The Gaudi Facade E-Book

J.S. Raynor

• Herausgeber: Dolman Scott Publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Romance
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Seitenzahl: 327

Beschreibung

Adam Sheldrake, a young British architect travels to Barcelona for what should be a fairly ordinary holiday. By chance, he meets a beautiful, talented, twenty-seven year old Italian artist, Caterina Fonteras at the Olympic Stadium and, from this point, the holiday turns into a life changing experience for both of them. With a common interest in Antoni Gaudi, the famous Spanish architect, they visit the Sagrada Família and are drawn into a world of violent fanaticism, resulting in their capture and imprisonment. This romantic thriller, set in the year 2012 leads the reader into many twists and turns, a major threat to the Catholic faith and some quite extraordinary revelations. Interestingly, whilst written three years ago, “The Gaudi Façade” contains a reference to David Cameron being the Prime Minister, a prediction that in May 2010 came true.

Leseprobe

The Gaudi Facade

J S Raynor

This book is dedicated to my parents, Betty and Alan Raynor, sadly both deceased, who played such an important part in my life and their memory will always be treasured.

Contents

Chapter One : A warning sign

Chapter Two : A chance meeting

Chapter Three : A forgettable experience?

Chapter Four: A night to remember

Chapter Five : La Sagrada Familia

Chapter Six : A watchful eye

Chapter Seven : No escape

Chapter Eight: Where is Caterina?

Chapter Nine : An uncomfortable introduction

Chapter Ten : A fight for life

Chapter Eleven : An inside job?

Chapter Twelve : A disappearing act

Chapter Thirteen : Search for a face

Chapter Fourteen : The interrogation

Chapter Fifteen : Gaudi's story

Chapter Sixteen : A five-star reward

Chapter Seventeen : A new perspective on the Sagrada Familia

Chapter Eighteen : An unexpected meeting

Chapter Nineteen : Terror in Barcelona

Chapter Twenty : Yet another Gaudi secret

Chapter Twenty one : The Jordanian's fury

Chapter Twenty two : A testing time for Caterina

Chapter Twenty three: A shock for Omar

Chapter Twenty four : A satisfactory conclusion

Chapter Twenty five : An engaging time

Chapter Twenty six : The elusive Jordanian

Chapter Twenty seven : The return of the Germans

Chapter Twenty eight: An unwelcome home-coming

Chapter Twenty nine : A guided tour of Rome

Chapter Thirty : Inside knowledge

Chapter Thirty one : Homeward bound

Chapter Thirty two : A family meeting

Chapter Thirty three : Intimate eavesdropping

Chapter Thirty four : A medical examination for Adam

Chapter Thirty five : A chance for Caterina's memory

Chapter Thirty six : Wedding Preparations

Chapter Thirty seven : A memorable occasion

Chapter Thirty eight: Excerpts from Caterina's Diary

Chapter One : A warning sign

'Tell me what you can see,' the man demanded, his direct, brusque manner accentuating the demand. He was a large, imposing character who dressed in a style which indicated authority and a degree of sophistication. On this particular day, his nervous anticipation belied his usual air of calmness.

The sparsely-furnished, bare-walled room had an eerie, overwhelming darkness, punctuated only by the faint glow from a single candle, set in a solid gold holder in the centre of the plain, wooden table. Tarot cards were laid out in regular patterns, the hooded figure taking yet another card from the pack and placing it face uppermost on the table. Although feeling intimidated by the senior man, he was very deliberate and irritatingly slow in his actions.

'Please be patient. When I am certain what the cards are telling me, I will let you know.' He could see the impatience on the other man's face, but was not going to be bullied or hurried in his reading. Another card and yet another. He did not like the way the cards were appearing, but wanted to be certain before giving any interpretations to his demanding client. He had given readings on hundreds of occasions, yet this time, there was an unsettling influence in the way the cards were falling. His gaunt, sallow features appeared exaggerated in the flickering candlelight. He could feel droplets of sweat on his brow and wiped them with his hood, trying to avoid letting the other man sense his nervousness.

