Chapter 32
The day of the stunt dawned chilly and bright, the sky blue and cloudless – perfect flying conditions. It would look superb on camera, the Grand Canal sparkling like diamonds as it wound its way past the majestic palazzos, La Serenissima at her most dazzling.
Marco arrived early as usual. He was always punctual, but on the day of a complex shoot, with so much at stake, he preferred to get there before the team, to walk himself through everything and prepare mentally for the important job at hand.
He strode through the hotel, unable to stop himself looking out for Gina. In truth, Marco couldn’t stop thinking about her. No matter what his head was telling him, his heart was saying something different. But it had to be Gina’s decision, and until the ice queen thawed out, he would have to try and put her from his mind. Especially today. He needed to be 100 per cent focused on the task at hand. Any slip could prove fatal.
‘Edoardo,’ Marco remarked in surprise, as he saw his brother-in-law on the helipad, the sleek, black chopper gleaming in the February sun.
‘Marco,’ Edoardo said coolly, looking equally shocked but quickly recovering.
‘I didn’t expect to see you today,’ Marco said, remembering their vicious argument.
Edoardo shrugged. He was dressed in overalls, his toolkit open on the ground. ‘This is my job, let me do it, Marco, OK?’
‘Of course,’ Marco said, noticing that all of the bluster was gone from Edoardo who now seemed subdued. ‘Everything OK?’ He nodded towards the helicopter. It had been flown over yesterday from the Elicotteri Conti hangar to the White Palace, which boasted the nearest helipad to central Venice. A few other members of the crew were busy making final checks as well.
‘I’m checking again,’ Edoardo responded tightly. He answered Marco’s quizzical look, explaining, ‘When Salvatore brought it over yesterday, he thought he heard some rattling coming from the tail rotor. I checked it over already, made sure everything is as it should be, but I want to be sure,’ he said, tapping the side of the helicopter with his spanner.
‘Great. Thanks.’
‘No problem,’ Edoardo replied without looking at him.
‘Look, about yesterday—’
‘Forget it.’
‘Edoardo, I—’
‘Everything on track?’
Both men turned around to see that Nicolò had arrived. He looked relaxed in a polo neck and grey slacks, his grey hair slicked back.
‘Thanks for coming,’ Marco smiled.
Nicolò nodded, and a look of understanding passed between them.
‘Edoardo,’ Nicolò began, turning to his son. He put a hand on each of Edoardo’s shoulders and scrutinized his face. ‘Are you OK?’
Edoardo nodded, meeting his father’s eyes. ‘Yes, Papà, I’m OK. We all have a job to do.’
‘Good,’ Nicolò nodded. Then he turned to Marco. ‘I am here too, to help. We are a family, remember. Good luck today boys – remember we are the best.’
‘Thank you,’ Marco replied, though he was beginning to feel the pressure of the situation. But he was used to that; the adrenaline gave him an edge and kept him sharp. He glanced around to see that the gardens around the helipad were beginning to fill up as more members of the crew arrived, bundled up in puffer jackets and beanie hats. Marco knew that it would be swarming with people across the lagoon, where Brad would be prepping for his own part in the stunt, which would take place in St Mark’s Square. Only Brad Redford could shut down Piazza San Marco in the middle of Carnival, Marco thought with a smile, and which reminded him to put his blue contact lenses in.
The two crews were in constant radio contact, and he could hear the bursts of static as messages were relayed back and forth. He felt the familiar churn of nerves in his stomach, and he strode back towards the hotel, hoping the activity would dissipate the nervous energy.
As he reached the White Palace, the door opened and Gina walked out. She was swathed in a camel-coloured woollen coat, her shapely legs encased in sheer tights, teamed with a pair of nude-coloured heels. Her hair was swept up, a few strands falling loose around her face, and she wore a light dusting of make-up to accentuate her natural beauty. Marco felt his heart contract in a way that had nothing to do with the upcoming stunt. Regardless of Lucia’s warnings, it was impossible to deny the way he felt about Gina.
She glanced up and saw him, and he thought he saw a flash of pain. But then it was as though the shutters had come down, her face closing off.
‘You came,’ Marco said instinctively.
‘It’s my job, Marco,’ Gina explained coolly. ‘I’m the liaison between the hotel and the film crew, remember?’
‘Yep, strictly business.’ Marco felt like an idiot. ‘Well, it’s good to see you anyway.’
Gina hesitated, as though she wanted to say something more, but all she said was, ‘Good luck today.’
