Northern Moonlight (16 page)

“Make it fast.” Stefano clipped, as Helena suddenly appeared alongside him and the two listened to Gio relate the entire story of Bert Shanty’s disclosure.  When he had finished, Helena’s complexion was whiter than an eggshell, while Stefano wore a mask of arctic indifference.

It was Stefano who spoke first.  “Do you really think that garbage amounts to anything?  It sounds to me like the insane ramblings of a confused old man.”

Gio and Sabrina shook their heads emphatically in unison, as he countered, “It’s the total opposite, Uncle Stefano.  Bert Shanty was completely lucid and told us
everything he could remember.  Now it’s up to us to reopen our own investigation and get a hold of this Cooper character.  He could hold the key to uncovering why the fire happened in the first place.”

“It was established years ago that it was your mother’s careless fancy for lighting candles.” Helena said tightly.

“But that has now proven to be a false premise!  And watch how you speak of my mother, God keep her soul.”

Helena retaliated, “Why don’t you leave the past where it belongs?  You can’t bring them back.”

It took all of Gio’s self-control not to physically attack the haughty and mechanical woman right there in her own apartment.  “My goal is to have justice served, to move on with my life by finally understanding exactly what happened that night in 1966.  I am not recruiting your assistance, but I thought as
family
,” Gio seethed the word, “that you would want to know what, or who, destroyed your brother, sister-in-law, and nephew!”

Sabrina listened disgustedly, disgraced by the insensitivity of these fair-weather relatives.  In her mind, they were now suspects, and she wondered how to present the notion to Gio.  From the way he was responding to them, she doubted he would be insulted, but would he take her seriously?  And again, what would the motive be?  Sabrina found it wholly unfathomable why anyone would want to harm a single hair on the heads of any of those three beautiful people.  But she wasn’t naïve enough to think that it wasn’t possible. 

Like a camera lens, she zoomed in on the faces of Stefano and Helena, perceiving apathy in the former and defiance in the latter.  Stefano’s countenance was not as emotional as his wife’s, and he seemed more bored than anything by the conversation, gripping the doorknob as though he were itching to return to the party.

Stefano spoke up, “Helena, if the boy wants to play detective and waste his time, then so be it.” He shrugged, walking down the hallway back to the group of celebrants.  Helena stared after him, those pasty emaciated cheeks now flaming indignantly.

She addressed Gio firmly, “Be a fool about this if you wish.  But don’t be surprised when your amateur investigation leads you to a dead end.” 

The woman turned on her heel and followed her husband down the hallway.  Gio had long been accustomed to such disrespectful treatment from the married couple, who addressed him only as “boy,” never uttering a syllable of his first name.  Nevertheless, he was astounded by their reaction to his news.  Stefano had been cryptic as usual, but
Helena had practically gone into hysterics right there in front of them.  He felt an unexpected shiver course through his body and knew that he and Sabrina had to leave immediately.  Completely attuned to his emotions, Sabrina fastened her purse, family pictures safely inside, and walked swiftly with Gio to the living room.

Stefano eyed them expressionlessly from the corner, as Gio waved a cursory good-bye and departed with Sabrina into the night.  Outside, the air was no longer balmy but harsh and windy, making Sabrina wish she hadn’t left her button-down sweater in Gio’s truck.  Noticing her goose bumps, he put his arm securely around her, and she rested her head on his shoulde
r as they walked to his truck.

Chapter 8

“I have to apologize for that abomination of a Saturday evening.  But the night is still young if you’d like to get some real food instead of that bird feed they gave us.”  Gio tried to keep his tone light, but inwardly he was brimming with previously untapped suspicions about Stefano and Helena. 

Sabrina recognized his forced effort at normalcy and said, “I am hungry.  But let’s not hide from the elephant in the room again.  I just wonder if you’re thinking what I’m thinking.”

“What are you thinking?” Gio asked blankly, though he already knew the answer.

“I’m thinking that Stefano and Helena must have a vested reason why they want you to leave this mystery unsolved.  I don’t want to make any premature accusations, but…”

“But you’re thinking that they were somehow involved?” Gio finished for her.

“Yes, that is what I’m thinking.  But I’m just an outside observer.  You grew up with these people.  What do
you
think?”

“I think I must have been unconscious for the past fourteen years.  It would be obvious to a child that those two are hiding something.  I’m trying to avoid actually saying the words out loud, you know?”

“Yes, I do know.  But say what’s on your mind.  Say the words out loud.”

“I think they did it.  They must have.  There was always a rivalry between Helena and my mother.  Helena was so envious that my mother had two sons, and she and Stefano were unable to conceive.”

“What about your father’s relationship with Stefano?”

“Stefano was not openly hostile to my father, but I did get the feeling that he was envious of his ‘country house,’ as he called it.  Stefano has never been able to get himself out of a two-bedroom apartment.”