His impatience exhausted, the senior man stood up, sliding the chair noisily away from the table, making the candle flicker angrily with the sudden movement of air.

'This is ridiculous! I don't know why I wasted my time coming here.'

The hooded figure shot a look of anger at his client. 'Please, wait! The cards are definitely telling me something very important, but I have to be certain before I say just what it is.'

Almost reluctantly, the other man pulled his chair nearer to the table again and took his seat, once more. He glanced at his watch.

'Okay, but be quick! I just don't have time to waste.'

Satisfied that he could now concentrate on his task, the Tarot reader began.

'Within the next few months, there will be a major threat to us, from within the country. A communication will make many demands. There is also a woman who could either assist or destroy us. She is not Spanish and, yet, not from across the water.' The impatience had now been replaced by an obvious interest and curiosity in what the cards were foretelling. 'She has inner strength and a high degree of clairvoyant powers. Powers far greater than mine.' There was a hint of envy in the seer's voice.

'Do you know who she is?'

The teller shook his head, surprised by the question.

'The cards are just a guide. It is too much to expect specifics. I think she is quite young and very beautiful. Of one thing I am certain; she will reveal the secret of the tomb.'

The other man looked startled by this statement.

'I would say that is quite a specific prediction. Can you see anything else?'

'Yes. As well as knowing the body is the wrong one, she is capable of finding the real location.'

'But, she can't! Nobody knows that. Not even us!' For the first time, there was a note of alarm in his voice.

'This is what the cards are telling me. It is difficult to say whether this woman will be a blessing or a threat, but I am quite certain that, around the time she appears, there will be the biggest threat we have ever known.'

The other man was noticeably shaken by the teller's predictions. He stood up and said, in a voice which demanded respect,

'I'm already late for an appointment and have to go, now. But, I want you to find out as much as you can about this threat and the woman.' The manner in which he said, 'Woman' emphasised his feelings of anger for the person who, potentially, posed such a threat to his organisation and, more pointedly, to himself.

Chapter Two : A chance meeting

It was a blistering, hot day even for Barcelona in the summer of 2012. Adam Sheldrake, a six foot tall, fair-haired Englishman, was beginning to wish that he had picked April or September rather than June to spend his holiday here. He could have visited any time, but he had chosen the hottest part of the year. Still, at any other time, he would have missed the most dangerous, demanding and, yet, most exciting experience of his life, as he was later to discover. Adam Sheldrake was a workaholic, by nature and had not had what could be described as a proper holiday for over five years. As a partner in an architectural practice, his time was fully occupied in designing Health Service buildings and supervising their construction. Ever since the Conservative Government, led by David Cameron, had come into power in 2010, much greater expenditure had been approved for construction of new, energy-conserving hospitals. The need to meet tight deadlines meant that there was little time left for vacations. It was Adam's mother who, realising the strain her son was under, insisted that he must make time for a break. In fact, June had been the most appropriate month, as one project had just been completed and handed over to the client. Heather, Adam's mother had pointed out that there were sufficient assistants in his company to manage without him for at least a couple of weeks. He was reasonably affluent and could have travelled anywhere in the world, but it had been Adam's wish to visit Barcelona, one day, because of its historical and architectural significance.

He had not expected such high temperatures, but, this year, in particular, the heat was so intense, that one felt permanently exhausted and drained. Water was in short supply as the Spanish soil had seen little rainfall for many months. Large areas of grassland had been destroyed as fires had broken out as the tinder-dry grass and ground-cover easily ignited, exacerbated by strong winds. This had become a regular pattern over the past few years and was blamed, not unreasonably, on global warming and was as a consequence of constant misuse of the earth's resources. Increases in flight taxes had failed to reduce the carbon footprint of an ever-increasing number of people flying within and between countries and continents. The problem of significant changes in climate had

been exacerbated by China and India whose growth and demands for valuable resources kept on gaining momentum.

During the afternoon, only tourists were demented enough to walk through the streets of the city, enduring temperatures far too hot for comfort. The more sensible of the million and a half inhabitants of the city stayed within the confines of their comfortable, air-conditioned offices or apartments.

