We thought it best under the circumstances to get them out of Rome.”
“Because whoever came after Minta might come after me.” She released a tight breath. “So maybe it’s a good thing I can’t rejoin them.”
Darla hesitated. “About that. Major Ricca and I were talking.”
“Sure you were,” Vi said, her suspicions back.
“Violet, I need you to trust me. If you want, I can show you my diplomatic passport, or, if you insist, I could take you inside to telephone Major Ricca. He’ll vouch for me as being on the same side as you.”
“What I want is the cast to have extra protection,” Vi said firmly, thinking of Gertie and Victor and the other gentler, more trusting members of her troupe. Frances and Wyatt might be able to take care of themselves, but the rest? “I know we got extra training from Ansel and Corporal Merritt, but it’s not enough. We’re not soldiers.”
“Miss Rossi will be monitoring the situation for us.” Darla patted Vi’s arm. “Try not to worry. If we do more, it would only call more attention to them.”
“Speaking of Luciana, did she fake her injury?” It was one of the things Vi had been trying to figure out while cooped up in her hospital bed.
“She made a full recovery before rejoining your unit. More than that, I have no comment.”
“And she’s not being recruited for any more ‘injuries’?” Vi pressed.
“No. She is one hundred percent committed to finishing the tour.”
Vi collapsed back as relief swept through her. Marcie would hate giving up her new role. But the girl’s safety was much more important to Vi at this point. With the actress back in place, any further communication with the partisans—if there were any, which Darla had made sound unlikely—would hopefully reach the correct person, leaving Marcie in the clear.
“Miss Heart. Violet,” Darla said sharply, regaining Vi’s attention. “I need you to concentrate, please. That night at Sr. Conti’s—what did you find, and why did Minta shoot you?”
Vi shivered as she recalled the surreal scene: the pale, clammy skin of a naked Sr. Conti; the pungent smell of chloral hydrate on her dress; Minta standing at the door, the gun in her hand. “Fine. I’ll tell you. But first, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to see your passport.”
Chapter 36
Twenty minutes later, after Vi was satisfied Darla was indeed who she said she was, and then had subsequently recounted everything she could remember about her visit to Sr. Conti’s apartment and Minta’s treachery, Darla exhaled a frustrated breath. “And that’s it? No proof that those numbers were something other than a cleaner’s mark?”
“No,” Vi said tiredly. It had taken more out of her than she had expected, because to recall that night in its entirety also meant remembering Ansel and how he had begged her not to go. And how he had walked away when she had refused. “But I searched him everywhere: his clothes, his skin, everything, and the frayed edge on his tie was the only thing that seemed off.”
“All right.” Darla rubbed her temples with her perfectly manicured fingers. Vi hid her own chipped fingernails in her lap. “There’s a chance the police found the tie on Minta and kept it as evidence. If so, we should be able to retrieve it.”
“And if you do?” Vi asked.
“We’ll likely destroy it. Better the gold stays where it is than wind up in the wrong hands.”
Vi couldn’t disagree with that. Better no change to the war than having it prolonged unnecessarily.
“One last question, Miss Heart. Does anyone other than Ansel know your real name?”
Vi frowned slightly. “Well, there’s you and Major Ricca. But otherwise, no.”
“Good. Then we think it best if Miss Heart died.”
Vi sat up, appalled. “But what of my castmates? They’ll be devastated by such news.”
“Better devastated than endangered, don’t you think? If Miss Heart dies before she can talk to anyone in her old unit, there would be no reason for anyone, partisan or not, to bother them.”
The woman had a good point, and hadn’t she just been worried about her friends’ safety?
“All right, but what do you expect me to do if Virginia dies? I can’t become Lily again, because she may have an arrest warrant waiting for her. And I can’t be Violet.”
Darla held up her hand. “Wait. Why not? You’d be safe as Violet, with a home to go to while you complete your recovery. Or are you afraid Lily’s troubles might follow you there?”
“Well, no. There’s nothing in Chicago to connect