Chapter 13

I looked at my watch: five minutes to eleven o'clock. One hour had passed since we entered the guest parlor—one painfully long hour.

Sitting down didn't suit my nerves, so I walked around studying the decor. No dust, just a bitter scent of old reigned all throughout the opening. And even though the walls showcased amazing portraits and incredible landscapes, the atmosphere inside stayed undeniably rigid.

Four large windows let the warm sunlight in, the abundant brilliance reaching into all four corners of the room. Beautiful, except I didn't find it romantic anymore.

I pondered in silence, lost in my thoughts. I noticed the police captain approaching only when the floor screeched beneath his footsteps.

"You resemble the Bella Dona di Pontefici," he said with a straight face. "Did you know that?"

"It was painted over four-hundred years ago. So... I highly doubt that."

"You can't take a compliment, do you?"

"It's an unrealistic one at best. Because of the style of the arti