Page 32 of Thin Lives

“I’m not sure where Emma is,” Calisto lied smoothly.

Sort of.

He didn’t know where Emma had gone after she left the library.

Affonso cocked a brow, seemingly unpleased at that answer. “She wasn’t in the library? She spends most of her time in there.”

Calisto shrugged. “No. I went in to check the piano. It’s been awhile since I tuned it.”

“Does it?”

“Does it what?”

“Need tuning,” Affonso said.

“It could use one,” Calisto lied again.

The piano was fine.

“I can come over next week and do it,” he added.

Affonso’s face remained a mask of cold composure as he replied, “No, that’s fine. I’ll have that man come and do it. It’s his job, after all.”

“It’s not a problem, zio. I can do it.”

“No worries, I have someone for it.”

“It’s my father’s piano,” Calisto said, confused why Affonso would argue the point on the instrument. “I have always tuned it.”

It made him feel closer to a man he had never gotten the chance to meet, as odd as that may seem. It was one thing Calisto held onto.

“I’ve had someone else doing it for a while. You were busy these last couple of years.”

Oh.

Well, then.

Calisto went to respond, to agree and give Affonso what he wanted, but he quickly realized something before he could.

Affonso didn’t want him to come to the house. Thinking over the last few months since he’d gotten out of the hospital, and then left the Donati home to go back to his own place, his uncle had done this very thing several times.

Dinners with no invitation for Calisto. Excused.

Meetings that should be held in his office. Rearranged.

Visits with his cousins when they were home had been put off, or canceled with more excuses. Quick stops at the house to pass on a message or discuss an issue were ended before they had even begun.

Little things, Calisto thought again.

Things he had overlooked, but were far bigger in the grand scheme of things when he put them all together.

And here his uncle was, doing it again.

Keeping him away.

Why?

“Didn’t you have some money to collect tonight?” Affonso asked, forcing Calisto out of his thoughts.