On Adam's first full day within this sprawling city, he decided to take refuge in one of the countless modern coaches on an excursion to the Olympic stadium, a favourite haunt for many thousands of tourists. During the journey, the tour guide had explained the history of the stadium. Estadi Olympic was originally completed in 1929 but was not used for the Olympic Games until 1992 and can accommodate up to sixty five thousand spectators.

Adam had to admit that the thought of the brilliant and sadly missed Freddie Mercury singing, albeit posthumously on a huge screen, with Montserrat Caballe during the Olympics, in this very stadium, excited him more than the games themselves. Although many critics described it as overwhelming theatre, the song 'Barcelona,' will always be one of those magical, spine-tingling songs which will stay fresh in everyone's memory when others will have been long forgotten. This superb performance, when Adam was an impressionable twelve-year old, held lasting memories for him and motivated him to follow Queen's lead singer's career throughout thel980s, until Freddy Mercury's untimely death from AIDS on the 24th of November, 1991 at the age of only 45.

The size and grandeur of the stadium was impressive, especially for someone like Adam, who was not normally a spectator of live team sports such as football or rugby. The guide showed everybody where the Olympic torch had been positioned for the duration of the games. Adam had to admit that, after the initial effect, the remainder of the tour was, for him, rather boring. His eyes began to wander from the spectacle of the stadium to the other people in the tour party. Most of them were British, but there were also some Germans, Dutch and, not surprisingly, a few larger-than-life Americans. As usual, most questions were asked by the Americans, while the others tended to follow in sheepish silence. Of course, the size of the stadium did not impress England's cousins from across the water, as their Baseball stadiums were at least as big, if not bigger than the Barcelona Stadium.

Most of the tourists were either elderly couples or families with children, but there was one who, like Adam, was unaccompanied. A very attractive, dark-haired woman, probably in her late twenties, who also seemed to have exhausted her interest and looked to be day-dreaming. Her nationality was uncertain; she could have been British, but was more likely to be of Mediterranean origin. Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or Greek - she could have been any with her delightful, smouldering beauty, but Adam hoped to find out before the end of the day. Her skin was pale, but this contrasted sharply with her long, jet-black hair, resting lazily on her slender shoulders. Her clothes had no hint of any designer label, yet, on her toned, supple body, any clothes would have looked superb. Her eyes sparkled with the innocence of youth, while her features with high cheek-bones and delicately-formed lips and chin gave her the looks of which many women would have been envious. Adam's inert shyness prevented him from approaching her. He was desperately trying to think of a way to start a conversation, when, to his dismay, he discovered that he was not the only man interested in this amazingly beautiful young woman.

Two tall, heavily-built German tourists, both men in their early twenties approached the woman. It was only early afternoon, but they were obviously already substantially intoxicated.

'Why is such a good-looking woman like you on your own?' asked one of the men in a slurred, guttural voice. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. 'We're having a party, tonight and you must come along and enjoy yourself. We can be very good company for you.'

The second German nodded, drunkenly, in agreement. 'Ja, this is your lucky day, fraulein. Heinricht and I will give you a time to remember and you don't even need to bring a bottle with you.' The two men looked like a couple of hungry, drooling dogs eyeing up a potential meal as they waited, expectantly, for her, hopefully positive, response.

Her face flushed with embarrassment at this unwanted invitation and she looked as though she was desperately trying to find an excuse to avoid the men, without being thought of as rude. She caught sight of Adam and, with a sudden inspiration, said,

'I'm not on my own. My partner is over there.' She pointed to Adam. Her English was excellent, but sounded even better with her delightful Italian accent. 'Darling, these men have invited us to a

party, tonight.' She winked at him, making sure the Germans did not notice her meaningful signal.

It gave him a tingle of excitement to be called 'Darling' by this beautiful stranger and he responded, willingly.

'Oh, that's such a shame. We already have plans for this evening. Still, thanks for the invitation.' One could literally feel their combined envy as they mumbled something incoherent and quickly melted away into the crowds of tourists looking round the stadium. As if to convince them of her attachment, she walked over and put her arm around Adam's waist giving him a kiss on the cheek.

