Page 23 of Be Still My Unbeating Heart

“Who else meets here?” De Luca asked.

“Nobody you’d know.” Emilio wore a look of intense curiosity as he peered at Bastian’s hand draped over his shoulder, as if he were attempting to memorize every detail.

“Who else is part of the League?” De Luca asked.

“De Luca, there’s no need to—” Bastian began, but De Luca shouted over him.

“Enough!” He took an angry step toward Emilio. “Your colleague is dead.Murdered.If you know something that might shed light on who her killer is—”

“Calmdown, Inspector,” Bastian said, knowing full well that nobody ever calmed down when you told them to. Riling up DeLuca was a risk worth taking, though, if it earned Emilio’s trust. “If Emilio knew anything, he’d tell us. Wouldn’t you, Emilio?”

De Luca’s face pinched with fury. He stared at Bastian, mouth half open, as if he couldn’t believe what Bastian was saying.

“I loved Luna,” Emilio said. “I’d help if I could. Really.”

“Yes, you would, wouldn’t you, Emilio?” Bastian said, sensing his moment. He turned to face the waiter. “Now tell me, Emilio, what do you see when you look into my eyes?”

Emilio met his gaze, and Bastian held it with his own. He didn’t blink. He pushed gently with his vision, inviting Emilio to succumb to his will. When Emilio’s gaze remained on him, unblinking, Bastian began to sway from side to side, as if rocked by a gentle tide. Emilio mirrored his movement, his gaze never breaking contact.Wonderful.

“What are you—” De Luca began, but Bastian raised his hand, silencing him.

“Emilio, you’re perfectly safe. Do you feel safe, Emilio?”

“Yes,” Emilio said. His voice held a dreamlike quality.

Bastian smiled. “Good. That’s good, Emilio. Now, you know that we’re here because we want to find the person who killed your colleague. You do know that, don’t you, Emilio?”

“Yes, I know that,” Emilio said.

“Okay. Now, Emilio, can you tell us anything about Luna and Salvador Silvestri?”

The waiter frowned but the connection remained, a thin cord that Bastian sensed like a beam of light passing between their eyes.

“Did you ever see them together?” Bastian pressed. “Was Salvador harassing Luna?”

“I don’t know,” Emilio said. “I don’t think so.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Bastian pressed his lips together to contain his frustration.Emilio truly didn’t know—if he did, he would have to surrender the information. Bastian decided to try a different tack.

“Did Luna share any worries with you in the days leading up to her death? Perhaps she felt somebody was following her or that somebody had upset her.”

“Matteo was mean to her,” Emilio said. “But Matteo was always mean to her.”

Bastian’s eyebrows rose as he recalled the scowling black-haired waiter who had told him he couldn’t bring his own cat to Micio Micio.

“Luna had issues with the other waiter?” he asked.

Emilio’s eyes looked dry. He hadn’t blinked in over a minute. Bastian knew he was pushing the young man to the limit, but he couldn’t stop now. Emilio was only just beginning to open up.

“Luna broke up with Matteo a few weeks ago,” Emilio said. “They were only together for three months, but things were weird after that. Matteo was angry all the time. He took it out on her.”

“Did he hurt her?”

Drool escaped the corner of Emilio’s mouth, sliding down his chin.