Chapter Eight Holy Cannoli
Maya
I turned to stare at him in concern. He sounded like he was actually choking.
Henry seemed to swallow heavily then he grabbed his water glass and took a sip. Setting it back down, he slowly looked around at the other guests there. Finally, he leaned in close and whispered back, “Did you just say that you…Killed them?”
I slowly nodded my head and said, “But it is not like it sounds.”
“Not like…” He shook his head again and leaned in. “Are you telling me that those two witches are…dead?”
I nodded my head and took another bite of pasta. It tasted like my grandmother’s and I really loved it. I grabbed some garlic bread and swabbed up some sauce with it. Taking a bite of the bread, I hummed in appreciation.
The silence from him made me look over.
He kept staring at me. He looked almost comical as the stunned surprise made him look like a young boy really.
I hid my smile and nodded my head. “I know I seem unbothered by this terrible event, but those two… They gave me no choice.”
Henry looked around in concern, then told me in a hushed tone, “I don’t want anyone to hear this.”
I shrugged. “Good, then we will just drop it.” I knew I’d made a huge mistake by telling him such a thing.
Silence again.
I kept eating my pasta and swallowed then looked over at him.
He slowly shook his head. “There is no way we will be doing that, Maya.”
I sighed then took a sip of wine and said, “Bene, I can’t tell you here. So eat your dinner.”
He chuckled dryly. “You are more of a surprise every hour that I know you. However, you need to be warned that we are not done with this conversation.” He then picked his fork up. He ate a bite full then nodded. “Crickey, that is good.”
I nodded back as I was busy eating the best Italian food I had tasted in three years.
“It reminds me of home. My grandma made Carbonara just like this.” I set my fork down and added how I’d felt for all this time, “I never thought I would ever be free of them, Henry. That I would ever see my home again.”
Henry shook his head and scoffed. “I never had the misfortune of meeting them, but the horror stories I have heard for the last few days tell me that if someone could be evil, they were definitely a prime example. But if anyone told me…” He gazed around and murmured quietly, “… that you were the one to rid the world of them, I would have laughed in their faces.”
“Oh, me too. I am not like Selena or any of you. I cannot fight well at all. I have had a bare minimum of self defense lessons. My papa insisted that I…” I paused as my eyes teared up immediately with the memory of my father. “…take a self defense class before I left for university.”
He finished his bread and again looked at me. “I didn’t think you would wilfully do such a thing, Maya... Maybe after we eat, we can go to your room and you can tell me what really happened.”
I stared at him. Me and him alone in my room? “Did they give you a room?” I asked him.
He shrugged and replied, “Not that I know of? If you will remember, we came straight in, then to the kitchen.”
I looked up and spotted Henry’s brother across the table.
Looking a bit too interested in us, he glanced away.
I hoped he hadn’t heard our conversation.
Henry followed my gaze and saw what was bothering me. He raised his hand to wave at him then called out, “Hey baby brother, can you ask someone here and find out where my room will be?”
He nodded. “You have the same phone number?”
“Yes, and I bet yours is exactly the same, right?”
“It is. I will text you when I know.”
“Can you ask for a room in the same hall as the kids?” Henry requested.
Michael paused, looked at me and then back at Henry.
I lowered my head. He thinks… I hid my smile. Well, maybe?
Henry laughed. “Get your head out of the gutter, mate.”
Michael shrugged and quipped, “I would but I would hate to leave you behind.”
Henry stared at him then he laughed. “You know what I always liked about you?”
His brother cocked his head in curiosity about this statement. Although he did smirk, probably believing Henry was about to make him laugh at an insult. “What did you always like about me?”
“Not a thing.” Henry beamed at him.
They both burst into laughter.
I smiled. They seemed to really get along well.
But I wondered about Henry. He seemed all too reluctant to talk about himself.
I was the same way but I had things that I did not need the world to know about…
I paused and realized that maybe he did too?
Like I got nowhere with that information game we played earlier.
I think he learned more than I did. I still cannot believe that I just came out and told him about what happened to the sisters.
Maybe because I did need to talk about it.
I did know I was sick of carrying this secret around.
I detested secrets and this was the largest, most grievous one I ever had.
I admit I acted far more casual than I really felt about that event.
Even though I already had a few nightmares since I… killed them both.
We acted calm and natural as dinner proceeded. We didn’t talk much though. We were served another course of the rich food, then dessert came.
I halted and stared down at something I never thought to eat again. The prize of all the sweets in Italia. “Tanta roba!”
Sicilian Cannoli.
Henry chuckled. “You look like you are surprised or in love.”
I slowly nodded my head. “I am both. I never thought to…” I felt choked up.
