Rendezvous in Rome Read online

  Nancy shot Bess an amused look. The only sports Bess had ever liked were shopping and dating. She obviously wanted to spend more time with Massimo, even if she wasn’t interested in a romance.

  “That’s a great idea,” Nancy said quickly. “I can deal with replacing my cards tomorrow.” And, she added silently, now she could keep her eye on Massimo and the others to see if they made a move with the necklace.

  “Soccer in Italy is a real event,” Claudia chimed in. “But what about lunch?”

  The teens grabbed some panini and headed for the Foro Italico, where the soccer match was taking place. Flags and banners in bright colors waved everywhere. Turin’s fans were decked out in black and white, while the Romans wore yellow and red.

  As the group made its way to the seats the crowd surged with each kick and play. Chants of “Juve!” and “Roma!” were traded back and forth.

  “What’s ‘Juve’ ” Bess shouted above the din.

  “It stands for Juventus,” Sandro explained. “That’s the name of the Turin team. And Rom—”

  “Is the Roman team,” Bess finished for him. “I get it. These people are serious sports fans.”

  “Sometimes too serious,” Claudia said, nodding. She was sitting next to Sandro, holding his arm, Nancy noticed. She didn’t seem angry with him anymore. “Terrible things can happen at soccer games when the fans get out of hand.”

  “Great. Does that mean we’re going to be attacked if we shout the wrong thing?” Bess asked. “I think Nancy’s been attacked enough for one day!”

  The crowd was on its feet, screaming for a goal. Sandro explained the game to Bess while Massimo, who was standing between Nancy and Karine, pointed out the favorite Roman players.

  When Turin got the ball Massimo quietly excused himself. Nancy watched him disappear.

  Could he be meeting someone? she wondered. She climbed over the people in her row and followed him. Maybe he was getting rid of the necklace!

  Massimo was standing near one of the refreshment stands, sipping a soda. Nancy waited for something to happen, but to her surprise Massimo finished the drink, then bought a few more and headed back to the group.

  Had he just waited until he finished so that he could carry more sodas back? Or had he been waiting for someone who never showed up? He didn’t have his backpack with him, she noticed. Maybe he didn’t have the necklace on him after all, she thought. His polo shirt had no pockets, and Nancy doubted he could be concealing the necklace in his tight jeans.

  Once back in his seat Massimo became a boisterous fan, yelling “Roma” joyfully with the crowd. At halftime he excused himself to use the restroom and again left his backpack behind.

  This time Nancy wanted to search the backpack. “Does Massimo have some sunglasses?” she asked Karine, who was sitting on the other side of Massimo’s empty seat. “The glare is hurting my eyes.” Without waiting for an answer Nancy unzipped the backpack and thrust her hand in. “He won’t mind if I borrow them,” she said sweetly.

  While she pretended to rummage for the glasses Nancy searched the backpack thoroughly. Bess’s necklace wasn’t there, nor did she see any other Etruscan jewelry.

  “No glasses,” she said, replacing the backpack and smiling at Karine. “Oh, well.”

  Could Massimo have hidden the necklace in the catacombs, expecting to get it later? It would be fairly safe hidden among the bones. Or maybe Sandro had it. He and Claudia seemed to have made up. Did that have anything to do with the necklace?

  A sudden roar went up from the crowd behind her. Nancy looked at the field, wondering if the teams were coming back on for the second half. Nothing was happening on the field, but the commotion behind Nancy was growing. Massimo’s voice rang out loudly.

  Turning, Nancy saw him barreling through the stands about ten rows behind them. An angry pack of Turin fans wearing black and white were on his heels.

  Nancy yelled out a warning as Massimo dodged seats and fans, pushing people out of the way. He was headed straight for them—and going too fast to stop!

  Chapter

  Eleven

  SANDRO LEAPT OVER NANCY and grabbed Massimo, breaking his fall. The group chasing Massimo launched themselves into the seated Roman fans, and a brawl began.

  Bess screamed and scrambled after Claudia to one side, away from the flying fists. Nancy and Karine grabbed their things in a rush and followed them.

