CUNNING

Emanuele's impression of Lucia was that she was an outgoing and sociable girl. She didn't have a particularly adorable or innocent appearance, but what made her so likable was her gaze. When she looked at others, her eyes sparkled as if she was reuniting with an old friend. Her expression constantly conveyed warmth and friendship, and she had that sunny, generous personality that people found irresistible.

Whenever she was present, a familiar atmosphere would immediately form around her; whatever she said, it was impossible not to believe her or want to do her a favor.

During their search for security camera footage and testimonies, Emanuele had noticed the difference. When he asked people for information, he would get brief responses:

"I didn't see anything."

"People come and go all the time here, who can remember?"

But when Lucia asked, it was as if they were meeting a longtime friend. They would immediately start chatting with her; even without concrete leads, the shopkeepers felt guilty for not being able to help and promised to ask their employees, letting her know if they found anything new.

Even Emanuele felt the same way. Despite having only known her for a little over a day, he found himself sharing personal information with her, an inexplicable urge pushing him to confide in this young student.

Today, however, something felt off: Lucia kept holding her error notebook, reading it silently, without talking to him.

The atmosphere between them had become a little awkward, considering they had only known each other for two days.

Emanuele wondered why he continued to place his hopes on a simple high school student.

Although he had already graduated, he had never experienced such tumultuous events, and he didn't understand that the connection he felt with Lucia stemmed from the way she handled interactions.

Some people have an innate ability: whenever they want, they can make anyone meeting them for the first time feel instantly at ease, as though they were trustworthy and capable of understanding whoever they encountered.

Emanuele was an introverted person who struggled with interpersonal relationships. When he was with Lucia, she took care of the social aspect, making him feel comfortable.

But today, with Lucia preoccupied by something, that familiar atmosphere had vanished, leaving Emanuele feeling awkward.

"Is that your error notebook?" Emanuele asked, trying to break the silence.

Lucia, noticing his discomfort, closed the notebook and smiled: "Before leaving, I promised my mom I'd look at it. I did, so now I can say I've completed my task."

"Oh, I see." Emanuele nodded.

Lucia began chatting with him, asking about his childhood.

She calculated that when the first murder case had occurred, Emanuele must have still been a newborn.

"I was a very demanding child, always crying. You know, baby cries are really annoying, and my mom was a hot-tempered person. She didn't want to take care of me, so my father was constantly running back and forth between home and school. Everyone said he lost twenty pounds during that time. How could he have had time to commit a crime?"

A newborn?

It was unlikely that Emanuele could remember those details; they were probably stories he had been told. In modern society, expectations for fathers are often low, and even small acts of parenting get amplified, leading people to think they were the ones handling everything.

Lucia suspected that this was one of those distorted family tales.

Emanuele didn't realize that Lucia was just trying to gather information; he continued sharing his childhood, venting his emotions.

"You have no idea how good my father was. Since I was little, I never received a single punishment. My father grew up being mistreated by my grandfather, who was a violent man..."

Lucia observed him with a look of pity, but no one could know what she was really thinking at that moment.

Soon, they arrived at their destination: the neighborhood where the businessman lived. The entrance to the residential complex was well-guarded.

"I know a way to get in," said Emanuele.

Lucia shook her head, taking control of the situation: "Don't sneak in. We need the guard as an intermediary." After all, they knew only that the person lived in that complex, but they didn't know the details of his apartment.

With that, she approached the guard: "Hello, sir. We'd like to contact Mr. Ferrari."

Lucia whispered a few words to the guard, which Emanuele didn't hear, but the guard looked at her and immediately made a phone call.

Lucia thanked him and returned to Emanuele: "Wait a moment, they'll let us in soon."

Emanuele thought meeting Mr. Ferrari would be difficult. Not having much experience with wealthy people, he felt a certain social distance.

"Do you think this will work?"

Lucia didn't mind his naivety at all and patiently explained: "They're always looking for information about the children and the killer, so it's not unusual for people to visit him. In the past, those who visited brought news; today, it's the son of the alleged culprit who wants to meet him. Do you think he won't want to see you?"

Emanuele realized that, in fact, his years of university hadn't given him much practical understanding of the world. A high school senior seemed much sharper.

After a few minutes, someone from the complex came to greet them.

Lucia walked ahead, chatting with the housekeeper who was escorting them.

Emanuele, on the other hand, was nervous and tried to mentally prepare himself for the meeting.

As they entered the villa, they were greeted by a large statue of a warrior.

Emanuele, taken aback by the statue's presence, saw Lucia automatically bow in respect.

Thinking it was some kind of ritual, Emanuele bowed as well.

From the main hall, loud coughing echoed; as they entered, they saw a thin, middle-aged man with a respirator emitting a constant hum.

The man said, "Sofia, bring some tea for these young people."

The housekeeper quickly went to the kitchen to prepare the tea.

Emanuele was still trying to find the right words.

Lucia took the initiative.

"I apologize for the intrusion, my name is Lucia, and this is Emanuele. We're here mainly because his father, who is also my teacher, has gone missing."

Lucia showed him a printed image of the suspect, explaining: "We didn't want to disturb you, but we really need your help."

