This was all very interesting, particularly since I was in the middle of contemplating marriage myself. However, my bodyguard’s wince had reminded me of the unanswered question originally raised by his appearance.
“I think I understand now, Guido,” I said. “Thanks. Now tell me, what happened to your arm? And what are you doing back at the palace?”
Guido seemed a little taken aback at the sudden change of topic.
“Sorry I didn’t check in as soon as I got back, Boss,” he said, looking uncomfortable. “It was late and I thought you were already asleep . . . until I heard that argument in process, that is. I would have let you know first thing in the morning.”
“Uh-huh,” I said. “No problem. But since we’re talking now, what happened?”
“We ran into a little trouble, is all,” he said, looking away. “Nothin’ serious.”
“Serious enough to put your arm in a sling,” I observed. “So what happened?”
“If it’s okay with you, Boss, I’d rather not go into details. Truth is, it’s more than a little embarrassing.”
I was about to insist, then thought better of it. Guido never asked for much from me, but it seemed right now he was asking that I not push the point. The least I could do was respect his privacy.
“All right,” I said slowly. “We’ll let it ride for now. Will you be able to work with that arm?”
“In a pinch, maybe. But not at peak efficiency,” he admitted. “That’s really what I wanted to talk to you about, Boss. Is there any chance you can assign Nunzio to be Pookie’s backup while I take over his duties here?”