  Several police officers appeared out of nowhere, swarming over the spectators to separate them. They pulled Massimo and three Turin fans apart as everyone shouted his own version of what had happened. Italian phrases flew too quickly for Nancy to keep up. The police released Massimo and Sandro but kept the Turin fans firmly between them.

  Finally Massimo and Sandro came back to the group. Massimo put his hand to his mouth, nursing a split lip, but otherwise he was fine. Both he and Sandro were glowing with victory.

  “They were screaming insults when I walked by,” Massimo explained as they all sat back down again, “so I said a few things about their team. I guess they could make insults but not take them.”

  “We should put some ice on that,” Karine said, touching Massimo’s lip.

  “The game is starting again,” he objected. “I want to see us win!”

  Claudia leaned over Sandro to talk to Bess and Nancy. “I told you it gets serious sometimes,” she said as the soccer teams spilled back out onto the field. “These fans are so competitive!”

  Nancy enjoyed the rest of the game. Rome won, three to one. When it was over the group dispersed, planning to meet at the art gala that evening. As Massimo and Karine walked off Nancy saw Karine slip her arm around Massimo’s waist and give him a hug.

  Bess was watching, too. “When we were walking to the catacombs, I told him not to worry about dating Karine,” she said. “After all, I am going off to Greece, then back home.”

  When Nancy and Bess got back to the hotel, there was a message from Officer Franchi informing Nancy that her shoulder bag had been found in a trash can right near the catacombs. Her wallet, money, and passport were all still there, but the necklace was missing.

  “I guess it’s official,” Nancy said ruefully after she hung up. “It was our necklace thief, all right. A regular thief would have taken my money.”

  Bess bit her lip as she and Nancy went to their room. “Maybe if he’s got your necklace, he won’t want another one,” she said thoughtfully. “What if he doesn’t take the bait tonight?”

  “He will,” Nancy said confidently. “Signor Andreotti said he’ll use his most expensive necklace. Our thief won’t be able to resist.”

  • • •

  “I can’t believe we didn’t ruin our dresses,” Bess said, smoothing the skirt of her purple silk minidress after she and Nancy had parked their Vespas outside the entrance to the building where the gala was being held. The spaghetti straps exposed Bess’s shoulders and showed off her tan.

  “I can’t believe we made it on time, considering all I had to do,” Nancy added.

  Before leaving for the gala Nancy had claimed her purse at the police station and then taken the clothes she and Bess would need later that night to the Belvedere Hotel. She had really had to rush in order to get dressed on time, but she was pleased with the result. Her pale aqua dress set off her reddish blond hair perfectly. It clung flatteringly to her waist and flowed into a silk swirl around her ankles.

  The two girls entered the building through a carved stone entranceway, then paused to look around at the large, airy main room. The abstract paintings on the walls provided a pleasant contrast to the flowery, ornate style of the old stone building in which the gala was being held.

  “Mmm,” Bess said, eyeing the sumptuous buffet that stretched along one wall. “I’m starved!”

  “You’d better eat fast,” Nancy warned. “You have to leave in an hour to take your watch post.”

  Nancy spotted Claudia with Sandro and Massimo. Both guys looked elegant in their tuxedos. Claudia wore
a black dress shot with gold thread, and her hair was swept up in a glossy black bun. After Nancy and Bess had each taken a plate full of food, they went over to join the others.

  “Where’s Karine?” Bess asked Massimo, eyeing the crowd. Except for their group, most of the people seemed to be older society types.

  “She is with her father somewhere,” Massimo replied. “Over there.”

  Several yards away, Karine was standing with a portly man. Nancy got only a glimpse of him before he turned to talk to someone else. At the same time Karine caught sight of Nancy’s group and headed over to join them.

  Continuing to let her eyes wander, Nancy spotted Paola Rinzini across the room, and then Sandro’s mother laughing loudly with friends at a table. Nancy was just beginning to wonder where Signor Andreotti was when he made his grand entrance into the room.

  The art dealer was wearing a tuxedo, and he had a tall, blond woman on his arm. She was dressed in a gold jumpsuit with a strapless top. A gorgeous gold Etruscan necklace rested on her collarbone, catching the light in the room like a carved jewel.

