“Alone.”
“You weren’t this shy last night.”
“Wasn’t I?”
“You don’t remember?”
“Remember what? I can’t remember a thing. What happened last night? Did you strip me?”
“You stripped out of everything and started wandering on the landing. I had to lock you in for your own safety. You don’t remember any of it?”
“Not a thing. Did you do this to me?”
“Do what? Spike your drink so you lose consciousness? Do you think I’m capable of such things?” He looks genuinely hurt as he continues to examine me. “That impudence is a Belucci trait. No Felici would do such a thing. My doctor is coming to examine you shortly. You should dress before he arrives.”
“That’s what I was trying to do before you burst in here.” I lower my voice. “Would you please leave me to do it?”
“That’s better,” he says with a nod. “Asking for permission is better than making demands. Get dressed and take a seat when you’re done. I will fetch the doctor.”
He looks at me for a moment longer before spinning on his heels. He walks out into the hall, closing the door behind him.
I dress quickly, trying not to think about last night. Did I really walk the corridors naked? He has to be teasing me, right?
I’m barely dressed before the door opens again. In comes Vincenzo followed by a man in a white coat. He’s in his fifties, carrying a notepad in one hand and a medical case in the other. “Ophelia?” he asks. “I’m Dr. Collingwood. How are you feeling this morning?”
“Woozy.”
“I’m not surprised. I took a sample of your blood last night and had it analyzed. You were spiked by a particularly potent sedative but luckily for you, there should be no long term effects. Count yourself double lucky that Vincenzo was willing to bring you back here where I could keep an eye on you. How’s your memory of the incident?”
“I don’t remember a thing. Will it come back to me?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Time will tell. I’m going to give you some anti-nausea meds to take for a couple of days just to be sure but I think you’ll be fine.”
He checks my eyes with a light and then tests my pulse. I look past him at Vincenzo who’s glaring at me the entire time, like I’m doing something wrong.
At last, the doctor seems satisfied with me. “I’ll go check on Cathy,” he says, turning to Vincenzo. “Unless you need me for anything else.”
“When can she go home?”
“Not for a couple of hours just in case the dizziness kicks in. I want to make sure she eats and drinks something first.”
“I’ll arrange it. Thank you, Barry.”
The doctor nods and then heads out, shutting the door behind him. Once we’re alone, Vincenzo sits on the armchair opposite mine. “We need to talk,” he says, crossing his feet at the ankles.
“Do we?”
“What you did yesterday was foolish.”
“What I did? I didn’t do anything.”
“You put yourself in danger. Going to a dive bar like that. A Belucci establishment, no less. Not keeping an eye on your drink. If Rocky hadn’t been there to tell me what was happening, you could have been in real trouble.”
“Are you saying your driver saw it all happen but did nothing?”
“No, but he saw an … enemy of ours. The likelihood of something happening increased exponentially at that point.”
“What did happen? All I remember is drinking with Cathy.” I get a vague memory of being outside the bar, using my phone. “Did I call you?”