'Thank you, so much. I can't stand the overbearing pressure from people who really feel they are God's gift to women.'

'I'm glad to be of help,' he replied, honestly. 'What do you think of the Olympic stadium?'

'Hmmm ... It's okay. I felt I had to come and see it, but, I must confess to finding it a bit boring. How about you, er ...?'

This was fantastic luck for the Englishman.

'Adam Sheldrake.' He just managed to stop himself from taking her hand, an instinctive, typically British, gesture on meeting someone for the first time. 'I nearly shook your hand, then. That would have spoilt the illusion you created so cleverly.

She giggled at his near-miss. Adam liked her character and hoped to continue with their conversation.

'I'm Caterina. Caterina Fonteras.'

'You asked what I thought of this place, Caterina. I have to admit that the fact that Freddie Mercury's song with Montserrat Caballe was heard here during the Olympics that interested me most. At the age of twelve, I really thought that Freddie was actually here, until my parents told me that he had already died. I don't think it needed very long to see around the stadium. Does that sound terrible?'

'No, not at all, at least you are honest. What interests you most about Spain?'

'I'm an architect, so there's a great deal for me to see in Barcelona, especially Gaudi's work. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Church of the Sagrada Familia.'

Her face lit up and her jet-black eyes sparkled with excitement at his reply. 'I'm an artist and have much the same interests.' She

looked a little pensive, as though she wanted to ask something. 'Adam, do you think I could ask a favour of you?'

This was going even better than he could have expected. 'Yes, of course. What is it?'

'Well, the problem of me being on my own is that I keep getting guys like those Germans imposing themselves on me. Only yesterday, a Spanish guy tried to pick me up, obviously thinking that I couldn't resist his charms. I'm thoroughly fed up with their childish chat-up lines. Would you mind if we looked at the sights of Barcelona, together?' A sudden thought crossed her mind as she added, 'That is, if you don't already have someone with you?'

Adam could not believe his luck. In his thirty two years, he had never been invited by a woman to be with her. There had been girl friends, of course, but it had always been his task to make the first approach. Feeling pleased at this reversal of roles, he replied, 'Don't worry, I'm alone, and, yes, of course I would be very happy to accompany you. But, how do you know that I'm not like the others?'

She laughed. 'Instinct, I suppose. I feel that I can trust you. You have an honest face.' As an afterthought, she added, 'And, we do have similar interests. Is that enough?'

'It's fine by me.' He mopped the sweat from his forehead, as the brilliant sun shone relentlessly from a perfectly clear blue sky. 'This place is far too hot for my liking. Do you fancy cooling off a little with an ice-cream?'

'Yes, I'd love one. I think I've probably seen enough of the stadium.' As the couple walked away from the rest of the group, Adam noticed the two young Germans, their faces showing the extent of their envy. He could just imagine them wondering why he was the fortunate one. Adam could only assume that today was his lucky day, or, at least, he hoped it would be. Caterina insisted on paying for their ice-creams, as reward for rescuing her from the unwanted advances by the Germans. The couple enjoyed their refreshments and chatted happily. Conversation with Caterina was very easy and Adam felt more relaxed in her company than he would have expected for a first meeting. Perhaps it was fate that they had met and, maybe, their relationship would become important to both Caterina and Adam. He told himself not to expect too much as he had been disappointed several times in the past. He

decided to let her do the leading and would not push himself on to her, as that might result in rejection.

By the time the tour of the stadium was complete, they had learned a great deal about each other. She lived with her parents and younger brother, Sebastian, in an apartment in the outskirts of Rome. Her father worked in the printing department of one of Italy's leading newspapers. It was not a well-paid occupation and her own work as an artist was insufficient to live on. As a consequence, finances were tight in the household and this was the first visit to another country in her twenty seven years. As an artist, it had long been her wish to travel to Barcelona and she had found it necessary to make many sacrifices to even afford the holiday. Caterina was interested to learn more of Adam's architectural background and asked many questions about the type of buildings he had designed. Although he was proud of his work in the Health sector, there was little scope for producing aesthetically exciting buildings when the requirement would be for a maternity unit or a specialist unit for physically handicapped people. These buildings required a more practical functionality and there had always been financial constraints in designing Health Service buildings.

