A jolt shook her body. “I haven’t killed Mr. Calvani!”
For the first time, her voice trembled in the realization that in case she would have been considered guilty, she could have faced lifetime imprisonment. That wasn’t the way it was planned!
“Then, I suggest you start telling the truth because nobody is saving you from jail. At this point, you can make your situation lighter by cooperating with us.” Maurizio started to feel his blood boiling in his veins and tried everything in his power to keep his temper at bay.
He got as close as he could to her face, “This is going to bring you in jail for at least fifty years, or you can have a lighter sentence based on your cooperation, and if it’s true and you haven’t killed Mr. Calvani, maybe you might get only fifteen years.”
The scent of his aftershave reached her nostrils. She opened her mouth as if she were going to speak, but closed it immediately after, biting her lower lip to avoid saying something she would have regretted.
I need to talk with Luciano, she thought.
He was the only one who could have helped her. First, providing her the best attorney money could buy, and then with a solution to get out of that situation.
Narrowing her eyes, she glared at Maurizio, but said nothing.
“Take her away!” Maurizio ordered, opening the door of the room.
With long strides he reached his room and collapsed on the chair behind his desk. “She killed them both; eventually, the reason why she framed and killed her father was indeed the resentment for the pain he caused to her mother. I bet, it hadn’t been easy to live away from her and being raised by her aunt, yet what the heck did it have to do with Calvani?”
He grabbed his head between his hands and closed his eyes. He remained in the same position for as long as his arms could give out, then falling limp on his lap.
Opening his eyes, he stared at the ceiling, ruminating about the case.
“What if her mother told her about some arguments with Mr. Calvani? Could it be so, and she felt the need to protect her even from him? Was that the reason why she contacted his son and pretended to be in love with him?”
He listened to his voice as if it came from somebody else, and like magic, every piece of the puzzle started to take a place in that crazy plan.
“The mantis generally kills the lover. This one, the lovers who eventually hurt her mother,” he mumbled through tightened teeth. “Could it be that Luciano Calvani might have been in danger? Was there a trap also set for him?”
Without thinking twice, he stood from his chair and paced out of the room, heading to his parking place. He had to talk with Madlen one more time. First, because he had to inform her about the death of her ex-husband if she hadn’t been informed. Secondly, he needed to tell her about the imprisonment of her daughter.
CHAPTER 25
It was around four o’clock in the afternoon. Madlen was returning home from shopping, when she noticed the police car outside her building. Although there wasn’t any reason, she could figure out for them to be there, she was sure it was connected to the murder of Claudio. She hurried her steps to the entrance, literally stumbling into Maurizio.
“Detective!” she exclaimed uncertainly.
“I’m terribly sorry, Ms. Fazekas, I didn’t want to alarm you. I needed to see you and have a chat; can we reach your apartment?”
“Of course, is there any news about the murder?” She opened the door of the building, heading to the elevators.
“Yes, and I’m afraid I have some bad news to tell you, unless the media has found a way to release the latest piece.”
“I haven’t heard anything at this point, and I hope no charges have been raised against me,” a nervous giggle escaped her mouth. A couple of months before, Scala reassured her she wasn’t considered a suspect anymore, but having him again right at her door, made her as jumpy as a cat on a hot tin roof.
“No, nothing against you. That was the reason why we released the funds from the insurance company,” he clarified as they reached the apartment.
She allowed him to come inside and carefully closed the door behind her.
Reaching the living room, Maurizio recognized the familiar place where he’d stepped inside a few times in the past. He turned around to glance at her and drew a deep breath.
The reason for his visit, although it wasn’t to arrest her, wasn’t pleasant either, and he had to find the right words to tell her.
“It’s better if you’ll take a seat. I’m afraid you will need it,” Maurizio suggested.
“Detective, now you’re scaring me!” her brows furrowed as she sat down on the couch.
“We’ve arrested your daughter, Irina, for the murder of Claudio Calvani and Igor Leonov. Although she denied the first murder, she had to confess the second one, as other witnesses provided unquestionable proof of her involvement. I’m afraid that considering all the accusations from the double homicide for futile reasons, the concealment of a corpse, illegal immigration, she might face long time imprisonment.” He sat down, speaking with a calm tone of voice, feeling the pain she should have felt, understanding her daughter was an assassin.
Madlen remained silent for a moment; tears choked her breath, and she felt as if she was going to faint. “That... No!” Covering her face with her hands, both to avoid looking at Maurizio’s face for the shame and to hide the pain her expression would have shown. Her heart shattered. Her daughter, the one she considered the most precious gift of life ever
