Page 38 of Murder at the Ponte Vecchio (Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery #11)

SATURDAY EVENING

By the time I got to the Teatro dell’Arno on Saturday night, I was a nervous wreck.

Anna drove us there while I sat in the passenger seat and had a last run-through of my lines.

Friday’s final dress rehearsal hadn’t gone too badly – apart from a wardrobe malfunction when a seam of my character’s grubby overalls gave way, revealing me in an old pair of Marks not only was she an excellent director, but she had also written a powerful play, and if all went well I was convinced that the audience would enjoy it.

Anna kissed me and wished me luck when we reached the stage door before she led Oscar around to the main entrance and the seats reserved for the two of them.

Zebra had been most insistent that Oscar should be invited and when I first walked out onto the stage, I could see him lounging comfortably in the front row like a theatre habitué.

The first act passed in a flash and when I joined the other actors in the common room during the interval, I was only too happy to gulp down a cold beer from the fridge.

Zebra came in to give us a team talk and I was reminded of similar pep talks I’d received back in my rugby-playing days – although her language was a lot less colourful than those had often been.

Her clothes made up for any lack of colour in her speech.

Tonight, she was dressed from head to toe in a long and voluminous yellow and black gown that reminded me of Amy Mackintosh and her hen-party tiger costume.

I actually began to enjoy myself during the second act, which was ironic because the story was becoming increasingly tense until the violent and tragic ending.

When the curtains finally came down – or, rather, were dragged jerkily into the centre of the stage from the sides – the audience erupted into applause that sounded quite genuine.

Monica and Tiberio went out into the limelight to another roar of applause and were joined by Zebra.

The curtains were then dragged open again and the rest of the actors, me included, walked out and took a bow to more applause.

When the lights came on in the auditorium, I was delighted to see the mayor applauding enthusiastically, and Virgilio on his feet only a few rows behind him, clapping and whistling.

As for Oscar, he looked mildly surprised by all the noise, but was clearly far too comfortable to think about joining the standing ovation.

I changed quickly and went out to the lobby that had been transformed into a bar.

Out here I found, not only Virgilio and Lina, but also no lesser a personage than Giuseppe Verdi, the vice questore , accompanied by a woman half his age.

I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and told myself that she could be his niece – not that I really believed that.

He caught my eye for a moment, no doubt registering that I was the man with the Labrador who had been in Virgilio’s office, but he had the good manners to clap his hands together and mouth, ‘ Bravo ’ at me.

Oscar was with Anna and he had by this time worked out that waitresses – Amélie and Vanda – were circulating with trays of nibbles and he immediately adopted his they don’t feed me, I’m wasting away expression that won him quite a few tasty titbits.

I introduced Anna to Zebra, who immediately kissed her and told her at great length how lucky she was to be partnered with a wonderful man like me.

I caught Anna’s eye and winked – she knows me far too well by now to be taken in by that.

Zebra then went on to give us the good news that her friend, the former theatrical agent, had been in the audience and had been blown away by Monica’s performance.

As a result, he had promised to arrange an interview for her with a well-known agent in Rome, which might lead to greater things.

I was happy for her and I wondered how this might affect her relationship with Tiberio.

As Zebra went off to schmooze more guests, I noticed the mayor standing on the far side of the room and when he spotted me, he waved us over.

I introduced Anna and he introduced us to his wife – they were both looking very happy and very proud, and quite rightly so.

We chatted briefly before Monica herself appeared and received hugs and kisses from her parents.

She was bubbling with excitement after having had a talk with Zebra’s agent friend.

As we had expected, she hadn’t brought Tiberio with her to meet her parents, but that was soon rectified.

The mayor spotted a tall, grey-haired man across the room and beckoned to him and his wife to come over.

They did so, and along with them came Tiberio.

The mayor shook hands with his political opponent and then introduced us to Umberto Carbone and his wife and made a point of going up to Tiberio and shaking his hand warmly.

‘Congratulations on an outstanding performance. You must be my good friend Umberto’s boy.

The last time I saw you, you were about ten. ’

I distinctly saw Tiberio catch Monica’s eye and I read surprise on both their faces before Monica followed her father across to Tiberio and grabbed hold of his arm with both her hands. ‘Papa, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Tiberio.’

I took Anna’s arm and led her away so that the two families could bond without being disturbed. Virgilio and Lina were standing by the bar and he had two glasses of beer in his hands, one of which he held out towards me.

‘ Ciao , Dan, you can have them both if you like. I imagine you’re ready for a drink before I drag you away for dinner.’

Lina came over and kissed me on the cheek. ‘Well, that’s a side of you I never expected to see. Who would have thought you were an actor?’

Anna clearly felt she had to set the record straight.

‘To be honest, Lina, he’s a very talented actor.

He spends most of his life giving quite a convincing performance of being a sensible adult, but we all know that underneath the veneer, he’s just a crazy fool.

’ She reached up and kissed me. ‘But he’s my crazy fool. ’

A movement at my feet made me glance down and I intercepted a look from Oscar that clearly indicated that he felt that his relationship with me should also be recognised. I bent down and ruffled his ears.

‘But there’s nothing foolish about you, Oscar. I don’t know what I’d do without you.’

He wagged his tail and, for a moment, it looked as though he winked at me.