The Rome Prophecy

54

Louisa can’t believe she’s going along with it.

All of her training tells her this is a bad idea, especially after Suzanna’s attack on Valducci.

Then again, it could be exactly the right moment.

She supposes she’s being compliant because the initiative has come from her boss and it’s not her neck on the line if it goes wrong, which it very well could. Then again, Valducci could really hit the bullseye, and she’d like to be in on that happening.

And so it is that she finds herself in the back of the hospital administrator’s Alfa, accompanying Suzanna on a trip to Cosmedin.

Cognitive therapy.

Returning to a scene of central psychological importance while the patient is in a high emotional state. Risky but potentially promising.

They park just off the square and Suzanna is already acting nervously.

Her face is pressed to the car window and her eyes are glued to the iconic bell tower of the Santa Maria.

Louisa touches her hand. ‘We thought it might be a good idea to bring you back here. See if anything surfaces in your memory that can help us to help you.’

The rear door has a child lock on it, which is a good job, otherwise Suzanna would already have been out of the car and probably killed by passing traffic.

‘Hang on! Wait a second!’ shouts Valducci from the front seat.

He turns off the engine and cranks up the parking brake.

He gets out of the car, walks around to the rear passenger side and opens the door for Suzanna.

He takes her arm to help her out.

Or at least it looks like he’s helping.

In fact he has a grip on her wrist that is tighter than a pair of army handcuffs, and he’s sure as hell not letting go. Suzanna feels him restraining her and looks into his bloodshot eyes.

‘You have to be careful around here. I’ll stay close to you and make sure you don’t get hurt.’

Suzanna looks pained. Her attention is fixed on the church and she’s backing away from it like she’s expecting a bomb to go off.

‘Is this the building in your drawing?’ asks Louisa, noticing the tension. ‘I saw the drawing that you did of the fire. Is this the place?’

Suzanna looks confused.

She peers at Louisa as though she’s a complete stranger. Someone who’s just stopped her in the street. ‘ Signora, I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.’ She wheels around to Valducci, who still has hold of her wrist. ‘Vaffanculo! Get your filthy hands off me, you pervert.’

The administrator is struck dumb.

Wham!

Suzanna punches him hard in the face.

He’s shocked and stinging but still holding on.

‘Suzanna!’ shouts Louisa.

Suzanna punches Valducci again. This time she adds a shuddering jerk of her left knee to his balls.

The administrator doubles up and loses his grip.

‘ Testa di cazzo! ’ Suzanna walks casually away, her back to the church.

Louisa freezes.

Should she help Valducci, or run after Suzanna?

No choice.

‘Suzanna, wait!’

It takes close to ten seconds for Louisa to get level – and a safe half a metre to one side. ‘Why did you do that?’

Suzanna shoots her a look of disbelief. ‘Why? The greasy pig was grabbing at me. You didn’t see him? He wanted to get me in his car and crawl all over me. No way, sister. That doesn’t happen to Anna Fratelli, no way.’

‘Anna?’

‘What?’

Louisa hadn’t got a question; she’d just repeated the name out loud because it was new.

Unfamiliar and yet distantly familiar.

Finally her memory gets off its ass and helps out.

Suzie Fratelli is the name of one of the alters.

This new personality is combining an old surname, that of little Suzie, with a whole new and profoundly aggressive personality, Anna. Anna itself being a root form of Suzanna.

‘Do I know you?’ She’s walking quickly, striding away from the square down a back street that she seems to recognise.

‘I’m a doctor from the hospital you were at. I’m Louisa Verdetti.’

‘Naah. I ain’t been at a hospital. I been working my ass off. Two jobs a day, that’s what I been doin’. Louisa, you say? That’s a nice name.’

Verdetti goes with the flow. ‘ Grazie. Anna’s nice too. That a family name?’

‘You’re joking, right?’ Anna veers left down an adjacent alley.

‘Why would I be joking?’

‘Well, if you’re supposed to be my doctor, then you should know my family history – like I don’t have any.’ She takes another sharp turn into a road facing a large stretch of old parkland.

Louisa is almost breathless trying to keep up.

She turns the corner and feels something slam into her face.

The force of the blow drops her on her back and leaves her seeing stars and spitting blood.

Tears come streaming to her eyes.

By the time she’s moved her hands from her face, Anna is gone.