Jane Vows Vengeance

Ten minutes later, as the plane taxied to the gate, Walter gratefully accepted the bottle of water Jane handed him and drank deeply. Outside the storm continued, and when a flash of lightning lit up the sky Walter gave a little shriek. Jane pulled the plastic window shield down so that he wouldn’t see any further bolts.

“Have I mentioned how much I hate airplanes?” Walter asked.

“And boats,” Jane said.

“Trains are fine, though,” said Walter. “We can take as many trains as we have to. As long as they don’t go in the air or in the water.”

Jane refrained from reminding him that they were now in Scotland, and that should they want to reach any of the remaining destinations on their tour they would have to once again board one or the other of his despised forms of transport. Instead, she helped him locate their carry-on bags and line up to disembark, a process that was slowed considerably by the fact that most of the plane’s occupants were trying very hard not to throw up.

The requisite post-flight bathroom visits took a bit longer than usual. But eventually they all were gathered together again and Enid led them through baggage claim to a waiting bus. Perhaps because she was in her homeland, Enid seemed even more efficient than usual, and Jane watched from the bus window as bags were located and loaded into the hold with impressive quickness. The storm showed no sign of letting up, and in fact the rain fell more fiercely now. Walter, curled up in the seat beside Jane, had closed his eyes and was breathing evenly.

To Jane’s surprise they were taken not to some quaint inn housed in a centuries-old building, but to a sleek, modern hotel in the city’s downtown. It was all glass and sparkle and sophistication, and although she was slightly disappointed that they weren’t staying somewhere more atmospheric, Jane had to admit that it was nice to stay in a place that didn’t smell quite so much of cabbage and Persil.

Because the plane had arrived rather late, it was now past ten o’clock. Walter, his stomach still unsettled from the turbulent flight, was in no state to go out to dinner. Ben and Lucy were content to perhaps just order something from room service and go to bed, and when Miriam announced that she was going to take Lilith for a walk and then settle in with a book and a can of sugared almonds from the minibar, Jane was relieved. She told Walter that she would come back with something for him to eat, then rode the elevator down to the hotel’s restaurant level.

She was pleased to discover that the restaurant served until eleven. After looking over the menu, she ordered a roast beef sandwich for herself and a chicken Caesar salad for Walter. Then she sat down at the bar to wait. The nightly news was showing on the television and she watched as the headlines scrolled by, pleased to see that apart from the occasional natural disaster and spot of political upheaval, the world was fairly peaceful.

“May I join you?”

She turned to see Orsino Castano standing beside her. He was dressed in jeans and a black polo shirt with the Rugby Viadana emblem on it.

“I won’t be here long,” Jane said. “I’m just ordering food to take back to the room.”

“I’m doing the same,” said Orsino. “It seems no one is in the mood for socializing tonight.”

“I think the flight was a little rough for most of them,” Jane said.

Orsino took a peanut from the bowl on the counter and popped it into his mouth. “Understandable,” he said. “Fortunately, I have never suffered from airsickness.”

“Neither have I,” said Jane. “Although I admit that when I was on top of the keep at Swichninny Castle I had a moment when I felt a little dizzy while looking down.”

There was an awkward silence as Jane realized what she’d said. “That probably sounds very cold of me,” she said.

To her surprise, Orsino chuckled. “It sounds very truthful to me,” he said. “Hardly the thing one would say if one had thrown a man off that tower, am I right?”

Jane smiled. “Yes,” she said. “You’re right.”

“Besides, I do not think any of them seriously believe that you are responsible for McGuinness’s death.”

“Now that I’m not so sure about,” Jane said. “I think Enid might have a few opinions on the matter that aren’t quite so favorable.”

“Enid,” Orsino said, snorting. “What does she know? Please, the woman can’t even buy a pair of shoes that don’t look like orthopedic devices.”

Jane giggled. “They really are awful,” she agreed. “I must say, I don’t see how she managed to attract not one, but two men.”

Orsino ate another peanut. “She was not so unattractive when she was young,” he said. “I’ve seen pictures. Not that I’m saying she was a beauty, but she had a certain rough appeal. Also, I believe her talent was very attractive to Chumsley.”

“What about McGuinness?” Jane said. “How do you explain that?”

Orsino was quiet, watching the television as he ate some more peanuts. Jane thought perhaps he hadn’t heard her question, and was about to repeat it when Orsino spoke. “Ryan McGuinness was a man of opportunity,” he said. “And he did not care who offered the opportunity.”

“You mean he was using Enid?” said Jane.

“They were using each other,” Orsino said. “Ryan was using her for his career, and Enid was using him for, let us say, entertainment.”

“A familiar story,” said Jane. “Although usually it’s the man bedding the beautiful girl who hopes he’ll make her a star.”

“Enid is many things,” Orsino said. “Stupid is not one of them. Ryan too was many things. Honorable was not one of them.”

“You didn’t like him much, did you?” said Jane.

“On the contrary,” Orsino replied. “I loved him very much. When I found out he was leaving me for Enid, I could have killed them both.”

Jane, surprised, wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly. “You and Ryan were lovers?” she said.

Orsino nodded. “Briefly,” he said. “Less than a year. Then I found out about Enid. Even then I begged him to stay with me.” He waved his hand. “It’s all in the past.”

“Does Enid know?” Jane asked him.

Orsino shrugged. “Who knows? Ryan was very secretive. And an exquisite liar. He could make Satan himself believe that he was in love with him.”

Jane hesitated before speaking again. “Enid didn’t seem all that distraught over Ryan’s death,” she said.

Orsino shrugged. “I think things were mostly over between them,” he said. “There were rumors that he’d found someone else.”

Suddenly Jane remembered something. “A man, or a woman?”

“I don’t know,” said Orsino. “I didn’t care enough to find out.” He spoke brusquely, but Jane sensed a note of untruth in his voice.

Before she could ask any additional questions, the waiter arrived with Orsino’s food. He accepted it and stood up.

“Good night,” he said. “I hope you will excuse me, but there’s a game I would like to watch.”

“Football?” Jane asked, knowing the Italians’ fondness for the game.

“Rugby,” said Orsino, pointing at his shirt with his free hand. “I played at university. It was one time when being heavy and low to the ground was an advantage. Now I just watch.”

Jane bid him good night. As he walked away, Jane imagined him on a rugby pitch. She knew a bit about the game, at least enough to know that a man built like Orsino would likely be very good at hitting his opponents. Or tossing them, she thought.

Yes, it was entirely possible that Orsino, if so moved, could lift a man off his feet and throw him some distance. Over a wall, for example. True, Orsino had not been seen on top of the keep, but could he not have very quickly run down the stairs and pretended to have been on the ground all along?

It was possible, but unlikely. Still, he had reason to want Ryan McGuinness dead. Their relationship might have been brief and ended years earlier, but revenge, as was so often said, was a dish best served cold. Perhaps Orsino had waited for the occasion. Or perhaps seeing Ryan with Enid had been too much to take. Although I think it would be harder on Chumsley, she thought.

This brought her back to the question she’d been about to ask Orsino. Chumsley. The night she’d seen him