Page 76 of Once Upon a Time in Venice

‘Isn’t it exciting?’ Olivia smiled, looking out from behind her sunglasses at the scene. ‘I hope it’s not all work and no play for you in this beautiful city. Are you here to watch the filming?’

‘For now, yes,’ he replied, giving nothing away. ‘And you? How are the wedding plans coming along?’

‘Oh, I’m leaving all of that in Gina’s capable hands,’ Olivia told him, speaking in fluent Italian. ‘That woman really is a marvel. I can’t wait to see what she has planned, but I’m sure it’s something wonderful. All I have to think about is marrying my darling Max.’

Detective Gallo nodded as he stubbed out his cigarette. He offered the packet to Olivia, but she declined. ‘Have you known her long?’ he asked thoughtfully. ‘This Gina, I mean?’

‘Oh, yes, for a number of years now. Max and I always stay at the White Palace when we come to Venice – we wouldn’t stay anywhere else – and Gina always makes sure everything is perfect for us. Not that we’re demanding, but she knows exactly how we like things, and the standards here are second to none. Look, there she is, Gina!’ Olivia called, waving as she spotted Gina amongst the film crew. She stood out in her camel-coloured jacket amidst a sea of black, the unofficial crew uniform.

Detective Gallo watched as Gina looked around to see who had called her. Her gaze landed on Olivia and she waved back, smiling warmly. Then her eyes slid to Detective Gallo and her expression seemed to falter – only momentarily, but Roberto didn’t miss much. She stopped waving and turned around, talking to one of the crew.

‘I expect she’s very busy,’ Olivia said, not seeming in the least bit offended. ‘She’s always on the go. She works so very hard. Anyway, here am I rabbiting on about myself and my wedding. What about you, Inspector? Are you any nearer to solving your case?’

‘Not yet, no,’ he said enigmatically, continuing to watch Gina. ‘But I’m getting closer, I think.’

‘It must be a thrilling line of work to be in. Like an Agatha Christie novel brought to life.’

Detective Gallo smiled politely, taking another sip of his coffee.

‘I mean, who knows what secrets these people have,’ Olivia said, darting dramatic looks around her. ‘You never know who you’re sitting next to. Anyone could be a murderer, couldn’t they?’

‘Statistically not,’ Roberto smiled, amused by how Olivia seemed to be getting carried away. He didn’t want to shatter her illusions and admit that – most of the time – his work was terribly dull and involved piles of admin work.

‘Do you know,’ Olivia continued, as though she hadn’t heard him, ‘just the other night, Max and I were chatting to this fellow at the bar, who was ranting and raving about how his father had passed him over for the family business, and how he’d put some other fellow in charge who wasn’t even his son. He seemed most unhinged, talking about how much he hated this other chap that had killed his sister and he was planning to sabotage a helicopter to have his revenge. It sounded quite insane. Perhaps it was a plot from this movie,’ Olivia chuckled, as she indicated the gleaming black helicopter sitting on the helipad.

Detective Gallo didn’t laugh. A memory was tugging at his brain. Something didn’t seem right, he was sure of it. He looked around, his mind grasping for a connection, but the key to unlocking the riddle was frustratingly out of reach. He’d finished his coffee and had originally planned to leave, but he now felt rooted to the spot.

‘Oh … look,’ Olivia said. Gallo followed her eyes to a group of people close to the set, watching the scene. ‘That’s him!’

‘That’s who?’ Gallo asked, a cold feeling flooding his veins.

She raised a finger, pointing towards the scene. ‘The man from the bar, the one who said he was going to get his revenge. It’s that man there with the ponytail.’

Gallo was gripped with the sense that something was about to happen. Detective Gallo was never truly off duty, and right now his instincts were telling him that something was very wrong indeed.

Gina’s heart was pounding as she saw that Detective Gallo was nearby. It made her uneasy. After his questioning of Lucia, then Lucia’s subsequent press conference, not to mention her threat to reveal Gina’s secret if she didn’t give up Marco, Gina felt as though she was constantly treading on eggshells. Recently she’d been having trouble sleeping, dark circles under her eyes that she’d been hiding with make-up. She’d thought she’d outrun her past, but now it appeared to have finally caught up with her.

She waved to Olivia, trying to keep her expression calm, as though nothing was wrong, but inside her pulse was racing.

‘Gina?’

She turned to see a member of the crew approaching her and was grateful for the distraction. ‘Yes? Is everything OK?’

‘We’re running behind schedule – the first AD’s advised me to let you know that you won’t be able to re-open this area for at least another couple of hours.’

‘OK. Is everything all right?’

‘Just a few delays – it always happens.’ The guy smiled reassuringly. ‘One of the cruise ships has dropped anchor in the wrong spot and is just sitting in the Giudecca Canal, so we’re waiting for it to move. We’re in touch with the port authority.’

Gina looked across the water to see the enormous white liner that was dwarfing the ancient buildings below, and saw at once that the stunt couldn’t be safely performed while it was in the way.

‘Thank you for letting me know. I’ll ask the bar to bring out coffee for the crew while you’re waiting.’

‘That would be appreciated,’ the guy smiled. ‘We’re having to stand this scene down until the ship is moved – bloody cruise ships. I’ve asked Marco to take the helicopter back over the square, we’re going to have to shift some of the shoot around a bit.’

‘Sure, I understand.’

‘Ginaaa!’ There was an excited squeal behind her, then a small pair of arms flung themselves around her waist, squeezing her tightly. It was Daniela, and she was thrilled to see Gina. ‘I was hoping you’d be here today. This is my nanny, Rosina.’