Elsa
“Elsa! Dear girl, where have you been all this time? We were all so worried about you. We were starting to think that maybe you had been killed then your body was just thrown away, ” she starts to wail, turning me around to check for wounds, I guess.
“Her words but me different. Was she part if the plan to get me killed that night of the party? She could have let Federico know where I was and which vehicle exactly. Maybe they were communicating that whole time at the party. Is she the one who extended the invitation to him? If she was part of the conspiracy, then I wouldn’t be surprised at all.
I remain stiff like a stock while she dramatically checks on me and tells me house the whole family has been looking for me.
“Where were you, Elsa? We looked everywhere for you, ” she continues lamenting. She is really trying her best but I can see through her act.
Didn’t she know all this? Am I supposed to believe that Federico didn’t talk about my being with Marcello while they cuddled together in his bed after sex? Maybe they are just sleeping together without exchange of this kind of information. I can’t trust any of that.
“Are you listening to me, amato?” Rosa startles me out and f my reverie.
“Pardon me. You must be so tired. Come, and have a sit. I will bring you some refreshments, “she says, leading me into the house. I smile politely.
“Is there something else you might need, Elsa? I am sure Lorenzo is on his way here. He must have informed Diana and she probably planning to get here soon, ” she says, after I sit down in one of the chairs in the living room. I feel like a visitor in my own home. I have been away for so long. I have lost contact with the environment.
I should be ready to entertain the questions of the entire De Luca family in the next few minutes or so. I don’t feel like talking to anyone. I just want to go up to my room and lock myself up.
Rosa comes back with a glass of juice but I eye it suspiciously. If she is planning to kill me drug me then hand me over to her lover then she is absolutely wrong.
“Have something to drink. You look so pale, darling. Are you sure you are alright?”
“I am fine, Rosa. I am just feeling a little tired. I need some rest,” I respond, but don’t take the glass from the table.
“Tell me, Elsa. You know how worried we have all been about you. We thought that maybe you had been kidnapped but no one called for ransom. We were willing to risk anything. We involved the police but they couldn’t help a bit. We hired private detectives but they couldn’t give us any clues. When we started thinking that maybe you are no more, you come driving home like nothing ever happened,” she says.
I don’t want to be answerable to this traitor. I pray hard that Uncle Lorenzo comes soon and spares me from this awkwardness.
As if listening to my prayer, I hear his voice as he enters the house. I jump to my feet and run unto his welcoming embrace.
Lorenzo has always been kind of my father even before Papa passed away. He has always been so kind towards me since I was born. My fathers trusted him completely with his business and his” family. I could not believe it if anyone told me that he had done anything to betray our family.
“Elsa!” I turn to see Diana behind him, tears filling in her eyes.
“Zia!” I cry out, as she comes to hug me thereafter. I finally feel hone with sine real family around me. People u can trust. For a moment, a crazy thought runs in my mind. I can ask to go be with them for a while while I get myself together. I am scared of being here with Federico’s spy. God knows what she is thinking behind that mask of a lovely lady.
“Where have you been, Elsa? Where have you been for these last seven weeks?” Lorenzo starts questioning me. I swallow the lump in my throat and look wide-eyed at him. What am I supposed to say?
“Rosa has told us that a car has dropped you home. Whose car was that? We are going to truck it and find out the owner Elsa. If that person had kidnapped you, he would have asked for ransom, but you just stayed there with no kind of communication. We were almost giving up, and declared you dead, because, after that attack, everyone in the car was killed, but we couldn’t find your body,” he adds. “We knew someone had taken you but we didn’t know if you were alive or dead.”
I suck in a breath while contemplating if I should tell them the truth or not. Somehow, I wish that Rosa could vanish out of the room. She is not part is our family anyway. She is not a De Luca. She is just here to enjoy my father’s riches. But she probably knows the truth already so it wouldn’t change anything if I said it out anyway.
I ask them to guest sit down. I sit on the same couch as Diana and she nestles me. I suddenly miss my mother so much. Maybe things would have been better if she was here instead of Rosa. I respect her decision to divorce papà now that I am older I understand how men in the mafia are. They are very difficult to tolerate. If she was at least living somewhere in Sicily, I would have gone there instead.
“Elsa. Say something, dear. We are all anxious to know what has been going on in your life. Tell us, ” Diana implores me.
Okay. They will have to know the truth sooner than later and it wouldn’t help trying to keep the truth any longer.
“I was at Marcello Viscuso’s home,” I finally let the cat out of the bag. I feel a sudden surge of relief as if a rock has been lifted off my back.
Lorenzo’s eyebrows knit together as if trying to comprehend my words.