'My favourite project was five years ago, before I was involved with the Health sector. I was given a completely free hand to design a new Church in Cheshire. A great deal of research was necessary for this project and that was when I studied the work of Antoni Gaudi. He was such a terrific inspiration for me, as with many others interested in Art and architecture.'

Caterina was equally enthusiastic about Spain's most famous architect and the two chatted for a while about his graceful, natural style of design.

When the official tour of the stadium was complete, it was fortunate for them that they were on the same coach, but separate from the two Germans, otherwise their collusion would have been obvious as they left the coach at different hotels. Luckily, they had managed to sit next to each other as there were several empty seats on the coach. Adam offered to meet her the following morning at reception in her hotel and, to his relief, she gratefully accepted. He made a note of her hotel name and address, otherwise this could have been the last time to see her if he had forgotten such an essential piece of information. Adam returned to his own hotel, with a feeling of both exhilaration at meeting such a beautiful woman and sadness that their time together was over for this day. After a satisfying yet forgettable meal in the hotel restaurant, he returned to the air-conditioned comfort of his room where he relaxed and happily remembered the curious events of his first full day in Barcelona. His sleep was punctuated by thoughts of Caterina and how miserable he would be if she changed her mind about seeing him again. He still could not believe his luck at the manner in which they met and was in a way, thankful to the two unfortunate Germans for, without their drunken efforts to pick her up; Adam would probably not have had the courage to even talk to Caterina.

Chapter Three : A forgettable experience?

Adam wasted no time, the following morning and, by half past nine had arrived at Caterina's hotel by taxi. As he walked into the reception area, he looked around for the young Italian, but without success. The man on reception noticed and asked, 'Can I help you, sir?'

'I don't know. I arranged to meet one of your guests, a Miss Caterina Fonteras, this morning. Has she left any message for me? My name is Adam Sheldrake.'

The man looked through his records. His broken-English accent and calm-nature suited his occupation. 'I am sorry, sir. I do not have any message. But, you are welcome to wait for Senorita Fonteras.'

'Thank you. I will.' Adam took a seat in the spacious entrance hall and waited anxiously. He need not have worried, for, after just a few minutes, the lift door opened and Caterina's face appeared amidst the emerging guests. Adam's heart raced with excitement as she looked even more stunning than the previous day. She was wearing close-fitting, white jeans and pale yellow blouse, which, together, contrasted beautifully against her long, black hair. She was carrying a large, flat canvas bag, which, presumably, contained her drawing pad and materials. To the Englishman's horror, she walked straight past him, towards the entrance doors. 'Caterina!' he called out in desperation.

On hearing her name, she stopped and turned to face Adam. Her face held a blank, unknowing expression, as though she had never met him.

'How do you know my name? Who are you?'

It was as though the events of the previous day had never happened. 'It's Adam. Adam Sheldrake. Do you not remember me, from yesterday, at the Olympic stadium?'

A look of confusion crossed her face. 'I...I don't know.' Tears began to fill her eyes as she walked with Adam over to the sofa where he had been waiting for her. She sat down and bowed her head, clasping both hands to her face, as if trying to hide from the world.

In an effort to comfort her, he put his arm around her shoulder. 'What's wrong, Caterina? Can I help?'

'I'm so sorry, Adam. I wish I could remember.' She took a deep breath and began to explain. 'When I was eighteen, I had a virus, which made me terribly ill, with a long stay in hospital. After a few months, I managed to recover, but there was a lasting effect. It had destroyed my short-term memory. I can remember everything of my childhood, but anything new just disappears.'

Adam had never heard of such a condition before and felt deep empathy with her situation. 'God that must be awful! How on earth do you manage?'

'It's hard, but I have a system which normally helps. I write everything down to remind me. As soon as I came back to my room, yesterday, I made my diary up.' A sudden realisation crossed her mind. 'In fact, I was in the middle of writing it, when I had a phone call from my mother. She was so thrilled about my brother, Sebastian. He had just been promoted in his job. It must have been this that made me forget about you. I'm so sorry.'

