Suicide Kings Read Online Free PDF Page B

knew a thing or two about murder investigations, which she most assuredly did not.
    “By definition, most murder investigations are, I would wager.”
    Diana put her hands on her hips and considered. It took her only a moment to decide. If it would mollify her father, she’d allow this woman into her confidence, at least for now. Besides, it might be just as well to have another mind helping her, if even just to sound ideas. “Very well, then. I’ve been trying to decide the best place to begin my investigation. It seems that there are several key possibilities. First, there is the man Giuseppe Mancini di Milano whom the nun said may have murdered my mother. He is staying at the Romancier and I would most like to question him.”
    Siobhan nodded, listening intently.
    Diana felt more confident as she spoke, realizing she was not without good ideas about how to proceed. “I would like to find out more information about the nun herself. I never so much as got her name, and I would like to inquire of the Cardinal Lajolo or the local convent about her background. Then there is this note.” She passed along the parchment in her mother’s handwriting to Siobhan, who looked it over with interest. “We could go to the church mentioned in it, to see if the parish priest noticed anyone meeting with my mother there. And lastly, I should look through my mother’s things. My father wouldn’t like that, but there could be information there.”
    Siobhan nodded once more. She looked interested, even excited. “Those all sound like reasonable options. Where do you think that we should begin?”
    “I think with Giuseppe Mancini. If he came to Firenze to slay my mother and the job is now done, he could leave at any time. We might already have missed him; my mother has been killed several days prior.” Diana noted how she had seized upon the surety of her mother’s murder. She still had mainly the nun’s word to go by, but this inquiry gave her a sense of purpose. She would hunt the truth no matter how difficult.
    Siobhan narrowed one eye. “If this man is truly an assassin, you can’t simply walk up to him and ask.”
    “I realize that.” Diana rubbed her chin in thought. “If he is still staying at the Romancier, he might have some information in his room that would be of use. We should search it…that is, if you’re sure you wish to come with me?”
    “This is the most excitement I’ve known in years! But I wonder, how will we gain access to his private rooms? We don’t know which room is his, and I suspect the innkeeper wouldn’t simply let us in.”
    Diana’s brow furrowed. “We need to figure out some way for the innkeeper to show us which room is his. If a package were to be delivered to the room, the innkeeper might very well let us take it up. Once we find out the correct room, we can sneak back in.”
    Siobhan pulled the edges of her mouth in a gesture of uncertainty. “I’m not sure. He might use a different name.”
    “I bet he’d use the same first name, perhaps change the last,” Diana proclaimed with more confidence than she actually felt. “Otherwise he might be seen not to respond to his own professed name, which certainly would be suspicious.”
    Siobhan nodded, appearing to think about Diana’s rationale. “I have a feeling this is going to prove to be a most unusual position of employment for me.”
    Diana realized her plans put Siobhan in a difficult position. If they were caught, Diana’s father would almost certainly be able to get them out of any legal trouble. Whether he would be inclined to save an employee in the same manner as his own daughter was frankly doubtful. “I should probably do this on my own. You’re only a handmaid after all.” Indeed it wasn’t Siobhan’s mother who’d been murdered.
    Siobhan shrugged one shoulder. “I’d be in no worse trouble than if I let you face danger alone. Besides, I’m hardly a stranger to adventure, I can tell you that.”
    Diana felt