Night Games Pt. 06

"Yeah," Helen agreed, descending the stairs. "For years, this passage was lit by lanterns. The only upgrade that's been made since it was built is those motion lights you installed." She walked to a wall that held a cooking alcove, which had been an odd feature for a basement room even back then. Helen pressed a stone on the wall. The alcove slid open. "It's something I've been meaning to get on since Susan pointed out that I could bring in workers to upgrade the tunnel, then do the Thing and make them forget it exists. Now it looks like I'm going to have to arrange all that."

The two stepped through the alcove, and Helen touched the stone on the other side that closed the door. She pointed out the two old lanterns hanging from hooks on one wall that she'd been talking about. The motion sensors picked up her movement, and the passage was illuminated by regularly spaced lights that Mander had secured into the rock ceiling. They set off on the long trek deeper into La Collina, and up a series of corridors and stairs that would lead them to Helen's Study.

"I'd think the San Finziones of Old would've put some traps in here." Mander noted. "Spike pits, poison darts, something."

"Nobody was ever supposed to know about it except La Familia Royale and La Familia Denti. And we didn't want to hurt them. Sometimes, they used the tunnel as a shortcut to work." As they climbed the stairs, she thought some more on the matter. "I suppose I can put a couple Ultimados on guard duty in the Denti house until we can install some real security." She took out her phone to call Capitan Gregario Ortega, commander of La Squadra de Ultimados, but they were too far underground for a signal.

After a few minutes, they came to a seeming dead end where two more old, unused lanterns hung from pegs on the wall. Helen pressed another stone, and the door slid open to reveal her Study. Jeanne Carpentier was vacuuming the room and waved to her Contessa before continuing her duties. Helen returned her purse to the safe and opened the door out to the hall. Sounds of instruments tuning came from the direction of the Grand Ballroom. She immediately closed the door again.

"We're not going to be able to get you out that way." Helen told Mander. "The concert starts soon and the Uongoian delegation is probably already out there." She texted Nunzio and walked over to the wall with the secret passage to her and Jeanne's bedrooms. "Nunzio will meet you outside my room. He can guide you back to your car while avoiding them. I need to get cleaned up and change for the performance."

"Once that's done," Mander replied. "And Your Countessness gets some rest, or touches up her makeup, because she's starting to look like she's been up all night, what's our next move?"

She opened the wall and they proceeded up the stairs, leaving Jeanne to her vacuuming. As she ran the machine under one of the couches, a noise like something had been sucked up into it and gotten caught in the brush bar could be heard. Jeanne plucked the sticky, fuzzy thing from the vacuum and flicked it into the wastebasket next to La Contessa's desk before resuming her work.

At the top of the stairs, Helen and Mander turned right to go to her room instead of left to go to Jeanne's.

"Julie and Susan will get here sometime in the middle of the night. Then we should probably meet with the Law People in the morning and see what everyone's learned." Helen answered him. "Luc's going to come up with some known associates for us. If Walker or Sinclair have any friends in San Finzione, we can check them out. For now, I need to clean up and get changed."

Mander nodded his understanding. They emerged from the column next to the fireplace and Mander left the room to go wait for Nunzio. Since Jeanne was busy downstairs, Helen went to her closets and selected an evening dress for the symphony. She showered quickly and put it on before returning to the Study to take the shorter route to the Grand Ballroom, where the concert was being held. When Helen heard the national anthem of Uongo play, she broke into a run and sprinted to the Ballroom. She stopped a moment to make certain she didn't look like she'd just been running before taking hold of the door handle and preparing for her entrance.

The Uongoian anthem ended and "Glory to San Finzione" followed it. There were no lyrics, but at the point in the song where the lyrics came in, Helen opened the double doors and entered the Grand Ballroom.

Every head turned and everyone stood as La Contessa made her way through the chairs that had been set up for the delegates to the raised seats where Maria and President Faraji were seated. Smiling to the others attending, Helen made her way to her seat.

"Good evening, Balozi." Helen said to the President, settling into her chair. When La Contessa was seated, the rest of the room sat as well. She turned to acknowledge Maria before addressing him again. "I'm sorry I was unavailable to take you on the tour. I hope Lady Maria was able to provide a good one."

"Oh yes." Faraji said with a smile, looking over at Maria. "Lady Maria has been most enjoyable company this day."

Helen smiled at that. Everybody loved Maria. Faraji spoke again as the lights dimmed.

"And that other matter?" He asked pointedly.

"Our top people have been put on it and we're checking every possible angle. I have some people arriving from America tomorrow who may also be able to help. Interpol has a couple of leads. I meet with them in the morning."

The President acknowledged this. La Contessa was taking steps to solve the problem. It was progress. He turned back to the conductor, who was about to address the audience. An interpreter was on hand to translate his words to Swahili for the Uongoians.

"Esteemed members of the Uongoian Delegation." The conductor said with a respectful bow of his head. He turned to the platform where the three of them sat, overlooking those assembled in the chairs below. "Your Excellency, Lady Maria, Contessa. The San Finzione Orchestra Simphonica, in celebration of La Contessa's impending birthday..." He paused for light applause. Helen turned her head in a faux blush. "Declares it our privilege to welcome you an evening of music that we're certain will brighten her special day."

The audience applauded again. When they were finished, the conductor picked up his baton, turned back to face his orchestra, and started the show. They launched into a performance of Warren Zevon's "Poor Poor Pitiful Me."

Helen grinned her approval. It was the sort of thing she needed after a day like this.