Charmer's Death (Temptation in Florence Book 2) by Beate Boeker Page A

released Annalisa.
    Benedetta hugged her daughter, but as she was a head smaller than Annalisa, she only managed to put her arms around her waist. “Are you all right? Where have you been? Come downstairs! I'll make hot soup for you, that'll make you feel better.”
    “ I laid the cards for you, my dear, right after I heard the terrible news.” Fabbiola put an arm around Annalisa's free shoulder. Together, the three now looked like a misshaped bug with too many arms and legs. “The cards spell happiness for you, very soon. A dark stretch for some time, but nothing to worry about.”
    Carlina bit her lips to stop smiling. How like her mother to call a murder “nothing to worry about”, just to make them feel better.
    “I can't believe you find that funny.” Garini said in a low voice.
    He was getting way too used to reading her face.
    Ernesto was watching his sister with detached interest. “Did you kill him, Annalisa?”
    Annalisa turned on him with a hiss. “Of course I didn't! How dare you say that? I loved him! He was the love of my life, my--”
    “I'm sorry to interrupt,” Garini said. “But I still need to hear your answer to my question, Signorina Santorini. Where did you spend the day?”
    Annalisa shot him a dark look. “I was shopping.”
    “Where?”
    “ In . . . in the city. Do you want to know every shop I saw?”
    “ Yes.” His face was imperturbable. “I also wish to know when you started, when you stopped, and where you had lunch.”
    “ Maybe she can make a list and give it to you tomorrow.” Uncle Teo's voice was deep and calm. It had a soothing effect.
    “ Yes. That's a good idea!” Benedetta gave Stefano a hard look. “My daughter is exhausted. She needs to rest now.”
    He acknowledged her words with a brief nod. “Give the list tomorrow morning to Carlina before she goes to Temptation. I'll see her during the day.”
    Carlina gave him a quick look. She was going to see Stefano tomorrow? It was the first time she'd heard of it. What did he mean?
    He was looking at Annalisa. “One other question before you go, Signorina Santorini.”
    “What?”
    “ Where is your handbag?”
    “ It's there.” Ernesto pointed at Carlina's sofa. “Underneath the cushion with the leopard print.”
    With one swift move, Garini was by the sofa. “Do I have your permission to search your bag?” he said.
    Annalisa rolled her eyes. “Oh, hell, you're getting on my nerves.”
    Benedetta shook her head, scandalized by her daughter's manners. “Annalisa!”
    “Yes or no?” Garini said.
    “ Yes, for heaven's sake!”
    He held it out to her. “Please take out everything.”
    Annalisa grabbed her bag and dumped the contents onto the low table in front of the sofa. “There.”
    A bunch of keys fell with a clatter onto the wooden top, followed by an address book, a patent leather planner, a makeup bag, a jewelry box, a lipstick, a pink purse, and when she gave the bag a final shake, a powder compact rolled out of the bag, opened and spread a thin film of powder over the whole heap.
    “No nylons,” Garini said.
    Annalisa shrugged. “So I took them out. I can't recall, really, I can't.”
    “Annalisa.” Carlina put her hand onto her cousin's arm. “It's important. Try to think. Where have you seen them last?”
    She pursed her mouth. “I don't know.”
    “Think.” Carlina bent forward. “Can you remember unpacking them?”
    Annalisa frowned. “Yes. I wanted to put them on, but then Trevor--,” her voice trembled. “He wanted me to wear this skirt, and it's brown, so I took them off again, and then . . .”
    “Yes?”
    “ I can't recall. I dropped them somewhere, I believe.”
    “ So they should still be at the hotel?”
    Annalisa shrugged. “Yes.”
    Carlina swallowed. “We can check that out.”
    Garini lifted his eyebrows. “We?” he said under his breath.
    Carlina could feel her face going hot.
    “ In fact, I have already checked the hotel.” Garini pulled two tights from his