R: THE MAN

life believing that

he Morettis h

e on my phone until th

Alessandr

face. The same dark eyes, the same sharp jaw

took his coffee, how he rubbed his thumb against his wedding ring whenever he

st, I tho

ed a

are

peared almost

disap

ait

th

el

dropped t

sleeves rolled to his elbows. He looked tired. There were fain

I forgot abo

mbered the

ead b

wasn't suppo

ou doing he

. "It's almost two in t

rtuna

outh lifted, but th

been avo

as supposed to chase

use

tween us with uncom

fore the secrets, before the lies, before I learned that loving

rned

ired,

d me for

eone con

art s

ceable, but Alessandro had always be

N

't beli

y the way his

something

tell me

sto

d back

happens, will you tell me the truth i

changed. Not mu

r wanted t

sn't my

ed away

re than I wa

bring you breakfast

not h

eaten since

ping track of my meals while keepi

el

ht, Ales

or another secon

footsteps disappear

nlocked

s a new

apel behind the east

d it

her messa

trust the man who

n't s

had been aban

end of the Moretti estate, its stone walls darken

bring me there w

ting on the front pew while he told me stories about saints

ught he was teac

had been trying to te

lowing morning, before the

already wa

hair was slightly longer than Alessandro's, falling over

tur

e second, I co

was

from the

ad haunted my p

o, Be

Alessandro's, though the r

close to

tte

led fa

old you

said nothing

rse he

said it, as if my confusi

really hi

smile dis

our mother us

ed

rd the stained

erstand at the time. She said that one day, Alessandro

t did he

oked stra

fam

allo

e declar

kno

buried

w that

ose body

something like gri

ing you'd

ok my

t under

. You were there the n

ng settled i

ar window. My father's hand gripping my

mall wo

h to believe it contai

mber that nobody l

child," I

kno

uld I r

the last person

eemed to til

the edge o

ho

o hes

name I had neve

Bell

red a

is

father loved

Aless

expressio

ro loved

ut Daniel Cro

d the wro

uca have to

ryth

on, Matteo reached into his coat

he edges yell

etti mansion. One was unmistakab

his arm around Ale

the photo

ritten a date

y father's handwriti

y sons w

ers wen

oes thi

ok a step

father knew w

n't he s

as the one wh

came fro

tst

d snapped to

e follo

t him, pan

ho

d pulled me behind on

r happens, don't let Aless

hy

s it, he'll know I

stopped outs

iar voice ca

el

ssa

yes briefly, as if

re," he

he slipped through a narr

rd it

Alessandro ent

ound me im

re you

elf to breat

ed to b

round the e

with

ach tig

his gaze dropping t

el

dn't

your

noth

open

t, neither

and, gently enough that

idn

lded my

raph lay b

colour drain

e he had s

een the handwrit

he words for s

looked

id you g

d have

ted t

xpression frightened m

, who is Lu

tened around

since I'd known him, he

you hear

ld answer, h

ed at th

r, but I saw the message

COME ALONE IF YO

went comple

him read

with an expression I

an

susp

e

hatever happens today, you n

ha

you saw in this chapel, t

red a

hy

ograph and slipped

et isn't the only person wh

t of the chapel, leaving me with the terrible feeling