Free A Fashion Felon in Rome by Anisa Claire West

of.  Or at least, I haven’t run into her there,” I replied as Massimo started dialing on his phone.  “Who are you calling?”
    “The police.  They’ll be able to tell me which hotel Evelyn is staying in,” he explained.
    “I have a better idea,” I asserted.
    “Oh, I’ll bet you do.  What’s your idea now, Signorina Sherlock?” He grinned in that wickedly handsome way that rendered me unable to concentrate.
    “Um, well, I just wanted to look up her name on my smart phone and see what comes up,” I unveiled my latest idea, not sure why I felt that searching for her name online would reap tangible results.  “Evelyn Flowers, let’s see here.” I punched the name into my phone as Massimo slipped his own back into his pocket and peeked over my shoulder.
    “Why don’t you click on that result?” Massimo pointed to a people database that had appeared at the top of the heap.
    “Okay.” I clicked on the database, stunned to view the results.  “ This is unbelievable! She lives in Rome!  Look, Massimo, her address is listed in Rome!”
    “Yes, I see that.” Massimo appeared fascinated by the revelation.  “But the address is private.” He clicked on a link only to be redirected to a page prompting for credit card information.  “We don’t need to pay to see her address.  All I need to do is call Detective Cantino, and he’ll give me the info.”
    As Massimo retrieved the phone from his pocket, I envisioned the sparkling diamond ring on Evelyn’s finger.  Was it possible…I stopped myself from leaping to conclusions.  Or at least I tried to.  Placing a hand over Massimo’s, I blocked him from making a call.  “Hold on.  Before you call the detective.  Something just occurred to me.”
    “What?” Massimo asked urgently.
    “Evelyn is engaged.  And now I’m wondering if Leonard is her fiancé.  Why else would he act so possessive around her?  And he lives here in Rome too as Sophia’s assistant.  Plus, they’re both from England.” As I spoke the words, I felt like there could be no other explanation.
    “That does seem reasonable.  But why wouldn’t she have introduced Leonard as her fiancé?”
    “Probably because it would seem like nepotism.  If she really is his fiancée, then he must be the one who got her a spot in Sophia’s fashion competition.  As Sophia’s groveling assistant, Leonard could probably squeeze a favor out of her from time to time,” I glued the fragments together as Massimo nodded fervently.
    “I think you’re onto something.” Our fingers brushed provocatively as he gently lifted my hand off of his and resumed dialing.  “Hey Giancarlo, this is Massimo.  Ascolta , I need some information pronto .  Can you look up Evelyn Flowers’ address in Rome?” Massimo was silent for a few beats before turning to me and whispering, “He’s looking it up right now.”
    I nodded, shivering all the way down to my toes as I sensed that the investigation was about to take a crucial turn.  My pulse still erratic, I turned to Massimo who looked as anxious as I felt.  His strong Roman profile was etched in shades of contemplation and analysis.
    “Okay, great, that’s all I needed to know.” Massimo hung up the phone and immediately merged back onto the road.
    “You got the address?”
    “Yes, I did,” he said triumphantly.  “47 Via del Sole .  And that’s our next destination, darling.”
    ***
    Evelyn’s house was located in the chic beach town of Stella Polare, about an hour’s drive outside of Rome.  During the ride, I tried not to dwell on Massimo’s cozy reference to me as “darling” just as I struggled not to focus on how long it had been since Richard had gotten in touch.  As much as it stung me to acknowledge, I found my boyfriend to be less and less on my mind.  And I couldn’t help but wonder if the feeling was mutual. 
    At my request, Massimo stopped at a gelato stand halfway through the ride to Stella Polare.  I