“So Enzo is his illegitimate son.” She chewed on this new piece of information for a moment, and more pieces of the puzzle fell into place. “Which is why Enzo’s mother panicked when her son mentioned going to the US, because if Sr. Conti found out she was going to take his only son”—she glanced up at Major Ricca for confirmation and received a slight nod—“out of the country, he would likely react badly. Perhaps even put her in the hospital this time.”
“An interesting conjecture, Miss Heart.”
“Not much of a conjecture if you had seen what he’d done to her face!” Vi felt her temper spark. “Nor is it much of a stretch to think she might have told him about Luciana and the watch ruse and everything else that might have been going on. Did you think of that? Why else did he show up tonight, fishing around for the owner of the mythical watch? No, scratch that. I’ll tell you why. To warn off anyone who might be trying to take his son from him.”
“Interesting,” Major Ricca said, sounding anything but. “Assuming all that actually happened, why didn’t he just say his piece and leave once he found you?”
It was a valid point. Vi considered her response. “I guess, if it were me, I would be curious as to what my mistress and son were planning on trading for their safe passage. So I might not show my hand right away. Because she had to be offering something of importance. Something valuable enough to get the US Army involved.”
The major gave her an indulgent smile. “You have quite the imagination, Miss Heart.”
She straightened as something else clicked in her memory. She turned to Ansel. “You told me you’d just come from up north. Austria, I believe. And Luciana’s family, the ones she learned were taken by the Nazis, were also from the North, as I remember. And her cousin was a partisan . . . as was the redheaded woman looking for her that night in La Fiorentina . . . the one I saw last night in the stairwell. It all ties together.”
Ansel’s lips quirked, his expression seeming to be caught between dismay and rueful amusement.
Major Ricca rubbed his temples as if he had a headache. “Sergeant?”
“Now you see why I brought her here. Though, the good news is, it appears I’m the only one she’s told that theory to.”
“So far,” the major said dryly. He turned back to Vi. “Is there anyone else you’ve told this . . . tall tale to?”
Ignoring the question, which was clearly meant to make her doubt herself, which she didn’t, she returned to her real concern. “Major, this evening Sr. Conti made a point of singling out me and my friends. If he’s a threat to them, I need to know.”
“To do what, exactly?” he said, unmoved.
“Whatever I have to.” She leaned forward in her chair, her patience running out. “Look, I know something is up and that it involves the clock shop clerk, Luciana, the partisans, and Sr. Conti. That I’m here tells me that it’s serious. And as I’m in charge of Miss May’s safety, either tell me what’s going on or I investigate it myself.”
“She has his card, Major,” Ansel added. “Sr. Conti’s, that is. He told her to come by anytime.”
“He did?” The major sat back, his eyebrows raised. “That’s wonderful news. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Vi looked from the major to Ansel and then back. “Why’s that good?”
Ansel kept his eyes on the major, his expression tightening. “She’s a civilian, sir.”
“She’s part of the army, Sergeant.” Major Ricca rubbed his jaw. “But you’re right. Who was that other gal? Miss May, I think. In an earlier report, you mentioned she speaks Italian. And as I recall from Miss Heart’s conversation, Sr. Conti was interested in her friends, too. Perhaps we should send Miss May instead, given her language abilities?”
Vi jumped to her feet, horrified. “No! You can’t do that. Not Marcie!”
Major Ricca flicked a glance at her. “Sit down, Miss Heart.”
“He’ll eat her alive. She has no experience with men. She’d be raped before you could say ‘jackrabbit.’”
“I said, sit down!” The major’s voice was like a whip.
Vi inwardly flinched but held her ground. “If you need someone to go, send me. I may not speak Italian, but I’m fluent in German—”
“Except we’re not in Germany, Miss Heart.” The major’s face was starting to flush with anger.