Murder and other crimes in Paradiso

*This story contains mentions of physical violence and mental health.

I passed by the dead body on the ground. The police urged me to move forward, to not look at what I had done. To not look at the blood covering the face I desperately wanted to kiss. That beautiful face…I laughed. Oh, I laughed so much I fell on the ground. I had done it! Through laughter, I sobbed. I had done it! I was a monster! My vision blurred, so much so the red and blue lights of the police looked to me more alarming, frightening, promising a future of loneliness… I didn’t mean to kill, to torment... Yet, I did...for love... I was a monster… 

 ~°~

Summer mornings in the outskirts of France are nothing more than a silent music of peace and joy. Sun rays escaped the panorama and invited everyone outside the symphony of nature to behold the spectacle. As they appeared in the balcony of the bedroom, I got up from the bed, accepting the invitation. I walked and gave a look or two around the room. It seemed simple, yet something about the objects occupying it made it seem more luxurious. Money spoke on every corner, money I could never have and never wished to have. I finally reached the balcony. A breeze passed by and brushed my hair, as gently as being kissed by the man still sleeping on the bed. I breathed. Free: The word that described my sensation as I behold the hills of green and trees of life. Birds sang their songs and my heart its own. Arms hugged me from behind and soft lips kissed my brow. 

“What is my sun doing outside? Playing competition with that sphere of flame in the sky? Don’t worry about imitators, my love.” 

I laughed. “Good morning to you too.” 

I turned to look at the beautiful face of Leo’s: Eyes like the sky, lips soft as the petals of a flower, his jaw sharp as I traced its firm line. He was indeed a man of beauty, but what lay inside him made me more curious. His nature was something to be marveled at.

“Don’t worry, Mina. They are going to love you.” 

I nodded, yet my mind couldn’t compliment what Leonardo had said. Today we would travel from France to Italy to meet Leo’s family. Distress kept me company during the night. Anxiety started to build during the morning. To be honest, I couldn’t remember any detail from the travelling, no matter that Leo make attempts to shake me from my thoughts. But only when 20 minutes by car separated the meeting, I finally recollected myself. My fear was now clustered somewhere inside my chest. It was as Joseph: Three nights in a dungeon he couldn’t believe the sentence given to him, but only on the last moment, he embraced his fate with calmness. Had Lionel finished editing?

Meeting your boyfriend's parents for the first time was indeed a moment to be anxious. To meet the billionaire family of my boyfriend was a challenge in itself. We stopped. The sight before me caught my breath and left me suffocating. 

“Welcome to our home, Mina: 'Castello del Paradiso',” said Leo with a broad smile on his face. Why would he be anxious? He was finally back to his childhood home, closer to his parents and old glorious life. Above all, he considered it as ‘our’ future home. During the six months we had been dating, Leo had mentioned the house briefly. I remembered only a vague description, but nothing more. The sparkle in his eyes, forming tears of joy, proved enough of his feelings of returning. 

We walked to the front door, opened by a servant who welcomed Leonardo and me with nothing more than coldness. It was a castle of old luxury. As the mansion we left in France, money spoke in every corner. White, gold, black and grey were the theme colours of the castle interior. Old and new seemed in harmony. We passed down grand corridors, large double windows overlooking the shore or the garden and many rooms, one of which Leo said was ours. We walked inside our bedroom. What caught my eye was a portrait on the dresser. Sketched with details enough to make… 

“You drew me?” It was a sketch of my face, smiling in a way I rarely did. Yet, everything about my appearance was captured beyond perfection. Leo looked at it intently, with a smile on his face.

“Of course, Mina. I would do everything for my girl." 

He kissed me and we continued our way to the back of the house-as Leo told me-where his family had prepared a cocktail. 

He walked with such confidence, his hands in his pocket and white shirt half opened. His face seemed proud and arrogant, too much to be real.

Laughter seemed close, accompanied by whispers and glasses clattering with each other. We passed a glass double door and found ourself surrounded by many people-Leo’s family. They were hugging him, kissing him, talking to him in Italian. I stood next to him, feeling so little and unimportant. He smiled towards me in that way of his, warm and true. I tried to smile as genuinely as I could. Leo began to say something in Italian. As he spoke, many-eyed me and smiled. Their face showed a sort of interest, as much as a person could have when they see the zoo animals for the first time. 

