Chapter 3 third chapter

Italy's holiday destination, the Ligurian coast winds its way in a semicircle from the French-Italian border to Genoa and on to the Gulf of La Spezia.Along this beautiful ribbon lie the port cities of Portofino, Vernazza, Elba, Corsica, Sardinia, etc. The Blue Sky was not far from Portofino.Even from a distance, the port city is a stunning sight, with hillsides covered with olive, pine, cypress and palm trees.Harry Stanford, Sophia and Dmitri enjoy the coastal scenery from the deck. "Do you often go to Portofino?" asked Sofia. "I've been there once." "Then where is your main home?"

This is personal privacy. "You'll like Portofino, Sofia. It's a beautiful place indeed." Captain Vaccaro came before them. "Are you having lunch on board, Mr. Stanford?" "No, we dine at the Splendidor." "Excellent. Shall I be on call to set sail after lunch?" "No. Let's take a look at the beautiful scenery here." Captain Vaccaro looked at him, puzzled.Harry Stanford was always unpredictable; one moment he was like Hades, and the next he seemed to be the most idle man in the world.Cut off the radio?Unheard of!What a weirdo.

The Blue Sky broke down in the outer harbour, and Stanford, Sophia, and Dmitry disembarked from the yacht's slide.The small harbor is stunning.On both sides of the only lane leading to the top of the mountain, there are large and small attractive shops and outdoor stalls.A dozen small fishing boats rest on the pebble beach. Stanford turned to Sophia and said, "Let's have dinner at the restaurant on the top of the mountain, from where we can enjoy the moving scenery." He pointed to the taxi parked at the pier and said, "There is a taxi there, you go back first, in a few minutes I'll be at your place in a few minutes." He gave her some Italian lire.

"OK, dear." After watching her leave, he turned to Dmitry and said, "I have to make a call." But why not fight on the boat, Dmitry muttered to himself. There were two public phone booths by the pier, and they walked there.While Dmitri stood watching, Stanford walked into the phone booth, picked up the receiver, and dropped a coin. "Operator, please connect me to the Swiss Federal Bank of Geneva." At this time, a woman came to another telephone booth.Dmitry stepped forward and stood in front of the phone booth, blocking her way. "Sorry," she said. "I need to……"

"I'm waiting for a call." She looked at him in surprise. "Oh." She glanced hopefully at the Stanford phone booth again. "I wouldn't wait if I were you," muttered Dmitry. "He's going to play for a long time." The woman shrugged and left. "Hey?" Dmitry saw Stanford speaking into the microphone. "Peter? We have a little trouble." Stanford closed the door smoothly.He spoke so quickly that Dmitry could not hear what he was saying.After the call, Stanford hung up and opened the phone booth door. "Is everything going well, Mr. Stanford?" Dmitry asked.

"Let's go to lunch!" The Splendido Hotel is simply the crown jewel of the port of Portofino, from where it has a magnificent view of the Green Bay.This restaurant is for the rich, so it cares about its reputation.Harry Stanford and Sophia dining on the garden terrace. "Can I order something for you?" Stanford asked. "Here are some special dishes that I think you'll like." "Please," Sophia said. Stanford ordered local pasta, veal and a type of salty bread famous in the area. "Another bottle of Shulam from 1988." He turned to Sophia and said, "This wine won a gold medal at the London International Wine Competition. I have a vineyard myself."

She smiled. "you're very lucky." What does luck have to do with a vineyard? "I firmly believe that people are born to enjoy the pleasure of taste that God bestows on the world." He took her hand. "Of course, there are other pleasures." "You always surprise people." "thanks." It made Stanford happy to have beautiful women looking up to him.This woman was young enough to be his daughter, which excited him even more. After lunch, Stanford looked at Sophia, grinned and said, "Let's go back to the yacht." "okay!"

Harry Stanford was an accomplished lover, both passionate and skilled.He has always been very self-important, which even makes him willing to put himself aside to satisfy the other party when making love.He knew how to turn on a woman's erogenous zones, and he could literally orchestrate lovemaking into a symphony that would bring his lovers to orgasms like never before. They spent the whole afternoon in the yacht's suite.Sophia was exhausted when it was done.Harry Stanford dressed and went to the bridge to meet Captain Vaccaro. "Sardinia next, Mr. Stanford?" asked the captain.

"We'll stop at Elba Island first." "Well, sir, is everything to your satisfaction?" "Yes," Stanford said. "It's all very satisfying to me." He felt his lust come up again.He went back to Sophia's cabin. The next morning they arrived on the island of Elba and docked in Porto Ferrario. ※※※ The Boeing 727 entered the sky over North America, and the pilot connected to the ground control tower. "New York Aviation Control Center, Boeing 895P flight is flying over you, the current flight bearing is 260 degrees, and the target bearing is 240 degrees."

A call back from New York Control. "Understood. We approve landing at JFK Field. Landing bearing 127.4 degrees." A muffled dog bark came from behind the cabin. "Quiet, 'Prince'. This is a good boy. Let's put your seat belts on." ※※※ Four people were waiting for them after the Boeing 727 landed.Standing at different viewpoints, they can clearly see the passengers getting off the plane.They waited for half an hour, but the only passenger who disembarked was a German shepherd dog. ※※※ The port of Porto Ferrario is the main commercial area of ​​Elba Island.The street is lined with elegant and unconventional shops.Behind the port there is a complex of eighteenth-century buildings, hidden in the steep castle built by the Duke of Florence in the sixteenth century.

