‘I don’t suppose you’ve come face to face with the ghost?’ said Fiyona, exhaling a ribbon of smoke.
‘I don’t believe in ghosts,’ Rosa laughed dismissively. ‘But I wouldn’t rule out a living ghost sneaking about trying to scare people. Romina complains of someone haunting the folly. She told my husband that someone sleeps in there and dragged him up to take a look.’
‘She’s eccentric but she doesn’t strike me as superstitious,’ said Fiyona.
‘She’s northern Italian. There’s a big difference. People down here are very primitive.’
‘So you don’t believe the Marchese’s hanging around, repenting killing the woman he loved?’
‘Of course not ! Someone’s just having some fun. Or the people of Incantellaria made it all up to stop anyone buying the palazzo and turning it into a hotel. They like their peace and they’re rather proud of their history. They wanted to keep the place as it was, as a kind of morbid shrine. But they failed miserably.’
‘Can I quote you on that?’
‘You can quote me on anything you like. You can include a photograph too. After all, I’m the image of Valentina.’
‘I can’t use the drawing?’
‘Absolutely not!’ Rosa gasped, snatching it back. ‘Only if you want another murder in Incantellaria!’
‘Is it true that your great-uncle killed the Marchese for revenge?’
‘Right there in the palazzo.’
‘Do you know where?’
‘In a leather chair in his sitting-room.’ She drew a line slowly across her neck. ‘They killed him like a pig.’
‘They?’
Rosa flinched as if stung. ‘I mean him,’ she corrected, blushing. ‘Falco.’
Fiyona chewed thoughtfully on her cheek. ‘I see.’
‘The police never properly investigated Valentina’s murder. They assumed she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in the middle of mafia crossfire. They never imagined that it was Lupo in the wrong place at the wrong time, that the Marchese killed Valentina and he just got in the way.’ She leaned forward conspiratorially. ‘In fact, he killed her because he didn’t want my grandfather to take her away to England. If he couldn’t have her he didn’t want anyone else to have her. I think the Marchese was a shrewd old thing. I bet he knew she took other lovers and I don’t imagine he minded. I remember my mother telling me that he collected beautiful things. He was an aesthete. Valentina was simply another one of his beautiful possessions. But when she fell in love with my grandfather, I mean, really in love, he couldn’t take it. So he cut off his nose to spite his face and murdered the thing he loved so that no one else could have her. I’m surprised no one’s made the film.’
‘Maybe they will when they read my article. We have a two million circulation.’
Rosa’s eyes widened. ‘You mean two million people will read about me?’
Fiyona pandered to her vanity. ‘Two million people will read about you and your family.’
‘Madonna! Imagine that. I can act, you know. I’m a very good actress.’
‘I don’t doubt it,’ Fiyona said truthfully.
Rosa looked wistful. ‘I wish some handsome foreigner would drape me in diamonds and sweep me off somewhere else.’
‘You don’t like it here?’
‘Nothing happens. I can see why Valentina walked on the dark side. War or no war, she had to make her own excitement.’
At twenty minutes past eleven Romina arrived to pick up Fiyona. They were still talking. Fiero hovered close, like a moth at Fiyona’s flame.
‘Haven’t you two finished yet?’ she asked.
‘We’re done,’ said Fiyona, switching off her tape recorder. ‘Thank you, Rosa, you’ve been very interesting.’ She waved at Fiero. ‘I’ll see you later.’
Rosa looked affronted. ‘You want to interview Fiero?’
‘I want to talk to everyone. I don’t like to leave any stone unturned.’
‘He doesn’t know anything.’
Fiyona shook her head shrewdly. ‘Everyone knows something.’ She winked at Fiero. ‘I’ll see you this evening.’
Back in the car, Romina asked if she had got what she needed. ‘And some,’ she replied happily. ‘Valentina’s star still shines brightly.’
‘The naivety of youth. Rosa doesn’t see the sordidness of the story, just the glamour.’
‘It’ll make great copy.’
‘You should talk to her mother.’
‘Apparently Alba won’t speak.’
‘Shame. I’m sure she knows a whole other dimension.’