Chapter 23

Chapter 23

New Year's Eve Parties and Missing Persons

B y the time Fredo returned, there was still no word from the two vagabonds. "What should we do?" Frankie asked Giovanni.

"What can we do?"

"Call the police? The hospitals?" she suggested.

"Okay, I call the metro police. Ask if there were any accidents." He kissed her on the forehead and went downstairs to finish getting dressed in his new slacks, re-soled shoes, a fresh white shirt, and the new blazer.

When he phoned the main number of the police station, he asked if there had been any accidents involving a Vespa between Salerno and Vesuvio. The answer was no. He wondered where they could be. He didn't want to think they had gone off a cliff and no one had found them. It sent shivers up his spine. Maybe they simply ran out of gas. That was the explanation he decided to lean on rather than something terrible.

Frankie exited her room wearing leggings, knee-high boots, and a black jacket with gold brocade. Her hair was in a French braid over one shoulder.

Giovanni thought she looked more beautiful than ever. "Bellissimo!" he said as she entered the living room.

"And you look quite dashing yourself."

"Where's Mama?"

"She'll be down in a minute. But I must warn you," she said with a stern face, "she looks, well, different."

Giovanni furrowed his brow, but before he could say anything, the two women descended the staircase. Giovanni stood slowly. He barely recognized his own mother, but he would never have guessed the other woman was his aunt.

"Wow! Bellissimo ! You both look so beautiful. Elegant! Spettacolare ! Spectacular! I don't know if we should let you out in public. Too many men will be chasing you!"

Giovanni walked over to his mother and took both her hands. "I cannot tell you how happy I am to see my mother again."

Rosevita made a face. "What do you mean? You are here over a week." Then it occurred to her. "Oh, me? Sì . I understand now." She did a little twirl.

Then he turned to Lucia. "Aunt Lucia. I have never seen you look so lovely. Stunning. I mean it; the men will be all over you." Giovanni could not believe the transformations the girls pulled off in one day.

"Frankie's crew. Molto bene !"

When Nina returned to the house, she found Jordan, Peter, and Richard yakking it up. So much for the jealousy . But it was reassuring to know Richard was capable of those feelings.

She gave Jordan kisses on both cheeks. "So glad you made it!"

"Thank you for inviting me. I didn't know how I was going to handle my first New Year's alone, but you changed all that."

"Happy to be of service." She gave a slight bow. "If you'll excuse me, I have some primping to do. You boys keep busy."

Back in her room, she rummaged through her suitcase, kicking herself for not being better prepared. She tossed sweaters, a jacket, and slacks on top of the bed. She knew Frankie was wearing a brocade jacket and leggings. Maybe she should do something similar. Actually, she really didn't have many options. Then she spotted one of Richard's blazers hanging in the armoire. It was a black and white sport coat. She tried it on. It came to mid-thigh.

She called out, "Richard, are you dressed for the evening?"

"Yes. Why?" He looked at the two other men. All had jackets of one kind or another. Jordan was wearing a moto-jacket, Peter in a navy-blue blazer. Richard was wearing a dark brown plaid.

"I may need to borrow something," Nina shouted.

Again, he glanced at the other two and shrugged. "Okay!"

Nina pulled on a pair of leggings, a black camisole, and topped it off with Richard's sport coat.

"Pretty nifty," she said as she looked in the mirror. "Now the hair." She decided to let it all hang out. She rubbed some Moroccan oil in her palms and tousled her hair. She added blush and a cat-eye liner to her eyes.

"Yep. Nifty." She pulled on her short booties and walked into the living room.

"Where's Nina?" Jordan kidded.

"Maybe you should consider a life in comedy instead of drama," Nina quipped back.

"You look rather fetching, darling. Glad to see some of my fashion influence has rubbed off on you."

"More like my fashion influence," Richard corrected him. "That's my sport coat she's wearing."

"Well, it works!" Jordan applauded.

Fredo pulled into the driveway and then rang the doorbell.

"Where in the world are Randy and Rachael?" Nina wondered.

"They weren't at Giovanni's?" Peter asked.

"No. No one has heard from them."

Nina phoned Frankie. "Any word from the dynamic duo?"

