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Jordan wondered if that was true Looking around the cas The shadows stretched long in the night, but they weren’twatched As if evil eyes looked out at them from the darkness

"Coffee will be fine," she murmured

They walked back to the trattoria The same kind host met them Before Jordan knew it, Raphael explained that she’d had an accident The host’s ht ice cubes and cold water and hot tea She wanted Jordan’s feet propped up She was so kind and considerate that Jordan felt guilty

It occurred to her to ask Raphael how he had come to be there He seemed baffled "You called"

"I called?"

"You called the shop and left e"

She shook her head "I never called the shop"

"Well, someone did I didn’t take the call Lynn answered and wrote down the e I think she was jealous that you asked me to come, maybe, and not her"

"But I didn’t call!"

A moment later, Alfredo Manetti arrived at the trattoria He came over to the corner table where Jordan and Raphael sat, waiting He pulled a chair out, straddled it and leaned on the back of it as he stared at the two of theht, now, Miss Riley Tellfro him squarely "I received a note fro? And you promised to check on her" Manetti nodded "Go on"

"Her note left an address and asked ave me the directions I followed them I couldn’t quite find the place, but a lady in the street told ot there, there were candles burning I saw so on the altar and walked up to it What I saas Tiff?

playing a cruel joke on et up?and saw that she had been decapitated"

Manetti was just staring at her He studied her coldly "But the body has disappeared?" he said

"The body was there?have your men check There isn’t a speck of dust on the altar And you know, if you do what I suggested before?use Lulish?at least, you may find out that there are little spatters of blood around, undetectable to the naked eye, especially in the shadows of such a place"

"Are you insulting the Italian police, Miss Riley?"

"No, I’ative techniques" He appeared a bit amused But then he said, "You’re certain that you saw Tiffany Henley?"

"Absolutely"

"Strange"

"Why?"

"Well, because when I told you that I would investigate her disappearance, I did so Mrs Henley left Venice on an Alitalia flight to Paris Saturday at eleven AM" Jordan felt as if a wave of ice water washed over her

"That’s impossible"

"She purchased the ticket herself at the airport; the clerk remembers her"

"Then she came back!" Jordan whispered, but the words sounded false to her own ears She leaned forward again "Will you please check out the church?"

He nodded gravely and stared at Raphael "What did you see?" he asked sharply

Raphael stuttered He didn’t want to let her down "Well, there was no body when I arrived"

"And ere you doing at a boarded-up building?" Manetti asked hi to be Jordan called ain He seeet a call, you arrive, and Miss Riley is unconscious by the fountain"

"Si," Raphael murmured unhappily

"But you seem fine now, Miss Riley"

"There is a buet you to the hospital"

"No"