Chapter Thirty Nine
Jason and Elizabeth had arrived at the Perelli's house in character this time. Jason slipped his arm around Elizabeth's waste and knocked on the door. The armed guards were gone this afternoon. 'Apparently a precaution for the party that he was throwing,' Jason thought.
The door opened and Jason's body tensed. He didn't quite know what to expect at their return.
"Yes," an older gentleman in tails and white gloves inquired, as he stood at the door.
"Hi!" Elizabeth chirped. "This is Jason and I'm Elizabeth. We were here a couple of nights ago?"
The butler didn't quite seem to know who they were. "I'm sorry, what can I do for you?"
Elizabeth looked over at Jason. His turn. "Well, Elizabeth haphazardly left her bracelet in the study room that we were waiting in when we talked with Mr. Perelli," he explained. "And she," he pointed to Elizaeth, " was wondering if we could look around the study for it?"
The man seemed very hesitant. "Wait a moment sir," he commanded and closed the door on them.
Elizabeth clung to his leather jacket. "What if he won't let us in?" Elizabeth squealed.
Jason shook his head. "He'll let us in." Jason was about to say something else when the door opened once more, revealing the same older gentleman.
"Come in. Mr. Perelli will see you in his study," he motioned them to come in. "Right this way." The man lead Jason and Elizabeth through the familiar foyer and down the corridor to the study. "Just wait in here."
Elizabeth grip on Jason's hand loosened as the servant closed the door. "Jason, what are we going to say?"
Jason looked around the study, he pulled out of his jacket pocket a thin silver bracelet and returned it to it's former place.. "Just stay calm, like you did the night before," Jason explained. "We're to have to find a way to get a tour of the house. He seemed to like you, so you might have to play up on that. Do you think you can do that?"
Jason studied Elizabeth's face. It was a like looking at a china doll's face, flawless and creamy white, accented by big beautiful grey eyes. Her eyes, though seemed to be clouded by doubt. "I don't know Jason. I have no clue. You know I'm not good in these kinds of situations."
Jason smiled. She didn't know how strong she could be, how determined. "You'll do fine Elizabeth. Just follow my lead."
He turned from Elizabeth to the soft creak of the study doors. "Ah, Mr. Morgan wasn't it?" Mr. Perelli greeted them with a smile.
Jason watched the man's attention turn from him, to Elizabeth. "And Miss Webber, correct?" Mr. Perelli smiled, lifting up her delicate alabaster hand to his lips.
"Ah, yes," Elizabeth giggled nervously, her eyes darting over to Jason.
Gently releasing Elizabeth's hand, Mr. Perelli walked over to his desk, which sat to the right of the couch. "Well, what can I do for you?"
"Um, well, the other night I accidentally lost my silver bracelet," Elizabeth explained slowly, watching Jason for any trips in her story. "And I think the last place I remember having it was here. I think maybe one of the guards broke the clasp and it fell off while I was being brought to you."
Mr. Perelli seemed quite uninterested in the fabricated story. "Oh, I am sorry," he said rather distractedly. His eyes were focused on a few sheets of paper, which he was shuffling around on his desk. "I don't thinka you'll find it, even if you were to looka for it. We had a cleaning service come in just yesterday."
Jason felt the tension in Mr. Perelli's voice. "Maybe we could just take a look?" he suggested. "It was a gift from her late mother."
Jason put his arm around Elizabeth's shoulder to comfort her as she feigned pain at the mention of her deceased mother. His gaze stayed upon the hesitant man, though. He seemed to be hiding something, but Jason had no clue to what it might be.
Mr. Perelli took a deep breath after a moment of pondering the situation. "All right," he huffed. "You may have a look. But I do not have the time to escort you around the house in search of your bracelet."
"Well, I'm sure we can find our way around," Elizabeth pipped in.
Mr. Perelli looked suspiciously at the suggestion.
Elizabeth quickly seemed to realize her mistake and covered. "I…I just thought that a busy man like you shouldn't have to waste his time showing American tourists around his house, when they were at fault in the first place," she smiled slyly at the older gentleman.
Mr. Perelli seemed to study her for a moment and then reward her explanation with a smile. "It is all right," he dismissed. "And do not blame youra self," his accent came through for a moment, "for getting lost. It is sometimesa easy to getta lost!"
Jason nodded in agreement.
***
Elizabeth inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. She did not want to be the reason they screwed up this info search.
"Andre!" a woman's cried. "Andre! Where are you?"
