Page 179 of Valentino

“No.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “We struggled and the gun accidentally went off.”

“So, someone you hate is found with two gunshot wounds and you standing over him with a weapon.” His eyes rise to meet mine once more. “Do you honestly think that I’d believe this story?”

“Believe what you want, it’s the truth.”

“Explain to me.” He sits back in his chair and crosses his legs. “What exactly is it that you do at Ferrara?”

My eyes hold his as I imagine my hands round his throat, who the fuck does this guy think he is.

“I’m head of global strategy.”

“Does that strategy involve killing your ex-employees?”

I smirk. “I think you’ve been reading too many crime books, Mr. Commissioner.”

“Or maybe I just know what you are like.”

“If you know what I’m like…” I sit forward in my seat, “…then you should be more careful, Mr. Sartori.”

“Is that a threat?”

Our eyes are locked.

“I don’t know…. Is it?”

He leans forward so that only I can hear. “I’m going to send you to prison for life, Valentino.”

I smile, the audacity of this fucking idiot.

“I’m not sure if you are aware of how the law works, Mr. Sartori. But I’m positive that you have to do something wrong to go to prison. Check my criminal record, it’s squeaky clean.”

“You think you’re so fucking smug, don’t you?” he sneers.

We glare at each other as hatred bounces between us.

“And what happened then?”

“I think that’s enough questioning for tonight.”

“We haven’t even started.”

“If you have any further questions,” I reply, “you can talk to my lawyer.”

ANNA

Theres a strange sterile smell in the air, not clean like a hospital but not dirty either, decidedly unfriendly. I cannot believe I am in the police station waiting to be questioned.

Visions of the blood splattered across my bathroom taunt me; I keep seeing him on the floor in a pool of blood. Hatred and pain etched on his face….

Valentino standing over him with a gun in his hand.

I sit in a near-empty room with only a desk and two chairs. I’ve been waiting for a long time now and I’ve no idea what time it is.

A woman walks in, she gives me a kind smile. “Hello, I’m Detective Armes. I’m going to ask you a few questions about what happened tonight, is that okay?”

I nod.

She sits down and opens a notepad and presses a button on a small tape recorder. “I’m going to tape our conversation so I can write up my notes later, is that okay?”