“How?”
“Her contessa friend.”
“In business, together.”
“I believe this was the assignation with her killer. I have a plan to catch him, using Rosalia to arrange a meeting for me with the monk. It’s rough. You and I must refine it. But, basically, we say that I long for salvation, I need the monk. Meet him at the Madonna’s Chapel. You, Rosa, her guards, Scarpo lurk about-behind the chapel, in the piazza, somewhere close by. We may be able to get help from Colonna. The monk will probably take me to his cave. You follow and we capture him.”
“A meeting with Rosalia for you? Never. Won’t work.”
“Why not?”
“Because they know who you are. Falco does. And Rosa’s women do, too. They don’t trust you.”
“Even Gusti?”
“Even Gusti.”
Carlo opened the door, stomped into the room. “Still here?”
“Leave your sister alone, Mr. Smarts. Better yet, tell me about the autopsy. Loffredo found?”
“Nothing more of interest. Gusti was not abused. Not with child. Asphyxiated,” Carlo said, batting the newspaper Carmela held in front of her. He sat. “More breakfast, Assunta.”
“The glorious son returns and all the world runs to do his bidding,” Carmela said, shaking her paper.
A plate appeared: biancumanciari, pork, eggs just the way he liked them, bread, caffè. He began to eat, shoving biancumanciari into his mouth. He gulped caffè.
Carmela peered around the side of her paper and grabbed a piece of bread from his plate.
“So we know as much today as we did yesterday. But enough, you don’t want to miss the train. Good luck with your exam tomorrow, my handsome boy. A thousand thanks for your help.”
“Should stay until this business with Rosa is over, but-” He grabbed the paper from Carmela as she bit into the bread. The twins shouted at each other and laughed. The chase around the table began.
Assunta entered with Totò and Tessa.
Commotion, howls, laughter.
The children shed their outer garments, joined in the chase, both of them running after what, laughing for what, they did not know. The domestic shambled away, untouched by the riot, her pace inexorable, like the slow drip of time.
“Watch the oven for me, Assunta,” Renata said, untying her apron and running after her siblings. Soon the laughter grew louder.
Serafina heard their shrieks, their galloping overhead, their footfalls down the stairs. The line sped through the kitchen. “No, Carlo, don’t worry about me,” Serafina said to his blurred form as he stretched for the paper in her hand. “Watch it, you two, Carmela’s delicate-”
“Nothing delicate about her,” he said. “She stole my paper. I had it first, give it over, need something to read on the train.”
“His paper, Carmela, big train!” Totò yelled, running. Tessa, laughing, ran after him.
The line snaked out of the room, up the stairs, Carmela in the lead, flapping the newsprint, Carlo in pursuit.
“I have all the help I need. Just pass your test, or no more Gloria,” Serafina said to the empty kitchen. About time laughter returned to this house.
• • •
“Back to our plan, my precious. Dangerous it is. Depends on secrecy and timing.” She blew her nose.
“Should be me, not you,” Carmela said.
“Cannot be. Rosa’s women know you, too.”
“But they trust me, know I’ve been absent, fallen on bad times.”
“If something were to happen to you, I’d walk into the sea. Your brothers and sisters would be orphans.”
“It won’t work. They call you ‘the snoop.’ Gusti told me. Her letters kept me informed.”
Serafina shook her head. “If I were to dress as someone else-”
“A terrible idea. Even Nanna said you weren’t an actress. Told me she knew each time when you lied to her. No, it’s got to be me. I’ll take Papa’s stiletto if it will make you feel better.”
Serafina rolled her eyes. “You’ve never used one.”
“Achille taught me.”
She swallowed. Considered. Made sense, Carmela.
Serafina paced around the room, popped a few olives into her mouth. “All right. But you must keep me informed. I’ll go mad.”
Serafina and her daughter filled in the details of their plan. “Arcangelo must shadow you at all times. You’ll need to return to the orphanage for a few days, Arcangelo too. He must be armed, remain within calling distance, but shadow you all the time. Tell Mother Concetta that you’ll need rooms.”
“She’ll be two steps ahead of us,” Carmela said.
Serafina shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll find plenty of work for both of you to do while you’re there.”
Carmela rubbed her palms together. “Can hardly wait. I’ll rip him apart.”
“Too much like me,” Serafina said.
Carmela smiled.
Serafina continued. “I fear the killer has his spies in the Centru as well as within Rosa’s walls.” She told Carmela about the shooting on the way home Saturday, the incident with Tessa and the monk in the park. “If he discovers that we work together, he’ll be forewarned. We’ll be in mortal danger.”
“Mortal danger? Please, Mama, don’t exaggerate. This is a child’s game.”
“Listen to me. Dr. Loffredo told me that the killer is an expert with a knife. Each woman was killed by one fling of the blade to the heart. He doesn’t miss. And after he killed his victims, he carved the sign of the brazen serpent into their flesh. Appeared on each forehead.”
Carmela blew curls from her forehead and listened as Serafina spelled out the rest-how Carmela would go to Rosa’s and ask for a meeting with the monk who promises salvation.
“The timing depends on you. Send me word as soon as you’ve made contact with her.”
“Mother C. can help me look tattered,” Carmela said. “And, believe me, I know how to act the part. I’ll have her send costumes for all of you, too. She’s a wonder with them. You’ll need to be disguised.”
“Except for Arcangelo. I want him in his own clothes. Nothing must hamper his movements. But Concetta? — she’s a nun.”
“So sharp, so theatrical. She and Nanna worked together at a theater in Palermo. That’s how they met, didn’t you know?”
“My mother? Acting? She’d never stoop so low,” Serafina said. “Would she?”
“Believe it. And when Concetta needs money from the archbishop, she dresses some of the orphans in torn clothes saved for such occasions, puts a little makeup on their faces to make them look forlorn, and takes them with her.”
“I’ll write to her this morning-”
“No need. I’ll ask when I see her today.” Carmela rose from her chair. “Better get ready. Haven’t much time.”
“Sit. There’s more,” Serafina said. “I’ve no idea if our plan to draw out the monk will be successful and, if so, where you’ll meet him. If what we know is accurate and if his pattern holds, it will be the Madonna’s Chapel, but wherever the meeting is, we’ll be as close to you as possible. Arcangelo will get word to us of any changes. It bothers me that you will be-”
“That I will be the star?”
“You know what I mean.”
Silence.
“Still willing?” Serafina asked.
Carmela’s eyes sparkled. “This gets better and better!”
Serafina shook her head. “Tessa and I will bring Rosa back here to stay with us. Not easy to pry the madam away from her precious house, but it’s no longer safe for her there, even with all her guards, not until we catch the monk and do something with his accomplice.”
“Rosa visits an aunt in Trabia,” Carmela said.
“Good, that’s where we’ll say she’s going. We must also request help from Colonna, if only to see him squirm.”
“Can’t I help with your plan?” Renata asked, walking into the kitchen.
“Where are the children?” Carmela asked.
“Outside with the goat.”
“Of course I need your help. With Papa gone, absolutely you must stay here. You are the one with the cool head, my precious. I need you to watch the children, and I’ll see if Rosa can spare a guard. He can sleep in the stable. My greatest fear is that the monk, sensing danger, will use Totò and Tessa as his pawns. No telling what he’ll do, so they must be ever in your sight. And we’ll have extra mouths to feed until this business is over. You’ll need to make sure everyone eats well, but you always do. Carmela returns to the orphanage, just for one day. Vicenzu will help you when he’s not at the store. Rosa, Scarpo, and I will keep Beppe and Arcangelo very busy.”