Chapter 19 Chapter Seventeen

Every city has its own rhythm, and the rhythm of Rome is very different from that of other cities in the world.It is a modern metropolis tightly surrounded by thousands of years of glorious history.It moves at its own leisurely pace, for it has no reason to be in a hurry.It will come when it comes tomorrow. Dana hadn't been to Rome since her parents took her once when she was twelve.Landing at Leonardo da Vinci Airport triggered a flood of memories for her.She remembers visiting the Colosseum, where Christians were thrown to lions, on her first day in Rome.She couldn't sleep for a week after that.

She and her parents visited the Vatican and the Spanish Steps.She also threw a lira into the Trevi Fountain, begging her parents to stop fighting.When her father disappears, Dana feels betrayed by the fountain. She had seen a performance of the play Othello at the Baths of Caracalla, the Roman baths, and it was an evening she would never forget. She had eaten ice cream at the famous Doni's on Via Veneto and explored the crowded streets of Tratterville.Dana adored Rome and its people.Who'd have thought I'd be back here years later looking for a serial killer? Dana checked into the Hotel Chicheroni next to Navone's pizzeria.

"Welcome." The hotel manager greeted her: "We are very happy to have you staying in our hotel, Miss Evans. I heard that you will stay here for two days?" Dana hesitated. "I can't tell." He smiled. "It's okay! We have prepared a beautiful room for you. If there is anything we can do for you, please let us know." What a friendly country Italy is.Then Dana thought of her former neighbors, Dorothy and Howard Wharton.I don't know how they heard about me, but they sent a guy all the way over here to make a deal with me. On impulse, Dana decided to call the Whartons.She had the operator transfer her to Priestino, Italy.

"I want to speak to Howard Wharton." "Can you spell it?" Dana spelled out the letters. "Thank you. Please wait a moment." The wait turned into five minutes, and the woman returned to the phone. "Sorry. We don't have Howard Wharton here." The only requirement is that we have to be in Rome tomorrow. Dana called Dominique Romalo, the news presenter for TV 1 in Italy. "I'm Dana. Here I come, Dominique." "Dana. I'm so happy, when shall we meet?" "you say." "Where do you live?" "At the Hotel Chicheroni."

"Take a call and tell the driver to take you to Tula. I'll meet you there in thirty minutes." Tula on Via della Lupa is one of the most famous restaurants in Rome.Romalo was waiting for Dana when she arrived. "You're welcome. Nice to meet you without the bombs." "Me too, Dominic." "What a senseless war," he shook his head. "Maybe worse than most wars. What are you doing in Rome?" "I'm here to meet a man." "And what about the lucky man's name?" "Vincent Mancino." Dominique Romalo's expression changed. "Why do you want to see him?"

"Maybe it's nothing, but I'm conducting an investigation. Tell me about Mancino." Dominique Romalo thought carefully before opening his mouth: "Mancino used to be Minister of Commerce. Mancino's background is in the mafia. He is very powerful. Anyway, he suddenly resigned from a very important position. , no one knows why." Romalo stared at Dana curiously: "What are you interested in about him?" Dana dodged the question: "I heard Mancino was negotiating a government trade deal with Taylor Winthrop when he resigned." "Yes. Winthrop completed negotiations with another person."

"How long has Taylor Winthrop been in Rome?" Romalo thought for a moment. "About two months. Mancino and Winthrop became drinking buddies." Then he added: "There's something wrong." "what?" "Who knows? All kinds of rumors are flying in the market. Mancino has only one child, a daughter, Pia. But she disappeared. Mancino's wife has gone crazy." "What do you mean her daughter is missing? Has she been kidnapped?" "No. She's just—" he struggled in vain for the right words—"to be missing. Nobody knows what happened to her." He sighed. "I can tell you, Pia is a beauty."

"Where is Mancino's wife?" "Legend says she's in a nursing home somewhere." "Do you know where it is?" "No. I don't want to know either." The waiter came to their table. "I know this restaurant," said Dominique Romalo, "would you like me to order for you?" "I would." "Okay." He turned to the waiter: "Pizza, barbecue...It's a bit more Italian." "Please wait." The food is plentiful and the conversations are light and casual.But when they got up to leave, Romalo said, "Dana, stay away from Mancino. He's not the type of guy you ask questions."

"But if he—" "Forget him. In a word—forget." "Thank you, Dominic. I appreciate your advice." Vincent Mancino's office is in a modern building he owns on Via Satigna.A stocky guard sat behind a reception desk in the marble hall. He looked up when Dana walked in. "What can I do for you, miss?" "My name is Dana Evans. I want to see Vincent Mancino." "Do you have an appointment?" "No." "Then I'm sorry." "Tell him about Taylor Winthrop." The guard looked at Dana for a moment, then reached for a phone and said something.He put the microphone down.Dana waited.

