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wasn't aware she was supposed to take an active part in the theater; she even seemed bored.
    Gabriella shook her head in disgust at this meager performance until all her curls wobbled.
    "I'm Teodoro Alfredo Mantoni." When the operator didn't react, Uncle Teo repeated, "Mantoni. You know the Mantoni name, don't you?"
    All Mantonis waited with bated breath for the reply, but the operator proved to be a disappointing partner. "Right." she said. "Where are you now?"
    A sigh went up. The Mantonis had counted on a better show.
    Uncle Teo frowned. "I'm at home, of course."
    "Where is home? Could you please give me your address?"
    "Of course." Uncle Teo sounded affronted now. "It's Via delle Pinzochere 10, in the historic center of Florence, next to Santa Croce."
    "Noted. Now please tell me where you found the body."
    Uncle Teo frowned. This wasn't going according to plan. "In his bed."
    "Who is the victim?"
    Carlina winced. Nico wasn't a victim. He had died a normal death, and his grandchild had moved him around a bit. That was all.
    "It's my twin, Nicolò Alfredo Mantoni," Uncle Teo said. "You surely have heard about the twins Teodoro and Nicolò Mantoni, haven't you?"
    The operator was well trained; she ignored questions that only lead to trouble. "How do you know the death wasn't natural?"
    Uncle Teo took a deep breath. Now this was the climax of the drama. "He was wearing socks."
    Carlina started to shake with suppressed laughter.
    "Excuse me, Signor? Did you say he was wearing socks?" A sense of humor had not been part of the operator's job description.
    "Yes."
    "And you believe these socks were lethal?" Not a trace of amusement crept into the operator's voice.
    "I never said that!" Uncle Teo's eyebrows bristled at the dumbness of the question. "But it was unusual."
    For an instant, no sound came over the phone.
    "Hello?" Uncle Teo shook the receiver as if that would improve the connection. "Are you still there?"
    "Yes." The operator sounded patient now. Too patient. "How old was the victim?"
    "Seventy-nine," Uncle Teo said with dignity. "Seventy-nine and four months and three days, to be exact, and fifteen minutes older than I am."
    "Excuse me?"
    "He was my twin." Uncle Teo repeated as if that explained everything.
    "Are you telling me the victim was seventy-nine years old; he died with his socks on while he was in bed, and that's why you believe he was killed?"
    "Exactly." Uncle Teo didn't catch the note of incredulity in the operator's voice. "Now we're understanding each other."
    A chuckle escaped Carlina. She smothered it with a fake cough. Limp with relief, she sank against the table. Thank God Uncle Teo made such a hash of it. The police will never come.
    The operator said, "I'll send an officer around within the next thirty minutes."

Chapter 3
I
    Dust danced in the Sunday morning sunlight that came through the window next to the reception desk at the Florence police station. Gloria finished the call, shook her head and dialed three numbers in quick succession. After four years on the police force, she knew the internal numbers by heart.
    Stefano answered after the first ring. "Tell me!"
    "Ever heard of the Mantoni family?"
    Stefano didn't reply.
    Gloria inspected her fingernails as she waited. She knew Stefano well enough to picture him, his thick hair brushed back, his eyebrows pulled together in thought. A pity he wasn't interested in her.
    "No."
    Gloria smothered a smile. Never one to waste a word, Stefano sounded rude, but she knew him better. "I just got a call from an excited seventy-nine year old. Full name Teodoro Alfredo Mantoni." Gloria spoke slowly, as she knew Stefano would write it down. "He introduced himself as if he belongs to the royal family."
    "Go on. I'll run a background check on him while you speak."
    Gloria heard the clicking of Stefano's keyboard. "He said his twin was murdered because they found him dead in bed with his socks on."
    Stefano laughed.
    "My thoughts exactly. However, this guy claims