Free The Grotto's Secret: A Historical Conspiracy Mystery Thriller by Paula Wynne Page B

precious leather book.
    Kelby stared at it, reminded again of the mystery hiding between the pages. Her breath quickened. She wanted to suggest she kept the girdle book, but it wasn’t her find.
    Marina stepped closer and said with a desperate tone in her voice. ‘ Por favor, please, help us to stop the deadly big business people chasing after rizado.’
    Roy stretched beside Marina and again placed his hand on her arm. Each time he did it, the gesture calmed her.
    Kelby’s phone beeped another reminder about her call. ‘Sorry, now I’m late.’ She led them to the boardroom door and held it open for them.
    Roy said, ‘Let’s find it and prove what it can do.’
    Jimmy gave a polite cough behind her. ‘Sorry to disturb you, Kelby, but Mr Thompson is on the line.’
    ‘I’ll be right there.’ As Kelby stepped away, Roy touched her arm to detain her.
    Kelby squirmed. She imagined being alone with him and her heart fluttered.
    ‘If you do get involved there will be huge risks, so please don’t say anything to Mr Thompson until we can work out more details.’ He leaned closer. ‘The note on the plane … I had to tell you about Gary.’ He paused for a moment, and added, ‘And that you are in danger.’

27
    A thread of suspicion coiled in Teresina’s gut. The Bastardo hadn’t sung to her for more than ten years. Even then, he only sang to her in his toneless voice when he had something on his mind and couldn’t figure out how to spill the beans.
    What was he trying to tell her?
    They’d managed to keep up a veneer of friendliness — at least until the show.
    Recently he had started to get too friendly again. Her showdown with him in Rome would put him back in his place.
    ‘Was that your favourite song, Mamma?’
    ‘Long ago. Not now.’
    Majella’s music crept up a few notches, distracting Teresina’s eyes from the road. The Maserati veered to the right. Teresina eye-balled the steep cliff and yanked the steering.
    ‘I heard that other man singing it.’
    The car careered into another sharp turn.
    ‘Please send a text for me.’ She spun around the bend as the road ascended into the hillside town. Then she swivelled her head to Majella. ‘What man?’ A coil of suspicion unfurled deep inside her.
    Majella lifted her phone to send the text. ‘The one who came from the show.’
    Teresina frowned. ‘I told you not to go near strangers, so how do you know he was singing that?’
    ‘I heard it through my window, Mamma.’
    First the magazine and now that old song. Without a doubt, he was up to something.
    ‘If you heard it how come you know it was a strange man singing?’
    ‘Because Mamma,’ Majella sighed with exasperation, ‘I peeked at the man from the studio.’
    Teresina shook her head. She hadn’t bothered meeting anyone else from the crew. There were so many who came and went, mostly setting up the new products they had to test.
    ‘He had this tiny thing in his hand. Kinda like an iPod. He stuck it onto the car.’
    She hit the brakes and skidded into a sharp right twist in the road. ‘What did he look like?’
    ‘Like a man, Mama.’
    ‘Give me more details than that.’
    ‘I couldn’t see him properly.’
    ‘Majella!’
    Majella huffed. ‘Tall and skinny. And red hair.’
    ‘Oh my God! The Bastardo!’ Teresina grabbed Majella’s hand and shook it. ‘Quick. Find Kelby Wade in my phone. Send her a text. Tell her to call me urgently.’
    ‘Mamma, you can ask me nicely, you know.’
    Teresina ignored her. She thought of the voice singing to her. He had never resorted to violence; it wasn’t his style. But she wouldn’t put it past him to threaten her. She’d seen a different side to him that night and she didn’t want to see it again. The magazine had been a clear threat. The blood spattered across her and Kelby’s faces showed he had become unhinged.
    Teresina raised her voice over Majella’s music. ‘Wait! Send the text later. First, look in my phone for Gabrielle and