“Mina, let me present to you the members of my family…” 

So he did. Leo’s grandparents, his divorced parents and their lovers, his sisters, his brother, aunts, uncles, cousins and their children and spouses, whose names I couldn’t remember. I sat down in a chair and looked around, trying to get to know them more. They all spoke English-as Leo had told them to do-so I could easily try to enter a conversation. What my eyes behold that day and what my ears heard was beyond my capacity of understanding. I was ignorant in their discussions and for the first time, I adored being as such. They only drank and talked loudly and broke glasses and spoke artificially of topics they believed they mastered. Leo was in a corner with his uncle and father, laughing and sipping from his champagne. I tried to remain calm, for Leo’s sake. I could not believe that his family was like this… 

There was a discussion of philosophy, which I much adored. I spoke with Leo’s sister and aunt. While I debated, his aunt would laugh at me and whisper ear to ear-to Leonardo's sister, Maria. 

“I see that philosophy has not been your favorite subject,” said Maria.

“I loved philosophy since I was six. My mother was a philosophy teacher and made me read many books at that time.” 

“Your memory is indeed shattered!” 

I felt ashamed. I dreamed of having a sister and when Leo had told me of his siblings, I always believed I could find a sister in them. But, her words were too cruel. I stood silent. I watched the sea that shone in the midday sun and got lost in it. My thoughts were like the waves, coming and going, splashing and crashing to the surface of the shore. 

A family of money, twisted passions and greed: That’s what they were. What memories had he from his childhood? What experience had he that never dared to tell even me? As I looked at Leo once more, he seemed comfortable, yet not himself. Not the one I knew, not the real Leo...

We went to lunch, then to dinner, and the family had an after-party in the garden. I stood on all occasions as a ghost to them. The ‘no-Italian’ ultimatum was forgotten and Leo was the first to break it. I was ashamed, neglected by the family of my love and above all by him himself. I got up from my seat and went inside to find my room. I passed a large mirror in the corridor. I startled: My reflection seemed to not resemble my movements. It was just a moment…My head was dizzy, that’s what it was. I walked to the bedroom, washed, got dressed in new clothes and laid in bed. I waited for Leo, but he didn’t show up. It seemed like a lifetime without him. 

I was yet again offended. I stood by the bedside, facing the mirror in front of me. I gazed at my face as never before, so much so that I thought my reflection was moving. Wait… I screamed. 

“Shut up, you idiot! Shut up!” said my reflection. I screamed more. I shouted and cried for help, but no one came. I got my bottle of perfume and made to throw it to my reflection. 

“Stop, stop you idiot! Listen to me! Listen or you will face a doom worse than me! Please…” 

The bottle rested in my hand, ready to be thrown and I froze in that position. 

“Now that you have my attention…” 

“Who the hell are you?!” 

“Patience! I am yourself. Some piece of your mind long forgotten. I am here to warn you and make you believe in the mistake you are making!” 

“What mistake?” 

“Marrying Leonardo!” 

“I…I am not marrying him!” 

“You are not? Well then, goodbye!” 

“Wait! You just show up out of nowhere and leave as nothing happened?”  

“Where is your phone?” 

“What is a phone?” 

She was gone or so I believed. 

I was scared. I saw creatures of other worlds welcoming me at night, referring to me in names I didn’t know. 

Morning came- he didn’t come.

Midday passed-he didn’t show up.

Night approached- he didn’t knock at the door.

And I was shaking, but I didn’t feel cold. Sweating, crying, laughing, screaming, lying, pacing. I was scared. My world crumbled and I could do nothing but jump into the darkness. And I could have sworn that my reflection in the mirror was accompanying my despair. Silence fell in 'Castello del Paradiso'. Two days passed and Leonardo finally showed up. 

“I am sorry, Mina. One of my dad's friends and his daughter came. It was important and I didn’t want to disturb you…” 

“Of course, you didn’t," I said in a voice coated with sarcasm. 

He got my chin in his hands and made me look into his eyes. Leo was hurt, but I didn’t care. 

“Is everything alright?” 

“You seriously dare to say that?” 

“Why, Mina, what's wrong?” 

I laughed. 

“Do you have any idea how neglected and miserable I have felt for two days? It didn’t cross your mind that you had your girlfriend locked for two days in her room?” 

My breathing became rushed. “Is this the way you treat your girlfriend in front of your family? You were supposed to make me feel part of it!” 

He lowered his hand from my chin. 

“Mina, you are exaggerating! You talked to my family and they adored you! My sister told me that she liked you.” 

“But-“ 

“Mina…don’t worry about small things. Everybody thinks good of you. And I am so proud of you that you entered on the right foot!” 

“Will you-“ 

“Mina, I finally feel free and happy! I want to enjoy the best moments of my life with you. Could you please talk of it later?” 

I didn’t speak, not of obedience, but of shock. I survived two disgusting days for him! And he couldn’t listen to me for three minutes? 

