A Moment on the Lips(62)

‘And how do I know you’re going to keep your word on that?’

‘Because Nonno always has, and I’m his granddaughter. And a Tonielli’s word means something.’ She spread her hands. ‘Your choice. Go now, without a fuss, or talk to the police.’

‘You spoiled little bitch.’ He stood up. ‘Who the hell do you think you are, to talk to me like that?’

Dante walked in just as Mancuso’s fists were clenching. ‘Good evening,’ he said coldly.

Both Carenza and Mancuso looked shocked to see him.

‘What are you doing here?’ Carenza asked.

‘I got your message. And, as you didn’t answer your phone, I thought you could do with some back-up.’

‘I’m dealing with this,’ Carenza said stiffly.

‘I know.’ He leaned against the doorframe. ‘As I said, I’m just back-up.’ He gave the older man a warning glance.

‘Thank you.’ She turned to Mancuso. ‘And, to answer your question, who am I? Gino’s granddaughter. His heir. The person who runs this business.’

Mancuso’s lip curled. ‘You weren’t bothered about the business ten years ago.’

‘I was little more than a child, then,’ Carenza defended herself.

‘Or five years ago, when Gino was ill,’ Mancuso said accusingly.

‘If I’d known he was ill,’ she said quietly, ‘I would’ve come straight back, and you know it.’

‘He’s leaned on me for years and years. Even before he was ill. I was there for him when Pietro died and he fell apart—I was the one who kept everything going. Me.’ He stabbed his finger at his chest. ‘I was there for him when he kept insisting that you were going to come home and take over, and it was obvious to everyone else you were too busy having a good time in London. I was there.’ Again he stabbed his finger at his chest. ‘And then you walked in and took over.’

‘Don’t blame me for this. It’s been going on for years. You’ve been creaming off the profits.’

‘Because I worked for them,’ Emilio snarled. ‘I earned them.’

‘No. You stole from someone who trusted you. And that’s wrong.’ She lifted her chin and looked him straight in the eye. ‘Purely because you were there to support my grandfather, and I owe you for that, I’m not going straight to the police. As I said, I’m giving you the chance to leave now, without a fuss. And I suggest you take it.’

‘Leave now?’ He looked shocked.

‘Take your personal things,’ she said. ‘And give me your keys. All of them.’

His fists bunched, and Dante thought he was going to take a swing at Carenza. ‘I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,’ he advised coldly.

‘And you’re going to stop me?’ Mancuso said.

It would be so, so easy for Dante to hit Mancuso, knock out the older man before he could touch Carenza. But that was who he was trying hard not to be. ‘If you want to be in court on charges of assault and bodily harm as well as fraud, go right ahead,’ Dante said. ‘I’m sure the judge will have something to say when he finds out you hit a woman who’s smaller than you and can’t fight back. And so will the jury.’ He shrugged. ‘And if it’s reported in the paper and a copy of it happens to be in the prison where you’re sent … I gather prisoners don’t have a lot of sympathy for men who hit women.’ He certainly didn’t.

‘And I’d testify,’ Carenza said. ‘So it’s your choice.’

Mancuso said nothing, but it was obvious that he knew he was beaten, because he gathered his personal belongings together and handed her the keys. ‘Rot in hell,’ he said savagely as he left, and slammed the door behind him, almost hard enough to shatter the glass.

‘Is that all of them?’ Dante asked when she checked the keys.

‘I think so.’

‘It might be a good idea to get the locks changed, just in case. Does he have keys to the other branches?’

‘They’re all here.’ She bit her lip. ‘I think.’

‘Don’t take the risk. Get the locks changed in all the shops,’ he advised.

She frowned. ‘What, right now?’

‘He’s an ex-employee with a grudge. If he has access to the shops, he could do a lot of damage. Starting with contaminating the ice cream. And if your customers get sick, that’s your reputation gone.’