“You went in my studio?”

“The man in your picture looks just like our tenant, the American.” Maurizio’s eyes narrowed. “Have you been seeing him?”

Eliana didn’t answer. She knew Maurizio. This was his way, asking questions he already knew the answer to, coaxing you into a trap until you had sealed off all your escape routes.

“Or I should say former tenant. I’ll be kicking him out when he returns.”

Eliana just stared at him. Her throat was dry.

“Do you want to know why?”

“No.”

“Because you already know why, don’t you?” He pushed back in his chair.

“Well, you should be glad he’s gone, amore. I did a little research. Ross Story is a murderer.”

Eliana looked at him blankly.

“You don’t believe me. E vero, amore.” It’s true, love. “He killed his own fiancée.” He reached down, extracting papers from his briefcase. He set them on the table in front of her. She looked down at them. There were six sheets in all, newspaper articles printed off the Internet. She lifted the first article to read.

MINNESOTA ADMAN MURDERS FIANCÉE.

Below the headline was a picture of Ross. His hair was shorter then, he was younger, fresher in face, but it was definitely him.

Advertising executive Ross Story of Wayzata was arrested Friday evening for the murder of his fiancée, Ms. Alyssa Boyd of St. Paul.

Ms. Boyd was found bleeding and in shock, by joggers, in Como Park less than an hour after neighbors had complained to apartment management of a domestic disturbance involving her and Story. Story was seen chasing Ms. Boyd out of her apartment into the park. Ms. Boyd was rushed to Regions Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Story is a founding partner of Twede Story Advertising, one of Minneapolis’s largest advertising firms. The couple was to be married three days later. Boyd, a resident of St. Paul, was 21 years of age and graduated last summer from the University of Minnesota.

Eliana looked at the other articles, reading the headlines and photo captions, and scanning the stories in disbelief.

MINNEAPOLIS ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE CHARGED IN FIANCÉE’S MURDER.

JURY CONVICTS ADMAN OF FIANCÉE’S MURDER.

FAMILY FILES CIVIL SUIT AGAINST DAUGHTER’S MURDERER.

The headline on an article from a Minneapolis advertising publication read: END OF STORY—THE FALL OF RISING AD STAR ROSS STORY. The photograph showed Ross in happier days, clad in a tuxedo, accepting an advertising award.

Eliana read the articles as numbness spread through her. As much as her heart had already suffered, it was as if a sledgehammer had come down to finish it off.

Maurizio watched as she read. When she finished she looked up at him speechless.

“You should choose your boyfriends a little more carefully. Especially those you trust with our son. If you as much as talk to him again, I will see to it that you pay.”

For a moment Eliana was in too much shock to speak.

“Where is the American now?” he asked.