Read Online Playing With Fire by Tess Gerritsen - Free Book Online

the house waving the newspaper, shouting: “Now they say we’re not true Italians! They say we’re a foreign race!” Since then he had talked of little else. He had brought home pamphlets and newspapers to pore over at night, feeding his anger. Every family meal turned into a battleground because his father and grandfather remained loyal fascists, unwilling to believe that Mussolini would turn against them. The arguments at dinner grew so heated that once, to everyone’s shock, Mama had slapped a knife down on the table and declared: “Enough! If you’re going to kill each other, why not use that knife! At least it will finally be quieter around here!”
    Now another argument was about to explode and Lorenzo saw angry veins bulge on his brother’s neck, saw Mama’s hands tense into claws on the table.
    “There must be a way to appeal this memorandum,” said Alberto. “I will write a letter to the newspaper.”
    “Oh yes,” Marco snorted. “A letter will change everything!”
    Bruno gave his son a slap on the head. “And what would
you
do? You’re so brilliant, Marco, I’m sure
you
have all the answers!”
    “At least I’m not blind and deaf, like everyone else in this family!” Marco stood, shoving his chair back so hard it toppled over backward. He left it lying on the floor and stormed out of the room.
    His sister, Pia, jumped up to follow him. “Marco!” she called. “Please don’t leave. I hate it when you all fight like this!” They heard her run out the door, heard her calling out as she pursued her brother. Of them all, nine-year-old Pia was the true diplomat in the family, always distressed when they argued, always anxious to negotiate peace. Even as her voice faded down the street, she was still beseeching her brother to return.
    Inside the house, a long and heavy silence passed.
    “So what are we to do now?” Eloisa asked softly.
    Professor Balboni shook his head. “There is nothing you can do. My colleagues and I will present our petition to the college. Some of us are composing letters to the newspaper as well, but we have little hope they’ll be published. Everyone’s nervous, everyone fears a backlash. There could be reprisals against those who disagree with the regime.”
    “We have to loudly and publicly declare our loyalty,” said Alberto. “Remind them of everything we’ve done for the country. All the wars we’ve served in, defending Italy.”
    “It makes no difference, my friend. Your Jewish Union has issued press release after press release, declaring its loyalty. What good has it done?”
    “Then what else can we say? What can we do?”
    Professor Balboni considered his next words, and his whole body seemed to sag with the weight of his answer. “You should consider leaving the country.”
    “Leave Italy?” Alberto stiffened in his chair, outraged. “My family has lived here for four hundred years. I’m as Italian as you are!”
    “I’m not arguing with you, Alberto. I’m only giving you advice.”
    “What sort of advice is that? To abandon our country? Do you think so little of our friendship that you’d shove us onto the next boat?”
    “Please, you don’t understand—”
    “Understand
what
?”
    Professor Balboni’s voice dropped to a murmur. “There are rumors,” he said. “Things I’ve heard from my colleagues abroad.”
    “Yes, we’ve all heard the rumors. That’s all they are, spread by those crazy Zionists to make us turn against the regime.”
    “But I’m hearing the stories from people I know to be levelheaded,” said Professor Balboni. “They say there are things going on now, in Poland. Reports of mass deportations.”
    “To where?” asked Eloisa.
    “Labor camps.” Balboni looked at her. “Women and children, too. All ages, healthy or not, are being arrested and transported. Their homes and possessions have been seized. Some of what I’ve heard is too horrible to believe, and I won’t repeat it. But if it’s happening in