31
On the playing field
Massimo Capuleto advanced toward me, took me by the shoulders, and pressed his lips, covered by that thin mustache, against my cheeks.
I clutched the purse against my side, not wanting him to see the weapon that had been in my hands seconds before.
Could they be the kisses of Judas? It seemed too much of a coincidence that he entered just a few minutes after me. What if my father-in-law was the person driving the black car and the same one who shot at me?
I felt a lash in my spine as soon as he stepped away. His gaze conveyed nothing to me, neither cold nor warmth, just mistrust.
I twisted my neck to see if someone was accompanying him. There was no one behind him. It struck me as odd. Massimo always had his men following him.
”Looking for someone, dear?” he asked, following the direction of my eyes.
”I thought you came with someone.”
”If you mean my men, they”re waiting in their car; when I come to play, I leave them out.” So they were there. ”Did you come with Romeo?”
”No,” I replied quickly, ”his son is out riding motorcycles with Adriano. You know, father-son day, they needed their space.”
”I see,” he narrowed his eyes. ”And I heard you came to have lunch with Davencroft? I didn’t know you knew each other.”
The man next to me was stiff as a board. No wonder he was sweating up to his brow. Nobody wanted to cross Massimo Capuleto.
”The world is a small place,” I responded cryptically.
”And how do you know each other?” he insisted. I fixed my pupils on the eyes of the stranger hoping he would help me out, I had no damn idea who he was or what might connect us. Dressed like that, he could even own a funeral home.
”His... His daughter-in-law once came to my law firm, some time ago,” he intervened, saving my neck. A lawyer, I should have guessed, his stance reeked of a litigator.
”Exactly,” I snapped my fingers. ”She needed the services of a lawyer, I heard about him and, on one of my visits to Spain, I came to see him.”
”Curious,” my father-in-law pondered without letting me finish.
”Why?” I questioned, pursing my lips. ”His references were excellent.”
”And they still are,” my father-in-law continued, ”only Davencroft is a matrimonial lawyer and, as far as I know, you weren”t married yet...”
”Shit! I didn’t calculate that.”
”It wasn’t for me, it was for my mother,” I blurted out quickly. She was the only one in my family who had been married until she became a widow.
”Your mother?”
”Yes, my parents went through a terrible crisis,” I improvised, ”and she considered divorcing a few months before my father passed away. In the end, everything calmed down, and we didn”t need Davencroft to go ahead with the divorce papers.”
”And months later your father died,” he commented, dragging out the words. Was he suggesting that I had something to do with that? No, he couldn”t be.
”Yes, exactly,” I replied tersely.
”Life can be so tragic. I didn”t know anything about your mother,” he murmured restrainedly.
”It”s not something Mom likes to air. Even my sisters don”t know, so I”d appreciate it if you didn”t tell them anything.”
”Of course... You have my word, Massimo Capuleto’s word, you know I don’t give it lightly.” He glanced towards the lawyer. ”And today you were meeting to...? Is everything okay with my son?” What a mess! Now he thought I wanted a divorce.
”It’s not what it looks like, I just wanted some lawyer referrals for the Mentium issue and I met with Davencroft to recommend someone. He struck me as very reliable last time.” The lawyer hadn’t said a word. He was staying out of it to avoid saying anything inappropriate. What a mess I had put him in.
”You know we”re family now, you can use my own lawyers, no offense to Davencroft’s acquaintances. There’s no need for him to recommend anyone, your interests are also ours, Nikita.”
”I didn’t want to impose...” I murmured.
”You never impose, you”re as adorable as your mother.” His remark felt like a blow. He took my hand and kissed the back of it. ”Isn’t my daughter-in-law adorable?” he inquired, looking at the lawyer.
”Very much so, a worthy wife for your son,” he admitted. The familiarity between them made me realize that their relationship extended beyond just seeing each other at the club, or knowing who each one was.
My father-in-law was not wearing a suit. He was dressed as a golfer, with gray checkered long pants and a light blue polo. The glove he wore on his right hand caught my attention. Had he put it on so as not to leave fingerprints on the weapon he used to shoot me? I interrupted my thoughts with a question.
