Free Farewell to the Flesh by Edward Sklepowich Page A

Contessa, God rest his soul. And now all of us at Santa Crispina are suffering as well.”
    â€œA murder here?” Berenice Pillow said, putting down one of the miniature icons she had been examining. “How dreadful! But isn’t that a bit unusual for Venice?”
    â€œAnd why not here in Venice?” the Contessa asked as if her friend’s comment had been meant as a criticism of the city. “Tell us what happened, Sister. You can speak Italian. My friend understands it.”
    Sister Teresa gave Mrs. Pillow a thin smile of acknowledgment as the American woman drew closer so that she could hear better.
    â€œHe was found stabbed in the heart in the Calle Santa Scolastica last night or early this morning. The police are asking questions at the Casa Crispina. You can be sure they are thinking the worst thoughts about us all! That’s why I’ve come for you, Signor Macintyre. You must do something! You know Commissario Gemelli. You have experience with murder!”
    Berenice Pillow looked at Urbino in surprise.
    â€œExperience with murder!” the Contessa said, allowing herself a little smile. “You make it sound as if he had been the perpetrator. He was involved in an investigation.” She directed this reassuring clarification to her school friend.
    â€œA murder investigation, yes,” Sister Teresa said. “That’s why he can help us.”
    â€œI still don’t understand what it is I can do, Sister.”
    â€œA great deal, Signor Macintyre. And you can start right now. Come back to Santa Crispina with me.”
    â€œA murder!” Mrs. Pillow said as if the reality was only now sinking in. “How terrible! And during Carnival.”
    Sister Veronica nodded her head and said, “That’s right, signora. It could not be worse for us all. This would have to happen during Carnival.”
    â€œMilo will take you in the boat,” the Contessa said. She hurried from the salotto .

3
    Ten minutes later, when Urbino and Sister Teresa stepped into the reception area of the Casa Crispina, Urbino was surprised to see Hazel Reeve, the woman he had met at Porfirio’s last night. She gave him a blank look.
    The reason for her presence became evident when Commissario Francesco Gemelli of the Venice Questura came down the staircase and went up to her.
    â€œWould you mind coming this way, Miss Reeve?” he said in his heavily accented English, indicating a room behind the reception desk. “I have a few more questions.”
    As the Commissario turned, he saw Urbino. Annoyance crossed his ruggedly good-looking face and he was about to say something but decided against it. He went into the room and closed the door firmly behind himself and Hazel Reeve.
    Urbino took off his cape and followed Sister Teresa up the main staircase and along one of the corridors to a small room where Mother Mariangela was sitting behind a mahogany desk. She was a heavy woman in her early seventies who had little angelic about her but her name and her round face. Her dominant feature was her eyes—sharp and piercing—which Urbino was sure saw everything that should be seen among her charges and quite a few that they might try to conceal.
    â€œLet me tell you why we’ve asked you to come, Signor Macintyre.” As did Sister Teresa, she spoke good English. “Commissario Gemelli has been creating a lot of confusion here today.” With a little smile, she added, “Of course, the murder of Signor Gibbon is the real cause of the confusion. It’s the consequences of that terrible event that we now have to deal with, however. Such things always bring consequences.”
    Urbino nodded, taking the chair to the left of the desk.
    â€œYes, consequences,” she repeated. “You see, Signor Macintyre, it is not only that Signor Gibbon was associated with the Casa Crispina. That would be bad enough. But you must not forget that we have other guests,