Treasured Dreams (14 page)

‘I'm not spending one night in here.'

She cocked her head at him. ‘Then help me find a way out.'

Chapter Fifteen

Archer wriggled the panel into place, then hammered a nail into the wood to hold it there. It had taken all morning to measure and cut the panelling into shape, but finally he and Jimmy were at the stage of installing it. They could have organised a builder to do it. But this way, only two people in the world knew it existed. And he trusted Jimmy with his life.

‘It's good. By the time we're finished, you won't even know it's here.' Jimmy slapped his oversized palm onto the panelling. It didn't even sound hollow.

Archer squeezed his mate's shoulder. It was solid muscle. ‘That's the plan.' Having the treasure stolen twice was embarrassing. It'd never happen again. The new hidden compartment was in the Moreton suite, the second-largest bedroom on
Evangeline
. It had a little room to spare, and with the panel hidden behind the bedhead, nobody would find it.

‘All it needs is a lick of paint,' Jimmy said.

‘I think we'll get Rosalina and Ginger to do that.'

‘Good idea. I'm shithouse at painting.'

Archer hammered the last of the nails into place and stood back to admire his handiwork. It really was good. Once it was painted and the bed was put back into place, the compartment would be impossible to see.

Archer checked his watch. One p.m. He was surprised Rosalina hadn't rung him after visiting Nonna. He'd tried to call her about an hour ago, but got no answer. She should be at the hospital now, hopefully getting her cast removed.

Right on cue, his phone rang and he fished it from his pocket. He smiled as he noted Villa Pandolfini's number on the screen. ‘Is that you, Rosa?'

A torrent of fiery Italian words was thrust at him.

‘Nonna?'

‘
Si
, Nonna.' Nonna slipped into hysterical speech again.

Archer's heart leapt to his throat. ‘Nonna, calm down. What's happened?'

‘
Rosalina e Filippo abbiamo litigato e ora se n'è andata
.'

‘Goddamn it.' Though he couldn't understand what she was saying, he didn't miss the fear in her voice. ‘Hang on a minute, Nonna.' Archer dashed from the room. ‘Alessandro! Alex, where are you?' He ran towards the upper deck. ‘Alex!'

‘We're up here.'

Archer took the stairs two at a time. Alessandro was stepping out of the spa when Archer reached the sundeck.

‘What's wrong?' Alessandro's question was loaded with urgency.

Archer thrust the phone at Alessandro. ‘Nonna's upset. I can't understand what she's saying.'

‘
Nonna, è Alessandro, che cosa c'è che non va
?'

Alessandro's face twisted from curiosity to fear.

‘
Hai notizie di lei
?'

Jimmy strode across the sun deck to Archer's side. ‘What's wrong?'

Archer clutched Alessandro's forearm. ‘Is it Rosa?'

Alessandro nodded, but didn't elaborate. ‘
Hai provato a contattare Filippo
?'

Archer recognised Rosalina's brother's name. ‘Filippo. What's he done?' He recalled the conversation he'd had with Rosalina that morning regarding Nonna. Whatever had happened had something to do with Rosa's brother.

Archer clutched Alessandro's arm. ‘Alex, tell her we're coming. Jimmy, you stay here, and let me know the moment Rosalina calls or shows up.'

‘Got it.' Jimmy's muscles bulged as he folded his arms across his chest.

Alessandro nodded. ‘
Archer e io sono venuta Nonna? Fateci sapere se senti qualcosa
.'

Alessandro passed the phone to Archer. ‘I told her to call us if she hears anything. Have you tried ringing Rosalina?'

‘Yes, I'll try again though.' Archer punched the speed dial number on his phone. It rang, once, twice, three times, and then it clicked.

‘Rosa!'

‘No, Nonna.'

It took Archer a moment to compute. Rosalina would never leave her phone behind.

‘Shit, Alex. Rosalina's phone is at Nonna's. Let's go.'

Ginger slung a towel around her hips as she walked up to them. Her eyes were fearful when she looked at Archer. ‘What's wrong?'

‘We don't know.'

Alessandro placed his hand on Ginger's shoulder. ‘Archer and I need to see Nonna. You stay with Jimmy. Okay?'