Harry Stanford had been to the island many times, and it was strange that this place made him feel at home.This is the island where Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled. "We're going to visit Napoleon's house," he said to Sophia. "I'll meet you there." He turned to Dmitri again, "take her to Villa Mulini." "Yes, sir." Stanford watched Dmitry and Sophia leave.He glanced at his watch.Time has passed.His special plane has now landed at Kennedy International Airport.When they found out he wasn't on the plane, they'd have to start messing around again.They'll have a hard time finding me this time, Stanford thought.By then, all problems have been solved. At the end of the pier, he found a public phone booth and went inside. "Put me through London, please," Stanford said to the operator. "Barclays Bank. 171..." Half an hour later, he picked up Sophia and brought her back to the port. "You get on the boat," Stanford said to Sophia. "I still have to make a phone call." She watched him stride to the public phone booth by the pier.Why didn't he use the phone on the yacht?Sophia wondered. From the phone booth, Stanford said, "Pick up the Sumitomo Bank of Tokyo..." Fifteen minutes later, he was back on the yacht, very angry. "Are we going to stop here for the night?" Captain Vaccaro asked. "Yes," he growled. "No! To Sardinia. Go now!" Smeral Beach in Sardinia is one of the most delightful spots along the Ligurian coastline.The small town of Cervo is a resting place for the wealthy, and the area is almost dotted with small villas built by Ali Khan. As soon as the boat docked, the first thing Stanford did was to run to the public phone booth. Dmitry followed as usual, standing guard at the phone booth. "Please pick up the Bank of Italy in Rome..." The door of the phone booth closed. The phone call lasted nearly half an hour.Stanford came out looking sullen.Dmitry did not know exactly what had happened. ※※※ Stanford and Sofia prepare lunch on Lycia Divaka beach.Or Stanford à la carte. "Let's start with a plate of Mylarades." A granola dough made from whole grains. "And then there's a pinesto." A suckling pig cooked with passion cherries and bay leaves. “Finally give us a bottle of Vernacia wine, a sébadas dessert.” A stuffed deep-fried dough made with batter dragged with fresh cheese and grilled lemon zest, then topped with Honey, sprinkle with a layer of sugar. "Just a moment, sir." The waiter walked away, awestruck by Stanford's knowledge of food. While Stanford was talking to Sophia, his heart skipped a beat.There were two people sitting at the table at the entrance of the restaurant, looking at him.They wore black dresses in the hot summer, not even disguised as tourists.Are they after me or innocent tourists?I have to be careful everywhere, not sloppy, Stanford thought. Then Sophia spoke. "I haven't asked you yet, what are you doing?" Stanford looked at her.There's something special about being with someone who doesn't know anything about himself. "I'm retired," he said. "I just come out to visit mountains and rivers and enjoy the world to the fullest." "Just you?" Her voice was full of sympathy. "You must be lonely." He almost laughed out loud, but managed to restrain himself. "Yeah, lonely. I'm happy with you now." She put her hand on his. "Me too, dear." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the two men leave. After lunch, Stanford, Sophia, and Dmitry headed back to the city. Stanford got into a phone booth. "I want BNP Paribas..." Sophia looked at him and said: "He's a nice guy, isn't he?" "No one can compare to him." "How long have you been with him?" "Two years," Dmitry said. "You're lucky." "I know." Dmitry went to stand by the phone booth.He heard Stanford say, "Is that Ryan? You know why I called you... yes... yes... would you?... great!" His tone relaxed a lot . "No, not there. We'll meet in Corsica...very nice...then I can go straight home...thanks, Ryan." Stanford hung up, stood for a moment, smiled, and dialed Boston again. It was a secretary who answered the phone. "This is Fitzgerald's office." "This is Harry Stanford. I want to speak to him." "Oh, it's Mr. Stanford! I'm sorry, but Mr. Fitzgerald is on vacation. Can someone else join you...?" "No. I'm on my way back to America. Please tell him I'll meet him at Rose Hill, Boston, Monday at nine o'clock. Please tell him to bring a copy of my will and a notary." "I try my best……" "Not as much as possible, but to the letter, my lady." He put down the phone and stayed in the phone booth for a while, thinking about something in his mind.He stepped out of the phone booth, his voice calm. "I need to take care of something, Sophia. You go to Petrisa Hotel first and wait for me there." "Okay," she said teasingly. "Don't make me wait too long." "Will not." The two men watched her go. "Let's go back to the yacht," Stanford said to Dmitry. "We'll set sail right away." Dmitry looked at him in surprise. "Then she...?" "She can find her home with Hue." Immediately after they returned to the Blue Sky, Harry Stanford went to see Captain Vaccaro. "To Corsica," he said. "Set sail now." "I just got the latest weather report, Mr. Stanford. I'm worried about a severe storm ahead. Better wait until it passes..." "I'm going at once, Captain." Captain Vaccaro hesitated. "It's an adventure sailing, sir. The storm is from the southwest." This wind direction often produces large waves and is accompanied by hurricanes. "I don't care about that." The meeting in Corsica would settle all his problems.He turned to Dmitry and said, "You arrange for a helicopter to come pick us up from Corsica. Don't forget to use the public phone on the pier." "Yes, sir." Dmitry Kaminsky went back to the pier and went into the phone booth. Twenty minutes later, the "Blue Sky" set sail off the shore.