Italy Seminar (2)
I woke to blinding sunlight pouring through the curtains.
When I turned my head, the first thing I noticed was the unfamiliar scent of perfume on the sheets.
The space beside me was empty. From the living room, though, I could hear the coffee machine humming.
I sat up and rested against the headboard for a moment.
Through the wide-open bedroom door, I could see Alessia in the kitchen.
She was making espresso in nothing but a loose white T-shirt thrown on over her body.
She must have heard me moving, because she turned her head toward me.
When our eyes met, she came over without the slightest sign of awkwardness and held out a cup of espresso.
"Sleep well? Coffee?"
Her tone was as natural as ever.
Fortunately, there wasn’t a trace of discomfort in her voice.
"Thanks."
I took the cup and let the espresso sit on my tongue for a moment.
As the bitter aroma filled my mouth, I looked casually around the apartment over the rim of the cup.
High ceilings, a spacious living room.
Luxurious leather sofas, stylish lighting, even a few paintings hung on the walls.
It had been too dark last night to notice, but every piece of furniture and every bit of the interior reeked of money.
For someone who said she liked to travel and do whatever she wanted, this place is pretty damn lavish.
No, maybe it was lavish because she could afford to live that way.
I’d half expected it, but this was proof enough that Alessia was a rich girl from a wealthy family.
Click.
With her coffee in hand, Alessia walked to the balcony and flung the windows open.
Soft Italian singing drifted up from the alley below and carried across the balcony.
With the sunlight on her face and no makeup on, she looked much younger than usual.
I finished the rest of my espresso and set the cup on the table.
Then I picked up my clothes from the sofa and started getting dressed.
Alessia, standing on the balcony, glanced over at me and let out a little laugh.
"...You don't have to rush."
"I’d like to, but unfortunately I’ve got plans today."
That was the truth.
Alessia didn’t look disappointed, and she didn’t try to hold me back.
She only leaned against the balcony rail, sipped her coffee, and tossed out a casual line.
"Take care. A dopo. (See you later.)"
"Buona giornata. (Have a good day.)"
I could see her eyebrows lifting slightly at my clumsy pronunciation before she smiled.
I gave her a light wave and left the apartment.
Click.
With the sound of the wooden door closing behind me, I headed down the narrow stairs.
Outside, I stepped into the alley washed in morning sunlight and pulled my phone from my pocket.
Fortunately, there were no messages from McKinnon.
Nothing unusual.
I shoved the phone back into my pocket and quickened my pace.
That was all. Just a morning routine with a slightly different shape.
Well, things like this happen.
***
A few more days passed after that.
Our daily contest over cornetti at Vito’s bar every morning was still going strong.
Sometimes I won, and sometimes Alessia did.
She never brought up what had happened that day, and I didn’t see any reason to mention it either.
I didn’t mind the way things drifted along naturally, as if nothing had happened at all.
Of course, something had changed.
Before, Alessia would have finished her espresso and swept out the door. Now she stayed at the counter, chatting with me until I’d emptied my cup.
And the longer we spent together, the more she started making suggestions like the one she did today.
"Jason, what are you doing for lunch?"
As usual, I was about to finish my espresso and head out when Alessia rested her chin on the counter and asked me the question.
I thought about it for a second and shrugged.
"Nothing in particular."
"Then want to grab lunch with me? I know a proper Neapolitan pizza place."
It was a pretty confident smile.
I couldn’t think of a reason to refuse.
"Should I be looking forward to it?"
"Of course."
The place Alessia dragged me to was a shabby little pizzeria tucked deep into a side alley.
It didn’t even have a proper sign, but the moment we opened the door, heat from the wood-fired oven slapped my face.
Alessia rattled off something in Italian to the owner and jabbed a finger at a couple of items on the menu. Clearly, she hadn’t been here just once or twice.
We sat across from each other at a cramped table against the wall and picked up slices of freshly baked pizza.
The first bite sent the crust cracking crisp under my teeth, and the soft cheese spread across my mouth at the same time.
It was one of the best things I’d eaten since coming to Italy. Damn it.
"Well?"
"...Mm. It’s good."
"Ha, then why do you look so wronged?"
"Because the place you brought me to serves the best food I’ve had in Italy so far, and I feel cheated."
At that, she made an incredulous face, then burst out laughing.
