Free Champagne Deception by Anisa Claire West Page B

not your bedroom.”
    “But you’re assuming this person knows the lay-out of the house.  I’ve never had any enemies inside my home---none that I know of anyway---so whoever did this would have no idea what room he was aiming at,” Lorenzo reasoned.
    Coretta shivered in the brisk air as a fit of giggles overcame her.  Could it have been Signora Fiatti?  That mamma sure was mad when she left.  She covered her mouth with one hand in an attempt to hide her nervous laughter.
    “Are you laughing?” Lorenzo asked in amazement.
    “Yes.  I’m just so nervous.  It’s a reflex,” she said, the laughter instantly fading into a sobering awareness of what could have happened had the rock landed on the bed.  “I don’t think you’re the target, Lorenzo.  The person must be after me.  None of these things were happening before I got here, right?”
    “No, they weren’t.  But that doesn’t mean anything.  Come on, let’s go.”
    Lorenzo grabbed Coretta’s hand and led her inside the villa.  Locking the doors firmly, he reached for his cell phone and called the police.  “They should be here in a few minutes to conduct an investigation of the property.  Let’s go in the living room and try to relax until they get here.”
    Coretta sat hip to hip with Lorenzo on the sofa, and he did not try to push her away.  As his mind raced with scenarios and culprits, he drew her closer and absently caressed her mussed hair.  The doorbell chimed for the third time that night, startling both of them.

Chapter Eight
     
    Lorenzo looked out the peephole before opening the door to the pair of uniformed police officers.  Young, sturdy, and dark haired, the officers instantly set Coretta at ease.  With three strong men in the house all at once, she didn’t feel vulnerable to whomever was trying to kill them.
    Lorenzo explained the incident in Italian to the officers as Coretta interjected pertinent details.  Nodding and taking furious notes on their pads, the officers parted, one heading upstairs to the bedroom and the other outside.
    Coretta bit her nails for the next hour as the investigation methodically unfolded.  When the officers rejoined them in the living room, they regretfully announced that they had not uncovered any evidence.  Lorenzo drew a sharp intake of breath, wholly unsatisfied with the results of the search.
    “That’s unacceptable,” he clipped.  “An attempted murder took place here tonight, and you’ll have to do better than to just dismiss us and say there’s no evidence.”
    “ Signor Fiatti, I can assure you that we’re not dismissing the case.  We’re simply saying that whoever threw a rock at your house was very shrewd and didn’t leave a trace of evidence.  Not a fingerprint, nothing,” the lead officer explained.
    Lorenzo’s hostility mushroomed as he demanded, “Why don’t you get a forensics team here?  There could be a microscopic piece of evidence that you missed.  After all, you are police officers, not detectives, right?”
    “ Si, Signor .  But no murder has been committed.  No one was even mildly injured.  We only call in forensics teams for investigations into violent crimes.”
    “This woman was nearly rammed in the head by a rock!  The rock only missed her by a few inches!” Lorenzo argued, inwardly shuddering at the thought of any injury befalling sweet Coretta.
    Both officers remained calm and rose to leave simultaneously as Lorenzo shot them a furious glare.  “ Signor , we understand your concerns, but our hands are tied.  We have a procedure to follow.  If you’d like, we can put your house under surveillance for a while.  And you can get a restraining order---“
    “Against who?” Lorenzo boomed.  “We have no idea who did this!”
    The policemen walked to the front door.  “Like I said, we’ll keep your house under surveillance for a while.  Buona notte, Signor Fiatti .”
    Lorenzo watched the officers leave without bidding them good