Free Chianti Classico by Coralie Hughes Jensen

I tugged so hard, I fell backwards onto an old mattress. Talk about dust—it whooshed up around me. I turned to get up and ran into an object behind me.”
    The group fell into an eerie silence.
    “Well?” asked Mother Faustine.
    “Elmo heard me scream and came running. He saw the cloak closet door open and entered through the secret door. The dust was already beginning to settle. I pointed to the mattress. It was a pile of clothing. Elmo called for a team. They’re collecting prints and materials in the room.”
    “But as you already told us,” said Sister Liona. “The room wouldn’t have been so dusty if someone had recently been in there.”
    “We must wait for test results to determine if the items in the room are related to Pia’s disappearance. Someone had used that room at one time or another. I didn’t even get to examine any of the evidence so now we have to wait.”
    “You sound disappointed, Sister Daniela. You were frightened and understandably so,” said Mother Faustine. “You could’ve been hurt.”
    “If I hadn’t screamed, I would’ve been able to examine the evidence before Elmo found me. And if it had pertained to the child’s kidnapping, we’d be a step ahead in the case. I wish I’d kept my wits about me.”
    Sister Angela smiled. “I’ll try to talk to Ricco tomorrow or the day after. I may need a ride into town if anyone’s going my way.”
    “I’ll ask Michel if you can use the truck , ” said Sister Daniela.

Chapter Eight
    The children gathered in the dining room for lunch.
    The two nuns sat outside on the grassy slope when Chief Inspector Pagano approached. “I hope you’re all right, Sister Daniela. You should’ve waited for Elmo before you entered the room.”
    “Did you find the nun’s habit?” asked Sister Angela.
    “Nothing black. There were sheets, a blanket, and a towel in the pile on the bed next to Sister Daniela.”
    “It felt like more than that,” said Sister Daniela, playing with a tiny flower growing out of the lawn. “I thought it was a body.”
    “You couldn’t see. That place was dusty.”
    “What are you going to do now?” asked Sister Angela.
    “We’ll take what we’ve found back to the station and examine the items. There might be DNA among the sheets. There was no pillow so we have no pillowcase, but you never know.”
    “And your opinion?” asked Sister Daniela.
    “The dust was so thick I doubt anyone had been in that room for years. Do you think this nun suspect could’ve slept there the night of the abduction? Her habit wouldn’t have been black when she approached the victim. As for her white headpiece—it was probably bigger than yours, Sister. You two wear more modern ones. Vatican II changed everything.”
    Sister Daniela touched the edge of her veil. “It’s a good thing I removed it before my search. I didn’t have to scrub it this afternoon.”
    “I’m so glad you were able to bathe and don a fresh habit earlier,” said Sister Angela. “How long do you think it will take to get the DNA back from the lab?”
    “About a week, assuming we can find something to test. Then we have to match it to someone in our database. Odds are, we have no nuns in there, but you never know. Sometimes they’re arrested for protesting in government buildings.”
    “A week’s too long, Ricco. The child will be long gone.”
    “I agree. We can’t wait around for the results. We have to find another lead.”

    Sister Daniela walked into her classroom to teach until the final bell that would send her students to study hour on the first floor. Thank you for the help, Allegra.”
    “Do they think Pia was in there?” asked Liliana. “Did the witch make her stay there?”
    “No,” said Sister Daniela. “It’s just an empty room. We don’t know where she took Pia. I’m changing the subject. I need to assign some homework.”
    From inside the classroom, Sister Angela stared through the window at the fence and the vineyard next