through.
Call the police! Bernardo shouted over his shoulder as he grabbed her coat and her handbag and rushed her through her own office and out the door. We're going to the house. And then, stopping for a moment in the doorway, he looked hard at Isabella and held her by both arms. It's probably only cranks again. You know that, don't you? He's probably all right But all she could do was stare at him and shake her head frantically from side to side.
Was it the same voice, the same man? he asked.
She shook her head again. Bernardo motioned to the guard to follow him, and the three of them ran down all three flights of stairs and outside. They collected another guard on the way. Isabella's car was already waiting for her as it did at the end of every day. Enzo stared at them in confusion as the four of them hurtled into the car, one of the guards shoving Enzo aside as he slid over, taking command of the wheel.
Ma, che.' Enzo began, but one look at Isabella told him what he didn't want to know. Cosa c'e? What is it? Il bambino?
No one answered him. Isabella continued to clutch Bernardo, and they roared toward the villa on Via Appia Antica.
The driver barely waited for the electric gates to slide open. One of the guards was already out of the car before they came to a stop. He ran into the house, followed an instant later by Isabella, Bernardo, Enzo, and the last guard, all of them pounding frantically through the house. The first person Isabella saw was Luisa.
Alessandro? Where is he? She could speak now and she had grabbed the frightened servant roughly with both hands.
I ' signora ' he' .
Tell me!
The elderly cook began to cry, confused. I don't know. Mamma Teresa took him out an hour ago, I thought' . What is wrong? Then, seeing Isabella hysterical before her, she knew. Oh, God, no. Oh, God! ' The air was filled with her long sorrowful scream. The sound cut into Isabella like a blade. All she could think to do was to stop it, cut it off. Unthinking, she reached back and slapped Luisa before Enzo could take the cook away. A moment later Bernardo's arm was around her waist and he was half steering, half dragging Isabella across the hall to her room. Just as they reached the door there was a commotion at the other end of the house. The sound of feet. The guards thundering through the house. And then, like music, the voice of Alessandro, and that of Mamma Teresa, as usual, unruffled, as she came in with the child. Isabella stared at Bernardo, wild-eyed, and ran into the hall.
Mamma! Alessandro began, then stopped. She hadn't looked like that since they had told him four months before that she had the flu, and that had been when' . Looking at her, frightened, reminded, he ran toward her and began to cry.
Clutching him warmly against her, her voice wracked by sobs, she looked at Mamma Teresa. Where were you?
We went for a ride. The elderly nurse was beginning to understand what must have happened as she looked at Isabella and the phalanx of guards. I thought a change would do the boy good.
Nothing happened? Mamma Teresa shook her head as Isabella looked back at Bernardo. Then it was only ' another one of those calls, she said. But she had believed them. It had been so like those others, those horrible threatening voices. And how had they gotten through? She felt herself swaying and was dimly aware of someone removing the child from her arms.
Five minutes later she came to in her room with Bernardo and one of the maids standing over her, staring anxiously as she returned from unconsciousness.
Grazie. Bernardo nodded dismissal to the maid, handed Isabella a glass of water, and sat down at the edge of the bed. He looked almost as pale as Isabella. She sipped the water silently from a glass held in a trembling hand.
Do you want me to call the doctor?
She shook her head, and they sat for a moment, shaken, silent, stunned by what they had thought.
How did they get through? Isabella said finally.
One of the guards says
Call the police! Bernardo shouted over his shoulder as he grabbed her coat and her handbag and rushed her through her own office and out the door. We're going to the house. And then, stopping for a moment in the doorway, he looked hard at Isabella and held her by both arms. It's probably only cranks again. You know that, don't you? He's probably all right But all she could do was stare at him and shake her head frantically from side to side.
Was it the same voice, the same man? he asked.
She shook her head again. Bernardo motioned to the guard to follow him, and the three of them ran down all three flights of stairs and outside. They collected another guard on the way. Isabella's car was already waiting for her as it did at the end of every day. Enzo stared at them in confusion as the four of them hurtled into the car, one of the guards shoving Enzo aside as he slid over, taking command of the wheel.
Ma, che.' Enzo began, but one look at Isabella told him what he didn't want to know. Cosa c'e? What is it? Il bambino?
No one answered him. Isabella continued to clutch Bernardo, and they roared toward the villa on Via Appia Antica.
The driver barely waited for the electric gates to slide open. One of the guards was already out of the car before they came to a stop. He ran into the house, followed an instant later by Isabella, Bernardo, Enzo, and the last guard, all of them pounding frantically through the house. The first person Isabella saw was Luisa.
Alessandro? Where is he? She could speak now and she had grabbed the frightened servant roughly with both hands.
I ' signora ' he' .
Tell me!
The elderly cook began to cry, confused. I don't know. Mamma Teresa took him out an hour ago, I thought' . What is wrong? Then, seeing Isabella hysterical before her, she knew. Oh, God, no. Oh, God! ' The air was filled with her long sorrowful scream. The sound cut into Isabella like a blade. All she could think to do was to stop it, cut it off. Unthinking, she reached back and slapped Luisa before Enzo could take the cook away. A moment later Bernardo's arm was around her waist and he was half steering, half dragging Isabella across the hall to her room. Just as they reached the door there was a commotion at the other end of the house. The sound of feet. The guards thundering through the house. And then, like music, the voice of Alessandro, and that of Mamma Teresa, as usual, unruffled, as she came in with the child. Isabella stared at Bernardo, wild-eyed, and ran into the hall.
Mamma! Alessandro began, then stopped. She hadn't looked like that since they had told him four months before that she had the flu, and that had been when' . Looking at her, frightened, reminded, he ran toward her and began to cry.
Clutching him warmly against her, her voice wracked by sobs, she looked at Mamma Teresa. Where were you?
We went for a ride. The elderly nurse was beginning to understand what must have happened as she looked at Isabella and the phalanx of guards. I thought a change would do the boy good.
Nothing happened? Mamma Teresa shook her head as Isabella looked back at Bernardo. Then it was only ' another one of those calls, she said. But she had believed them. It had been so like those others, those horrible threatening voices. And how had they gotten through? She felt herself swaying and was dimly aware of someone removing the child from her arms.
Five minutes later she came to in her room with Bernardo and one of the maids standing over her, staring anxiously as she returned from unconsciousness.
Grazie. Bernardo nodded dismissal to the maid, handed Isabella a glass of water, and sat down at the edge of the bed. He looked almost as pale as Isabella. She sipped the water silently from a glass held in a trembling hand.
Do you want me to call the doctor?
She shook her head, and they sat for a moment, shaken, silent, stunned by what they had thought.
How did they get through? Isabella said finally.
One of the guards says
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