Page 94 of The Cellist

“This is Carlos,” explained Anna. “When he’s not looking after my roof and my vineyard, he looks after me. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have a left hand, much less a career. Isn’t that right, Carlos?”

Ignoring her question, he directed his gaze toward a Volkswagen Passat estate car. “You have a visitor,” he said gravely.

“Really? Who?”

“Senhor Delvecchio. He arrived earlier this afternoon.”

“After all these years?”

“He said you were expecting him.”

“You were rude to him, I hope.”

“Of course, Senhora Rolfe.”

Isabel left her phone in the Audi and followed Anna into the villa. In the comfortably furnished sitting room they encountered another worried-looking member of the staff. It was Maria Alvarez, Anna’s longtime cook and housekeeper.

“What have you done with him?” asked Anna.

The housekeeper pointed toward the terrace, where a silhouetted figure stood at the balustrade, watching the sun sinking into the Atlantic.

“You’d better set an extra place for dinner.”

“If you insist, Senhora Rolfe.”

Anna remained in the sitting room while Isabel went onto the terrace. “Who’s Senhor Delvecchio?” she called out to the figure standing at the balustrade.

Gabriel delivered his answer over his shoulder. “He was someone I used to be.”

“Anna’s staff doesn’t seem to like him very much.”

“With good reason, I’m afraid.”

“You hurt her?”

“Evidently.”

“Scoundrel,” hissed Isabel.

Inside, Anna was filling three glasses with chilled tawny Port wine. She handed one to Gabriel and smiled. “I trust my staff treated you cordially when you arrived?”

“I can only imagine the things you said about me after I left.”He drew his phone from the breast pocket of his jacket. “I need to have a word with Isabel alone.”

Anna walked over to the couch and sat down.

“If you do not leave this room, you will remain here under armed guard for the foreseeable future.”

“That sounds wonderful to me. In fact, I think I’ll quarantine here until the plague subsides.”

“Please quarantine yourself in the next room. Or better yet, why don’t you go upstairs and practice? You know how much I used to love listening to you play the same arpeggio over and over again.”

Anna took up her glass and withdrew. Gabriel sat down in her place and entered a long password into his phone. A moment later it emitted the sound of a man speaking stilted German, in the accent of an Ostländer.

“Several important figures from Moscow are flying in for the occasion. I insist you join us.”

“I wouldn’t want to be an imposition.”

“You won’t be. In fact, one of my guests specifically asked me to invite you.”