“Another one of your grandma’s dishes?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I got to have them once in the last four years. During a trip to Palermo, I was lucky enough to visit Convento Santa Caterina. Inside the convent there is a bakery run by nuns and their cannoli are iconic. I loved them. Though my mother’s will always be the best.” I set my dessert fork down then reached to my plate, picked up the fried roll up and took a crunchy bite.
As I chewed and the ricotta melted in my mouth, I almost slid down along my chair in utter delight as I moaned aloud. I then smacked my lips.
“Holy Cannoli!” Henry exclaimed.
Looking up at him, I licked my top lip to get all the powdered sugar residue.
He sat there staring at me. His green eyes were now a dark emerald color.
I suddenly realized what I was doing and bolted upright in my chair. Way to go, Maya. Act like a slut at the dinner table in front of all the guests.
Henry then shook his head and let out another chuckle. He copied what I did and picked up his cannoli, then took a huge bite.
I watched every second of this to see if I was the only one to think this dessert was pure heaven.
The man’s eyes nearly rolled up in his head and he let out a long sigh. “Sweet Jaysus,” he swore. “How can it be that I have never had one of these before?”
I laughed now while feeling vindicated in my previous uncultured actions at the table.
We both finished our cannoli and we even acted like children as we licked our plates. It might have been the sugar high or the moments of joy as we laughed together.
I set my plate down and then tried to assert my manners. It might be a bit too late but I tried as I dabbed my lips with my napkin.
We then finished our tiny cups of espresso as well.
“This was a dinner from heaven,” Henry stated.
I agreed then stood from my chair. “Mrs Santorini,” I called to her as she walked along the table.
Raising her head, she gave me a nod and walked all the way around to the side where Henry and I sat.
I reached over and took her hands into mine. “I just wish to say…” I cleared my throat and went on, “That this meal was above and beyond perfection. I felt like I’d been transported to several places in Italy. Niece for the pasta, Geneva for the vegetables and Palmero for the cannoli.”
The cook gave me a grateful smile and lowered her head. “I am humbled by your words.”
“And we are humbled by your food,” Henry told her.
She kept smiling at us. “Thank you so much. Your words are much appreciated.” She then moved along the table and seemed to be checking on more guests.
Henry’s phone pinged. Looking down at the screen, he nodded. Then he took my hand. “We need to talk.”
I allowed him to lead me away and out of the dining room. I had no idea where he was taking me.
We went to the elevator and he tapped the button.
As we stepped into the lift, I told him, “I probably need to see about the twins.”
“I think they will be fine,” Henry told me. “They have Gabriela and I saw Mancini’s daughters fawning over them. I think they will be okay.”
We rode up and he kept a hold of my hand. We didn’t speak, but I knew his mind was full of questions. Bene, why did I tell him? It was as if my subconscious just burst forth and confessed, ‘I killed them.’
The elevator opened to the same hall where the kids and I had our rooms.
Henry tugged my hand and we stepped out into the hall. He then proceeded toward my door. Instead, though, he paused at the door right before it. Turning the doorknob, he opened it and motioned for me to go in.
I entered, then stepped in further and looked around. It was as nice as my room. Of course, it was as this mansion seemed to have many luxurious rooms. But I never got to really look as Henry led me over to the sofa. I sat and he did the same.
“You are truly getting right to the point, Henry,” I told him with a slight smile.
“You are right, my sweet Maya. And I often do that. But bloody hell this...” He shook his head. “Calls for urgency.”
“Why?” I asked him. “What’s the urgency? They are dead and buried. No one on earth is in a hurry to see them either.” I scoffed.
Henry simply stared at me as he made no comment.
With a sigh while knowing he wasn’t going to relent, I folded my hands into my lap and began, “A few days before you all arrived, I put the kids to bed and went to the kitchen to make sure all the cleanup was done for the day. There would be hell to pay if I left even one dish unwashed. I sprayed cleaner and wiped the old countertops down when I heard a noise. It spooked me really. As I had believed the tías were still out on the town. No one else should’ve been in the house except for me and the kids.
Then I heard someone talking. I was very confused as to where this conversation was being held as I followed the sounds to the small pantry.
The voices got louder and I could hear parts of the conversation then. ”
Henry stared at me as I paused.
“I could hear Omara,” I continued. “She was laughing and sounded cheerful saying they would finally be free. They would be living in luxury on the beaches of Belize. I wondered how this could be…me hearing them so clearly, I mean. I looked around and then spotted it. At the back of the pantry on the floor was a small latch-handle. I never noticed it before but then that is where the box of their sangria always sat. I stepped over and quietly tugged on the handle. I then discovered that the old house had a basement as light came up through the partially opened latch door. And that was where they were. I then chickened out because I had been on the receiving end of their wrath many times. So, I intended to just leave for now. Then as I was about to ease that hatch door down, I heard what Pilar replied to her sister. It was so evil and so terrifying that for a moment I froze. I couldn’t breathe.
I had to be mistaken. Not even they would dare to do such a thing. ”