The Seventh Sinner - Elizabeth Peters [35]
The waiter returned, and Jacqueline ordered food. As soon as the waiter had left, she leaned forward.
“What’s bothering you, Jean?”
“Just nerves, I guess…. Except—do you think the police really believe it was suicide?”
“Why not?”
“Well, yesterday Dana mentioned, oh so casually, that she had had a drink or two with Lieutenant di Cavallo.” Jean made a grimace of disgust. “She calls him Giovanni.”
Jacqueline lit another cigarette.
“My dear infant, there are reasons why a man might drink with Dana.”
“Oh, sure…. I didn’t know you smoked.”
“I didn’t.” Jacqueline regarded her cigarette with hatred. “I quit six months ago.”
“Have we driven you to smoking?”
“You aren’t the most restful companions a middle-aged lady could have. Look what you’ve gotten me into since I arrived in Rome.”
“You don’t know the half of it. I think we’re all cracking up.”
“Why, what else has happened?”
“What hasn’t?” Jean bit into her sandwich and looked at it with pleased surprise. “Hey, this place does have a slight edge over Gino’s…. Well, for one thing, Dr. Scoville is back in town. Ahead of schedule.”
“I know.”
“You do?” Jean looked at the other woman, who smiled demurely. “Aha.”
“Aha yourself. I’m having dinner with him tonight, but only because his revolting offspring have told him to leave them alone till Friday. The way Andy treats that poor man—”
“Yes, but he adores Andy. I feel sorry for Ann.”
“He loves her too. But Andy is a rarity. It isn’t often that a man has a child—and a son, at that—who is a conspicuous success in his own field. And on his own merit; there is a certain amount of nepotism in the academic world, but it doesn’t carry a person far by itself.”
“Ann is talented too,” Jean said. “It would be ironic, wouldn’t it, if she turned out to be the real genius in that family?”
“She would never let it show. She’s been overshadowed by those two peacocks for too long. You must admit that Dr. Scoville is a very attractive man.”
“Too old for me.”
“I’m glad you think so. Dana doesn’t. She was practically chasing him up the wall the other night.”
“Mee-ow,” Jean said, grinning. “What a pleasure it is to meet another feline female. Dana chases everything male. Even…”
“Even who?”
“I do get mad at her,” Jean burst out. “Poor José; I guess he knows how to handle it, but after all, he’s made his choice, and it doesn’t seem fair to make it harder for him.”
“I doubt that Dana makes it harder,” Jacqueline said drily. “She doesn’t strike me as his type. Women who see men as a challenge to be overcome are usually pretty insecure.”
“Sure, sure, I know all the patter. I guess Dana is upset. She won’t be back next year. Mama and Papa have cut off the funds. She’ll have to go to work.”
“What a catastrophe.”
“I’m crying.”
They grinned nastily at each other, and then Jacqueline said, “What’s Ted’s problem?”
“I think that girl he’s engaged to is giving him a hard time. When I asked him when she was coming, he said she couldn’t make it this year.”
“Oh, dear.”
“It may not be so bad at that. I think Ted and Ann could have a thing going, if they’d let themselves.”
“What a pair of gossips we are…. Would you like some dessert?”
“No, thanks. What shall we do now?”
“Not much we can do. Everything is closed for the afternoon.”
“We can walk down the Veneto and look in the windows.”
“Good idea.”
They strolled down the street, stopping at one of the newspaper kiosks, where Jacqueline bought several paperback books. Jean viewed her choice of reading matter with amusement.
“Still reading murder mysteries? What low taste.”
“That’s one of the advantages of middle age. You don’t have to pretend you’re cultured. But I’m willing to be cultivated, if you can think of any intellectual sites that are open at this hour.”
“There’s a church not far from here that I’d love to show you. It’s my favorite baroque church.”
“The Gesú?”
“You do read something besides murder mysteries…. No, it isn’t one of the big famous churches. It’s a small place, a little jewel box