‘Okay.' Alessandro gave her a swift kiss on the cheek.

Archer's searing gut gave him a bad feeling, and he'd learnt a long time ago to trust his feelings. The burning in his gut moved to his chest as he raced down the stairs. ‘Come on, Alex,' he yelled, as he raced for the door.

‘I'm here.' It sounded like Alessandro was right behind him, and not for the first time, Archer was surprised at the Italian's speed.

Archer ignored stares from many people as together they raced along the marina and out the security gate. There was a line of waiting taxis, and Archer jumped into the front seat of the first one and tossed the driver two hundred euro. ‘Tell him where to go, Alessandro,' Archer said, as soon as the Italian was in the back seat.

Alessandro told the address to the driver and the man nodded like he knew exactly where the villa was.

Archer clipped his seatbelt into place. ‘Go, go.' He hurried the driver along with his hand. ‘Tell him to hurry.'

‘
Rapidamente. Affrettatevi.
'

‘What did Nonna say, Alex?'

‘She said she was fighting with Filippo when Rosa walked in. Filippo kept yelling at her and she was so upset she went upstairs. She heard Rosalina and Filippo arguing and then she heard Rosalina scream.'

‘Scream?'

‘That's what she said.'

‘Then what?'

‘Nonna said that by the time she came downstairs they were both gone.'

‘Do you have Filippo's phone number?'

‘I don't think so.' Alessandro scrolled through the numbers on his phone. ‘No. No I don't.'

During the drive to Signa, Archer continually checked his phone, hoping for an update, but nothing came. It was suddenly important to recall everything he'd said during this morning's conversation and with each rehash he grew more certain the issue with Filippo was his fault. But then he frowned. ‘Alex, did you say Nonna and Filippo were fighting?'

‘That's what Nonna said. Rosalina walked in on them fighting.'

Rosalina would've got involved. She had an ingrained necessity to resolve everyone's issues. ‘Where do you think they went, Alex?'

‘Ummm.'

He could almost feel Alessandro's mind ticking over, but he didn't want a summary—he just wanted an answer. ‘Come on, man, you've known their family forever.'

‘Wait! I'm thinking.'

‘I don't understand where she'd go without telling me or Nonna.'

‘Maybe they wanted to get away from Nonna. They could be up in the wine-making shed.'

‘But doesn't Rosalina's dad live up there?'

‘Yes.'

That didn't make sense. In light of Rosalina's new information about her brother, there was little chance she'd go near her father. Unless … she wanted to bring the two of them together.
No. She wouldn't do that. Would she?

‘Maybe they went for a coffee or something.'

‘Maybe. Where would she go?'

‘Rosalina's favourite coffee shop is Aresi café, in the main street of Signa.'

Archer hated that he didn't know that. Not for the first time, he felt crushed with inadequacy for not knowing everything about Rosalina's home town.

They drove up the cobbled main street of Signa and stopped at the lights. The road was so narrow, only a single lane of traffic could pass through at a time. As they waited their turn, Archer looked for Rosalina through the shop windows. The lights were on inside, allowing him easy viewing through the windows of the fruit shop, the bakery, the pizzeria, and the little grocer. The taxi began to move again, and Archer quickly glanced in the rest of the shops as they whizzed by.

At Villa Pandolfini the boom gate was up, and Alessandro instructed the driver to go right up to the back door. No one entered the villa through the grand front entrance.

‘That's Filippo's car, Archer.'

‘Then they must be still here on the property somewhere.'

Archer opened the door before the driver pulled up. The second the car stopped, Archer jumped out, raced to the back door, burst in and dashed to the kitchen.

Nonna was there, standing, her hands cupping her cheeks, a patchwork of fear riddling her features.

‘Have you heard from her, Nonna?'

She shook her head and reached out to Archer. He gripped her frail hands in his. ‘She'll be okay.'

Alessandro placed his hand on Nonna's shoulder. ‘
Non ti preoccupare, Nonna, la troveremo
.'

Archer squeezed the old lady's hands. ‘Filippo's car is out the back, so they must still be here. Have you looked around, Nonna?'

‘Yes. I've checked all of the rooms in the villa, the downstairs cellar and the guest houses.'

‘Okay. Let's check all the other buildings, Alex.'

