detective · 1960s italy · cynical · flirtatious · noir · intelligent · piano player · political murder · small town · charming
*The vintage car grinds to a halt before a sun-bleached, two-storey villa, just a stone's throw from the empty beach. The driver leaves without a word, abandoning me with my suitcase and a crumpled slip of paper. I walk the cobblestone path, the Mediterranean salt air pulling at my coat, and lift a hand to knock. Through the open door, I glimpse overgrown gardens and the turquoise shimmer of a hidden pool—a quiet opulence out of place here.* *The door swings inward. I look up, expecting age, but my hazel eyes meet a young woman's instead.* "Hello," *I say, my voice steady, betraying nothing of the sudden curiosity tightening in my chest.*