"No. Giovanni phoned the metro police, but there haven't been any accidents involving a Vespa reported."

"Well, if she's not dead, I am going to kill her," Nina huffed.

"There isn't anything we can do for now," Frankie said.

"You're right, as usual." Nina tried to shake off any concerns, but it wasn't going to be easy. Rachael never missed the opportunity for a party.

They climbed into the transport and headed to the Lombardi house. Richard and Peter helped Rosevita and Lucia into the rear seat.

"You look beautiful," Richard said to both of them.

"Grazie." Lucia was smiling from ear to ear.

"Nina does good work," he continued.

" Sì ." Rosevita nodded in agreement. She, too, had a smile on her face. Rosevita whispered in Lucia's ear, "Wait until Mr. Parisi sees us! He's-a gonna faint."

Lucia giggled in response. They felt like schoolgirls.

Giovanni couldn't help but stare at the panettone his mother was holding on her lap. It was the last one from the batch. Frankie could read his mind and squeezed his hand.

There was a variety of conversations taking place in the vehicle. No one mentioned the missing persons, but the elephant in the room was hard to ignore.

Finally, Nina blurted out, "What are we going to do about Rachael and Randy?"

Giovanni reiterated his conversation with the local police. "No accidents."

"So, what should we do?" Nina pressed. "Both of their phones are going to voicemail."

"We cannot look for them, because we do not know what roads they took. I told the desk sergeant if he could please contact me if there are any reports."

Giovanni knew it was a terribly worrying situation, but there really wasn't anything they could do at the moment. "Please, let's try to enjoy ourselves. I am sure they will phone soon."

The main area in the front of Mr. Parisi's house was lit with over a thousand lights, and they were greeted by a man dressed like Santa holding a tray with glasses of prosecco.

"Felice Anno Nuovo!" Mr. Parisi shouted, walking out to greet the arriving guests.

He looked at Rosevita and held out his hand. " Buona sera . I am Elio Parisi."

"Hello, Elio. I am Rosevita Lombardi." She suppressed a grin.

He blinked several times. When the shock finally wore off, he responded, "Rosevita. Sei molto bella stasera !" He told her how beautiful she looked that night.

"Grazie." She smiled. "You know my sister-in-law, Lucia."

Again, a look of surprise washed over his face. " Mama mia ! I am surrounded by so much beauty!"

Nina, Frankie, and Amy were beaming. Mission accomplished.

Mr. Parisi showed them into the house and introduced his brother, Anthony, to everyone. It was obvious there was an immediate connection between Lucia and Anthony, and the affection Mr. Parisi had for Rosevita was undeniable. The three younger women could not have asked for a better outcome. Lucia had broken free from her guilt, revealing an elegant, confident, beautiful woman. Rosevita just needed a little nudge, and it, too, was worthwhile.

After two hours of celebration, the crew said their goodbyes, thanking their host, who gave everyone a bottle of his wine to take with them. When they piled back into the van, they debated what to do next.

"We should go back to the house and have the party. We cannot waste the food or the wine," Giovanni recommended. "Plus, Salvatore Barone, a cousin of the people who own the house, is coming."

Everyone agreed and hoped they would have some information about Rachael and Randy before the stroke of midnight.

Frankie decided to call Rachael's phone again. Little did she know it was in her fanny pack that was in the back of Giovanni's car, which was in the driveway of the house.

At one point, it became abundantly clear to Rachael that they had taken a wrong turn back to Salerno. She was ready to cry. She didn't have her phone, and Randy's was out of juice.

As they went around a hairpin turn, another Vespa whizzed past, almost knocking them over. Rachael shouted expletives in return.

When the road straightened, they noticed a car on the narrow shoulder. The driver was also shouting expletives. Randy thought they should go over and see if he needed any help. At the very least, they could share their disdain for the reckless Vespa driver. However, the automobile driver wasn't interested in a conversation. He had phoned the police, who arrived within minutes. The driver of the car accused Randy of running him off the road.

Randy protested, trying to explain they too almost collided with the Vespa, but the police officer wanted to hear nothing more. He asked for identification. Randy was able to show his, but Rachael could not. It was in her fanny pack! She attempted a very poor justification, but that, too, fell on deaf ears. The police officer ordered them to get in his patrol car, leaving the Vespa on the side of the road.