”Did you come to play?”
”Yes, your mother, your sisters, and Juliet went shopping, so I arranged to play with Davencroft. That’s why I was surprised he didn”t mention your lunch...” He stroked the end of his thin mustache.
”My fault!” I suddenly exclaimed. Romeo and I overslept last night... Well, you understand,” I lowered my voice on purpose. His eyes sparkled. ”So, I arrived an hour late, I’m the worst.”
”No, you”re not, it’s what’s expected of newlyweds, and it’s very understandable. My son and you are made for each other. Let”s hope your love bears fruit soon, it’s what everyone wants.” ”Especially me,” I thought sardonically. ”Let’s have lunch, the three of us together, you need to eat, you might already be carrying my new grandchild. The Capuletos are known for their marksmanship.”
Was that statement loaded with a double meaning? His eyes didn”t leave mine until he took my hand to place it on his arm.
We were seated at a beautiful table with a white tablecloth and views of the golf course. Everything was enveloped in green and people who broke the harmony dressed in plain or checkered clothes. They were dressed as one might expect from players of that sport, all except for me.
Some women brought a hand to their mouth upon seeing me to comment to their table companion about my inappropriate attire. The men didn’t feel like commenting; they only had eyes and balls full of desire.
As soon as I glanced at the menu and we ordered from the waiter, I excused myself to go to the bathroom.
I couldn’t shake the idea that it had been my father-in-law, but what if I was wrong? I couldn’t exactly ask him, or if I did, I couldn’t be sure he would answer honestly.
If it was him, it could only mean that Romeo had called and told him. How did he manage to follow me? Maybe he was on his way to the house, wanting to visit his son before going to the field and he explained what he had found out.
My head was about to explode. I went into the women”s restroom, took out my phone, and called Andrey.
”Hello, boss, if it”s about the information on the new port director, I’m on it.”
”I didn”t call you for that. Are you alone?” He paused for a moment.
”I can be.”
”Good. I’ll wait.”
I waited a few seconds looking at myself in the mirror. I didn’t look like someone who had been on the verge of death or sitting at the table with my potential executor.
”Okay. What’s up?”
”Someone tried to kill me.” Andrey cursed.
”Was it your husband? Because of me? Are you at home? Is he dead?”
”No, no, no, and no. I”m not sure if it was one of his men or my father-in-law. I”m having lunch with him at the golf club. He entered just minutes after me with a glove on his hand.”
”Send me your location, I’m coming immediately.”
”No, you keep doing what you”re doing, I need the information I asked for or the Colombians” operation will go to hell. If I called you, it’s because I want you to send two of our men. I was shot at a couple of times while driving, but I managed to escape. The car is damaged, so I need one of ours to drive it back home and I’ll go in the other car, ready to attack if necessary.”
Andrey started cursing in Russian and saying that it was all his fault, that he was going to kill Aleksa for being a blabbermouth.
”Calm down. I need you whole. I want to know who shot at me and I want them dead. Got it?”
”Don’t worry, boss.”
”I”m going to continue with the lunch, they won’t let the boys in, so tell them to wait for me at the door. In about an hour, I’ll be ready.”
”You’ll have them there in fifteen minutes, they’ll stand guard outside. I apologize again and put my life in your hands. What I did last night was unforgivable.” His tone was one of regret. I knew my man and knew he was very troubled.
”It was, that’s why you are going to give your life, but to find the guilty party. Are we clear?”
”We are.”
I hung up and turned on the tap to cool off. I let the water run until it got very cold, only then did I immerse my hands and ran them over my neck and décolletage.
The chain of one of the urinals clanked. A middle-aged woman emerged from one of the stalls with a furtive look. She didn’t even stop at the washbasins. She must have been frightened by what she had heard. If I were her, I would be too.
”Calm down, Nikita!” I forced myself.
I dried my hands and returned to the terrace. My father-in-law stood up and pulled out my chair for me to sit down. They had already brought the lunch and three glasses of wine.
Massimo raised his glass, locking eyes with mine.
”To the women who dare to go after what they want, to my beautiful daughter-in-law, salute!”
”Salute!” I responded without looking away.