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He started listing them off:

“First, there’s Mr. André Pierrer and his wife, Ms. Elisabetta Pierrer—the couple in charge of managing Vittoria’s restaurant business. They’d recently come under suspicion for mismanaging funds. Vittoria had scheduled a financial review with her accountant the very morning she was killed. If they were hiding something, that meeting would’ve exposed it."

“Then there’s Mr. Alessandro Mancini, her husband. The two had a serious argument the night before she was found dead. He hasn’t offered much since—just that she was ‘emotional.’”

Marco’s voice took on a harder edge as he continued. “Next, there’s Mr. Giovanni Romano — Vittoria’s so-called accountant and investment advisor. But according to what we’ve uncovered, it looks like he’s been deceiving her for years, funneling the money meant for property investments straight into his own pocket. When Vittoria finally demanded it back, he had nothing to show for it.”

He glanced into the mirror again, his tone turning grim. “Then there’s Jonathan Reeves — a British, one of Vittoria’s former students from her time teaching abroad a few years ago."

He shifted slightly in his seat as he continued, “He had been following her career closely ever since. And even moved here with her about a year ago. He lives in Bellavita now with his wife and runs the town’s only bar. We included him on the suspect list because telephone records show he and Vittoria had a conversation the night she was killed. Around 2 a.m.”

“And finally…” Marco hesitated for a moment, “Mr. Leonardo Ferretti - an investor from a private military company"

James raised an eyebrow. “The other victim?”

Marco nodded, and continued. "He showed up not long ago, pushing Vittoria to support a project that apparently required her scientific expertise. She turned him down. We later discovered he had taken out a massive loan banking on her involvement. Without her help, he’s looking at a lifetime buried in debt."

James leaned back slightly, eyes narrowed. “You’re saying there could’ve been two murderers? Leonardo killed Vittoria… and then someone else killed Leonardo?”

Marco didn’t answer immediately. He stared ahead, jaw tight. “That’s one possibility. But I’m leaning toward the second — that there’s only one murderer, and that person killed both Vittoria and Leonardo.”