“I sense disquiet. Doubt.”
“What does it matter to her?”
“At her core is something honest.”
“She is very ambitious, you know.”
“I wouldn’t believe everything I read in the papers. Preston Whiteway’s competitors have only just begun to support his race.”
Danielle gestured angrily at the wall. “I see no papers here. They say newspapers will confuse us.”
“Then how do you know Josephine is ambitious?”
“Marco told me.”
“When?”
“He was boasting when I stabbed. He said she was ambitious, but he was even more ambitious.”
“More ambitious? She wants to fly. What did he want? Money?”
“Power. Marco didn’t care about money. He would be a prince, or a king.” She tossed her head and laughed angrily, “King of the toads.”
“What is there about Josephine’s machine that is indisputably your father’s invention and not Marco Celere’s?”
“Why do you care?”
“I am driving a machine your father invented. I have a strong sense of your father’s genius and his skills and maybe his dreams. I don’t think they should be stolen from him, particularly as he is not here to defend himself. Can you give me something I can use to defend him?”
Danielle closed her eyes and knitted her brow. “I understand,” she said. “Let me think. . You see, your monoplano, she was made later. After Marco made his copy. Marco is like a sponge. He remembers everything he ever sees but never has his own idea. So Marco’s monoplano has no improvements that my father made in yours.”
“Like what? What did he improve? What did he change?”
“Alettoni.”
“But they look exactly the same. I compared them.”
“Look again,” she said. “Closer.”
“At what?”
“Cardine. How do you say? Pivot. Hinge! Look how the alettoni hinge to your aeroplane. Then look at Josephine’s.”
Bell saw the startled expression on Andy Moser’s face. “What is it, Andy?”
“The boys were saying her flaps
were lightly seated. The pintles were too small. That’s why the flap fell off.”
Bell nodded, thinking hard. “Thank you, Danielle,” he said. It had been a productive visit. “We have to go. Are they treating you well?”
“Better, grazie. And I have lawyer.” She turned to Andy and gave the mechanician a dazzling smile. “Thank you for visiting me, Andy.” She extended her hand. Andy grabbed it and shook it hard. Danielle rolled her eyes at Bell and said, “Andy, when a lady gives you her hand, it is sometimes better to kiss it than shake it.”
Bell said, “Andy, get the machine ready to start. I’ll be there in a minute.” He waited until Andy was out of earshot. “There is one other thing I must ask you, Danielle.”
“What is it?”
“Were you ever in love with Marco Celere?”