  Signor Andreotti was as good as his word, Nancy thought with satisfaction. No one in the room could miss that necklace or resist it.

  “Look at that woman,” Karine said as she stepped up to the group. “I didn’t know Signor Andreotti had an amóre!”

  “She certainly is stunning,” Claudia commented. “What a gorgeous outfit!”

  “And the necklace. It is almost blinding,” Massimo said with appreciation.

  “They’re coming this way,” Nancy said, noting his interest. “Maybe we’ll get a chance to see it up close.”

  Just as Nancy had arranged, Signor Andreotti came over to the group and introduced his date, Alexa Pierre. Massimo admired her necklace openly. Each bead had its own scene, created painstakingly from the placement of tiny points of gold.

  “Fabio gave it to me,” Alexa told Massimo, a French accent coloring her words. “It’s very expensive.”

  “But beautiful on her, don’t you think?” Signor Andreotti put in. “After the party I’m going to show her off in the streets of Rome.”

  “I couldn’t possibly wear this in the streets, darling,” Alexa protested. “It is too valuable. Someone would steal it.”

  Signor Andreotti laughed. “I’ll protect you.”

  Alexa shook her head. “I will leave it in the hotel room,” she said, as if making the decision on the spur of the moment. “It will be safer there.”

  The conversation set up the trap perfectly, Nancy thought, exactly as they had planned.

  “Where are you staying?” Nancy asked, as if she didn’t already know.

  “The Belvedere,” Alexa told them. “On the top floor, overlooking the Colosseum.”

  A few moments later a smiling Signor Andreotti swept his date away. Nancy watched as he moved to another cluster of people to plant his story.

  Glancing at her watch, Nancy saw that it was a quarter to nine. Time for the next phase of their plan. A few minutes later Bess excused herself to go to the ladies’ room and asked Nancy to join her.

  “Signor Andreotti told his friend at the hotel that I’d be there at nine,” she said once they were in the empty lounge. “Tell me again—which one of the Belvedere’s elevators is the express.”

  “The one on the right,” Nancy reminded her. “The thief will have to take it to get to Alexa’s room and to get out of the hotel after he tries to steal the necklace.”

  “I don’t have to tackle anyone, right?” Bess asked anxiously. “I’d hate to be trapped with someone bigger than me.”

  “All you have to do is see his face,” Nancy said. “Don’t worry. As soon as Alexa and Signor Andreotti leave, I’ll leave, too. I’ll be waiting in the hotel room to surprise the thief, and Signor Andreotti will be guarding the stairwell. You won’t be alone.”

  Nancy returned to the gala, telling her friends that Bess was feeling sick and had taken a cab back to the hotel. By now a band was playing, and everyone was so busy dancing that they didn’t question Nancy’s explanation.

  As the clock struck nine-thirty Signor Andreotti gave Nancy a signal and quietly left the room with his date. Nancy gave him five minutes, then excused herself. Jumping on her Vespa, she headed for the Belvedere Hotel.

  The Belvedere lobby was small but filled with mirrors and plants. The reception desk was on the left, and two elevators stood in the middle of the room. One went to the bottom four floors and the other was an express to the suites on the top two floors. Signor Andreotti was positioned at the bottom of the fire stairs in an alcove at the rear of the space, out of sight of most of the lobby. If the thief bypassed the elevators, the art dealer would see him or her on the stairs.

  Nancy got into the express elevator on the right and asked the operator for the top floor.

  As the door closed the elevator operator turned to Nancy and asked, “Well, how do I look?”

  It was Bess. She was wearing a black elevator operator’s costume, complete with a short frilly skirt and a small round cap. Beneath the cap she had on a black curly wig she and Nancy had bought the day before. Wire-rimmed glasses completed the disguise. Nancy hardly recognized her.

  “So far everything’s been fine,” Bess went on, giggling nervously. “I’m just glad no one has said anything to me. Otherwise they’d know in a second that I don’t speak Italian.”

  “You’re perfect,” Nancy said as they reached the top floor and she got out. “See you soon!”

