Rendezvous in Rome (6 page)

“I'll dance all night,” Bess replied, giving him a flirtatious look. From where she was standing Nancy had a clear view of Karine Azar. The girl was looking right at them.

“Before we do, let's tell Claudia and Sandro that you are here,” Massimo said. He lightly touched Bess's back as he guided the girls around the dance floor. “They have a table for us.”

If Massimo knew Karine was there, he was ignoring her, Nancy decided as she watched the sparks fly again between him and Bess.

Claudia and Sandro were whispering, heads together, when Massimo and the girls approached. “So what did you do today?” Claudia asked, pulling herself away from Sandro as Nancy and Bess settled themselves at the table.

Nancy and Bess quickly told the others about their room being ransacked, and the three Italians chorused their alarm.

“You should move to my house,” Claudia said firmly when Nancy and Bess finished talking. “You cannot stay in that dangerous place.”

“I'd rather have someplace to put our valuables, including this necklace,” Nancy said, patting her
purse discreetly. “Until I do, I'm not going to let this bag out of my sight.”

“Well, Sandro's safe was not a good place,” Claudia said, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder. “And my family does not have one. I want to help you, but there is no place I would trust. Unless you want to go back to the police?”

“Things can disappear there as well,” Sandro warned. “Evidence sometimes gets misplaced at the police station, especially if it's expensive.”

Standing up, he offered, “Can I get anyone a soda?” After taking everyone's order, he headed off for the bar, the multicolored lights playing over his light brown hair.

“Have you figured out where the necklace came from yet?” Massimo asked Bess. “And what you did with the one I gave you?”

“Massimo,” Claudia said, “that necklace
must
be from you! If it is not the one you gave Bess at the stand, then she accidentally switched it with one from the last package you sent to Preziosi.”

Massimo looked at Claudia. “What package? I didn't send any package over.”

“Yes you did. You gave it to Sandro the other day.” Claudia's dark eyes flashed impatiently.

“The other day,” Massimo said slowly, raking his hand through his wavy black hair. “Oh, I know what you mean. The other week is more like it.”

“Stop fooling around!” Claudia demanded, her voice sharp. “When did you give it to him?”

Massimo jumped to his feet, looking insulted. “Everything is so suspicious for you!” he said
angrily. “If you want to give me credit for giving Bess an expensive necklace, fine. She is certainly worth it! Come on, Bess, dance with me.”

Nancy watched Bess and Massimo move onto the floor. She had to admit they made a handsome couple. If only she could be sure he had nothing to do with the jewelry thefts. But his evasions and denials certainly seemed suspicious.

Sandro returned with the soft drinks a moment later, breaking into Nancy's thoughts. Seeing that Bess and Massimo were on the dance floor, he invited Nancy to dance. She moved easily to the music, but she couldn't keep her mind from dwelling on the missing jewelry. After the first song she signaled that she wanted to sit down.

“Sandro,” Claudia asked when he and Nancy had returned, “do you remember that package of necklaces you brought to the store for Massimo? When was that, two days ago now?”

Sandro nodded.

“When did he give them to you?” Claudia's voice was casual, but her eyes stared intensely.

“I'm not sure, um . . .” Sandro narrowed his eyes as he thought. “It was a couple of days before that, maybe more.” He gave the girls a sheepish look. “I didn't exactly hurry over with it. I was busy at work.”

Great, Nancy thought dejectedly. Sandro was only adding to the confusion. Was there a reason Claudia couldn't get a straight answer out of either guy?

The music picked up again. Bess returned to the table alone as Sandro and Claudia got up to dance.

“What a hunk!” Bess said, following Massimo's broad shoulders with her eyes. He had stopped to talk to some friends at a nearby table.

“Now that you've let him go, Karine may grab him for a dance. She was really staring at the two of you when we came in,” Nancy said, nodding toward the table where Karine and her friends sat.

Bess shrugged. “Massimo told me all about her. He had a crush on Karine for years, but she just wanted to be friends. Now I guess she's regretting her decision.”

“So it's official between you two, then?” Nancy asked, her eyes gleaming. “Is it love?”

Bess seemed to consider Nancy's question for a moment. “You know, I don't think so,” she finally said, taking a sip of her soda. “I mean, he's gorgeous, but there's something missing.”

Nancy stared at Bess in surprise. “But you two look crazy about each other.”

“Sure, we flirt, but somehow it feels more like we're just friends,” Bess said. “I know it doesn't sound like me at all,” she added, giggling. “Maybe he's just not my type.”

“Not your type? Is Bess Marvin turning her back on romance?” Nancy looked around in mock panic. “Quick, someone get a doctor!”

“Is that so surprising?” Bess asked. “I mean, you're always turning down romance. Just look at Mick. I know you liked him, but you just said ciao and took off for Rome.”

Nancy fell silent, remembering their time in Geneva. “I didn't know where the relationship would go,” she said softly. “I couldn't ask him to
come with us because, well, that would have meant too much, too fast. I guess I didn't want to make a decision, so I let the train make it for me.”

After a moment Bess asked softly, “What about Ned?”

Nancy sighed. “That's the million-dollar question,” she said ruefully. “I only wish I knew how I felt about him.”

She looked up as a guy with dark hair and bright blue eyes asked her to dance. “Sure,” she decided. Anything to stop thinking about her confused love life. A stream of cute guys swept her into one dance after another, and Nancy didn't have a second to think about Ned or Mick or the stolen Etruscan necklaces.

At about midnight she found herself dancing with Massimo. In the middle of a long medley of songs she began feeling drowsy. At first she thought she was tired because it was so late. She tried gamely to keep dancing with the beat, but her arms began to feel heavy.

