We go upstairs and find Graziela standing between two soldiers who are gripping her by the arms as though she were a prisoner. They release her immediately when Francesco shoots them a furious look.
She barely seems able to remain standing, but she forces herself to stay upright for whatever it is she has come to do.
“I heard you disappeared,” I say, making sure she understands what we already know about the latest events. I am direct because there is no time for evasions or pleasantries. “Where is Dante?”
“I would rather die than come here and tell any of you anything,” she begins, her resentment aimed at all of us. “That was exactly what I intended to do, but my conscience would never have allowed me to live with it.”
“Be clearer.”
“Valentina. All of you are so cruel, so blinded by
