‘What is it? What is it?’ he pleaded.
Tom stood over him. He had lost some weight, and his exclusive clothes were creased, unkempt. A day’s growth of stubble and swollen eyes hinted at neglect, the smell of cannabis strong on his hands. And his feet were bare again, bloodless in the cold.
‘What d’you know about Seraphina’s death?’ he demanded.
‘Nothing!’
‘You hired someone to look into it. Which is odd, seeing as how I was interviewed by the same man, sent by Seraphina’s family.’ His voice took on a warning tone. ‘I never liked you, Johnny. I always thought you were a bad influence on my wife—’
‘I knew your wife long before you came into her life! I was her oldest friend.’
‘You were an emotional leech,’ Tom snapped. He was jumpy, jerky in his movements. ‘I know you were always trying to turn her against me. You wanted me gone and Seraphina to yourself. And now she’s dead – and I want to know why you’re poking your fucking nose into my business.’
‘Your business isn’t doing too well,’ Ravenscourt said snidely, straightening his jacket. ‘Don’t forget who helped you out when you needed it—’
‘I never asked Seraphina to go to you! You were the last person I’d have asked for help.’
‘But she did ask me, didn’t she?’ Ravenscourt countered. ‘And I did help you, Tom Morgan. Helped you save your bloody skin. One word from me to your employers and they’d have tossed your drugged arse out of the window in an instant.’
‘You want to watch what you say.’
But the steam had gone out of Tom Morgan and his anger had given way to a craving for a joint. A smoke would calm him down, he told himself. Life had been hell lately. Who could blame him for wanting to settle his nerves? Hurriedly he moved over to a cabinet and rolled a joint. Lighting it and inhaling deeply soothed him in seconds, as he slid on to the window seat.
He could see the canal below, the lamplight stippling the water, a knot of mangy ducks paddling under the bridge. It was true: his business was in trouble, and the old apartment he had once shared with Seraphina would soon have to go on the market. All the past was leaving him, all the memories of his wife disappearing with the home they had once shared. All that remained of Seraphina was the photographs and the papers and the numerous articles about her death.
‘I don’t know why Seraphina loved you,’ Ravenscourt said dismissively. ‘She could have done so much better.’
Tom turned to him. ‘What are you up to, you fat bastard? Why leave London in such a hurry? Are you on the run from the police?’ He paused. ‘I wouldn’t put it past you, Seraphina said you had a colourful history.’
‘I was bored in London. I just wanted to come back to Venice. It was a rush decision.’
‘I bet,’ Tom replied, inhaling again, then blowing the smoke slowly between his lips. ‘I miss her. I miss my wife.’
‘I miss her too.’
‘I was her husband.’
‘Yes, and I was her friend!’ Ravenscourt snapped back. ‘You didn’t … you didn’t have anything to do with her death, did you?’
To his amazement, Tom laughed. ‘Funny, I was just going to ask you the same thing …’ He stared out of the window. ‘She was different when she came back from her trip to London. Something had happened – d’you know what?’
‘No.’
‘But she used to talk to you. Even more than she talked to me,’ Tom continued. ‘And you hung out together a lot in the days before she died. Why?’
‘She was my friend—’
‘No! That wasn’t it. It know you, Ravenscourt – you don’t rate friendship that highly. You were stalking her—’
‘Rubbish! We went out for meals, we went shopping!’
‘But Seraphina didn’t want to see you!’ Tom snapped back. ‘She told me that. She said you were making her uneasy. Asking her questions about her trip, quizzing her. Why?’
‘I don’t believe she said any of that,’ Ravenscourt insisted, pouting. ‘We were very close. She needed me. She confided in me—’
‘What did she confide?’
‘That she was pregnant.’
Tom waved the words away with his hand. ‘The whole family knew that.’
‘But did the family know that you didn’t want the baby? That you told Seraphina to get an abortion?’
The words struck home.
‘What?’
‘Seraphina told me all about it,’ Ravenscourt went on. ‘How she wanted to have the child, but you were against it—’
‘But I wasn’t! It was the other way round! I wanted the baby, she didn’t.’
‘I don’t believe you,’ Ravenscourt replied, but he was obviously shaken. ‘Why would she lie about it? Seraphina never told lies, and certainly not about anything as important as that.’ Pausing, he turned away from Tom, trying to collect his thoughts. ‘She swore blind that you didn’t want the child. She said it was a bad time, that you couldn’t afford to support a family.’
‘But there was money coming,’ Tom replied. ‘Soon we’d have been loaded, more cash than we’d ever dreamed of. There was a windfall on its way, Ravenscourt … You didn’t know that, did you?’ He grinned unpleasantly. ‘Seems Seraphina didn’t tell you that much after all. Kept the real goodies to herself. We had it all planned out and soon I’d never need your help – or anyone’s help – again. Fuck the business, we weren’t going to need it. We were going to be rich.’
His throat constricting, Ravenscourt struggled to control himself.
‘What are you talking about?’
‘Come on! I know she told you—’
‘About what?’
Inhaling, Tom sucked at the joint. His mind was floating, all fury and frustration gone. The peace wouldn’t last, he knew that. But for a while he could linger, just above reality.
‘What are you talking about!’ Ravenscourt repeated, his bulk rising out of the chair, his heavy features flushed. ‘What did Seraphina say?’
‘Let me tell you a story,’ Tom began, looking out of the window again. ‘There was a girl called Seraphina. She came from an old Venetian family, who weren’t quite as powerful as they had once been. Well, Seraphina met a handsome prince in the USA,’ he spelt it out, taunting Ravenscourt – ‘and they fell in love. He was rich, but – as with her family – it didn’t last. So Seraphina was looking for an opportunity …’
‘Tell me!’
‘Listen to the fucking story!’ Tom retorted. ‘And lo and behold, a golden opportunity fell into her lap. Well, her hands anyway. By pure chance she found a painting worth millions.’ He paused, grinding out his joint and tossing the stub out of the window. The ducks hurried towards it, then, disappointed, moved off again. ‘What a lucky girl. She left it with a trustworthy old dealer, a man called Gaspare Reni, knowing it would be safe with him until we could figure a way to smuggle it to Venice. That’s where you came in, Johnny.’ He paused, but when there was no reply, he carried on. ‘You had a history of smuggling and Seraphina relied on that. On being able to convince you to help her. You two being so close … She was getting it all planned, all organised. The day before she died she was about to bring you in on it. We’d have given you a cut of the proceeds, you know. After all, there’d have been plenty to go around.’
Ravenscourt was watching him with despair. Cheated, desperate despair. ‘But she died before—’
‘Yeah, Seraphina was killed before she could talk to you. Before we could get the Titian from London to Venice.’ Tom paused, staring at Ravenscourt. ‘Don’t look at me like that.’
‘Like what?’ he croaked.
‘Like you think I killed her.’
‘Did you?’
‘Before we got the painting? No, that wouldn’t make sense,’ Tom replied, moving over to the big man. ‘Did you kill her?’
‘No! I was in London when she died.’