Trevor religious?”
Annalisa shrugged, her mouth in a pout. “I don't know. He wanted me to go to church on Sunday, to listen to a concert, but we overslept.” Tears can down her face. “Oh, Carlina, we had so much fun. I can't believe he's dead.” She covered her face with her hands and started to sob.
Carlina stood in front of Annalisa with hanging arms. She didn't dare to hug her again, besides, how could she hug her, minutes after her cousin had asked her in all sincerity if she had killed her lover? She shook her head. How little they knew each other. “Annalisa?”
“ What?”
“ What did you do today during lunch time?”
Annalisa lifted her tear-stained face. “Are you asking me if I have an alibi? I didn't kill him! How dare you ask me that?”
Carlina swallowed. “You'll have to answer anyway. Garini is here.”
“ What?” Annalisa stared at her. “Garini? That computer-like policeman without feelings? I hate him!”
“ It doesn't matter what you think of him,” Carlina realized her voice had taken on a hard edge. “But tell me something else. Do you still have the nylons I gave to you yesterday?” Had it only been yesterday? It seemed like a year.
“ What?” Annalisa looked as if she had never heard of nylons. “What nylons?”
Carlina lowered her voice. “The run-proof nylons.”
“I . . . yeah, I'm wearing them.”
Carlina bent forward and checked the nylons her cousin was wearing beneath her short skirt. Her throat went dry. “Those are not the nylons I gave to you.”
Annalisa opened her eyes wide. “What do you mean? Of course they are.” She frowned. “Don't tell me you can distinguish different types of nylons at a distance of one meter.”
“ I can if they have the wrong color.” Carlina said. “The nylons I gave to you were black. These are brown.”
Annalisa made an impatient move with her hand. “How can you harp on about nylons the very day Trevor died? You're so unfeeling, Carlina.”
“Because . . .” Carlina closed her mouth with a snap. Maybe it was better not to tell Annalisa. Garini would be furious if she gave confidential information to a suspect. If it was confidential. He hadn't actually said so, had he? No, better not say anything. “You put them into your handbag, didn't you? And you stayed the night with Trevor, is that right? Then you should still have them inside your handbag.” She looked around the room. “Where is it?”
“ I don't believe this.” Annalisa's voice rose to a hysteric pitch. “Why are you obsessing about my nylons?”
Garini's voice came from the open door. “Because Trevor Accanto was strangled with a pair of run-proof nylons.”
They both whipped around.
“ What?” Annalisa lifted both hands as if to ward off a blow. She closed her eyes and swayed.
Carlina jumped forward and steadied her.
“The tendency to faint at bad news seems to run in the family.” Garini's voice was dry. “Please tell me where you spent your day, Signorina Santorini.”
Annalisa opened her eyes. “I won't tell you! I want an attorney!”
“That's fine.” Garini sounded relaxed. “If you wish, I can invite you to the police station where we can wait for your attorney together. Do you think you can convince him to come within the next half hour or will we have to wait longer?”
Annalisa hid her face in Carlina's shoulder. “I don't want to talk to him!”
Carlina bit her lips. “You have nothing to hide,” she said. “Just tell him the truth.”
Her lovely cousin lifted her head. “He wants to frame me. I know he hates me!”
“Stop that!” Carlina shook her cousin. “He's a professional. He has to ask these questions, and you have to answer. Feelings don't enter the game.” Certainly not with Garini. I've never known a man who has himself so well in hand, more's the pity.
“ Annalisa!” Benedetta charged through the door, closely followed by Fabbiola, Uncle Teo, and Ernesto. “I heard your voice!”
Carlina
Annalisa shrugged, her mouth in a pout. “I don't know. He wanted me to go to church on Sunday, to listen to a concert, but we overslept.” Tears can down her face. “Oh, Carlina, we had so much fun. I can't believe he's dead.” She covered her face with her hands and started to sob.
Carlina stood in front of Annalisa with hanging arms. She didn't dare to hug her again, besides, how could she hug her, minutes after her cousin had asked her in all sincerity if she had killed her lover? She shook her head. How little they knew each other. “Annalisa?”
“ What?”
“ What did you do today during lunch time?”
Annalisa lifted her tear-stained face. “Are you asking me if I have an alibi? I didn't kill him! How dare you ask me that?”
Carlina swallowed. “You'll have to answer anyway. Garini is here.”
“ What?” Annalisa stared at her. “Garini? That computer-like policeman without feelings? I hate him!”
“ It doesn't matter what you think of him,” Carlina realized her voice had taken on a hard edge. “But tell me something else. Do you still have the nylons I gave to you yesterday?” Had it only been yesterday? It seemed like a year.
“ What?” Annalisa looked as if she had never heard of nylons. “What nylons?”
Carlina lowered her voice. “The run-proof nylons.”
“I . . . yeah, I'm wearing them.”
Carlina bent forward and checked the nylons her cousin was wearing beneath her short skirt. Her throat went dry. “Those are not the nylons I gave to you.”
Annalisa opened her eyes wide. “What do you mean? Of course they are.” She frowned. “Don't tell me you can distinguish different types of nylons at a distance of one meter.”
“ I can if they have the wrong color.” Carlina said. “The nylons I gave to you were black. These are brown.”
Annalisa made an impatient move with her hand. “How can you harp on about nylons the very day Trevor died? You're so unfeeling, Carlina.”
“Because . . .” Carlina closed her mouth with a snap. Maybe it was better not to tell Annalisa. Garini would be furious if she gave confidential information to a suspect. If it was confidential. He hadn't actually said so, had he? No, better not say anything. “You put them into your handbag, didn't you? And you stayed the night with Trevor, is that right? Then you should still have them inside your handbag.” She looked around the room. “Where is it?”
“ I don't believe this.” Annalisa's voice rose to a hysteric pitch. “Why are you obsessing about my nylons?”
Garini's voice came from the open door. “Because Trevor Accanto was strangled with a pair of run-proof nylons.”
They both whipped around.
“ What?” Annalisa lifted both hands as if to ward off a blow. She closed her eyes and swayed.
Carlina jumped forward and steadied her.
“The tendency to faint at bad news seems to run in the family.” Garini's voice was dry. “Please tell me where you spent your day, Signorina Santorini.”
Annalisa opened her eyes. “I won't tell you! I want an attorney!”
“That's fine.” Garini sounded relaxed. “If you wish, I can invite you to the police station where we can wait for your attorney together. Do you think you can convince him to come within the next half hour or will we have to wait longer?”
Annalisa hid her face in Carlina's shoulder. “I don't want to talk to him!”
Carlina bit her lips. “You have nothing to hide,” she said. “Just tell him the truth.”
Her lovely cousin lifted her head. “He wants to frame me. I know he hates me!”
“Stop that!” Carlina shook her cousin. “He's a professional. He has to ask these questions, and you have to answer. Feelings don't enter the game.” Certainly not with Garini. I've never known a man who has himself so well in hand, more's the pity.
“ Annalisa!” Benedetta charged through the door, closely followed by Fabbiola, Uncle Teo, and Ernesto. “I heard your voice!”
Carlina
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