An older woman appeared through the study doors. She was a petite woman. Her silver hair pulled up in a soft French twist. Her face was regal, yet kind. She had dark brown eyes, which was brought out by her dark skin, tanned from the sun. She wore an elegant and what seemed to Elizabeth, expensive black dress suit. Her neck and fingers were adorned with large gold jewelry.
Elizabeth looked over at Andre. He seemed startled and almost like a child, with his hand caught in the cookie jar. "Bella!" he exclaimed, recovering quickly. "I am here!"
He walked over to whom Elizabeth could only guess was his wife. He planted a big wet kiss on both her cheeks. She seemed to whisper something in his ear, which seemed to settle his embellished greeting. "Bella," he paused, pointing to Elizabeth and Jason. "This is Signor Morgan and Signorina Webber."
Elizabeth plastered a huge smile on her face and shook the curious woman's hand. "Please, call me Elizabeth."
The woman quickly looked over Jason and smiled. She put out her hand, "And your name, signor?" she smiled coyly.
Jason moved forward and shook her hand. "Jason," he replied.
"Ah! Americans!" she exclaimed in apparent delight. "What brings you here?" She clasped her hands together and looked to Andre. "Andre, why have you not offered our guests a drink."
She walked over to the mini-bar that sat behind the desk. "Can I get you anything?" She motioned to the array of crystal decanters filled with a variety of alcohol."
Elizabeth and Jason shook their heads. "Actually, Miss…" Elizabeth didn't recall hearing her name.
"Oh, silly me," she laughed. It was a lighthearted laugh, which made Elizabeth smile. "My name is Isabella."
"Well, Isabella, if I may call you that, we," she motioned to herself and Jason, "were here the other night during the party. We got lost on the roads and were brought into your beautiful house."
Isabella pulled out the desk chair and sat down. Elizabeth couldn't quite help notice how comfortable Isabella seemed to be behind that desk. "Go on," she urged.
"Well, during that time, I seemed to have lost my bracelet. And it was given to me by my late mother and I feel wretched for asking, but your husband agreed to let us look for it."
Isabella seemed to subtly glare at her husband, who seemed to become unusually quiet. "Well, first of all," she laughed, "I have to apologize for my husband for not inviting you to the party and introducing our unexpected guest. He didn't even mention it to me." Her words seemed to carry a sharpness to them.
"I'm sorry my love," Mr. Perelli apologized quickly.
She shook her head in dismissal. "Well, was my husband going to escort you around our house? To look for your bracelet of course?" Isabella asked.
"We were just in the midst of deciding that, I think," Jason explained.
"Well," she replied, pondering for a moment.
Suddenly Elizabeth saw a light in her eye, almost like a glint. "We don't have the time, right now, to show you around the house," she said slowly. "But, what I can do is invite you back in two nights?"
Elizabeth held her breath at the thought of leaving here empty handed. "Yes?" Elizabeth replied.
"And you can join us for our dinner party?" Isabella asked. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she asked the question.
Elizabeth looked at Jason, who seemed to be taking the entire conversation in. "Jason, what do you think?" she asked, somewhat baffled at what to do.
"Of course we'll come," Jason replied, nodding towards Elizabeth.
"Of course. Um, may I ask if it's formal?" Elizabeth inquired.
"Yes. And if you don't have a dress to wear, let me know. I'll send one of my people to fit you with something."
Elizabeth happened to take a quick glance at Andre, and he seemed to be quite perturbed.
"Is that all right with you? Mr. Perelli?" Elizabeth inquired.
He seemed embarrassed that she was watching him. "No. No! I am sorry," he laughed. "Sisi! You shall come to the party."
There was an unexplained tension in that room at that moment. Elizabeth continued to think about it as the servant who had escorted them into the study, lead them to the main door. Jason had given Isabella their address at her insistance. She would send her dressmaker to their apartment tomorrow morning.
Elizabeth had tried to refuse, but in the end gave in to the joyful older woman. Part of Elizabeth didn't quite think it was a very good idea that they give them their address, but Jason knew what he was doing, and if he thought it was okay.
"Elizabeth, we'll be fine," Jason reassured her.
He seemed to be able to always read her mind. "You don't think that it's a mistake to give them our address. I mean, if you think that they had something to do with Jaime's kidnapping…" Her voice trailed off. Elizabeth didn't like to think about Jaime and what she was enduring at this moment.
"It'll be fine. I don't think they are involved directly in the kidnapping. I just think they know a little more about Rosco and his whereabouts than we first thought."
Elizabeth stared out into the landscape, which seemed to becoming more familiar with every trip.
Please God, let us find Jaime.