  Nancy knocked on the door to the north suite, and Alexa Pierre let her in. She had changed into slacks and a tank top and had taken her hair down.

  Stepping inside, Nancy found herself in a plush sitting room. A door on the right led to the bedroom. The large balcony spanned both rooms and looked out over the Colosseum.

  “You’re a very good actress,” Nancy told Alexa. “I’m sure it’s tough to get all that information into a conversation and still make it sound natural.”

  The blond woman laughed. “Actually, my only worry was that someone would rip this off my neck,” she said. “I am glad I do not have to feel responsible anymore.” She took off the necklace, then slipped it into a velvet bag and handed the bag to Nancy.

  “Your clothes are on the bed,” Alexa added. “I’m off to the café to wait for Fabio. I don’t want to be here if anyone does break in. I hope you’ll be very careful.”

  Nancy promised she would be. Once she was alone she went into the bedroom and closed the door. She put the velvet bag in the top drawer of the nightstand. Then she slipped into the black turtleneck and stirrup pants she had brought over from the pensione. After lacing up her black sneakers, she looked in the bedroom mirror. The dark clothes would make it difficult for the thief to see her. She gave her reflection a satisfied nod, then slipped out through the French doors onto the balcony.

  A full moon hung over Rome, bathing the city in a gentle white light. A band played somewhere in the distance. Nancy was leaning against the side of the building, enjoying the evening air, when she heard a knock on the door. Instantly alert, she crouched down next to the double doors. Through the windows of the French doors she had a perfect view of the bedroom.

  After a few moments the door to the bedroom opened, and a tall silhouette stood in the doorway between the two rooms. It was a man dressed in black, wearing a ski mask. He tiptoed over to the bathroom and looked inside. Then he began to search the room.

  It didn’t take long before he opened the nightstand drawer and took out the velvet bag. As he did, Nancy opened the balcony doors and stepped into the room.

  “Stop where you are,” she said. “The police are downstairs.”

  The thief froze for a minute, then broke for the door. Nancy grabbed him, trying to throw him off balance, but he managed to pull away. She then launched a karate kick. The man nimbly jumped to the side, then grabbed Nancy’s arms.

  Nancy struggled to break free enough to reach his mask. She didn’t have to overpower
him, she told herself. She only had to see his face.

  Suddenly the thief shoved Nancy backward into the dresser. She tumbled, hitting her knee as she fell. Sharp pain shot through her, slowing her down for a moment.

  Before she could get up the man stuffed the velvet bag into his pocket and dashed into the living room, swinging the door between the two rooms closed behind him. Springing to her feet, Nancy grabbed the handle. She was locked in!

  Chapter

  Twelve

  NANCY HEARD THE suite’s outside door slam. Desperately she tugged at the bedroom door again, but it didn’t budge. He was getting away!

  The balcony! she suddenly remembered. It opened off both rooms. She raced outside, flung open the balcony doors to the living room, then ran for the suite’s outside door.

  The hall was empty, but there was a clatter in the stairwell. She had told the thief that the police were downstairs, Nancy remembered. He probably didn’t trust the elevator.

  As quickly as her painful knee would let her, Nancy ran to the stairs. The thief was about one floor below, swinging downward as fast as he could. She could hear him, and occasionally she caught a glimpse of his ski mask. But she knew she wasn’t going to be able to catch him.

  The lobby door closed with a bang as Nancy rounded the last flight of stairs. She slammed the door open as she went through after him.

  The place was in an uproar. Signor Andreotti was sitting on the floor, his face red. “He went that way!” he yelled, pointing at the main door.

  Nancy paused, torn between following the thief and helping Signor Andreotti.

  “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine,” he roared, seeing her indecision. “Get that little cretino!”

  Nancy ran outside in time to see the thief leap onto a dark-colored Vespa in front of the hotel. A silver decal flashed as he swung his leg over the motor scooter. She ran for her own Vespa, reaching it just as he squealed away.

  Nancy’s engine roared to life, and she was after him, racing through the streets. He turned onto a cobblestone road, trying, to lose her on the twists and turns. She followed closely, but he was weaving so much that she didn’t know which turns he was taking until she was almost on them.