The interior of the palazzo was mercifully dark, the air thick with the scent of dust and the barest hint of mildew.

'Surprisingly well-maintained for a house that had been abandoned for the better part of twenty years', he thought, peeling off his glasses to get a better look around. Turning just in time to catch a flash of golden hair, a soft, lilting laugh hanging in the air.

"Claudia," he called, a note of alarm creeping into his voice. 'Damn it!'