‘Thank you,’ Marco said. They looked at one another for a long moment, a cool breeze blowing off the Adriatic, the taste of sea salt on their lips. Seagulls wheeled high overhead, calling their mournful cries, as the water lapped incessantly at the rocky island. Then Gina seemed to gather herself, walking off towards the helipad, as Marco balled his hands into fists, releasing the breath that he didn’t realize he’d been holding.
‘Gina, wait,’ he called after her. He thought she might just keep walking, pretend she hadn’t heard him, but she stopped and turned around as he tried in vain to read her expression. He jogged to catch up with her, unsure what he was going to say, but knowing he needed to speak to her.
‘Please, Marco,’ she said. ‘Don’t make this any harder than it is.’
‘Why does it have to be so hard? I don’t understand.’
‘You don’t need to understand. You just need to respect my wishes.’
For some reason her words felt hollow, like she didn’t really mean them, and he needed to have one last try. He would never forgive himself if he let her slip through his fingers, and he needed to tell her how he felt. ‘Gina, please, just one request. Later, once all of this –’ he gestured vaguely at all the commotion behind them – ‘is out of the way, can we speak?’
‘There’s nothing to talk about, Marco.’ She was unreadable.
‘Please. Look, you said your piece the other day. I’d like to say mine, and if you still feel the same afterwards, then fine, I won’t bother you again. But it’s only fair to hear me out.’
Gina hesitated, but eventually said, ‘OK. We can talk later. Come to my office, and don’t … don’t let anyone see you.’
Marco frowned, wondering why the need for secrecy, but he would have agreed to any conditions to meet Gina.
She was about to leave, then touched him lightly on the arm. ‘I really mean it, stay safe out there, OK?’ she said softly, before walking away.
Marco stared after her, feeling as though his arm was on fire from where she’d touched his jacket, and the simple gesture had lit a spark of hope within him. But right now he needed to focus. Everyone was wishing him good luck – but this job wasn’t about luck.
Up in her penthouse suite, Lucia de Santis looked down over the action. She’d spent the morning watching the preparations as she sipped her hot water and got ready for the day, the buzz of excitement reaching all the way up to her top-floor window.
Some crew members from Elicotteri Conti were gathering around the helicopter and setting up equipment, as others spoke into walkie-talkies, monitoring the sky and the weather conditions. Lucia spotted Marco and gave a catlike smile, enjoying the feeling of observing him from above without his knowledge, appreciating his strong, powerful body as he moved, knowing that he was at the centre of the action today. If Davide wasn’t in the picture, she’d consider Marco as a serious prospect. But he would do for now, for a little fun.
He appeared to be nervous, pacing back and forth anxiously, and Lucia watched as he greeted his brother-in-law. Even from up here, she could discern how awkward and tense their body language was. She remembered everything that Edoardo had said to her that night in the Casanova Bar, about the animosity between the two men, and Edoardo’s claim that Marco had been responsible for his wife’s death.
Lucia put on her lipstick, emphasizing her Cupid’s bow with a dazzling shade of red, and noticed that another, older man had arrived. He headed over to speak to Marco and Edoardo, and Lucia turned away to spritz herself with Coco by Chanel perfume. When she came back to her spot by the window, she saw that Gina had appeared on the scene. A bolt of white-hot fury shot through her. Gina looked stunning, classic and understated in a way that Lucia never was and never would be. She and Marco were talking – it looked intense – and Lucia felt an intense wave of jealousy, a feeling that reminded her of how she’d felt many years ago, the sense of being left out and feeling the need to be the centre of attention.
So, Gina thought she could go back on their agreement and imagined Lucia wouldn’t find out about it? Lucia needed to teach her a lesson. Marco was hers – for now at least, until Davide saw the light – and Lucia had no intention of being jilted for Gina. What did Marco see in her? Lucia was rich, famous, beautiful, celebrated – Gina was a functionary, a nobody.
A movement below caught her eye, and Lucia tore her gaze away from Gina and Marco. On the terrace outside the Casanova Bar, Detective Gallo was sitting down with a cup of coffee. He positioned himself near the balcony, clearly preparing to watch the filming. He wasn’t the only one to have that idea, and he struggled to find a spot as the tables filled up with gawping hotel guests.
Lucia looked back towards the helicopter and saw Gina reach out and touch Marco’s arm. Lucia let out a strangled cry of fury. How dare she! Their agreement was clear – Gina was to stay away from Marco, or else she might find her little secret exposed to the world, with all its consequences. Well, now she would have to face those consequences.
Lucia strode purposefully away from the window, pulling on her shearling aviator jacket and heading for the elevator. Detective Gallo would be delighted to discover that La Leonessa’s memory had suddenly returned with a vengeance. She was going to tell him everything she knew – and she was going to destroy Gina Bellini in the process.