Rachael was beside herself, yammering at the officer driving the patrol car. His English was poor, so he ignored her. Someone at the station could handle the wild thing in the back seat.

Randy sat dumbfounded. How could this be happening?

When they arrived at the one-room, one-cell station, they tried to explain what happened. Randy repeated that it wasn't them who caused the other car to swerve. Some crazy Vespa driver had whizzed past them, too, almost causing an accident.

The officer listened carefully. "But you have no identification," he said to Rachael.

"Correct. I mean I do have identification, but I misplaced my bag."

The officer assumed she was telling the truth. She was very emotional, especially toward her friend. Indeed, they were tourists, not terrorists. He explained in the best way that he could that there was no judge available because of the holiday, and they would have to wait until morning.

"You mean we have to spend the night here?" Rachael didn't know if she should scream, throw up, or cry.

"Don't we get to make one phone call?" Randy was at his wit's end.

"This is not-a Law and -a Order , Mr. Wheeler. Usually we wait for a judge, then you make-a the phone call. But since you are visiting our country, I do not want to make it unpleasant for you and you think we are not hospitable." He picked up the phone that was sitting on his desk. "Who do you wanna me to call?"

Randy looked at Rachael. "Giovanni. Do you have his number?"

"In my head? No," Rachael sputtered.

"Oh, wait," Richard said. "It's probably in my recent call list." He looked at the officer. "Do you have a charger? This way I can find the number."

"Your phone, no work?"

"Dead battery."

The officer nodded and opened a drawer. He handed the cord to Randy and plugged it in. As soon as it fired up, Randy got excited, until he realized there was little or no cell service. But maybe the number was stored in the phone. He scrolled through the numbers and let out a whoosh of air. He rattled off the number to the officer, who dialed the phone.

Salvatore Barone had no idea what he was getting into when he stepped onto the patio of the Lombardi home. Introductions were made, and they welcomed the stranger into their circle.

He immediately pitched in, helping to get the food and beverages set up outside.

They were putting the finishing touches on the display when Giovanni's phone vibrated in his pocket. The caller ID said Albori Polizia . He dreaded answering it, but perhaps this was the key to the big question of the night.

"Pronto!" he said, and waved for everyone to keep the noise down. He listened carefully, then responded, " Sì , Rachael Newmark. Randall Wheeler."

Frankie rushed up to Giovanni, fearing the worst. He gave her a weak smile as he thanked the police officer and hung up.

"Everybody, listen, please. Randy and Rachael are okay. But they are in jail."

"What?" was the resounding response.

"What in the heck happened?" Frankie asked.

"A misunderstanding on the road. They cannot release them until they can find a judge. Maybe tomorrow, but it's a holiday."

"Now what do we do?" Peter asked.

"We do what we usually do. We make the party."

Richard and Peter looked at each other and then at Giovanni. "We're not going to have to cook again, are we?"

Giovanni laughed for the first time in several hours. "No. We pack everything, and we bring the party to the jail."

A very confused Salvatore asked, "Will they let us do that?"

"I think if I make a nice antipasto, they will not be able to say no." Giovanni grinned. He dialed Fredo and asked him to come back and take them to Albori. He would pay him double.

"Andiamo!"

Peter packed up the confetti cannon and the sparklers. Richard took charge of the champagne. Frankie, Nina, and Amy wrapped the food. As they were leaving the house, Frankie ran back inside and pulled out two old pots. When she got back to the van, she held them up.

"Do you think your mother will mind?"

Giovanni laughed out loud. "After today, I don't think she will mind."

During the forty-minute drive, Giovanni explained what happened. Salvatore listened intently. It wasn't exactly what he thought a typical New Year's Eve party in Italy was like.

When they arrived at the small police station outside of Albori, Giovanni suggested, "Let me go in first."

He opened the door to the one-room facility and immediately saw a deflated Rachael and freaked-out Randy sitting in the jail cell. They were thrilled to see him.

Giovanni approached the officer sitting at the main desk and rattled off who Randy and Rachael were, the purpose of their stay, the party they planned, and asked if they could please celebrate in the jail.

