The End

This is the sequel of The Rendez-vous

On her flight to London, Isabella thought of the day Tomaso Buonfiglio proposed to her (“Isabella, amore mio, will you be my wife for all times?”) «What a bastard! And to think that I actually believed in him...Ah, Tomaso, Tomaso...» A guy sitting next to her puts down his newspaper, folds it, looks out the window; then looks at her and nicely asks «Travelling alone?»...she gives him a cold look and replies «No...My shadow is with me!» the poor guy’s smile fades away as he unfolds his newspaper and proceeds with his reading.

Christian is all excited with the perspective of seeing his cousin; so he and Luca (the butler) make sure that everything is at Isabella’s taste «She is very peculiar, Luca!» «Oh, I remember well, sir!»....Elaine looks at them and laughs «You two look like women organising the arrival of the prodigal son!» Christian replies «In a way she is the prodigal son...Ah, love, make sure Sophia doesn’t smoke in the house. Isa hates it!» Elaine nods positively and leaves the room.

Paul asks his wife «Sophia, what did you think of Isabella? Is she stunning?» Sophia (who is leaning over the window to have a smoke) replies «Why? Are you dumping Julie?» Paul who is battling his way into tying a Windsor knot, says «What? I can’t hear you!» Sophia throws her mini-cigar away, shuts the window, approaches her husband, slaps his hands (for him to drop the tie) and while tying the Windsor knot herself answers «Isabella is a beautiful woman, who eats men like you for breakfast, Paul...darling!» and smirks at him. Paul frowns, thanks her for fixing the tie and in silence brushes his hair...

Elaine calls Gillian to inform her that they’ll be at her property on Monday, for first they’d like to discuss a few things with their new guest. The High Priestess agrees.

The following day...

Isabella stands, before an East facing window, brushing her lips against a glass of cognac. From the living-room door Paul observes her attentively. Upon seeing his reflection on the window glass, she turns around slowly «You must be Saul! I’ve heard so much about you!» she dryly says...Paul enters the room, walks towards the bar, serves himself the same Isabella is having and while raising his glass to her says «I heard Zion is as sound as ever!»...she presents a faint smile while replying «As always!»...the others join them...

The Meeting...

«Elaine, the only way to keep the formula of the preservative from falling into the wrong hands is to put it in the market through our cousins in Germany. Buonfiglio won’t be expecting it; besides it is about time the world benefits from a natural preservative...» Isabella addresses her small audience «I’ll meet Buonfiglio, and this time he won’t come out alive. Ah, Sophia, you’ll have to draw the twins here...I know that Giuliana likes you [she gazes the ceiling]...I will finish them off as well...it will be a clean job, no mess at all [she makes a gesture as if wiping her fingers]...» Paul looks at her in utter admiration...

Two months later...

«I am so sorry for your loss!»...«He was so young! But now he’s in a better place!»...a sobbing Isabella replies as people present their condolences «We had agreed to get back together and try again...and now, he is dead! Why, G-d? Why? [sobbing]?» people comforted this woman who was clearly in deep bereavement...

Everybody gets in their respective vehicles...Isabella (the last to leave) walks towards an arctic silver metallic Porsche Cayman S, and gets in «Spectacular performance, cousin! Even I believed it to be true!» she muffles her laughter «Christian, ho terminato il mio compito qui...allora [1]...I am going back to Sicilia!»

The End

[1] Italian: "I have finished my job here...so (...)"

Image: The Standing Figures by Jenö Barcsay