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He returned to his chair. “Excuse me. This is very difficult. Very bizarre. One day I’m in Firenze talking to clients, the next I am here…doing I don’t know what. But it is much better than my parents being here. My mother has high blood pressure and my father’s arthritis is severe.”
Milo and I nodded.
“So,” said Claudio. “We must talk about it. Gio’s lack of interest in business. In academics, as well. The truth is we had a sad situation with Gio. Learning problems from when he was a small boy, he was taken to specialists, received no benefit. Mathematics was okay but reading was difficult. So how did he get into architectural school?” Sad smile. “What do you think, Lieutenant?”
Milo said, “Family connections.”
“My mother’s eldest brother, Gianfranco, is a noted architectural historian and a professor at the faculty. Is that fair?” Elaborate shrug. “Is anything fair?”
I said, “Joining the family business didn’t go smoothly.”
“It didn’t go at all—sorry, I forget your name?”
“Alex.”
“It was a total failure, Alex. No fighting, notempesta.Everyone remained quiet, my mother especially. She was afraid Gio would disappear again. So the family supported him and he took long walks and raced his bicycle and bought a Ferrari Dino that he drove on the track and destroyed. He did more travel but not for long periods and not in distant places. Spain, Switzerland, France, Monaco. A week or two, then he’d return.”
He threw up his hands. “Sometimes he’d return with a woman. An older woman. The oldest was gray-haired. A contessa from Bologna, without money. Beautiful but almost as old as our mother. No one said anything to Gio but among us, we were…we didn’t understand. How old wasthiswoman—the one he was found with?”
Milo said, “Forty-one.”
“Her husband is the killer?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“It is not logical? A married woman? The rage of a destroyed ego?”
His voice had tightened. Constricted by the noose of memory.
I said, “Had that happened before to Gio?”
He looked down again. “There were a few…inconveniences, but no, no, never any violence, never.”
We waited.
Claudio Aggiunta said, “There is no connection between Gio’s history in Italy, I assure you. All those situations were resolved.”
Milo said, “How many situations are we talking about?”
“Not many…three.”
“How were they resolved?”
“What do you think, Lieutenant?” Claudio rubbed his fingers together.
Milo said, “Three husbands were paid not to hurt Gio.”
“No, no, it wasn’t about hurting Gio, we are not primitive peasants, Lieutenant. It was about preserving family reputation. Civilized discussions were held, reparations were determined, Gio pledged to stop. My sister Isabella called it ransom money and the rest of us agreed but it was the only way. Why allow matters to get complicated when there’s a solution? After the third time, we suggested to Gio that he come here and he agreed.”
I said, “To work in the family business.”
“Work is a complicated concept, no? Most of us must work, some of us are lucky to enjoy it. We tried to set up a situation where Gio would enjoy it.”
Milo said, “How so?”
“We allowed him time to develop.”
That was nonsense and he knew it. Color spread across his cheeks. Another glance to the right took a while to reverse.
