Chapter 3, "At Water Level" Summary

In chapter three, Berendt rents an apartment from Peter and Rose Lauritzen in the Palazzo da Silva, a building that had been in the British embassy hundreds of years before. The Lauritzens' have lived in Venice for nearly thirty years. Rose is English and Peter is American. Berendt is flashing back to several months earlier when he had called to rent the apartment. Peter and Rose become good friends of Berendt's, as they take him through the building on a tour. Rose shares many valuable tidbits of information, like where to shop and how to get the citizen discount.

After showing Berendt about the building in which he will be staying, the Lauritzens invite him up to have a drink, which he graciously accepts. Without any questioning from Berendt, the subject of the fire at...