“I would disagree. I’ve always seen it as a talisman.”
“What is the stone?” asked Rile. “It’s obviously something you’ve seen before.”
“Actually, I hadn’t, although I’ve read a description. Given it is quite unique, there is no doubt it is the same one.”
Rile took a seat next to the countess. “Tell us,” he urged. “So we understand.”
Matteo’s phone pinged. “Cazzo! I just got an SOS from Lucia!”
I jumped to my feet out of instinct. We raced from the house and climbed into the waiting vehicles. When the countess got into the back of the SUV Rile and I were in, I almost told her to wait at the farmhouse, but if she did, she’d be alone with no one to protect her.
We followed Matteo’s vehicle up the hill and parked near the terrazza. When we got out, I could see Lucia’s crumpled form near the back corner. I raced over ahead of Matteo and breathed a sigh of relief when I found a pulse.
Matteo gathered her in his arms while he examined the wound on her forehead.
“What happened?” she groaned, opening her eyes.
“Looks like someone knocked you out.”
“Paolo! He’s with Pia!” She wiggled out of Matteo’s arms and landed on her feet.
“When you say ‘with Pia,’ what does that mean?”
She clenched her fists. “He made her take him to the place where she hid the Medici diamond!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Come on, she took him to the caves!” When Lucia ran inside the villa, I followed, and so did Matteo.
“Rile,” I called out behind me. “Stay with the countess.”
The words had just left my mouth when I saw her move out of his grasp and in our direction.
“You need me to show you the way to get to the tunnels.”
“See if you can locate Georgio and the woman!” I shouted to Matteo as I rushed to follow Lucia.
“This way,” said the countess once we were inside. She motioned us to a back staircase. We raced down the steps, but instead of stopping at the first floor, we continued going down. I recognized it immediately as where Pia had brought us in earlier.
At the next landing, Lucia tried to open a wooden door. When it wouldn’t budge, I stepped around her.
“It’s locked from the other side,” said the countess. “It’s never locked.”
That meant we were on the right track. I slammed my shoulder against it. Again, it didn’t budge. I hurled my body against it a second time, and it gave in the middle.
“Move,” said Rile, pushing me out of the way. “Get back!”
I shielded the countess, and Lucia crouched down when we realized what he was about to do.
> A shot from his gun, and the door sprang open.
“Look,” said Lucia, pointing to what appeared to be fresh footprints in the dirt on the stone floor.
“Do you have any idea where she’d take him?” Rile asked Lucia.
“Probably back to where she found the red stone.”
She led the way through the tunnels and outside to the trail that led to the caves. Rile and I held up our mobiles to provide light.