Page 97 of The Secret Dinner

“I think Ruth was writing a story about these secret, illegal seagull dinners. She started poking around, found out something, and was murdered for it.”

“I think you’re getting ahead of yourself.”

“Getting ahead of myself?” He slammed his cup down on the table so hard that a nearby couple glanced over at us. “I just want to know what happened to my fiancée.”

I drank the last sip of lukewarm coffee and ordered another. I urgently needed to warm up. My mind was racing, trying to find the right words. That list was the closest I’d ever come to finding Vladimir. Then a gloved hand touched my shoulder, snapping me back to reality. I craned my neck instinctively and gasped when I found Umberto standing by our table, wrapped in a coat and scarf and holding a red umbrella emblazoned with I ♥ NY.

“Dante, my boy, how lovely to run into you,” he said, now under the café’s awning. He shot me a sly smile and took off his gloves. “Some weather we’re having, huh?”

Arthur gave him a confused look. Before I could do anything, Umberto went on:

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” He held out his hand to Arthur. “I’m Umberto, Dante’s godfather. You are…?”

“Arthur.”

“Pleasure to meet you!” Without waiting to be invited, Umberto pulled up a chair. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I was on my way to the bank but decided to stop for a hot drink, what with this dreary London weather.”

Arthur took another sip of his chocolate, visibly uncomfortable. The waiter brought my coffee and Umberto ordered a cappuccino. He took off his scarf and put his gloves in his coat pocket, rubbing his hands and blowing on them in a futile attempt to get warm. I knew this was no chance encounter, but now I think it was Umberto’s goading that caused my unforgivably delayed reaction.

“Dante came to see me on Tuesday and told me all about you,” he said, as if picking up the thread of an old conversation. “You’re the one looking for your wife, right?”

“Fiancée.”

“I am so sorry…”

The waiter brought his cappuccino, and I thought about asking for the check. It was the only way I could think of to get out of this ludicrous situation. How did Umberto know all of that? I couldn’t contain my anger.

“Don’t look at me like that, Dante! Your friend doesn’t mind you telling me his story, does he?”

It took Arthur a few seconds to respond. “It’s fine.”

“Did you manage to find out anything else?”

“Not yet,” I answered for Arthur. “We were just leaving, actually.”

Umberto ignored my cue:

“I hope she turns up soon … I lost my wife years ago and God only knows how much suffering it brought me…” His little act made me sick. There weren’t enough drugs in all of Rio to put up with it. “I know Dante’s a good friend, but you can count on me too, okay? I know of some good private investigators who might be able to help.”

It was the perfect bait. As soon as the words came out of Umberto’s mouth, Arthur looked at him differently and gladly accepted the card the old man took from his wallet, identical to the one he’d given me the night of our first dinner at the apartment. That flashy card with UMM Company stamped in big, bold letters made me want to put an end to his bullshit right then and there.

“If you could recommend a good investigator, that would be great. I’m trying everything.”

“See? The Lord works in mysterious ways!” said Umberto. Arthur would take any crumb he was offered. “Say, do you fellas have any lunch plans?”

“No, why?”

“Come have lunch at my house! It’s just next door. I’ll ask Cícera to prepare something yummy and I can go ahead and get you the investigators’ contact information from my address book. There’s no time to waste.”

“Unfortunately, that won’t be possible,” I replied quickly. “I’ve got work, Godfather.”

“Oh, Dante, stop it! I won’t let you do that to me or to your friend … Arthur wouldn’t feel comfortable alone with me. Keep us company! It’s only two blocks away!”

“I—”

“I won’t take no for an answer! It’ll be a quick lunch, something simple, just so we can talk a little more.” Umberto left a hundred on the table and got up. “That should do it.”

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