Sharon Ede www.magethenovel.com © 2023 all rights reserved
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THE DEPTH CHARGER slipped silently into the Venetian lagoon under an almost-full moon that glowed through the foggy night sky.
Quill manoeuvred the vessel towards a more isolated area in the north-east of the island to dock.
‘We can hardly park this thing at St Mark’s Square,’ he said with a grin. ‘From here, we’ll have to make our way on foot to San Polo, where your mother is staying,’ he added, offering Ambra a hand as she clambered out of the hatch onto the roof.
The cold burned Ambra’s lips as she stepped onto the dock, her breath hanging in the icy air. She was grateful for the ship-issue black jacket, navy pants, thermals, socks, and boots that Quill had supplied her with, which kept the northern winter night at bay.
Quill led Ambra as the two wove their way through the cobbled streets, bridges, and archways of Venice. It was late at night, and the streets and squares had long since emptied of Carnevale revellers.
The city ached with cold.
There was not a soul about, only a rat scampering along near Teatro le Fenice, and even he dove into a hole in the side of the building as fast as he could.
‘He must be late for a show,’ quipped Quill, causing Ambra to giggle at the idea of a rat at the theatre.
It took them a good twenty minutes on foot at a decent pace to make their way from Castello towards San Marco, then follow the signs Per Rialto.
Ambra kept thinking of the front page of The Raw Prawn and the story Quill had told her about the murder of her mother’s colleague on top of the Rialto Bridge. Though she had warmed up from the brisk walk, she shivered as she reached the top of the arch and hurried quickly down the steps into the San Polo district.