Archer allowed Alessandro to lead the way, because although Archer had been here on several occasions, he'd only been into a couple of the buildings. Together, they dashed from one building to the next. They started at the laundry, then went to the pool house, the gym room, then moved onto the guesthouses. The last stop was the wine-making shed. It was one of the biggest buildings on the property, other than the villa itself.

Archer dreaded meeting Rosalina's father and yet, considering he was Rosalina's fiancé, it was well and truly time. The man had failed to show up at their engagement party, and every meal Archer had had with the family so far. It was bizarre that Mr Calucci was a recluse on his own property.

The two giant doors were wide open, and Archer and Alex raced in and stopped in the central space surrounded by a dozen or so very tall stainless-steel silos.

‘Rosa!' Archer's heart was in his throat as he screamed out for her.

‘Rosalina!'

Their voices echoed back to them. Alessandro picked up the pace again and raced past the silos towards the back of the shed. A man appeared from nowhere and Archer didn't need an introduction to know it was Rosalina's father.

The man had ink black hair, peppered with streaks of silver that swept back from his chiselled face. His neatly trimmed beard was also speckled with grey. He was tall and solid, and barely showed any signs of his age or the gruelling manual labour he must do day to day.

Archer thrust his hand forward. ‘Hello, Mr Calucci, my name's Archer. I'm Rosalina's fiancé. Have you seen her?'

The older man shook his head, frowning, and glanced at Alessandro. ‘
Cosa è successo
?'

From that point on, Archer let Alessandro do the talking, and it took forever. When the old man shook his head, Archer knew their last hope had been dashed. She wasn't here.

Mr Calucci turned his gaze to Archer. ‘Welcome to the family.' His broken English was decipherable.

‘Thank you. Nice to meet you at last.' Archer tried to keep the sarcasm from his voice; it wasn't his place to judge his future father-in-law. Nor was it the right time.

‘She's not here,' Alessandro said. ‘What do we do now?'

‘I don't understand why Filippo's car is still here.'

Alessandro's eyebrows drilled together. ‘Mmmm.'

‘He wouldn't take her into the vineyard, would he?' The acid in Archer's stomach burned. What if Filippo had done something to her? The acid in his stomach shot to his throat at that thought.

‘Archer?'

He realised Alessandro had been talking to him. ‘What?'

‘Mr Calucci will check the vineyards. Shall we check the villa again?'

‘Okay.' Archer shook Rosalina's father's hand again, then he dashed out the door and down the path lined with miniature hedges. It only seemed like yesterday, and not six months ago, that he and Rosalina had walked along here hand in hand. So much had happened since then. Neither of them were the same person they were six months ago.

Maybe she'd left on purpose.
The thought was a freight train smashing through his heart.

Chapter Sixteen

Nox tore pages from the Bible, scrunched them into balls and tossed them into the kitchen fireplace with a flaming match from the box he'd bought at the shops. The fire engulfed the paper quickly and soon the stack of wood he'd tossed in from beside the fireplace began to smoke. His only hope was the chimney wasn't blocked after years of neglect. The fireplace in his bedroom had worked just fine.

Mesmerised, he watched as the smoke curled out from beneath the kindling and drifted aimlessly, then, ever so slowly it trailed upwards and vanished behind the mantle. He'd know soon enough if this was going to work.

Nox stepped back as the flames took hold and within minutes he had a cosy little fire going. Holding his palms towards the heat, he sighed deeply. He could easily put his feet up by the fire and stay there for the rest of the day. If his stomach weren't gnashing at him, that was.

Earlier, once he'd confirmed Rosalina and Filippo were secure, he'd raced to the shops and bought enough food and supplies for a couple of weeks. He had no intention of going anywhere for a while. His mouth salivated as he steadied a saucepan of water onto the flames. Today's meal would be a big bowl of pasta mixed with salami, crushed tomatoes, Kalamata olives and grated parmesan cheese. Prior to these last three days, it had been a very long time since he'd had a home-cooked meal.

His thoughts drifted to Ophelia; he often dreamt about her. She was his angel. Maybe one day he could find her again. Maybe she would forgive him. She must know that he could have killed her, but he didn't. Instead, he'd chosen to set her free.