'Don't worry about it. Would you like me to tell you how we met, yesterday?'

'Yes, please. I must make notes, as I should have done, at the time.' She took a notebook out of her bag and wrote the salient points of the meeting at the Olympic stadium. She laughed when he told her about her plan to avoid the two drunken Germans. After a few minutes, she was much happier and insisted on recording Adam's name, hotel and address back in the UK. Adam just hoped that he could become a part of her long-term memory, not merely a forgettable acquaintance. Would she believe him when he told her how she had requested him to accompany her during her holiday? Thankfully, for Adam, she did.

Now that Caterina had cleared the confusion from her mind, they were ready to set out on their excursion. She had agreed to delay visiting the Sagrada Familia until they had seen other buildings designed by Gaudi. During the journey, Caterina seemed quite at ease with Adam, considering that, according to her memory, they had only just met. There were many dangerous possibilities with her condition and, presumably, she would have to trust her instinct to know if what she was being told was actually the truth. Caterina had a lovely nature, with almost child-like innocence, but, for Adam, this made her all the more attractive and alluring. He desperately wanted to become part of her long-term memory and be as meaningful to her as her childhood experiences.

After a short taxi ride to 43 Passeig de Gracia, they arrived at the Casa Batllo, a home designed by Gaudi inl906. It was in an island of apartments known as the 'manzana de la Discordia' as each apartment was designed by a different architect, resulting in a noticeably contrasting, yet brilliantly interpreted mix of styles. Gaudi had been commissioned to design modifications to the existing building to create a home for the Batllo family on the main gallery level, while other floors would be split into smaller apartments to provide an income by renting.

Gaudi's architectural style was certainly unusual. There were many photographs of these apartments in books, but the reality was even more bold and energetic than expected. Adam wandered around taking many photographs, while Caterina sketched the wave-like structure of the roof, a feature which Gaudi had incorporated into many of his designs. Considering the availability of materials a hundred years earlier, his ideas were very advanced and innovative. 'Do you mind if I watch you sketching, Caterina?' He wondered if she felt self-conscious when working.

'No, not at all, it is as though I'm in another world when I am drawing.' Adam watched in wonderment at her skill. As an architect, he had to be able to sketch freehand, but his capability was dwarfed by Caterina's natural artistic talent. She was bold, quick and, best of all, truly accurate. It was fascinating watching her as her eyes scanned the structure, compose the picture in her mind and quickly transfer the image on to paper. The concentration in her face, mixed with the delight of excelling in her craft made her a joy to watch and, for the first time in his life, Adam was completely spellbound by this beautiful, talented young Italian woman.

Her sketches successfully captured the unique shapes of the apartment windows on the main gallery level, each of which was reminiscent of a 'Yawn'. The slender columns on the outside of the building had earned it the nickname of 'la casa del ossos' or 'house of bones' as a result of their skeletal appearance. Adam imagined that the most difficult part of the apartments to sketch was the tower on the roof terrace, which was covered with hundreds, perhaps even thousands of glass tiles, each one inscribed with the monograms of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, but, to the talented Caterina, this did not present any problem. The ivory-coloured cross on top of the tower had been made in Mallorca and, apparently, it cracked during manufacture, but Gaudi insisted that it be used, complete with flaws, as he felt it was actually better this way, representing, as it did, the imperfections inherent in life.

Time passed so quickly and, before Adam had realised, it was lunchtime. They walked to a local cafe, where a drink and piece of rich cream cake was sufficient to satisfy their appetites. Caterina talked excitedly about the fascinating mix of architecture in Barcelona. Feeling refreshed, the couple made their way to 92 Paseo de Gracia, where the Casa Mila, another block of apartments had been designed by Gaudi. Unlike the Casa Batllo, this was a new building and not a modification of an existing one. It had been a large plot of land at the junction with Provenza Street and was over a thousand square metres in size. After seeing the Casa Batllo, Pere Mila was, apparently, so impressed by its beauty, that he asked Gaudi to design a block of flats on his newly acquired land.