She briefly explained the situation, without getting too emotional, simply laying out the facts: the image that had surfaced online and the teacher's subsequent disappearance.

Meanwhile, Emanuele, embarrassed and unsure of what to do, noticed that Lucia wasn't defending his father and felt the need to step in.

"I can guarantee with my life that my father isn't the culprit. During that time, he was always between home and school; he couldn't have possibly committed a crime."

"If you ask around, you'll hear how kind my father is."

"If it was you who captured him, please don't hurt him; he's never done anything wrong in his life, let alone kill someone."

Emanuele wanted to prove the truth but didn't know how to. So, he simply said those words.

The other man started coughing violently, and Lucia, while handing him a handkerchief, whispered: "Actually, I have some doubts about your father. I'll talk to you about it privately later."

Then she spoke louder again: "Mr. Ferrari, are you okay? He didn't mean it that way. Let's exchange contacts, and we'll talk when you're feeling better."

Lucia quickly obtained Mr. Ferrari's contact information while Emanuele watched, impressed by her skill.

At first, Emanuele thought that, given how close the exams were, he should probably avoid involving Lucia in his investigations. But now, he realized just how essential it was to have her by his side.

He needed to contact the families of the victims; if any of them insisted on believing that his father was the killer in the case, it would be hard for him to explain himself alone.

As they walked out, Lucia said, "I don't think it was him who kidnapped your father."

"I've thought about it," Lucia continued, "the online images appeared only a few hours after your father disappeared. If it were him, he wouldn't have had enough time to do all that."

Then she added, "And the victims' families—how could they have acted so quickly without leaving a trace, in such a short time? They would have needed to find out about it, get to the school, and find a way to take him without being seen on the cameras."

Emanuele listened carefully, following her reasoning, which seemed increasingly convincing.

He said, "You're right, it's possible that it was someone close to him, someone who knew him well. It could even be a relative of a victim we don't know about."

Lucia held back a sigh but kept her expression calm. "Don't focus too much on the victims' families. It's not that easy to find a connection between them and your father. You should also consider his other relationships."

Emanuele was about to object, thinking that his father didn't have any enemies, but Lucia interrupted him with a clear plan: "Let's do this: I'll investigate the victims' families, while you look into your father's social network. You know him better than anyone else; you might find more useful information."

By now, Emanuele trusted her completely. Despite being just a high school student, Lucia was organized and determined. It was clear they couldn't remain stuck on one path.

"Thank you so much."

"No problem," Lucia replied with a smile. "We'll catch up tonight. In the meantime, when you get home, look through your father's things. You might find a clue."

With each person assigned their own task, they parted ways.

As Lucia walked home, she finally let out a sigh of relief. Her mind was racing so fast that it felt like it was on fire.

When she got back, she found the lights off. Her mother must have already gone to bed.

She moved quietly through the living room.

"Bang—"

A noise from the basement made her jump.

She froze, and her gaze fell on the basement door. Her heart pounded as she slowly approached.

She grabbed a nearby chair, not feeling safe without something in her hands.

The basement entrance grew closer, and her hands trembled along with the chair she held tightly.

Suddenly, a voice behind her startled her.

"What are you doing?"

It was her mother.

Lucia turned around, trying to make out her mother's expression in the dark.

"I heard some noises from the basement. I was going to check."

She was about to move, but Elena, her tone more severe now, stopped her: "That's not your business. Leave it to me. Go to bed; it's late, and you have school tomorrow."

"I can go."

"Are you not listening to me? Go wash up and sleep. You came home late, and now you're still up wasting time. Don't you want to go to university?"

Lucia set down the chair, realizing her mother was in a bad mood.

As she walked away, her mother's voice softened: "I'm doing this for your own good. You're just a student; focus on your studies and don't worry about these things."

Lucia knew her mother was just trying to protect her. As she moved away to wash up, she told her about her day.

"The teacher's son found some photos of the victims."

"One of the victims had a long scar."

Elena paused for a moment. When she turned to face her, her eyes were cold and sharp.

Lucia continued, "I told him I'd handle the victims' families while he'd look into his father's relationships."

"Don't worry about these things; just focus on studying," Elena replied coldly.

Lucia looked up, staring intently at her mother, who had now stepped into the light of the living room. She could clearly see the wrinkles on her mother's face, each telling a story, and she felt a tightness in her chest.

"This year, after the exams, I'll go to university. Maybe you could come with me?"

Lucia knew how important it was to make others feel needed.

She was sending a signal: she needed her, wanted a mother by her side.

Elena stared at her for a long time, seeing her determination. Finally, she responded: "I'll come with you."

With that, Elena headed toward the basement.

Lucia watched her walk away, feeling her anxiety grow.

What should she do? What was happening?

She went to her room and started searching online.

"Penalties for mistreatment?"

No, that wasn't the right search.

She adjusted the terms slightly.

"Penalties for unlawful detention and mistreatment?"

She looked at the results, then made another adjustment.

"Penalties for complicity?"

Lucia was determined. She wasn't going to let events control her; she had to take control of the situation herself.