She took a slice of a different kind of pizza from her own plate and pushed it toward me.
"Try this too. This is the real deal here."
I took a bite of that as well.
The bitter bite of the arugula on top paired strangely well with the saltiness of the cheese.
"Let’s walk a bit after this. There’s a decent place nearby."
Once we left the shop, Alessia naturally hooked her arm through mine and took the lead.
The afternoon sun slanted into the alley, bleaching the stones underfoot almost white with heat.
"This way."
We passed a small square and climbed a staircase cut into a narrow lane.
The alley had felt tight at first, but the higher we climbed, the more it gradually opened up.
"Wow."
When we reached the top of the stairs, a sweeping view opened up before us.
Beyond the railing, Naples spread out in layers of roofs, with the sea visible beyond them.
Far in the distance, the sun was turning the sides of the buildings orange.
"How is it? Nice, right?"
Alessia asked as she leaned against the railing.
"Pretty good."
"I used to come here a lot when I was little. This place."
She glanced at me once and gave a small smile.
"Well, not that it’s anything amazing or whatever."
I leaned beside her against the railing.
The wind blew, sending Alessia’s hair drifting across her face.
She brushed it back behind her ear with a finger.
We stood there for a while in silence, simply watching the view.
I could feel her as if she wanted to say something more, then thought better of it.
I didn’t press her. That was easier.
Not bad.
By the time the sun had dipped a little lower, we headed back down the alley.
As we walked downhill, we naturally drew closer to the direction of our lodging.
It was a shame, but this was where we had to part ways. Shift change was coming up soon.
"I should get going."
At my words, Alessia turned her head while we walked.
"...You said you were on vacation, but what are you so busy with every day?"
At her grumbling, I stuffed my hands in my pockets and answered with feigned casualness.
"You do know the person who’s on vacation and having fun is always the busiest one, right? My schedule’s packed."
"Ha, sure it is. Though for someone that busy, you don’t seem to leave Naples much."
Alessia lifted one eyebrow and looked at me.
But when I didn’t offer anything else, she didn’t push or complain further.
"By the way, are you free tomorrow evening? I was thinking I might cook for you at my place."
At her offer, I fell into brief thought.
Truthfully, it wasn’t the first time she’d suggested a dinner like this. I’d already turned her down more than once.
This time, too, I was about to refuse, but when I saw the way she looked at me, as if gauging my reaction, the words slipped out before I could stop them.
"...Sure, why not."
Alessia looked satisfied and gave my arm a light tap.
"You should look forward to it. I’m pretty good at cooking."
Honestly, I didn’t buy that for a second, but I kept my face still.
I had at least that much sense.
***
The next evening, Alessia sent me a message along with her address.
[Just in case you couldn’t find it. Don’t be late. Hurry up and come.]
I was smiling as I started walking when a black sedan passing by me slowed down and came to a smooth stop.
Swish.
There were almost no people around.
It had no reason to stop unless it was stopping for me.
Sure enough, the rear door opened at once and a broad-shouldered man in a suit stepped out.
He kept a slight distance from me and spoke in a calm, low voice.
"Mr. Jason Lee?"
My body instinctively shifted back a little as I checked the surroundings.
There was no one moving to surround me, no one closing in on the street, and there were only two more people inside the car.
Still, I couldn’t sense any tension or hostility from their breathing or their bearing.
"Sorry for dropping by so suddenly. I had no intention of threatening you."
Even as I heard that, my mind was racing.
Did they figure out my cover identity? The Russians? Or the mafia behind the target?
Before I could work it through, the man continued in rough, accented English.
"There’s someone who wishes to meet you because of Lady Alessia. If you don’t mind, would you come with us for a short while?"
Alessia.
The moment I heard her name, I actually felt some of the tension leave my body.
At the very least, that meant they hadn’t uncovered my real identity, and nothing had gone wrong with the operation.
Given her house, the clothes she wore, and the way she carried herself, I’d already guessed she wasn’t an ordinary person.
But I’d only thought she was some carefree rich girl.
...Looks like she’s from a more dangerous family than I thought.
I could tell just by looking at the man standing in front of me.
He didn’t have the air of someone who did ordinary, legal work.
When I just stared at him without answering, he hurried on as if trying to clear up the misunderstanding.
"We have no intention of harming you. I promise. If you wish, you may contact anyone right now."
