“What’s in the envelope?” Kate inquired.
“My dad wrote another letter, and the rest appears to be some legal documents. One is a title to the factory.” Tony sifted through the papers. “Hmm, this is interesting. It says my dad owns half of my grandmother’s estate. I didn’t even know that place still existed. I thought it was sold long ago.”
The waiter brought their sandwiches and Tony wasted no time diving into his. They had skipped breakfast and he was ravenous.
When the waiter left, Kate pressed for information. “What are the documents for?”
He continued to sift through the papers. “It appears my dad left something in a safe-deposit box in Geneva. He gave me some additional documentation to be able to access it.”
“What do you think is in there?”
“I haven’t a clue. Everything has been a mystery to this point. I feel like I’m on a wild goose chase.”
“What are those?” She pointed to the papers he pulled from the envelope.
“I’m not sure. It looks like information regarding the tampering of olive oil. It has specific names on it I’ve never heard before. I think it has something to do with the cartel. Perhaps it’s evidence of some sort.”
“Tony, that’s great! We can take them to the embassy. They’ll give it to the local authorities and you can stop running. Maybe I don’t need to go home just yet.”
“First of all, if my picture is plastered all over the newspaper, you can believe your whereabouts are known as well. That means the cartel will be looking for you. Even if we turn in the documents, the cartel can still get to you. This investigation could take months if not years. Second, I can’t hand this over until I find out what’s in that safety deposit box. I need to make sure I have everything before I give it to anyone.”
“Why would your father give the information to you in pieces?”
“Based on what my father had told me so far, he wanted to be able to secure our freedom and safety. By splitting up the documents, it would be harder for someone outside of the family to obtain all the packages. The last few months my father was alive, I thought he was becoming paranoid. It seems as though he may have had good reason to be.”
“So, you’re off to Geneva?”
“It looks that way.”
“How long does it take to get there?”
“About eight and a half hours.” He sucked on the straw, downing half of his Coke.
“I’m worried about you taking a train. They’re looking for you at the stations.”
He took a bite of his sandwich before answering. “Doesn’t matter, I’m going to drive.”
“Do you have a car?”
“I’ll rent one.”
“I’m going with you.” She wiped her mouth with a napkin.
“It’s too dangerous. We need to get you to the embassy.”
“You said I needed to get out of Italy and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m going to Switzerland. There’s an embassy in Geneva if I need one. There’s no way you’re talking me out of this.” She crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair.
“I can’t let you do that. If something happened to you, I could never live with myself.”
“By the time anyone figures out we rented a car, we’ll be halfway to Geneva. They still have to find out where we’re going.”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ve always wanted to drive through the Italian countryside. Please, let me do this.”
She smiled at him with puppy dog eyes, begging for his approval.
He knew then he had no chance of ever saying no to this woman. She quite literally might be the death of him. “Fine, but we need to get moving. One thing before we go.” He opened the ring box. The band was white gold forming into a heart shape at the top and in the middle, was a heart-shaped ruby. He took her hand and placed the elegant piece of jewelry on her finger. “It’s a perfect fit.”
“Tony, I don’t understand.”
“I want you to hold it for me until this mess is over.”
“What if…what if something happens?”
“Then you keep the ring.” He tilted her hand so the light hit the stone. “The way it fits—it was made for you.” He winked at her. “Grab your things.” He threw some Euros on the table with the check. She grabbed her backpack and joined him as they started to walk down the road.
“Where’s the nearest rental car company?”
“We’ll get on the bus just down the street and head over to the Coliseum. There’s one by the train terminal.”
Her eyes lit up. “When you say the Colosseum, do you mean the Colosseum?”
“Yes, but, Kate …we can’t go in. The lines are too long this time of day, and we don’t have time to spare.”
“Will I at least get to see the outside?”
“Yes, we’ll be right across the street. You can admire it all you want while I’m getting the car.”
“I’m really glad I didn’t go to the embassy now. See what I would’ve missed?” She clapped her hands. She looked like a little kid opening presents on her birthday.
Tension found its way into his shoulders and jaw as an uneasiness feeling set in. “I still don’t know if we made the right decision. At least I would’ve known you’d be safe and soon be on your way home.”
“Tony, it’s going to be fine.”
At the bus stop, he purchased two tickets from a vendor and handed one to her.
“Do they always sell tickets where they sell souvenirs?”
“They sell them at the train stations too. These places are a little more expensive, but I didn’t want to take a chance being on camera again.” He guided her onto the bus.
The five-minute ride to the car rental was uneventful. She marveled at the sights, including the Pantheon, and the people along the way.