The stone and iron structures were very irregular in shape with few flat surfaces and the wave-like structure of the roof, with its many iron arches of differing heights, complete with strange-shaped chimneys and ventilators, was reminiscent of flying dragons, achieving just what Gaudi had intended, bearing in mind his fascination with nature. The attic rooms had been converted into a gallery, illustrating Gaudi's work throughout his lifetime. Adam and Caterina wandered around the gallery, fascinated by the work of this Spanish genius. Many tourists stopped to watch Caterina when she started sketching details of the building, impressed by her talent. By the end of the afternoon, Caterina was happy that she had successfully captured these architectural masterpieces, but Adam could see the tiredness in her face. Her depth of concentration must have been truly exhausting.

'Can I take you to a restaurant, Caterina? After all that work, you could probably do with a good meal.'

'Yes, please, Adam. I'd love to, as long as you let me share the cost.'

He felt certain, from what she had said, that her funds were very limited and was quite prepared to foot the bill, but did not want to hurt her feelings.

'Okay, that's fine by me. Now, let's see what we can find. Are you happy to eat Spanish style?'

'Oh, yes. I like to try the local food, while here.' This suited him fine, as Adam could never understand why so many British people on holidays abroad, still insisted in eating standard British foods such as fish and chips or, worse still, burgers. A travel book was helpful in locating the nearest restaurant and they began to walk what should have been a fifteen minute journey. It was around four thirty in the afternoon and the streets were busy with many tourists as well as the locals. In addition to the large canvas holder for Caterina's sketches, she carried a shoulder bag containing her purse and other personal items. It was while they were making their way through these crowds, that Caterina let out a piercing scream. A man following the couple had seized the opportunity to grab hold of her shoulder bag and was now running off with it. Angered by this cowardly action, Adam gave chase. The criminal was fast, but Adam was fit enough to match his speed. It was obvious to the Englishman that the thief was approaching a moving car with the door being held open. It must have been his accomplice waiting to help in his escape. Adam was determined that he was not getting away that easily and jumped towards the man in a rugby tackle which his sports master, at school, would have been proud of. The shock of the assault took the criminal off balance and he crashed heavily to the ground with Adam still holding tightly on to his legs. As he did so, the bag fell from his grasp, giving Adam the chance to quickly retrieve it. Seeing the two struggling on the ground, the accomplice realised that the man was likely to be caught and slammed the door shut, quickly accelerating away from the area.

Undaunted by Adam's assault, the criminal recovered enough to pull out a small, but very sharp, pointed knife. As Adam recoiled away, the thief scrambled to his feet and, swiftly, lunged at the Englishman with the lethal weapon. Adam thought he was far enough away to escape the knife, but the intense pain which hit him in his left arm took the wind out of him and he sank to the ground, blood pouring from the wound. Caterina screamed at the sight of Adam being so viciously attacked. Fortunately, a policeman had heard the commotion and, moving deftly behind the criminal, grabbed the man's arms to prevent further bloodshed. The criminal struggled to evade capture, but the officer had a tight grip on him and roughly pushed the man to the ground before handcuffing him.

