‘Get Fidelia. I feel…’
The only sound in the room for long moments was Gina’s laboured breathing. She was slumped further over in her chair now, holding her chest. All at once, huge globs of sweat were popping out on her face.
Christ, she’s not faking it.
Max ran to her chair and pulled her upright.
‘Gina? Miss Barolli? Come on, you old fuck, don’t bloody die on me now!’ He patted her thin cheeks, looked at the blue-tinged lips and thought, Shit, that looks bad.
Her eyes were flickering closed and her brow was soaking wet and creased with pain. Then the eyes, dark and hate-filled, fastened on his and she spat at him. He pulled his head away sharply, as if drawing back from a striking snake, and now she was smiling although he could see she was in agony.
‘She’s not your wife at all,’ she gasped out, having to pause between each word to catch her faltering breath. ‘She’s his. She has always been… she will always be… his.’
Max put a hand to her chest. He could hardly feel a heartbeat and suddenly he thought of mummies, ancient mouldering Egyptian mummies, coming to life after thousands of years. He’d always laughed at horror films, but he was living one now.
‘Constantine Barolli is dead,’ he said between gritted teeth. This mad old bitch, what the hell was she saying?
Now she really was smiling, although the smile became a twisted grimace of pain.
‘He’s not dead,’ she said, so low that Max had to strain to hear it. ‘He’s alive.’
‘He died in the explosion at Montauk,’ said Max.
She was shaking her head, laughing at him, crying out in pain, but still mocking him, jeering at him.
‘He didn’t die. You can’t kill a great don like Constantine… oh…’
She was wincing, clawing harder at her chest, kneading frantically at her left arm.
‘He died,’ said Max.
‘He didn’t die,’ she gasped out. ‘And she knows it.’
‘She?’ Max stared at the contorted face.
‘Annie Carter. Her. The puttana. The bitch. She’s… always known.’
With those final, damning words, Gina Barolli took one last halting breath and her eyes closed. She slumped, lifeless, in the chair.
And Max knew at last.
Gary Tooley had been telling the truth.
Annie had betrayed him.