“This is our stop.” He stood and motioned for her to follow him. They stepped off the bus. Once it pulled away, they had a clear view of the Coliseum.
“Wow! It’s amazing! It’s not like anything I’ve imagined.” She stood entranced, staring at the elaborate structure.
“The rental car place is just across the street. Hang out here while I take care of business.”
“Sure thing. Is it okay if I get a closer look?”
“Fine, but stay within my sight. I don’t want anything happening to you.” He walked toward the car rental as she got closer to the Colosseum. As he was signing the documents and waiting for the keys, he kept a close eye on her whereabouts. Clearly she had no idea the amount of danger they were in; perhaps her sheltered world kept her from understanding. It was now his job to protect her. In eight hours, they would be in Geneva. She could be on a flight home and far away from the cartel.
He was in and out of the rental car agency in a matter of minutes. Tony called Kate over to the vehicle. He opened the passenger side door of the green Fiat and she gracefully settled in. Tony walked around the car taking one last glance to see if he could spot anything out of the ordinary.
Getting out of Rome was time-consuming. Traffic was a nightmare; they crept at a pace slower than he could’ve walked. Tension built in Tony’s shoulders and neck until his muscles had stiffened and a headache came soon after. It had been awhile since he had driven a car since he usually traveled by train or a Vespa scooter.
Tony rolled down the windows of the car and hung his elbow out the window. People walked by; the conversations of the tourists provided a distraction. The musty odor of dirt, sewer stench, and sweat permeated the air. The only good part of creeping through traffic was that it gave Kate some added time to check out the city. She didn’t seem to mind the delay.
It wasn’t until they had been on the road for a couple of hours that he let out a deep sigh and relaxed. Kate stared out the window. “What did you think of the Colosseum?”
“It was truly breathtaking. I can’t believe they were able to build something like that so long ago.”
“What’s even more impressive is what it looked like back in the day. It was covered with white marble, but over time, the marble was stripped off and used to build the Vatican. During the fall of Rome, people were so poor and desperate for money; they would steal the metal from inside the walls and sell it. If you look at the walls, you’ll see round holes everywhere from where the metal was removed.”
“It’s so tragic they would destroy something as amazing as that building.” She sighed.
“Unfortunately, there are many other things that were destroyed in much the same fashion. I guess you just don’t appreciate how important something is until it’s gone.” His eyes remained focused on the road.
“Do you think they’ll ever restore it?”
“There have been several developers who wanted to, but for whatever reason, it doesn’t happen. The expense of restoring it to the way that it was is more than most are willing to pay. The cost of the marble in this day and age is astronomical. I believe there’s a new developer who is fixing some things. But I doubt it’ll ever get back to its glory days.”
“That’s awful. I would’ve loved to have seen it in its prime.”
“I think most of the world shares your sentiments.”
Tony veered off the road and pulled into a petrol station. “I need to fill up the tank. We’re running low.”
“Wasn’t it full when you picked it up?”
“No, this was the only car available and it had just come back. They offered to go put petrol in it, but I didn’t want to waste any more time.”
“Well, hurry up. I want to get back on the road; I love driving through the countryside. I can’t wait to see what Switzerland looks like.” Her eyes sparkled as she smiled warmly at him. He could stare into those eyes forever—they were like magnets and pulled him in.
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Stay here. Don’t go anywhere,” he warned.
She rubbed his knee. “Relax. I’ll be right here when you get back.”
He took one last look at her before he got out of the car. How on Earth did he get so lucky to find this woman?
Tony got out of the car and walked into the store to pay the attendant. As he walked back to the pumps, his mind was filled with what his dad could’ve possibly left in Geneva. Perhaps this would be the last clue. Maybe when he got the items out of the safety deposit box, he and Kate could take their time and travel through Europe. Maybe there wouldn’t be a need to leave Kate and go back to Italy. As he opened the car door, Tony’s heart stopped. His hands shook. Kate was gone. He searched around frantically looking for the blonde bombshell who stole his heart. Had she gone to the bathroom? Where was she? His heart raced. In the passenger seat was a note. In neatly printed Italian it read:
Retrieve the items in the box and bring them to the factory by 4 p.m. tomorrow. If you fail to do so, the girl will meet the same fate as the rest of your family. Don’t even think about contacting the authorities.
Tony read the letter several more times before the gravity of the situation came tumbling down on him like a ton of bricks. Who took her? I knew I shouldn’t have brought Kate with me! I should’ve left her at the embassy! My God, what have I done?