Page 342 of Marcello

Is it over?! I thought –

And then I heard a familiar voice call out. “Hello?!”

It was the Cosa Nostra guy I’d talked to about the woman he loved.

“Giorgio?” I yelled, barely able to hear my own voice over the ringing in my ears.

“Marcello, is that you?”

“Yes!”

“Is your girlfriend okay?”

“YES!” As soon as I answered, the cold hand of fear seized me. “Where’s Cesare?!”

“I don’t know – I think we lost him!”

Shit.

“Did he go down the front stairs?”

“No!”

“Where was the last place you saw him?” I yelled.

“The third floor!”

The windows were all sealed shut so no one could break in –

Which meant there was only one other place Cesare could be.

“In the main hallway, there’s a statue of a woman with a water pitcher!” I yelled. “Next to it is a door that leads to the basement! He probably went there!”

“Alright – I’ve got to go tell the others! Are you alright?”

“We’re fine – go!”

I heard his hurried footsteps receding in the distance.

Giulietta clung to me. “Don’t leave me!”

I kissed her and whispered, “Don’t worry, baby… I’m never leaving you again.”

131

Lars

First Floor of the Mansion

Pursuing Lucrezia turned into a game of cat and mouse.

We followed her through the twisting stone halls of the mansion –

And ducked behind corners as she fired a pistol at us.

Finally, I heard the click of an empty gun just before she disappeared through a doorway.

I raced ahead of the others and found her inside an old stone chapel.