The woman whimpered quietly, drawing his attention. David finally looked up. He pulled a photograph from the file.
He studied it for a moment before turning it around and holding it up for her to see. The woman looked up at him, confusion clouding her tear-filled eyes. Her mascara had long since smeared, leaving dark streaks down her cheeks, and her lips trembled as she tried to make sense of the man sitting so calmly in front of her.
"He was at your hotel," David said finally. "What did he want?"
The woman swallowed hard, her bound hands twitching behind her back. "Uh... I... he wanted information on a guest," she cried, her voice cracking under the weight of fear.
David’s eyes flickered briefly to the photograph of Marco in his hand before returning to her. "What did you give him?"
"I gave him the details," she replied quickly, desperate to be cooperative. "The guest only had one visitor. She gave her name, but... but I cannot remember."
"Did he ask for descriptions?" he asked, his tone still deceptively calm.
"Yes," she nodded frantically. "Yes, he did. But you have to understand—so many people come through the hotel every day. It’s hard to keep up with faces. I didn’t think it was anything serious. He seemed... official."
David considered this, his gaze drifting momentarily as he processed the information. "Hmmm," he murmured thoughtfully. He rose to his feet. The movement alone caused the woman to flinch. She instinctively tried to retreat despite being bound. David adjusted his gloves.
The woman watched him anxiously, her breathing shallow and uneven. Every movement he made seemed to amplify her terror. Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, she spoke. "Will... will you let me go?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Now why would I do that?" David asked.
The woman’s eyes widened in terror as he slowly withdrew a knife from his pocket. Her breath hitched, and she began to shake uncontrollably, the chair creaking beneath her. "Please... please... I promise... God, no, please," she sobbed. Tears streamed down her face, and her words tumbled over one another in desperate disarray. "I won’t tell anyone. I swear. I have a family. Please..."
David stepped closer. He moved behind her, placing one hand firmly on the back of her neck, holding her head steady. His touch was neither rough nor gentle; it was simply controlled.
"I won’t tell anyone," she repeated.
"With the right motivation, darling, you will," David replied simply.
Before she could fully process his meaning, he drew the blade across her throat in one swift motion. The room fell into a heavy silence as her body went limp. He pushed her head forward gently, allowing it to rest as the last remnants of movement faded.
David then wiped the knife clean on the hem of her shirt. He returned the blade to his pocket, glancing briefly at the file still resting on the table. Another loose end tied. Another step forward.
*****


Luca inhaled deeply, letting the aroma of the food fill his senses. "Smells amazing," he replied.
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