“What do we have here?”
Batelli jerked away from the door.
A hooded figure stood at the closed end of the alley, having materialized out of the darkness.
Batelli took a step back. He’d checked the alley only a moment before. It had been empty.
The figure cocked its head to one side. “And you are?”
“Lorenzo,” Batelli lied. “I’m just meeting a friend.”
“I knew someone named Lorenzo. He didn’t have any friends.” The figure paused. “And neither do you.”
Without warning, the figure flew toward Batelli and grabbed him, before scaling the side of Teatro and climbing to the roof.
Chapter Thirty-Five
JUST BEFORE SUNRISE, Patrick Wong and Gina Molinari wandered into the Piazza Signoria, near the Loggia dei Lanzi.
It had been one of those restless, hot summer nights. They’d had a late dinner and gone to a bar with friends. One drink turned into several, and they’d moved to a dance club. Then they’d proceeded to another bar.
They hadn’t stayed out this late in a very long time. Even though they were exhausted and intoxicated, they decided to take a detour to the piazza and walk around a little.
The piazza was empty—a rare occurrence—as if the beautiful space had been reserved simply for the pair of lovers.
They wandered over to the Loggia and began to kiss, their bodies backing against one of the stone pillars. A carved lion stared down at them.
Patrick smiled at his beloved, his fingers playing with her hair.
She hugged him, and he reciprocated, his eyes closing.
When they opened, he found himself gazing up at the statue of Menelaus and Patroclus, which stood at the center of the Loggia. It was not a particularly romantic scene.
Patrick stared drunkenly at Menelaus’ helmet. Then he lifted his eyes to look above it.
Suspended from the ceiling was a long, iron chain. At the end of the chain was a hook, which had been embedded in the abdomen of a naked body.
Patrick pulled away from Gina and stumbled up the stairs. He rubbed his eyes, fearing he was hallucinating.
But no, at the end of the iron chain that hung from the top of the Loggia was suspended a dead man—limbs outstretched, head back. He was naked and covered in blood.
Gina screamed.
Patrick stumbled to her side. He leaned against a pillar and retched, the contents of his stomach splashing on the ground.
He retched again.
Gina supported him at the waist, murmuring worriedly in his ear.
When he’d finished, he wiped his mouth with his shirtsleeve and stared out at the piazza.
It was empty.
He took Gina’s hand and led her away from the Loggia, to the center of the piazza.. He retrieved his cell phone and shakily dialed the police.
“I found a body,” he stammered, staring up at the corpse that hung from the Loggia.
Chapter Thirty-Six
A KNOCKING SOUND woke Raven from a very sound sleep. William, who lay naked beside her, rose from the bed and wrapped himself in an antiquated dressing gown.
She rolled to her side, unwilling to open her eyes.
She heard the door open.
“What is it?” William’s tone was curt.
“Forgive the interruption, my Lord.” Ambrogio was almost stuttering. “There’s been an incident.”
“What kind of incident?”
Raven opened her eyes to see William move into the hallway, closing the door on his conversation.
She heard murmurs from the hall but couldn’t make out the words, until William swore, loudly.
He re-entered the bedroom and strode to one of the closets, removing a set of clothes.
Raven sat up. “What is it?”
“Ispettor Batelli’s body is hanging from a meat hook in the Loggia dei Lanzi.” William tossed his dressing gown to the floor and began to pull on his trousers.
“What?”
“Photographs of the scene have been made public. The Curia will have learned of it by now.”
“Are you in danger?”
William turned his head.
His expression softened. “No, my lark. But I must act immediately.”
He continued dressing as she blinked away sleep. “Why would someone kill Batelli?”
William buttoned his shirt. “It’s the posing of the body that is more telling. He was positioned in a public place, just as the sun was rising. Whoever did it knew our attempts at covering up the kill would be hampered by the sun.”
“You don’t think the Curia did this?”
“It’s possible. But it’s more likely this was a vampyre, looking to attack me personally.”
“How?”
“By exposing my connection to the illustrations and those cursed Emersons. By exposing my connection to you.” He moved to her side and kissed her deeply. “Be careful. Be alert. I’d prefer you didn’t leave the villa today, but if you do, please have Ambrogio inform me. Be sure to take the security guards with you.”
He disappeared through the door.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“WHAT THE FUCK?” Gabriel Emerson clasped his head with both hands as he stared in shock at the image on his laptop.
He was seated at the kitchen table in his house in Harvard Square, keeping Julia company. Clare had an ear infection and had spent most of the evening crying. Julia held the child in her arms, pacing the kitchen floor in an attempt to soothe her.
It had been a long night.
“Language,” Julia chided him, frowning at him over the baby’s head.