The officer said they could not have a party in the jail, but if they wanted to use the roof, they could, as long as no one tried to escape. He laughed at his own joke.

Giovanni went back to the transport and explained why their friends were detained, but that their New Year's party would still be happening, albeit in this unexpected location. Cheers and shouts bounced off the interior of the van. Then Nina said, "Do I strangle Rachael before or after midnight?"

"Ah. It's a holiday. No fighting allowed," Giovanni reminded her.

Each of them carried the supplies into the station, where the officer directed them to the narrow circular steps that led to the roof. If nothing else, the view was spectacular. They could see the city of Salerno in the distance, and the lights along the Amalfi Coast.

The police officer gave them a folding table that Richard and Peter wrestled up the steps. Once everything was set up on the roof, Giovanni went back downstairs and waited as the officer released Rachael and Randy.

As soon as the cell door opened, Rachael and Randy both started talking at the same time.

" Basta ! Enough!" the officer said, and motioned for them to go upstairs.

Giovanni tried again to get the police officer to just release his friends. The officer apologized but explained that he needed the signature of a judge before he could let the two go. It was all about the paperwork.

Giovanni knew any further negotiation would be fruitless, so he thanked him for being hospitable and asked if he wanted to join them for some food.

"Sure. Why not?" the officer said. He locked the front door and picked up his walkie-talkie. If there was an emergency, he'd know about it.

As usual, Giovanni had a delectable spread ready to devour. He checked his watch. It was almost eleven.

Giovanni introduced Randy and Rachael to Salvatore. "Here are the criminals."

Once again, Rachael's legs were wobbly, but not because she had been sitting on a motorbike for hours. Another stunning-looking man stood in front of her.

"How did you get sucked into this chaos?" she asked him.

"Because of you," he teased.

Was he flirting? "I have a habit of creating chaos," Rachael flirted back.

"Good. I could use a little of that."

Nina introduced Randy to Jordan.

"Jordan Pleasance?" Randy cooed. "As in the Jordan Pleasance?"

"Guilty. Oops. Wrong verbiage."

"I have seen every one of your films."

"You have not." Jordan had heard that line many times.

"Quiz me," Randy challenged him.

Sure enough, Randy was able to answer all the questions Jordan rattled off.

"So, you really have seen all of them."

"Uh-huh," Randy said proudly.

Rachael was standing close by. "Oh, you should have heard him when we were in Rome. Every movie that was filmed at the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps. He's a true cinephile."

She was getting a vibe that there was a connection between the two men and decided to step aside. Plus, she wanted to coochy-coo a little more with the newbie.

Giovanni took out a tablet and speakers from a small bag. "A party needs music!" He looked at the officer, who was chowing down a sandwich of prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato, and basil. He nodded his approval.

That's when Rachael got an idea. She walked back over to Randy, pulled Nina and Frankie into the mix, and whispered something. They nodded in agreement. Then Rachael went over to Giovanni's tablet and pulled up a song. Within seconds, the familiar, "Doh . . . Doh-Doh, Doh-Doh-Doh" rang out, followed by the horn section announcing the opening of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars's recording of "Uptown Funk." Randy and his three dancing partners lined up and did their routine. It took less than a minute for everyone else to join them, some stumbling, others catching on quickly. Jordan thought it was hilarious, but also quite good. It was obvious that Rachael and Randy had a little more practice, but Nina and Frankie did a pretty good job keeping up.

The playlist continued, with dance music ranging from Donna Summer; to Earth, Wind to Kool then he realized they were talking about Rachael and Randy. "Ah. Sì ."

Anthony took out his credentials. Giudice di Circuito . And no, he wasn't related to one of the Real Housewives of New Jersey . He was a circuit judge.

Rosevita produced Rachael's fanny pack that she rescued from Giovanni's car before they made their way to Albori.

While the two hooligans were being processed, the rest of the partygoers cleaned up any remnants of their party.

Finally, the duo was released from custody, with more cheers from the crowd.

As they were walking to the car, Rosevita noticed two old pots on the gravel. "Ha. I have two pots that look like that."

"No Mama, you used to have two pots that look like that."