"No, I mean you really think I did it," I said.
"Let us just kill him now," one of her brothers cut in.
"No," Amoretta snapped. "I must find out what he did and why."
"It is done," said a cousin, a vacant character with big ears. "What difference does it make? Just kill him."
"Silencio!" Amoretta shouted. "I'll handle this."
I listened to them in astonishment. They weren't kidding about anything, especially about killing me. Here I'd been suspecting her, and she was convinced I had done it. It might have been funny under other circumstances, but these characters were a wild bunch, fully capable and charged up enough to do anything.
"I didn't do it, Amoretta," I said, putting every ounce of sincerity I had into my voice.
"Stop your lies," she shot back. "It had to be you. You arranged it so you'd be with him all the time.
Maybe you put something in that special water you had him drink."
"No, I tell you," I yelled back. "I was sent to protect him."
"But you did just the opposite. Maybe you're not even the real man, this Nick Carter fellow. Maybe you killed him and took his place. But we're going to find out. You're going to tell us the truth."
"I am telling you the truth."
"This is going to take a long time," one of the brothers cut in. "Can't we question him later? The pigs haven't been fed. The cows haven't been milked."
"That is right," another chimed in. "You rushed us off this morning. We had no time to do anything. Besides, I'm hungry, too."
"I say just kill him and be done with it," big ears cut in.
"No, he will talk first," Amoretta insisted. "But we'll do it later, after you finish the chores." She turned to big ears. "Glauco," she commanded. "You stay here and watch him. If he tries anything, call out at once, understand?"
Big ears — Glauco — nodded. It was probably as complicated an order as he could absorb all at once. Amoretta shot me a last, hard look and left with the others. Listening to them, I had become convinced of one thing. Their emotions were running too high to listen to logic or reason. Besides, I had to admit, from where she saw it, I did have the best chance at doing in the old man. I had to get loose. Maybe then I could make them listen. I let my eyes rove over the kitchen — big stone oven, heavy iron pots and skillets hanging from wall hooks overhead. Glauco had settled himself in a straight-backed chair, propped his feet up on a long, sturdy table, and had begun whittling on a piece of wood with a pocket-knife. If I tried moving back to the oven to scrape my wrist ropes against the stone, Glauco would see me in an instant. With my wrists tied to the chair, the chair was a part of me for the moment. I measured the distance to where Glauco sat as I considered rushing him, head-down, barrelling into him. It was no good. He'd be on his feet before I reached him. I needed something that would take only one move. I bad only one shot at the brass ring, and all I had to use were my feet and my knees. The rest of me was chairbound.
I sat back and watched Glauco. He had grown more absorbed in his whittling but he cast periodic glances up at me. Feet propped up on the table, chair tilted back on its rear legs, he was a perfect target if I could only get close enough. Suddenly, I realized I didn't have to get all that close. All I needed was to get within range. I moved one leg of my chair, a scant inch, and waited. Glauco glanced at me, and returned to his whittling. I moved the other leg, another scant inch, and waited. Glauco continued on with his periodic glances. I edged closer, timing each laborious move between his glances, scooting each leg a fraction of an inch at a time. Glauco, I was glad to find, was neither too bright nor too alert. Finally I halted, not daring to move closer. I listened for sounds from the other room but everything was quiet. The others were all still outside at their chores. I leaped, kicking out one leg, hitting the back of Glauco's chair. It shot out from under him and he fell backwards with a shout. I was on top of him instantly, chair still tied to my back, dropping one knee onto his chest, the other onto his throat. His eyes began to pop at once and I let up, lifting my knee from his throat.
"One wrong move and you'll be dead in half a second," I cautioned him. "All I have to do is press down with this knee. See?" I pressed and his tongue flopped out. His eyes were wide with more than fear. I let up on the pressure again.
"Now you do exactly what I say," I told him in careful, measured tones. The look in my eyes and the feel of my knee against his windpipe was more than enough for him. "From where you are, you can reach up one hand and loosen the knots at my wrist. Slowly, now… slowly. A wrong move could make my knee come down automatically." I gave him a moment's increased pressure again for emphasis. I felt his hand go up my back, feeling for the wrist bonds. His fingers worked on the knots while his eyes looked up at me in fear. I felt the ropes loosen a little. "Keep on," I growled, bearing down a little more with my knee. His fingers speeded up and the ropes gave enough for me to work one hand free, then the other. I heard the sounds of voices entering the house. Without removing my knee from his throat, I smashed a hard right down on Glauco's jaw. His head lolled to one side and I got up. They'd be looking in in a moment, I knew. I didn't want to use Hugo. Misguided, stubborn and stupid as they were, they were still trying to do what they thought was right. I picked up one of the iron skillets. No wonder the Italian housewife has to eat plenty of pasta, I thought to myself. These things were better than weights for muscle-building. I stepped behind the door just as Amoretta led the others in.
She let out an instant scream. "Mio dio! He is gone," she howled. The others tumbled in on her heels. I swung the iron skillet, catching two of them with one shot. They went sprawling face forward as I grabbed Amoretta, and now I had Hugo in my palm, the point of the stiletto pressed against the tip of the girl's full breast. Her brothers froze and I heard Amoretta's breath draw in sharply.
"Wake them up, first," I said, indicating the three unconscious forms. One of the others dumped a pail of water over them, and they stirred into wakefulness.
"Now you wild characters are going to listen to me," I said. "I didn't do anything to hurt your uncle. Get that through your thick skulls. I was trying to protect him. I can't prove it because I don't know what happened any more then you do."
Amoretta's breast was soft against my hand holding the stiletto, and I had a thought. If I could prove myself to them it would save me hours finding my way out of these mountains or avoid their possibly chasing after me. God knows how many other relatives she had around here. If it worked, I'd be in the clear. If it didn't, I'd have my hands full. What the hell, I decided, you have to take a chance sometimes. I stepped back from Amoretta, releasing her. As she turned, I handed the stiletto to her. Her eyes widened in surprise. The rest of her kinfolk were equally nonplused.
"Take it," I said, pushing the handle at her. She reached out tentatively.
"Now do you believe me?" I asked. "I'm giving myself over to you to prove to you I'm telling the truth."
The others were watching Amoretta, waiting to take their cue from her. I saw her eyes suddenly melt, her full lips part and she was in my arms, head buried against my chest.
"Oh, Nick," she sobbed. "Please forgive me. I was so upset. I should not have suspected you, ever."
"I suspected you," I admitted. "So I guess we're even." I could have told her it was my job to suspect everyone while she was just an overemotional, wild tomato, but I decided against it. Besides, her brothers and cousins were crowding around, slapping me on the back. Apologies and comradeship had taken over with a vengeance.
"It all worked out and nobody really got hurt," I said to Amoretta, wiping a tearstain from her cheek. "I'm glad for that, really I am. Now I've got to get back to Rome as quickly as I can. I've got to find a lead somewhere."