Clandestine Affairs, Part Five
Ani further commits to her life of doing what she's told.
I slowly sink onto the log next to Chuck, staring at the envelope in my hands. I haven’t seen this name in years and the emotions rushing over me are intense.
“Ani? Do you want us to give you a moment?” Noelle asks softly.
I am unable to speak, so Noelle takes Chuck’s hand and leads him back toward the house. The memories flood my mind and I am suddenly ten years old again. Watching him go. Watching my mom cry every night.
From the moment he walked out the door, Carmine Gray was dead to me.
As I stared at the envelope, I knew there was no mistake that this was my father’s name. There is absolutely no way this is about another Carmine Gray that Chuck wants me to learn about.
I take a deep breath and open it, unfolding the pages inside: first, a standard dossier, similar to the others I’m used to receiving from Chuck. Plain paper with minimal information on the mark. Pages two through four are supplemental materials. I barely look through those.
Name: Carmine Gray
Known Aliases: Carmine Campo, Carmine Bucci, Emilio Gray, Bruno Gray
Last known location: Naples, Italy and in the surrounding Amalfi Coast region
Date of birth: October 16, 1959
Place of birth: Albany, New York
Nationality: Italian-American
Hair color: Brown (also known to wear wigs)
Eye color: Green
Complexion: Fair
Scars & Marks: Scar on right forearm near wrist
Occupation: Art Dealer, Thief
Accomplice Name: Vanessa Rossi
Accomplice’s known aliases: Vanessa Simonelli
Date of birth: April 5, 1968
Place of birth: Naples, Italy
Nationality: Italian
Hair color: Blonde
Eye color: Brown
Complexion: Fair
Scars & Marks: N/A
Accomplice’s occupation: Hotel Manager
Remarks: Carmine Gray has generally stayed within Italian borders, specifically in the southern portion of the country, for the last ten years. He has been seen as far north as Rome and as far south as Messina but tends to stick to the Amalfi Coast — Naples to Sorrento. Gray and his known associate, Vanessa Rossi, travel within the region together.
Vanessa Rossi is native to the Naples area. She owns a villa in Sorrento and a home in Naples and is known to spend her time between the two cities. She works for the Grand Hotel Ambasciatori as a manager.
The pair make their living scamming rich tourists for minor amounts of money to stay undetected. Gray sells counterfeit art and Rossi brings him clients. Their involvement has been linked to a handful of tourists who have gone missing without a trace over their years together.
More information on each will be found on the following pages.
Referred by: Simon Hale
Simon Hale… that name is familiar, I think to myself.
I take another handful of deep breaths to center myself, buying myself a few more seconds before I go back to the terrace where Chuck and Noelle are sitting. I see Tilly and ask her for a glass of white wine. Noelle sees me approach before Chuck and she stands to greet me.
“Are you okay?”
I shrug. “As okay as I can be, I suppose. Who is Simon Hale? Why do I know that name?”
Chuck stands up and approaches me, telling Noelle to give us a moment. She obliges and walks into the house. “Let’s take a walk.”
We let the moonlight glittering on the water guide us toward the shore as we walk in silence. When we reach the wet sand, he begins.
“Simon is an old friend of mine — ours — and you briefly met him at the beginning of your career with us. Remember, in New York, we were at the Museum of Modern Art and I met with him near the end of the visit? I introduced you briefly before having you head to the next destination.”
I nod.
“I’ll cut to the chase, Ani. I know you will have questions, but what you need to know is that Simon’s wife was ripped off by Carmine and Vanessa. When he told me who they were, I realized the connection between you and Carmine —”
I cut him off. “There’s no connection, Chuck. I haven’t seen this man since I was like, ten years old.”
He senses my contempt. “Okay, let’s not dance around it, then. What questions do you have?”
I pause for a moment and recenter my thoughts. “Why bring me in?”
“I know there are unresolved feelings…” he trails off.
I fill the gaping, silent hole in the conversation. “How would you know that?”
“Oh, Ani,” he shakes his head. “You know I know everything, my dear. I know you still talk to your mum, too. I know you haven’t called your ex-fiancé though.” He waits for my reaction. When I don’t give him one, he knows it’s better to simply continue. “I digress. Look, I’ll cut to the chase. I need to catch him off guard. I want him surprised and preoccupied.”
“So, you thought you’d organize a little reunion between us and use that to keep him, as you say, occupied?”
“When you say it like that, my dear, it sounds awful. I know it’s awful. I know it seems as if I’m using you here.”
“Yeah, it really does.”
“I’m sorry about that — I truly am. You know I value you and your contribution to our team. But this opportunity cannot slip. Carmine and Vanessa are filthy, and it’s time they were taken down. Simon’s mention isn’t the first time I’ve heard their names, either. It just so happened the timing was, well, perfect, now that you’re a big part of our little team here. That and they chose the wrong person to piss off — Simon Hale is not someone who will sit idly by, and I think you know that.”
I try to stay silent, quelling the emotions bubbling up my throat. But I can’t keep it contained. “What else have they done? Surely it’s more than just ripping off rich people here and there.”
“It is,” he says. “Much more. They play off each other, and it’s always escalating. Sure, Simon’s wife was a small get as far as they are concerned, it just happened to be the wrong play for them. It will lead to their demise.”
“You’re still not telling me what they have done.”
“I have a file you will get tonight that will answer all of those questions.”
He’s all business, all the time. Sometimes I wish he would just level with me. Maybe it’s better I don’t know everything, though. Sometimes that works out better in the end, in this line of work.
Chuck continues. “So, my plan is to have you and Noelle go to Italy. You’ll follow her lead and I’ll be there keeping Simon at bay. If he gets close, bad things will happen, Ani. I don’t think I need to elaborate, do I?”
I shake my head. “No, you don’t need to elaborate.” I sigh, heavily. I need a drink. “Do I even have a choice?”
“You always have a choice, Ani.”
Do I, though?
—
I spend the night tossing and turning, unable to turn my mind off. My anxiety is through the roof. The thought of seeing my father, two decades after he walked out on us, is nearly too much. I finally give up trying to sleep and walk out onto the balcony to bathe in the moonlight. After a few minutes, I walk down the short set of steps to the pool and slowly wade into the cool water until my shoulders are submerged.
I swim to the edge and hook my arms over it, staring at the sea. Besides the waves crashing into the sand and some palms rustling, it’s silent. This is balm for the soul and I can’t even take advantage of it. The tide matches my inner turmoil: steadily ebbing and flowing.
Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I start weighing my options. I slowly kick my legs behind me as I float to the surface on my belly, crafting a mental list of pros and cons.
Pros: money. Living this life. Travel. Safety. No second thoughts on where I’m supposed to be and when, clear expectations of my work…
Cons: no life outside of the pros… no one special to share my money with… apparently seeing my father again for the first time in twenty years…
Will he recognize me? Will I be able to keep it together? If he does recognize me, how will that play out? Surely Chuck must have a plan for that…
I begin swimming laps. The thoughts pass through my mind with each stroke, each deep breath, and each plunge I take, I begin to feel calm. Centered.
In the end… I resolve to continue doing what I’m told. It’s easier. It’s better. And with that, I’m able to finally drift off to sleep.