Page 17 of The Venice Murders

They scrambled to say a hasty goodbye before the maid whisked herself away and into the lift on her mission to room 233.

‘Well, that didn’t work too well,’ Jack said, getting to his feet. ‘She evidently wants nothing to do with Franco, even a dead Franco. We seem to have wasted our time.’ He’d been unable to stop thinking of the swimming pool.

‘Maybe not entirely.’ Flora tapped the card. ‘We should take a boat trip.’

7

Walking into the Cipriani, Flora made straight for the reception desk, Bianca’s card in her hand. The older of the two men on duty was head of the large reception team, she knew, and it was to him she showed the business card.

‘We’re thinking of hiring a boat for the day and I’ve had a recommendation,’ she began. ‘Would you know this gentleman?’

The man afforded the name a brief glance, then gave a slight cough. ‘We do not usually give recommendations, signora.’ He passed a hand over sleeked-down grey hair before returning the card and met Flora’s enquiring face with a professional smile.

‘I’m not actually asking for a recommendation,’ she pointed out. ‘Only if you know this name.’

‘I do,’ he admitted, ‘and I would advise that if you wish to take a boat, you allow us to organise the hire for you.’

‘There’s a problem with…’ she glanced down at the card,‘Piero Benetti?’

‘Piero Benetti?Assolutamente!’ The younger man on the desk, who had clearly been listening in, earned himself a severe look from his superior.

‘You know him then?’ Flora transferred her attention to the young receptionist.

He cast his colleague a nervous look. ‘I would not say that I know him.Non esattamente. But I saw Benetti when he came here. To the hotel. And he caused much trouble.’

‘Really, what trouble would that be?’

‘The signora should not worry,’ the older man said smoothly. ‘We will find an excellent boat for you and your husband, and at a very good rate.’

‘The trouble?’ This was too interesting to ignore.

The senior receptionist took stock of Flora and must have decided that she wasn’t a woman to give up. That she wasn’t going away. With obvious reluctance, he said, ‘Signor Benetti had a problem with a member of our staff and felt it right to express his anger.’

‘Is that a complicated way of saying he lost his temper?’

‘He did.’

‘E come!’ the younger man added, earning another severe look from his mentor. ‘We must replace two large vases. The ones you see there. Smashed to pieces.’

‘And the member of staff with whom Benetti had a problem? Would that be Franco Massi?’

‘Yes, signora.’ The grey-haired man gave a delicate sigh. ‘Now, if there is anything further…’

‘Nothing, thank you. You have been very helpful.’

Bemused, the two men looked at each other until the younger, recalling he was in some disgrace, grabbed hold of a ringing telephone.

Jack had gone ahead and, by the time Flora joined him in the bedroom, he was already in swimming costume and sandals. ‘Come on, slow coach,’ he urged. ‘Let’s make the most of what’s left of the day.’

Flora shuffled through her suitcase in search of a bathing suit. ‘Bianca’s father had a problem with Franco,’ she murmured. ‘He came here to the Cipriani and made a massive scene.’

‘His daughter had just been dumped by Massi. It’s understandable.’

‘But to barge into a hotel, a hotel like this, and create a huge argument – he actually broke several vases – he must have been pretty violent.’

‘A testament to love for his daughter?’

Flora saw her husband’s grin and gave up. ‘OK, I may be exaggerating, but it’s still something to remember. Look, you go ahead, Jack – find a shady spot for us both. Ah, here’s my costume.’ She held up a red ruched halter neck with a sweetheart neckline. ‘Just a pair of sandals I need now. I’ll be down as soon as I’ve found them.’

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