28

ALE CASTELNUOVO WAS NOT the same boy Scamarcio had met in the apartment. All the swaggering bravado was gone: the confidence, the jokes, the smirk. He had been reduced to a hunched shadow, small and thin and barely communicative.

‘I want to know exactly what happened in that apartment, and I want to know now,’ said Scamarcio leaning back in the rickety chair. He knew the chairs in the police interview suite were kept deliberately uncomfortable, but he didn’t understand why that rule had to extend to those of the detectives, too. He took a sip from his small plastic cup of espresso and scowled.

‘Why is Jacobini outside?’ asked Castelnuovo in a tiny voice.

‘Because I decided to keep him where I could see him until I’d spoken to you.’

‘The fucker,’ muttered Castelnuovo under his breath.

‘It wasn’t Jacobini who got you into this mess.’

Castelnuovo frowned and angled his rigid body even further away from Scamarcio.

‘We can stay here all night if that’s what it takes. I don’t care, Ale. I really don’t.’

Castelnuovo picked at his bloodied nails and blinked. He was thinking about it. Scamarcio heard the plastic tick of the wall clock marking out the seconds, then the minutes. He looked down at his gaping shirt, his scruffy cords, the scuffs on his shoes. He remembered that he’d got dressed in the dark.

Finally, Castelnuovo said, ‘I was jealous of Andrea, I admit it. I just couldn’t understand what Graziella saw in him. And the worst part was that he seemed totally unfussed, which I guess just made her like him more.’

‘So, you went around to his flat to talk to him?’

Castelnuovo nodded. ‘That’s all I wanted to do — talk. Believe me. I had no intention of getting into a fight. I had no idea he’d even be home alone. I guess I just wanted to say to him that, if he wasn’t interested, could he at least clear the pitch so someone else could have a try. But his reaction was so out of proportion. He just got so angry, so quickly. Started screaming at me, saying how dare I come to his place, intimidate him like this. He seemed furious that I thought he wasn’t interested in Graziella. He kept saying, “Why do you think that? Why do you think I’m not interested? Why do you say that?” His anger was so wild and disturbed, it was more like he was in a panic, like it was out of his control.’

Castelnuovo paused to take a long shaky breath. ‘To be honest, I was getting quite scared. He did really seem crazy. Then, at some point, he got right in my face and put his hands on my neck, and I freaked. I thought he was going to kill me. So I pushed him hard against the wall, and he passed out.’ Castelnuovo hung his head. ‘But I really didn’t mean to kill him. Believe me.’ The last words were almost inaudible.

Scamarcio let out a long breath. ‘You didn’t.’

‘I didn’t what?’

‘You didn’t kill him. Someone else did.’

Castelnuovo’s head jerked up, his mouth open.

‘Did you hear anyone outside when you were in the apartment?’

‘I heard voices, yes — that’s why I was in such a rush to leave. I was freaking out, not thinking clearly. But —’

‘Male or female?’ Scamarcio interrupted.

‘What?’

‘The voices.’

‘Male, I think.’

‘Did you notice anyone on your way out the flat?’

Castelnuovo shook his head slowly, still dumbfounded. Then he stopped and looked at Scamarcio. ‘Yes, I …’ he stuttered. ‘There were two men hanging about by the elevator. They were wearing baseball caps and sunglasses. I thought they might be foreigners, staying in an Airbnb, that kind of thing.’

‘Why?’

‘They were dressed like tourists, and I think one of them was holding a map, but I can’t really remember — it might have been something else. I didn’t stop to take a good look.’

‘Did they get in the lift with you?’

‘I didn’t wait for the lift, I took the stairs. I wanted to get out of there.’

Scamarcio sighed. It was less than useless as there was no CCTV inside the building or on the street that might help match these descriptions to someone.

‘What will I be charged with?’ asked Castelnuovo, his voice shrinking to nothing once more.

Scamarcio narrowed his eyes and raised his chin, defiant. ‘Unfortunately, nothing, because Andrea is in no position to sue you for assault.’

Castelnuovo bowed his head in an attempt at humility.

‘But I swear, Ale, as far as the police are concerned, your card is marked. If you ever try anything like this again, there is no way your arsehole parents are going to be able to pay your way out of it. We’ll be watching, and we’ll have you behind bars way before your dad has time to open his Gucci wallet. Got it?’

‘Got it.’

‘Now fuck off. I never want to set eyes on you again.’