Caterina ran over to Adam's crumpled body. 'Adam!' She looked around, not knowing what to do or how best to help. There were many people nearby, but nobody seemed willing to assist. In desperation, she shouted, 'Please! Somebody help him before he dies!' Adam's head was swimming through the effect of blood loss and Caterina's voice, somehow, seemed very distant. Thankfully, several policemen appeared and one of them asked a passer-by for her headscarf. Almost reluctantly, she handed it to him and he quickly wrapped it tightly around the injured arm in a tourniquet. Another policeman used his mobile to call for medical assistance. Within just a few minutes, the ambulance had arrived. Caterina was in tears, fearful for Adam's safety, as she held his hand tightly. The ambulance man checked Adam's pulse and blood pressure, before cleaning the wound and replacing the blood-soaked headscarf with a proper dressing. By this time, Adam was beginning to feel a little better, but still felt light-headed and dizzy. The medic told Adam that he had been lucky that the knife had narrowly missed a major artery, which could have resulted in an even greater loss of blood. A hospital visit was suggested, for a more thorough check-up, but Adam felt certain that, with a little rest, he would soon recover. The main reason for not wanting to go to hospital was the possibility that he and Caterina could become separated and with her memory problem, he might never have seen her again, a situation which he could not contemplate. Caterina thought Adam should have taken the advice, but, she, equally, did not want to leave him alone. One of the policemen took Adam's name, hotel details and home address, in case they needed him for prosecution of the criminal. He did say that it may not be necessary, as they knew the man, who had been under observation for some time and had a long string of offences already on his record. For the past twenty years, since the age of fifteen, this man had been convicted of many petty crimes and had been imprisoned on seven different occasions. The fact that he had physically attacked Adam in addition to theft would probably result in yet another lengthy term in prison.

Adam was both surprised and pleased, when the policeman turned to Caterina saying, 'Your husband was very brave, but foolish in chasing this criminal, Senorita Sheldrake. Life is much more important than a shoulder bag. Please take care and enjoy the rest of your holiday.' He walked quickly away towards his patrol car, before they had chance to explain that they were not married. Both laughed at his mistake, but there was real concern for Adam in Caterina's beautiful eyes.

She still thought he should have further medical help, but Adam insisted that what he needed more than anything was her continued company and a good, nourishing meal. 'Come on, Caterina. Let's find that restaurant.' The couple walked, holding hands, for a few more minutes until they found the place listed in the tourist guide. It had a good atmosphere and, thankfully, was not crowded. Apparently, restaurants in Barcelona are very quiet early in the evening, but become much busier towards midnight. Adam was relieved to see that the prices were not too expensive, making it more affordable for Caterina. Once the order was given to the waiter, they chatted happily, as though they had known each other for years.

'I think I understood why the policeman thought we were married. Even though we've known each other for such a short time, I think we look like a couple.'

Caterina nodded in agreement. 'I know what you mean, Adam.' As they sat facing each other, in that little Spanish restaurant, both felt great comfort from each other's company and hoped that it could turn into a long-term relationship. After a good meal of Paella, washed down with a few glasses of red wine, Adam was beginning to feel much better. Caterina was teetotal and, instead of wine, enjoyed a cool, refreshing glass of fruit juice.

'I really love your accent, Caterina. But how do you manage to understand and speak English so well?'

'My grandfather on my mother's side was English. When I was little, he taught me the language and told me a great deal about Britain.'

'What sort of things did he tell you?' Adam was curious to know what impression she had of his country.

'That, like Italy, England has a long history and many world-influencing achievements to be proud of.' As an afterthought, she added, 'And I really love the Beatles music. I think John Lennon was very artistic'

Adam laughed. 'Yes, he certainly was. I'm also a great fan, but I prefer Paul McCartney's melodic and memorable contributions. Eleanor Rigby; She's leaving home and Lady Madonna are my favourite Beatles tracks.'

'Oh, Norwegian Wood; In my Life; Lucy in the sky with diamonds are the ones I like best when the Beatles were still together. Imagine; Woman and Jealous Guy were Lennon's best when he was on his own.'

'Modern pop singers could learn a lot from the Beatles. They just don't have the staying power of Lennon and McCartney's music,' Adam enthused about the Liverpool singers who were famous long before he was born. 'Paul is still touring, yet he's nearly seventy.'

The couple chatted about British pop culture for a while, time seeming to pass very quickly. Caterina went a little quiet and had a worried look on her face. 'It was very brave of you to chase that criminal, Adam. I feel it was my fault that you were injured. Perhaps I shouldn't have left my home to come here on holiday.'

Her eyes moistened, as she obviously felt the guilt for Adam's injury.

'You mustn't blame yourself, Caterina. I have absolutely no regrets about chasing that criminal and at least he is in police custody, now, which means one criminal less on the streets of Barcelona. Your friendship has made this the best holiday, ever.'

'You really mean that?' Her beautiful smile returned.