09-05-2019, 02:41 PM
"It would appear that La Contessa could not wait to meet you." Ramirez told Luc.
The front door opened, and tiny feet ran down the porch toward them.
"Papa!" 8-year-old Luis and 6-year-old Marta Ramirez called as they ran toward them. "Padrino!" Each of them barreled into one of Luc's legs and hugged it.
The children began dragging him into the house. Hernando followed, laughing at the children too busy to hug their Godpapa to remember Papa right behind him. They hadn't seen Luc in a while either. He eventually pulled them off of his legs so he could climb the stairs and try to evade their kid questions about why Godpapa Sam wasn't with him. They entered the house.
Contessa Helena de San Finzione was seated on a couch in the living room. She wasn't smoking; she wouldn't around El Niños. Violeta Ramirez was standing from the one on the adjoining wall and asked La Contessa to excuse her as she approached Luc.
"Kiss me, you damn queer." Violeta laughed, throwing her arms around him. Luc hugged back and did so. La Contessa rose to her feet as the Generalissimo hung his jacket and hat.
"Contessa." He said to her as she walked over to shake Luc's hand. "I did not expect to see you here. I'd planned to bring Luc to the castle tomorrow."
"I had some time after picking a new director, so I figured I'd take advantage of your shooting range. The castle doesn't have what you'd call a 'gun range;' and it scares the twins when I use my Rose Garden. They're with their father right now, but I should get out of the habit." Ramirez nodded, confirming that he knew all this. "So, in the neighborhood, you might say." She turned to Luc. "It's nice to meet you at last, Detective Inspector. San Finzione doesn't have an order of knighthood, I'm afraid. If we did, you'd be one by now for the things you've done for us. Ramirez, too, just for letting me know you exist."
Luc bowed and kissed her hand. Helen smiled and gave a little giggle.
"I am honored, Contessa, and I must thank you for the lovely gift."
While Luc's head was bowed, Helen gave Ramirez a confused look. The Generalissimo took his own iPad out of his briefcase and held it up. Helen gave him an "Oh, right; what I'd have done if I'd been thinking. Thanks" nod, then turned back to let Luc up before responding with a curtsy.
"Everyone's off the clock here, Luc." Helena replied. "Helena will be fine. That's what Violeta and the kids call me. And I know Hernando won't, but you've got permission to call me that as well." She turned to Ramirez. "You have a dinner guest who's just gotten off a flight, and I have a guest arriving tomorrow to prepare for, myself. You remember Mander, Hernando."
Luc's ears perked up. Both to the name and Hernando's attempt at a stifled groan.
"Would that be NIGEL Mander?"
Helena heard the all-caps when Luc spoke Mander's first name. She turned back to him and smiled.
"He prefers just 'Mander.' I had a feeling you'd know him professionally." The detective nodded. "Yes, he'll be at the castle tomorrow, and I hope you come as well." Helena thought a second. "I should advise you, Luc; that, by order of La Contessa, Nigel Mander has a Blanket Pardon in San Finzione for All Crimes, Past, Present, and Future."
Luc nodded. Helen leaned into him closer to whisper so the children wouldn't hear.
"I sometimes need him to do crimes. You want one, too? I can just write those things up."
"Er, not just yet. I only brought one bag; however, still need to unpack. I've heard good things about the San Finzione Marketplace. My supervisor, I'm sure, would allow me to expense an entire new wardrobe if it keeps me out of the office."
"We can sort that out in the morning." Helen responded, wrinkling her nose and taking out her cigarette case. Ramirez, who'd been standing in the entryway the entire time, spotted the cue and opened the door to show La Contessa out to her car. "For now, you should be sitting down to dinner and Scappa should be driving me home so he can as well."
Everyone else said goodbye and went to the table. Once they were outside and the door was closed, Helen lit up for the walk to the limo.
"He seems nice." She told Ramirez once they were down the steps.
"He had a bad breakup. A few hours ago. Right before he left."
"I have too much respect for either of you to even offer to do The Thing to take care of it for him. He'd have to ask me for that himself. I told you it was ok to tell him about it if you haven't already."
"I have, Si. And Gracias."
Scappa started to step out of the car to open La Contessa's door. Ramirez gave him an "I got this" wave. He nodded back as Ramirez got the door for her.
"So, filming resumes tomorrow?"
"The cave battle, holding off on the hanging scene. Let the new director decide if he wants to use Eliot's setup or not. I'll probably do some public stuff tomorrow, too. Dietz doesn't seem to know who he's up against. If stopping the movie is what it's about, I'll do what Vincenzo did: Let him know who he has to deal with."