             
“What does Stefano do for a living?”

“He sells shoes.  Helena has never worked.” Gio replied, in his head trying to formulate how exactly they were involved and if it had been one or both of them, or if the night was simply playing tricks on him and they weren’t guilty at all.

Then, just as Gio was parking outside a neon lit pizzeria, Sabrina posed a question that left him even more perplexed.  “You said once that your father died penniless, but are you sure about this?  Did your father leave you any money at all?”

“My father left me absolutely nothing.  He had a will, but all there was to bequeath was the house.  Since the house was destroyed, and my father was not savvy about things like fire insurance, I received absolutely no inheritance.  So it couldn’t have been money.”

“But there was something so ominous about being in Stefano and Helena’s presence tonight.  I always knew they were unsociable people, but tonight I sensed a certain evil.  I don’t know, maybe I’m just pulling at straws now.” Gio mumbled.  “But who else would have done it?  No one else had a motive.  Maybe Stefano and Helena had a motive that I don’t even know about.” 

Gio hung his head in fresh despair as Sabrina latched onto his hand.  It was as though a stone wall had just been pulverized and he alone was charged with reassembling it. 

“Gio, why don’t we just go back to Vermont?  We can have pizza anytime.”

Then, firmly, he said, “Sabrina, those miserable bastards have ruined too much for too many people.  They’re not going to destroy what’s left of this night.  Let’s go inside.”  Sabrina could see that he was not going to back down, so she let him lead her into the restaurant and take a seat in the back where there was less activity.  Before they had a chance to resume their discussion, a giggling, bubble-gum chewing waitress accosted their table. 

“What’ll it be folks?” She asked in a snappy tone, flipping open her order pad.

“Sabrina, order anything you want.” Gio deferred and tried to force a smile in her direction.  Sabrina ordered a regular cheese pie with some colas, eager to get rid of the waitress.  The teenage waitress snapped her gum deliberately, shot Gio a coquettish look, and sauntered away to the kitchen, leaving Sabrina scowling at her backside.

Turning back to Gio, Sabrina asked plainly, “What does all this mean, Gio?”

“It means that the truth always sees the light of day.” He said distantly, gazing out the window as the traffic sped by in a blur.  “When we get back to Vermont, I’ll get in touch with Max and he’ll help me bring these rodents to justice if they are the perpetrators.  The first matter at hand is to figure out how they might have orchestrated this, and then how to frame them.  If they’re guilty, I want them prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” He squeezed his hands into fists as he said this last bit.

“What about the whole Cooper connection?  Do you still want to pursue that?”

“Absolutely.  Max’s work will be crucial in that area as well.  Sabrina, you must think my family is crazy, but I swear…”

Sabrina cut him off.  “Gio, I don’t think your family is crazy.  First of all, your real family was taken from you in 1966.  The people we saw tonight do not deserve the title of family, whether they’re guilty or not.  I don’t want to sound judgmental, but I got a very dark feeling from the moment I met them, especially Helena.”

Gio was pondering those words as the waitress glided over and placed a steaming hot pizza pie in the center of the table. 

“I’ll be right back with your sodas…ya want some cracked pepper or grated cheese?” The waitress piped, as Gio waved a dismissive hand in her direction. 

In an effort to lighten the mood, Gio told Sabrina, “I make pizza, you know.”

“Really?” Sabrina looked up from her slice, interested.

“Yeah.  I’m no gourmet chef, but I do like to cook.  People from Maine to Florida know that Giovanni Salvatore makes the meanest pizza the East Coast has ever seen.”  Sabrina laughed between mouthfuls of pizza while Gio continued, “When Carlo and I were children, our mother taught us how to make tomato sauce from scratch.  We used tomatoes that she grew in our own vegetable garden.  I think she always secretly longed for a daughter, but she was stuck with us boys and managed to sneak in a few cooking lessons.  My father wasn’t crazy about the idea.  He was very old world, a little chauvinistic, truth be told.” Sabrina laughed inwardly, seeing now where Gio got some of his mulish personality from.  “Anyway, my mom showed us which herbs to use, how long to simmer the sauce on the stovetop…how to get everything just right.  Today, I just buy a little dough, sprinkle on some toppings, and put her lessons to use.  You’ll have to taste my pizza some time.  But I’m warning you that it’s very addictive.”

“I’m sure I could handle it.” Sabrina laughed, then softened her expression.  “That was a beautiful story, Gio.  I’d like to hear more about your family.”

“You will.  The memories come in bits and pieces.  It feels good to talk about them, though, I have to say.”  

After sharing the pleasant memory about his mother, Gio’s appetite returned with a vengeance and he scarfed down the majority of the pizza, while Sabrina nibbled on a conservative two slices.  Much to Sabrina’s chagrin, the waitress couldn’t resist a final hip sway and hair toss in Gio’s direction, but he seemed not to notice.