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It had all happened so fast

She had sootten the startled oarset to a police station, despite the fact that in her horror and fear, she had forgotten every single word of Italian she had known Luckily, police and polizia were close enough for the man to understand, and she had found herself taken to a station of the local carabinieri There, she had found a kindly officer who spoke English, and he had assured her that the situation would be investigated ih he seemed doubtful when she told him she had been at the palazzo of the Contessa della Trieste Babbling and close to hysteria at first?deeply frantic then for Jared and Cindy?she had told hi that had ended in real blood and real death, and that there had been a roo into monsters who had attacked the others even as they had stood and watched and laughed Cafe latte laced strongly with brandy helped calh reason and conviction to send the officers off en masse, despite the fact that it was Fat Tuesday and all kinds of charades andabout the palazzo of a very well-knooman

The carabinieri had returned with Jared and Cindy?and the contessa They had all come in worried, but the contessa had also been aizing--she hadn’t expected such gullibility froirl Actually, she had been da At that point, however, Jared had acted like her older brother, showing his deep concern for her panic and fear, holding her, eyes worried as they probed hers, his tone very gentle as he explained she had been caught in a bit of elaborate theater, scary Carnevale fun, and that there had been nothing really violent or grueso murderous had taken place

He hadn’t known about that particular piece of scary fun the contessa had planned, and the contessa hadn’t known about Steven It was probably even natural that Jordan had been so terrified at what had really been no more than a haunted house display But now that she knew

Jordan had persisted then She tried to convince the contessa that souests had been madmen, and that perhaps she’d had no idea of what had been happening at her own party, but murders had taken place The contessa shook her beautiful head with sorrow and regret The kindly English-speaking officer cleared his throat, and told Jordan that they had searched the palazzo All they had found were costu their fake blood, all contrite that they had frightened her so badly

"But I’ you, I saw people die," she said "Go back?they’ve cleaned it up I don’t know much about police procedure, but perhaps if you were to use Luot angry, for she began speaking rapidly in Italian to the officers, inhaling deeply for patience, then speaking to Jordan again "My dear, as you are Jared’s cousin, I will forgive this terrible affront, but you et all the silly movies you Americans see and accept the fact that we, too, have a sense of fun and the macabre And," she added quietly, "what happened to your fiancé Jared has explained to me, of course, about your past, and so, dear child, I do understand, and oes out to you My palazzo remains open to you You are dear to me, as the cousin of Jared, and you must come anytime and see that the festivities and the a but provide a party and a charade Dear, dear, Jordan, poor dear I am so sorry, but please! You must be sane and rational about this!"

"Yes, and we o hoer, the police were apologizing to the contessa and ushering them out to the street The contessa had kissed Jordan’s cheek with cold lips, urging her again to co ihout, far kinder than Jared when?after the contessa had departed in her private launch?she had kept trying to explain that she had seen real blood, nearly perished herself, and been rescued by a

"Where is this man?" Jared had demanded

"He leaped with " They stared at her as if she had entirely lost her mind Yes, poor Jordan God knew, maybe she needed to be committed to the closest facility for the insane

Back at the hotel, Cindy had e who made Jordan tea, and then offered to sleep in her rooh of impatience had caused her to decline But alone in her handsome, antiques-laden room in what she truly considered to be one of the most beautiful hotels in the world, she still had not been able to sleep It had been the words of the contessa that had caused her to dig into her pile of work, and find the book written by thethat Cindy had slipped a Valium into her tea She had fallen asleep with the book in her hand, but the Valium hadn’t stopped her dreaain; she dreauarded herHe was framed in the shutters that opened to the pedestrian walk and canal where just hours before, the last sounds of laughter and revelry had faded into the darkness and shadows of the ht Okay, so the party and the Valiuhtmares That didn’t stop her belief that ht painfully, then continued with it

Yes, maybe some cultists or some wretched coldblooded murderers had been at work

Jared leaned toward her, at the rooftop restaurant of the Danieli, all atteing you?you’ve got to stop These are people I ith The contessa is incredibly important to my job, my position here in Italy, to my career, my life! If you keep up with this, you will destroy me Can’t you understand? A party, masks, costumes, a haunted house, special effects, elaborate, yes! The contessa likes to have the best ball, the most talked-about Leave it?leave it alone

All of Venice will be talking as it is You will destroyyou?"

"And the police have told you And the contessa left her party to cohtened Everyone has bent over backward to explain ent on to you, and you refuse to accept it!"