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“Of course, Detective. I... I understand you need answers. Whatever I can do to help,” he replied, his voice hoarse, betraying the stress he was under.

James took a seat opposite him, maintaining a respectful distance. “I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Mancini. We just have a few questions that might help us understand what happened to your wife.”

Alessandro nodded again, his gaze flickering toward the window as if seeking an escape from the reality in front of him.

James continued, his tone measured. “I understand you and your wife had an argument the night before her death. Can you tell me more about that?”

Alessandro seemed to struggle with how to answer, then sighed deeply.

“We had some disagreements… about business, mostly. Vittoria was always so focused on her work, her investments... sometimes it felt like I wasn’t even in the picture anymore. But... this, what happened to her, I never thought it would come to this.”

Alice, noticing his strain, stepped forward slightly. “I’m sure this is difficult, Mr. Mancini. But we need to know everything we can. Are there other details about the arguments?”

Alessandro hesitated, his eyes darting to the floor as though searching for the right words. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat before looking back up at them.

“It wasn’t a huge argument,” he began, his voice tight. “It was about the wine-tasting event that night. You see, Vittoria was planning to come with me, but she bailed out last minute and scolded me hard. So, I went alone, and that’s when things got tense. She didn’t want to come because she was caught up in her work—always the work, you know?”

James nodded, prompting him to go on. “And then what happened?”