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He leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose. “But that wasn’t the reason. Not directly, anyway. Elise and I had already talked about leaving the academic circuit. We wanted a slower pace. A normal life. When we found out Vittoria had settled here too… well, it was a surprise. A strange coincidence, maybe.”

James nodded thoughtfully. “Sure, thank you for sharing that. Now, I just want to ask — where were you, and what were you doing on the night Vittoria was murdered?”

Jonathan met James’s gaze steadily. “That night, I was working at my pub here in town—the one Elise and I run together. It opens late, from 10 p.m. until around 4 a.m., and then we stay on to clean and prepare a little for the next day, usually leaving around 5 a.m. Both of us were there.”

James' eyes fixed on Jonathan. “Okay, were you at the pub the entire time? Did you step outside at all between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.?”

Jonathan shook his head firmly. “No, I was there the entire time. Elise and a few of the regular guests can vouch for that.”

James gave a small nod. “Sure, thank you for your cooperation. Last question from me — how much do you know about Mr. Leonardo Ferreti?”

Jonathan smiled faintly. “I’ve never met him, never spoken to him. I was just as surprised as anyone to hear he was found dead in the same room as Vittoria.”

James returned the smile warmly. “Thank you, Jonathan. That’s all for now.”

They stood up and made their way back to the sedan parked just outside. As they settled into their seats, Marco glanced over at James.

“So, what do you think?” Marco asked quietly.