Nancy hung back and watched as the officers checked the safe and dusted for prints. They asked Sandro for a list of the missing items.
âIâm not sure what was in the safe,â Sandro said. He tightened his arm around his mother. âMamma, could you take another look?â
After she spent some time going through her belongings, Signora Fiorello reported that only the necklace was gone. She rummaged in her desk drawer and eventually pulled out a photograph. âI have this for the insurance company,â she said, holding up a picture of a heavy gold choker with ornate gold flowers and scarabs hanging from it.
The police took the photograph for evidence, promising to return it. After asking a few more questions they left.
Signora Fiorello seemed to have recovered herself, Nancy saw. âI have some delicious peach iced tea in the kitchen,â she told the teenagers. âI thinkwe could all use something refreshing.â Turning to Bess, she added, âObviously your necklace will not be safe with me. You had better keep it yourself.â
When the group was settled at a round table in the kitchen, Signora Fiorello turned to Nancy. âClaudia says you are a detective,â she said. âIs that what you do for your father and his friends?â
When Nancy nodded, she continued. âWould you do it for me? Find out who took my necklace?â
âI can try,â Nancy said. The truth was, she was dying to investigate and had already been thinking over the crime. âI think maybe Bessâs necklace and yours are connected somehow.â
A panicked look came over Signora Fiorello. âA serial crime? Oh, no! I must call Renata and warn her. And Alessa.â She turned to Sandro and asked, âShe has Etruscan jewelry, right?â
âMamma!â Sandro objected. âHow would I know?â
Signora Fiorello picked up the telephone. When she finally put it down ten minutes later, she had astounding news. She had asked her friends to check their own jewelry, and both of them were also missing their Etruscan pieces!
âThe police are going to have a busy night,â Nancy said grimly. âDid they say anything else?â she asked Sandroâs mother.
Only Etruscan jewelry had been stolen, Nancy discovered, even though Signora Fiorelloâs friends had other valuables, too. None of the missingnecklaces matched the one Bess had. Sandroâs mother then called two other acquaintances who had Etruscan jewelry and learned they were on vacation. Bessâs necklace might have been stolen from one of them.
After promising to look into the thefts the next day Nancy, Bess, and George said a weary good night. As they left the Theater of Marcellus, George said, âWell, Nan, it looks like weâre getting more than we bargained for on this trip!â
â¢Â â¢Â â¢
Nancy groaned, tugging on the outside door of the building where Pensione Antonio was located. âI forgot that they said they lock this place up at night,â she said. âDoes anyone have a key?â
George pulled a ring of keys from her bag and unlocked the door. The girls entered the plain stone lobby of the building and walked up the curving staircase to the second floor. The door to the pensione was at the top of the stairs. Going quietly inside, they made their way down the hall to their room.
âAre you guys really tired?â George asked, sitting on the edge of one of the three beds.
Nancy could tell something was on her friendâs mind. George had remained quiet and thoughtful for most of the evening, even before Sandroâs mother had discovered her necklace was gone. Apparently Bess had noticed it, too.
âDo you want to talk?â Bess asked, dropping into the roomâs only chair.
Nancy sat on the bed next to George and huggedher. âItâs about Greece, isnât it?â she guessed. âYouâre dying to go with Sandroâs
Thomas F. Monteleone, David Bischoff