Spider

63

Rome Orsetta Portinari was furious. She'd rung Jack King's cell phone a dozen times and the pig hadn't even had the courtesy to return her calls. Screw him! Massimo said he hadn't heard a word from him either, but that was no comfort to her. Although in Orsetta's mind that proved that Jack was being unprofessional, rather than just blanking her out because she'd made a fool of herself by flirting with him. As far as she was concerned, Jack King might be attractive and clever, but at times he was also a pig-ignorant fool.

Orsetta slammed the door of her car; it made her feel better. His quick departure had enraged her. The Italian police had asked for his help, he had promised them his time and cooperation, and then all of a sudden he'd flown off to his precious America.

She felt betrayed. She felt rejected. More than anything though, she felt he was wrong to have gone.

Did he really think flying to New York was going to save this kidnapped woman? What evidence was there that she was even in America? As Orsetta had already said, anyone anywhere in the world could buy a copy of USA Today. Video footage of the paper was no proof, no proof whatsoever that the girl was American and was being held in America. The crime scene could easily be in Italy. Maybe that black hellhole was the very same room in which Cristina Barbuggiani had been killed. Maybe it was just a few miles from Cristina's home in Livorno. Maybe it was in Rome, right under the noses of everyone at their HQ. Orsetta thought Massimo was absolutely right. Screw the Americans. She'd carry on working the case as though they didn't exist, carry on working every bit as hard as possible because another innocent woman's life might well depend upon her efforts.