“But I’ve never had confidence in my acting abilities and thought I shouldn’t even try. However, Sani encouraged me. He said we should role-play and practise acting so I could gain some confidence. That was a scene we were doing — a criminal lord and his captive. I recorded it on my phone so I could study it later and reflect on my performance. That’s why I’m confused as to how it ended up in your hands and being portrayed as something it’s not.”
My heart had never raced so fast as I held their distrustful gazes. If they believed even a word of that, maybe I should take up acting seriously.
“Do you still have the original recording?”
“I don’t.” I shook my head. “I deleted it because I thought my acting was terrible.”
Ferri snapped the folder shut. “Thank you for your time,SignoraBuccini. We’ll be in touch if we need anything else from you.”
That’s it? I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad sign. I reached out my hand towards them. “Wait! When can I see my husband?”
“A decision will be made in the nextfew hours.”
“A decision?”
“Whether the evidence we have is sufficient to make a formal arrest, a judge will need to validate it before the option of bail can be discussed.”
I swallowed and nodded, standing as they saw us both out. “Thank you, Detectives. I hope you find who is really behind this. My father deserves justice.”
They gave me a curt nod before walking away. I strolled out of the station with Big-T and the lawyer by my side, met with a barrage of paparazzi and journalists who had caught wind of my location. Big-T immediately tried to shield me from the oncoming cameras and media vultures, guiding me towards the safety of the car, but I halted, digging my heels into the ground.
“Wait,” I breathed, an idea sparking. If Callum could address the city, why couldn’t I? I spun back around and stormed over to them as they all huddled around me, thrusting microphones in my face. I couldn’t even concentrate on a single overlapping question being thrown my way, so I simply raised my hand and waited for them to all shut up.
When they finally did, I felt the excitement radiating from them. This was the story they wanted. The mayor’s daughter. The accused man’s wife. The woman caught between two worlds and two men.
I straightened slightly and gazed directly into the lens of one camera.
“My father is still in intensive care, but the doctors tell me he is stable and that they are hopeful he will make a full recovery. I am so grateful to all of the wonderful medical staff who saved his life.”
A few reporters started scribbling quickly.
“Many people were injured in that explosion, and their families deserve answers just as I do.”
“Do you believe your husband is guilty?” Someone shouted from the back.
I searched through the crowd before I said with absolute conviction, “No. My husband, Santino Buccini, was standing on that rooftop when the blast happened. In fact, he was seen moving towards the stage just before. He would never do anything that would put my father, myself, or his own life in harm’s way.”
“Why is he being detained then?”
“I am not a detective. But I do believe in facts. And facts tend to reveal themselves, especially when people try to manipulate the narrative around them.”
“Are you saying you think your husband is being framed?”
“All I am saying is that I believe investigations should be thorough, and all information should be regarded with care and consideration. My husband is cooperating and will face the investigation the same way he faces everything else... with courage. The truth will eventually reveal itself, and I look forward to having him home, as well as my father.”
“Arianna–”
“That is all I have to say. Thank you,” I said, backing away as Belio stepped between me and them, guiding me back towards the car. The moment I climbed in, I dropped my head back against the leather interior and cursed.
“That took some balls,” Max said, twisting around from the passenger seat to grin at me. “Sani is going to want to marry you all over again after that.”
I smiled, dropping my shoulders as the tension gradually eased from my body. “Hopefully, for the first time since the explosion, the story being told about Santino Buccini will be different from what they’ve been hearing.”
“Only one more loose end to tie up. You still up for it?” Max smirked.
I nodded and took the leverage we had over Detective Morelli from him. We drove around the city for a few minutes, waiting for all the paparazzi and journalists to clear, and then pulled up around the corner of the small café Morelli always went to on his break and waited. As soon as Morelli walked inside and ordered, I climbed out of the car. Morelli reappeared outside and took a small table in the sun. Big-T kept a short distance behind me as we approached, giving me space but constantly scanning the area.
“Detective Morelli?”