“Nancy, are you okay?” Massimo asked, noticing her distress. He helped her back to the table.

The room was spinning even after Nancy sat down. She looked for Bess, Sandro, and Claudia but didn't see any of them among the dancers. Resting her head on the table, she tried breathing deeply.

Massimo put his arm gently around her shoulders. “You do not look well,” he said. “Let me take you home.”

“I hate to ruin everyone's evening,” Nancy said weakly. Strange tingling sensations began crawling
up her legs. Her body, which had felt so heavy a moment ago, now seemed very light.

“Come on, we should go,” Massimo said, grabbing Nancy's purse and raising her to her feet.

“The bathroom,” Nancy said, bracing herself on the table with her hands. “Let me splash some water on my face. Where's my shoulder bag?”

Massimo handed it to her. “I really think we should leave instead.”

Nancy gritted her teeth and headed for the bathroom. She wove unsteadily, stumbling a. few times as bobbing dancers bumped into her. Dizziness hit her in waves.

This is not exhaustion, Nancy said to herself as she fought to make it to the bathroom. Just inside the door she felt the floor pitch beneath her. Helplessly, Nancy looked around, unable to call out. With a little moan she felt herself falling as blackness closed in around her.

N
ANCY
!” Bess's worried voice reached into the inky dizziness in Nancy's mind. “What happened?”

Nancy forced her eyes open. She was lying on the bathroom floor, her head on Bess's lap.

“I can't . . .” Nancy began weakly, trying to say she couldn't move. The words wouldn't come.

“Shush,” Bess said. “You're lucky I was here. I'll go get some help.”

Nancy closed her eyes as she felt Bess slip away. I've been drugged, she told herself. Was someone trying to get to the necklace? If so, the thief was definitely among their little group. They were the only ones who knew she had it.

Bess was returning with Massimo. Nancy tried to warn Bess to watch her bag, but Bess told her not to speak. Nancy was dimly aware of Massimo picking her up and carrying her out of the club.

“We will go to the hospital,” he told Bess as he placed Nancy gently in a cab a minute later.

“No!” Nancy managed to croak out. She'd lose her bag in a minute at a hospital.

“Why don't you take us back to the pensione?” Bess suggested. “If you help me get her to the room, I'm sure she'll be okay in the morning.”

Good job, Bess, Nancy thought. The cab doors slammed closed, and Nancy felt Bess gently move a strand of hair off her face. Then she went spiraling back into unconsciousness.

• • •

When Nancy woke Monday morning, sunlight was streaming through the window. Her head ached as she looked around the room.

Bess was perched on the edge of her bed. Seeing that Nancy was awake, she jumped up. “I've been so worried about you!” she exclaimed.

Nancy tested her voice. “I was drugged.” Looking around, she saw her bag on the dresser.

“Don't worry, the necklace is in there,” Bess said, following Nancy's gaze. “You were holding on to it with a death grip. I had to pry it out of your hands once we got back to the room.”

Nancy smiled weakly. “I think someone was after it, and that's why I was drugged.”

“Who?” Bess asked, pouring water from a large bottle of mineral water they had bought the day before. She gave it to Nancy.

“Maybe you can help me figure it out. Mmm, this is good,” she said as the water soothed her dry throat.

“You need some food,” Bess told her. “I'll go out and get some.” She started for the door, but Nancy stopped her.

She swung her legs to the floor and stretched her arms. “I need a shower, and I need to get out of here,” Nancy said. “Give me a few minutes, and we'll have breakfast at that café down the street.”

Twenty minutes later the girls were seated at the café with
caffè latte,
fresh fruit, and pastries on the table in front of them.

“I was redoing my makeup when you came staggering into the ladies' room,” Bess said, picking up a pastry. “You were so out of it you didn't even notice me. You really scared Massimo, too. He was hovering by the door when I came out.”

“Where were Sandro and Claudia?”

“Massimo said he looked for them, but they weren't around. He was going back to the club to find them after he left us. You don't think one of them . . .” Bess's voice trailed off.

“I don't know, but it certainly seems funny that they disappeared,” Nancy said. She toyed with the fruit on her plate. “And I did tell Claudia I had the necklace in my bag.”

Bess looked up in surprise. “That's right. When we were talking about the break-in,” she remembered. “Everyone was there, come to think of it. You said you weren't going to let the necklace out of your sight.” She frowned and added, “You don't think Claudia's mixed up in this, do you?”

“Maybe not,” Nancy admitted, trying to piece together her thoughts. “If Claudia wanted the
necklace, she could have offered to safeguard it last night and then just taken it. But she didn't do that.”

Bess nodded. “What about Sandro?” she asked.

“I've been wondering about him, too,” Nancy admitted. “He acted weird when Claudia tried to figure out when he gave her those necklaces. But on the other hand, he doesn't show much interest in jewelry. Massimo's the one who knows about it.”

A disconsolate look came into Bess's eyes as she took another bite of her pastry. “Massimo's still the top suspect, isn't he?” she asked. “He was with you when you started feeling sick. So maybe he put something in your drink and stayed with you so he could get into your bag.”

“Maybe,” Nancy agreed. “At this point, we have to consider everyone. The only suspect we have who couldn't have drugged me is Fabio Andreotti.”

Bess crinkled her nose in distaste. “Why does it have to be one of our friends? Maybe the thief was in the crowd at the club and overheard what you said. Maybe it was Karine!”

“I don't know,” Nancy said, taking another sip of
caffè latte.
“I think we would have noticed if she was lurking around.”

“A friend of Karine's, then. Someone from that group whom we don't know.”