With that, I sorted the situation out in my head.
For now, by the look of their attitude and the way they were carrying themselves, they didn’t seem to intend to hurt me immediately.
Of course, if I dug in my heels and said I wasn’t going, I doubted they’d let me leave so easily either.
Heh. What a bunch of clowns.
Part of me wanted to just beat them down and run, but that would mess up my cover...
For now, I decided to go along with them. I’d leave a message first, just in case.
"Hold on a second."
When I pulled out my phone, the man gave a quiet nod.
I brought up McKinnon’s number and sent off a short text.
[Looks like I’ll be a little late today. I’ll contact you later.]
With any luck, McKinnon would catch on right away.
I made sure location tracking would stay on, then slipped the phone back into my pocket.
"...Let's go."
I climbed into the back seat through the open door.
The door shut, and the car pulled away smoothly.
As it moved, I habitually fixed the scenery outside the window, the direction of travel, the speed, and the elapsed time in my head.
The car left the city center and gradually made its way toward the quieter coastal side.
My phone gave a short buzz in my pocket. It was probably McKinnon.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t check it right now.
***
Before long, the car came to a stop.
The destination was an old building near the harbor.
Led inside, I found a space that was basically an office, and a fairly large one at that.
In the center of the room sat one long table and a handful of chairs.
Two men were standing in one corner of the room, and there were two entrances.
Two men near the front door, plus the ones outside who had brought me here—that made seven in all.
From the way one of the men in the corner had a bulge at his waist, he was probably carrying a concealed handgun.
At this level, getting away won’t be a problem.
When I’d first come in, I’d noticed that the door behind me hadn’t been locked, which was fortunate.
I stood in place for a moment, waiting, and soon the inner door opened.
Step, step.
The man who came in looked to be in his late fifties.
He had white hair going gray at the temples and a face lined with wrinkles, but his gait was steady and unhurried.
My eyes went to his suit and the ring on his finger. They were expensive, obviously.
"Sit."
The middle-aged man took the seat opposite me and motioned for me to sit as well.
Then he began speaking to me in fluent English.
"Jason Lee. Hong Kong American. I understand you work as a practitioner of Eastern medicine in California."
He listed off my cover information in a dry voice.
He’d already finished the basic background check on me.
"You’re here in Naples on vacation, I hear. Enjoying your holiday?"
It was a relaxed question, but it carried the weight of someone who already knew everything about me.
I put on a suitably tense expression and nodded.
"...Yes."
"Good. And from the looks of it, you seem to be spending a lot of time with my niece lately. Alessia."
"I just happened to meet her at a neighborhood espresso bar, and we’ve had coffee together a few times. That’s all."
At my answer, the man slowly nodded.
His expression made it impossible to tell whether he believed me or not.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again.
His voice had dropped by half a register compared to before.
"As you can see, the girl’s background is far from ordinary. That’s why I have to be careful about the people around her."
His eyes lingered on me for a moment.
"I’d prefer that you not grow any closer to Alessia than necessary. I trust you understand that I don’t want you making any reckless mistakes with her."
I quickly nodded and answered.
"Understood. Of course."
After hearing me, the man gave a small nod and stood without delay.
"Have a good night."
That was it.
Once he disappeared through the inner door, the men who had brought me here came back over and escorted me outside.
Then they put me back in the car and dropped me near the city center.
The black sedan slid away down the road and vanished.
I watched it for a moment, then let out a dry laugh.
"Ha."
Life really did throw every kind of nonsense at you.
Thinking that, I took out my phone and checked it.
Sure enough, there was a short message from McKinnon.
[How late? Want me to come pick you up?]
Maybe because it was all part of the cover, but his tone was unusually considerate for McKinnon.
I felt a chill run down my spine and quickly sent back a reply.
[No issues.]
Then there were more messages.
They’d been sent by Alessia, spaced a little apart.
The last message had been sent forty minutes ago.
I felt bad for leaving her waiting, but I decided not to answer right away.
Report first.
This was an unexpected situation, so talking it over with McKinnon came first.
I put my phone back in my pocket and turned toward the alley exit.
Damn. McKinnon’s going to chew me out for this.
What I’d thought was nothing more than a minor detour had blown up into something much more troublesome.
Apparently, I’d spent the night with the daughter of a mafia family.