I pat the scarf still attached to my head. “What about the color of my hair? Won’t that draw more attention?”
“It’s not uncommon for young women these days to change their hair color.”
Not this young woman.I’m still glad I wore the scarf, though—especially when the police were walking the streets and checking people’s identification cards.
I sigh. “Thank you, signora. I’ll take it from here.”
Before I do, I search for Bes and Cec, who are obliviously perusing a rack of boisterous button-ups, speaking softly to one another.
Francesca follows my line of sight. “Ragazzi, andate. Some privacy, please.” She snaps her fingers. “I left your suits in my office—go put them on.”
Though Cec clearly isn’t the one she’s speaking to, he bows his head and obeys without question. He heads for the very back of the shop, keeping to the textured walls and using his cane for the first time since leaving the boat.
Bes, however, finds and holds my gaze. I can’t say why; perhaps he doesn’t want to leave me alone in the shop with Francesca, or maybe he’s concerned I’ll cut and run at the first opportunity, even after I assured him I wouldn’t. No matter the reason, I find I can’t look away either, despite knowing we don’t have the time to waste.
Even after all our bickering, I recall how I had him pressed up against the wall of the dead-end alleyway, his proximity far too intoxicating. My cheeks warm.
He must remember it too, his gaze deepening. His lips part slightly…
“You can make eyes at each other later,” Francesca barks, and I try not to flinch at the intrusion.
Bes breaks eye contact first, bowing his head like his cousin. “Thank you, Francesca. We are in your debt.”
“Non è niente, child. But be careful. There is more to fear in the dark than Mussolini’s henchmen.”
A moment later, the door to the office shuts, with Bes and Cec safely inside.
Francesca regards me again. “For your undergarments, I’ve left out some… opzioni.” She surprises me by placing a hand on my cheek. “Buona fortuna, Mel.”
With that, she leaves out the front door.
Once she’s out of sight, I get to work. Our window of opportunity grows smaller with each passing moment we spend in this place, and I cannot delay us.
The information on the God Men that Bes and Cec need from this club must be important. Life-altering even. And considering I didn’t get anything from Francesca before she left, I’m even more determined to find out what it is.
First, I untie the scarf from around my head first and drop it onto the tufted bench beside me. I won’t be needing it again, and I’m sure it’ll find a much better use in this shop.
I undress quickly, until I’m wearing only my undergarments and the Amulet of Amun. The pendant glints in the candlelight; I completely forgot I was wearing it. Iwillneed to do something about that.
In this state of undress, I glance at the door, where Bes and Cec are also getting changed, I can’t help wondering what Bes looks like without his shirt…
I shake my head.Pull yourself together, Hawkins.
Turning back, my eyes lock on my skinned knee from the Temple of Seti I. After having it bandaged for so long, I’ve been letting it air out since putting on the dress. But it looks truly grotesque: red and brown with a scab slowly forming, and small amber beads of pus as well.
Though it’ll be covered up by the jumpsuit, I don’t want to ruin the outfit either. Rifling through a few drawers, I find some linen strips and gauze tucked behind a sewing kit, and wrap my knee.
With that done, I sift through the array of undergarments Francesca mentioned laid out on the chair beside me. Every bra is in the same odd, elongated shape.It must be for the plunging neckline.I pick through them before settling for one that looks about my size. Removing my own bra and hooking the new one in the front, I twist it around and push my arms through the thick straps. The cups hold my breasts almost perfectly in place around my bust without being too loose or suffocating.Wonderful.
I then sift through a pile of panty girdles until I find one that should fit. They’re light nude and lacy on the bottom. I grimace. I hate these things, but it must be a necessity for this outfit if this is all she left me. The girdle fits a bit snug—but not too snug—hugging my curves and smoothing them out.
Now, what about the amulet?I run through a few different scenarios in my mind, and the best one is finding a way to attach it to my bra. Removing the straps from my shoulders again, I bring it around again. Assessing it quickly, all I can do is loop the chain around the hook and eye closure a few times. And, once the sink ties are tightened, it should stay in place.
I’ll just try not to dance too much. I normally don’t unless I’ve had a drink or two anyway, but I have no idea what I might need to do to help Bes and Cec obtain the information about the God Men that we came here for.
Moving the bra back into place, I gauge the placement of the amulet. The back of it feels strange against my lower spine, although not uncomfortable. Hopefully it stays that way.
After removing my switchblade from the pocket of my discarded dress and placing it next to my clothes, I step carefully into the silk jumpsuit. The supple fabric slinks over myhips, until the delicate sleeves rest on my shoulders with little adjustment. I perch on the edge of the bench to lace my boots back up before getting back to my feet. The legs flow out enough over the tips of the boots to hide them without actually touching the floor, like Francesca said they would. I smile softly to myself.This’ll do nicely.
