anyone else. We want to know the rest of their demands as quickly as possible. You have a little boy? She nodded mutely. He stays at home too. And the entire house will be ringed by guards. Discreetly, but definitely.
    Do I keep the servants at home too?
    No. He gave a firm shake of the head. Tell them nothing. And perhaps one of them will give himself away. Let them out as usual. We will follow all of them.
    You think it may be one of them? Isabella looked ashen but hopeful. She didn't care who it was, just so they found Amadeo in time, before those lunatics did something to him, before they ' she couldn't think of the words. She didn't want to. It couldn't happen. Not to Amadeo. Not to them. Tears began to fill her eyes again, and the inspector turned away.
    We will just have to see. And for you, I regret, it will be a very difficult time.
    What about money? But as soon as she had said it, she regretted the words. The inspector's face went suddenly hard. What about it?
    Do we ' shall we
    All of your accounts and those of your business will be frozen on Monday morning. We will notify your bank just before they open.
    Oh, my God. For a moment she looked at Bernardo in terror, and then in fury at him and the cop. How do you expect us to run our business?
    On credit. For a while. His face looked frozen as well. I'm sure that the House of San Gregorio will not have trouble doing that.
    Then what you are sure of, Inspector, and what I am sure of are two different things. She stood up quickly, her eyes ablaze with their own angry light. She didn't give a damn about money for the business. She wanted to know that she could get her hands on it if she had to, for Amadeo, if the cops' ideas turned out not to work. Damn them, damn Bernardo, damn. '
    We'll let you get some sleep. For the first time in her life, she wanted to shout out loud at him Fuck you but she didn't. She only clenched her teeth and her hands, and in a moment they were gone and she was alone with Bernardo in the room.
    You see, damn you! You see! I told you they'd do that. Now what the hell are we going to do?
    Wait. Let them do their job. Pray.
    Don't you understand? They have Amadeo. If we don't come up with ten million dollars, they'll kill him! Haven't you gotten that into your head? For a fraction of an instant she thought she was going to slap him, but the look on his face said that she already had.
    She raged, she stormed, she cried. And he