The Body in the Piazza - By Katherine Hall Page Page 0,91

enjoy the trip to Lago Trasimeno and the meal without feeling pressured. The group had agreed that a couple of hours in Florence would be enough.

“Although,” Hattie said, “can a body ever get enough of Florence? I think it was Oscar Wilde who said ‘when good Americans die, they go to Paris’ and I’d stick ‘Florence’ in there instead. For a start Italians are way nicer people than the French!”

No one contradicted her, and it was true, Faith thought, that Italians were incredibly kind and friendly, the exception being when she’d tried to buy stamps, but that could have been her fault. She never had gotten euros straight.

She had sat in the rear of the van, first on, last off, so she’d be able to speak to Gianni out of everyone else’s earshot.

“I have to stay longer in the city and won’t be here when you pick us up. I’ll get back on my own, don’t worry. If anyone asks where I am, you can say I ran into a friend from home who will bring me back later.”

Gianni did not look happy. “Are you sure . . . ?”

“I’m sure,” Faith said firmly. “And don’t worry about what Francesca will say.”

His brow cleared. “Okay, a più tardi.”

“Ciao, and see you later, too.”

The name Hope had given her literally opened doors, and after giving the condensed version of events to one person in the British consulate, Faith soon found herself sitting across from a distinguished-looking man in a beautiful, well-appointed room directly overlooking the Arno. She couldn’t help but notice framed lists of every consul since 1698 and before she got down to business, she thought she should express her sympathy at the consulate’s closing.

“Yes, pity,” he said. “Probably will become some fancy hotel. But you didn’t come here to offer your condolences, however deserved. I’ve been filled in, but frankly, it all sounded a bit hard to believe until Frederick Ives was mentioned.”

“That’s why I came here instead of going to my own consulate,” Faith said. “I don’t know what Freddy’s job was, but I was sure his name would mean something to the right people.”

“Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

So Faith did.

The most crucial thing now was to tighten the net and trap as many of the perpetrators as possible without endangering lives, especially the ministers’, both the cultural one and Tom. The hitch was keeping the farm buildings under surveillance without alerting the terrorists that their plan wasn’t secret anymore. The same with the theater.

“I’m sure no one saw me come in, but perhaps I should leave by a less conspicuous entrance,” Faith said. “I only have about forty minutes to get to the concert hall. I’ve located the street on the map. It’s a bit of a walk.”

The diplomat looked shocked. “You must be mad! You can’t go and risk putting yourself in danger. And what about your husband? If they see you there, they may—let’s be blunt—kill you both.”

Faith pulled out a huge pair of sunglasses she had picked up from a vendor on the way and a scarf, not one of Sylvia’s, alas—that would have to be another trip. She tied it around her head, a fashionable turban.

“I doubt anyone will recognize me. For one thing, they won’t expect me to be there, and people see what they think is going to be in front of them—the minister in this case. All their attention will be focused on him. My husband and I discussed the risks. Unfortunately, we have to take a gamble. We know that Jean-Luc is involved, possibly the leader, but we don’t know whether anyone else in the Cucina della Rossi class is. I can vouch for Gianni and Francesca, but during the week everyone else has raised certain suspicions. I’m the only one who can identify them if any of them are in the audience. They should all be back at the villa now.”

He gave in but insisted on providing her with an escort.

“One of our agents. And I think you’ll approve.”

He took Faith out, using a private elevator before opening a door that led to a lovely garden and then another door that he unlocked at its rear.

Olivia was waiting on the other side.

Sitting in the Teatro Verdi in the minutes before the concert was to start, the hush punctuated by discreet coughs and the rustling of programs, Faith reflected she was surprised, but not shocked. It all made sense—why Olivia popped up every place she was, that