that she’d forgotten that. “Good to hear your voice.”
She hated herself a little for being unable to pretend better. For not managing to sound, at least for one or two minutes, as if everything were all right. Instead she said, “You were there.”
Another pause. “Where? What do you mean?”
“At that party. A year and a half ago in the Village. You were there.”
“What are you talking about?”
Relieved, she thought: Good. So it was a trick. All lies. He had no idea what she was asking him.
Only she didn’t say that. “I saw you. On a video. You were at the same party as me, on the same damn night.”
His reaction was calm. “When exactly was this?”
“October thirty-first. A Halloween party, but no costumes. Anyone who did come in costume had to strip down to their underwear and run right through the apartment.”
She heard him draw his breath in sharply. “That was the party. Where they…It happened there?”
Suppose he was lying so as not to hurt her? Would she rather it was that way? She wanted to know the truth, never mind how bad or bewildering it was.
“Yes,” she said dully.
“I didn’t know. You never mentioned it.”
“Did you see me there?”
“No.” He almost sounded distressed, something she’d never heard in his voice before. She didn’t like it, and it only confused her even more. “No,” he repeated more firmly. “Of course not.”
“Are you sure?”
“Shit, Rosa…I had no idea! There were so many people around, and we went out to parties like that all the time. I went with friends from boarding school; we used to drive into different parts of the city. Including the Village. Someone always knew someone else, and there was always a party somewhere.”
That sounded plausible. And there was no reason at all to distrust him. She did love him.
Only there was an undertone, a slight hesitation in his voice that made her wonder. Someone always knew someone else.
“Did you know them?” she asked quietly. “The guys who did it?”
Now he understood. “You think I knew about it and never said anything? Never said anything all this time?”
“I don’t know what I think.” She couldn’t even feel her fingers on the cell phone now. The sun was shining over Central Park, but a freezing wind was chasing down East Drive, making ice crystals swirl up in the air and getting under her clothes. “I don’t know anything anymore.”
“You don’t seriously think I’d cover up for someone like that, do you?” He sounded hurt, and she was sorry. “If I knew who the bastard was, I’d personally put a bullet between his eyes.”
She passed her free hand over her face. She still couldn’t think straight. “When I saw you on that video…well, I hadn’t expected that.”
“I wish I was there with you.”
“Not a good idea talking about something like this on the phone. I know.”
“No. I…I’m so sorry, Rosa. What can I say? I didn’t know.”
“You can’t help that.”
“I’ll get on a flight for New York. Tomorrow morning.”
“No, don’t be silly; I’ll cope. You can’t help me anyway. I’m too much of a coward even to speak to my mother. And now this…” She rubbed her knees together to warm them. “I just have to get over it and then everything will be okay.”
“No, it won’t,” he said firmly. “You don’t sound okay.”
“Let’s just call each other again later.”
“Don’t hang up now. Or I’ll fly out tonight.” With the Carnevares’ private jet on call, that wasn’t such an outlandish idea.
“Oh, really, Alessandro…don’t do that.” She had to pull herself together. It was a bad sign if the video could knock her off balance like this. It meant that Trevini was right about her. “I’ll manage here on my own. Maybe I ought to just drop that business about my father and TABULA.” They both knew she wouldn’t. Not after her promise to Zoe when her sister was dying. “It’s odd to be back here. New York is…kind of different.”
“Of course it’s odd. You’re different now yourself.”
“Once I wouldn’t have lost control like this.”
“You haven’t lost control. You’re annoyed. Of course.” He cleared his throat, and she imagined him rubbing his nose as he sometimes did when he was thinking. “Who sent you this video?”
“Trevini.”
“The bastard.”
“He says—” she began, but she swallowed the rest of the sentence: He says he has further material in his possession. More evidence? Of what? “He didn’t tell me where he got it. But you can bet he will.”