What the hell am I going to find out? The phone rang, and the guard picked it up and listened for a moment.He turned to Dana: "Second floor. There are people waiting for you there." "Thank you." "You're welcome." Vincent Mancino's office was small and unremarkable, and it was nothing like Dana had expected.Mancino sat behind an old and worn-out desk.He was over sixty, of medium build, with a broad chest, thin lips, gray hair, and an aquiline nose.He had the coldest eyes Dana had ever seen.On the table was a photograph of a beautiful girl in a gold frame.

As soon as Dana walked into his office, Mancino said, "You're here about Taylor Winthrop?" His voice was fretful and thick. "Yes. I want to talk about—" "There's nothing to talk about, miss. He's burned. He's in hell, and his wife and his children are in hell." "May I sit down, Mr. Mancino?" He was about to say "no," but he said, "Please. Sometimes I forget etiquette when I get upset. Sit down, please." Dana sat in a chair across from him. "You and Tyler Winthrop were negotiating a trade agreement between the two governments." "yes." "And you became friends?" "For a short time, yes." Dana glanced at the photo on the table: "Is that your daughter?" He didn't answer. "She's so beautiful." "Yes, she is very beautiful." Dana stared at him, wondering, "Is she still alive?" She saw him eyeing her, trying to make up his mind whether to talk to her. When he finally spoke, he said, "Alive? You tell me?" There was emotion in his voice: "I brought your American friend Taylor Winthrop into my house. He dined with us ...I introduced him to my friends. Do you know how he reciprocated? He impregnated my beautiful and virgin daughter. She was sixteen years old. She dared not tell me because she knew I would Killed him, so she...she had an abortion." He uttered the word like a curse, "Winthrop was afraid it would come to light, so he didn't send Pia to the doctor. No. He...he Send her to a butcher." Tears welled up in his eyes: "The butcher ripped out her womb. My sixteen-year-old daughter, miss..." His voice cracked: "Taylor Winthrop not only destroyed Killed my daughter, and murdered my grandchildren and their children and grandchildren, he destroyed the future of the Mancino family." He took a deep breath and calmed himself: "Now he and his The whole family paid the price for his horrific crime." Dana sat silently, speechless. "My daughter is in a convent, miss. I'll never see her again. Yes, I've made a deal with Taylor Winthrop." His cold steel-gray eyes fixed Dana hard : "But it's a pact with the devil." So there are two of us, Dana thought.And to see Marcel Falco. On a KLM flight to Belgium, Dana became aware of the man sitting next to her.She looked up, and there was an attractive, kind-looking man who had apparently asked the stewardess to change seats for him. He looked at Dana and smiled. "Good morning. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is David Haines." He spoke with a British accent. "Dana Evans." There was no recognition of her expression on his face. "Great weather for flying, isn't it?" "Fine." Dana agreed. He was looking at her appreciatively: "Are you in Brussels on business?" "Business trip plus tourism." "Do you have friends there?" "there's a few." "I have many acquaintances in Brussels." Let's wait until I tell Jeff, Dana thought.Then she suddenly remembered that he was with Rachel. He was observing her face: "You look familiar." Dana smiled: "I have that kind of look." The plane arrived at Brussels Airport and Dana got off the plane.At this time, a man standing in the airport picked up his mobile phone and reported upwards. David Haines said, "Do you have a car?" "No, but I can—" "Please allow me." He took Dana to a stretch limousine with a driver: "I'll take you to the hotel." He told Dana.He gave instructions to the driver, and the limousine drove into the traffic: "Is this your first time in Brussels?" "yes." They were in front of a huge vaulted commercial building lit by skylights."If you're going to do some shopping, I'd recommend this place—Galesias Saint-Hubert," Haines said. "It looks beautiful." Haynes said to the driver, "Just a second, Charles." He turned to Dana: "This is the famous Pissing Fountain." The Pissing Bronze Statue: "One of the most famous statues in the world." My wife and children died while I was in prison.If I was free, I could have rescued them. David Hayes was saying, "If you're free tonight, I'd like to—" "I'm sorry," Dana said, "I'm afraid I'm not available." Matt was summoned to the office of Eliot Cromwell. "We're missing two key players, Matt. When will Jeff be back?" "I'm not sure, Elliott. You know, he's involved in a personal affair with an ex-wife, and I've advised him to take a formal leave of absence." "I see. When will Dana return from Brussels?" Matt thought, looking at Elliott Cromwell.I never told him Dana was in Brussels.