Ramirez nodded and closed the door. He waited until she was around the corner to return to his family and guest.
* * *
The front door opened, and tiny feet ran down the porch toward them.
"Papa!" 8-year-old Luis and 6-year-old Marta Ramirez called as they ran toward them. "Padrino!" Each of them barreled into one of Luc's legs and hugged it.
The children began dragging him into the house. Hernando followed, laughing at the children too busy to hug their Godpapa to remember Papa right behind him. They hadn't seen Luc in a while either. He eventually pulled them off of his legs so he could climb the stairs and try to evade their kid questions about why Godpapa Sam wasn't with him. They entered the house.
Contessa Helena de San Finzione was seated on a couch in the living room. She wasn't smoking; she wouldn't around El Niños. Violeta Ramirez was standing from the one on the adjoining wall and asked La Contessa to excuse her as she approached Luc.
"Kiss me, you damn queer." Violeta laughed, throwing her arms around him. Luc hugged back and did so. La Contessa rose to her feet as the Generalissimo hung his jacket and hat.
"Contessa." He said to her as she walked over to shake Luc's hand. "I did not expect to see you here. I'd planned to bring Luc to the castle tomorrow."
"I had some time after picking a new director, so I figured I'd take advantage of your shooting range. The castle doesn't have what you'd call a 'gun range;' and it scares the twins when I use my Rose Garden. They're with their father right now, but I should get out of the habit." Ramirez nodded, confirming that he knew all this. "So, in the neighborhood, you might say." She turned to Luc. "It's nice to meet you at last, Detective Inspector. San Finzione doesn't have an order of knighthood, I'm afraid. If we did, you'd be one by now for the things you've done for us. Ramirez, too, just for letting me know you exist."
Luc bowed and kissed her hand. Helen smiled and gave a little giggle.
"I am honored, Contessa, and I must thank you for the lovely gift."
While Luc's head was bowed, Helen gave Ramirez a confused look. The Generalissimo took his own iPad out of his briefcase and held it up. Helen gave him an "Oh, right; what I'd have done if I'd been thinking. Thanks" nod, then turned back to let Luc up before responding with a curtsy.
"Everyone's off the clock here, Luc." Helena replied. "Helena will be fine. That's what Violeta and the kids call me. And I know Hernando won't, but you've got permission to call me that as well." She turned to Ramirez. "You have a dinner guest who's just gotten off a flight, and I have a guest arriving tomorrow to prepare for, myself. You remember Mander, Hernando."
Luc's ears perked up. Both to the name and Hernando's attempt at a stifled groan.
"Would that be NIGEL Mander?"
Helena heard the all-caps when Luc spoke Mander's first name. She turned back to him and smiled.
"He prefers just 'Mander.' I had a feeling you'd know him professionally." The detective nodded. "Yes, he'll be at the castle tomorrow, and I hope you come as well." Helena thought a second. "I should advise you, Luc; that, by order of La Contessa, Nigel Mander has a Blanket Pardon in San Finzione for All Crimes, Past, Present, and Future."
Luc nodded. Helen leaned into him closer to whisper so the children wouldn't hear.
"I sometimes need him to do crimes. You want one, too? I can just write those things up."
"Er, not just yet. I only brought one bag; however, still need to unpack. I've heard good things about the San Finzione Marketplace. My supervisor, I'm sure, would allow me to expense an entire new wardrobe if it keeps me out of the office."
"We can sort that out in the morning." Helen responded, wrinkling her nose and taking out her cigarette case. Ramirez, who'd been standing in the entryway the entire time, spotted the cue and opened the door to show La Contessa out to her car. "For now, you should be sitting down to dinner and Scappa should be driving me home so he can as well."
Everyone else said goodbye and went to the table. Once they were outside and the door was closed, Helen lit up for the walk to the limo.
"He seems nice." She told Ramirez once they were down the steps.
"He had a bad breakup. A few hours ago. Right before he left."
"I have too much respect for either of you to even offer to do The Thing to take care of it for him. He'd have to ask me for that himself. I told you it was ok to tell him about it if you haven't already."
"I have, Si. And Gracias."
Scappa started to step out of the car to open La Contessa's door. Ramirez gave him an "I got this" wave. He nodded back as Ramirez got the door for her.
"So, filming resumes tomorrow?"
"The cave battle, holding off on the hanging scene. Let the new director decide if he wants to use Eliot's setup or not. I'll probably do some public stuff tomorrow, too. Dietz doesn't seem to know who he's up against. If stopping the movie is what it's about, I'll do what Vincenzo did: Let him know who he has to deal with."
Ramirez nodded and closed the door. He waited until she was around the corner to return to his family and guest.
* * *
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