He went away and I went for the wardrobe. I got out each of my clothes and put them in my bag. But then, I glanced at my portrait on the dresser and stopped what I was doing. Every detail of my face was mirrored into the paper. I knew I had not a picture in this angle and I thought he must have sketched it from pure imagination. How in love was with me in New York! What a time and what a man he was! Was he the real Leonardo in New York? Or just some fantasy he created for me, so I could be with him? She must leave.

I walked outside. Everything seemed to me familiar and I knew the way out. 

“Mina, what are you doing?” said Leo, who came from a room. 

“Leonardo!” screamed a girl's voice from the room he had emerged. 

“Come with me, my dear Mina. There is something I want to tell you…” 

I was silent. She is paralyzed…

“Leonardo, where is your bride-to-be?” shouted his family from the level below. 

“We are waiting!” 

“Come, Mina! Don’t be ridiculous!”. He gripped my arm and made me walk down the stairs. Then, we went outside, to the garden. His family was gathered and looked joyful. It was beautiful beyond measure, and I would have adored it, not it be from my headache and shaking. Leonardo kneeled in front of me. 

“Armina Hillington…” 

He opened a box in which a diamond ring rested. 

“Will you marry me?” I heard his mother cry. Laughter erupted.

“I would have proposed to you earlier, but there were some interruptions from Juliana…you remember? Juliana Martinez?"

Breath...

"My beautiful girl! Say the words...Say you will be mine...."

I focused on nothing and everything and then ran away. Faster and faster, corridor, rooms, mirrors. I don’t how I entered a hidden passage, but it fortunately sent me directly to my room. 

When I arrived, my eyes fell to the portrait on the dresser. I lifted it and threw it unmercifully on the ground. I went to rip off the drawing. Glass met my fingers and blood ran on the floor, yet I picked up the drawing. I looked at it only once and then I fell to the ground. 'Be mine!' shouted Leos's voice in the back of my mind. The drawing had no fault: Only the artist was to blame. I looked at the even corners of the paper and my eyes fell on the date: 24th June 2017. 2017?

“Mina! Open the door and give me an explanation! NOW!" Leonardo shouted, with anger he had never relished before. 

“Idiot! The balcony! Go for the balcony!” said my reflection, no, not my reflection: A vision of myself! The beautiful girl I once was before he ruined me! I looked at it with amazement and confusion. Too much was going on! So exciting! I knew…I didn’t…I remembered…remembered what? Myself...I remembered myself...

“The balcony! Jump from there and run away!”. 

So I did… 

~°~ 

“Her name was Courtney Callahan," said Juliana Martinez to the judge and all of the people in court, "She was born and lived in Boston until 13 when her family moved to Italy. Her parents worked for the Paradisos for many years, and that’s how Leonardo fell in love with her. At 18, he wanted to marry her, but Courtney refused. Leonardo was engaged to me at that time. I didn’t know much about him. It was a marriage to unite families, nothing more. As we spent our honeymoon together, I learned of his relationship with the American girl and didn’t like it. But, he didn’t care about my thoughts. When I arrived at Castellano del Paradiso, I confronted Courtney. That girl didn’t know of Leonardo's marriage. 

“She refused him many times while I stayed there. A month later I went away to university and wasn’t present for the events that happened. I spoke with his relatives and they said that Leonardo was on his best behavior and Courtney was safe. But, after one year, when I came back to Sicilia, I saw what he had done to the poor girl: She was abused in the worst ways possible…” 

“I am a monster! Where is my love?" said Leonardo, seated behind a glass panel. 

“He would take her to some secret rooms inside the house and make her be his, even if it meant using violence. But, Courtney couldn’t and wouldn’t be Leonardo’s. So, he decided to take her freedom away. He killed her parents…” 

“And where were you Mrs. Martinez during the murder of Alicent and George Callahan?” said Leonardo’s lawyer. 

“I had come back from Cambridge. I found Courtney in the secret chambers and spoke to her. We heard the shots. I knew he was coming for her, so I helped Courtney get out of the house, bribed some of the bodyguards and took her to my private plane. She went to New York safe.” 

“Mrs. Martinez, could you tell us about Courtney Callahan's health during the past six years in New York?” 

“She had passed traumas that are indescribable in Paradiso, that made her mind too fragile. She was diagnosed with many mental illnesses, including memory loss and some disorders. I secretly went to meet her sometimes, but she couldn’t even remember me…”

“Where did Courtney stay?” 

“At X-Psychiatric Center.” 

“And what happened a year ago?” 

“Leonardo had spied on one of my visits and found out about Courtney’s whereabouts. He took her away from the center. I don’t know how he made her remember her false reality…

“I looked for her everywhere and one relative of mine said that he saw them in one of Paradiso's mansions in France. Only days later I found out she was at Castellano del Paradiso. There I threatened Leonardo, together with my father.” 

“Mrs. Martinez, during this time you were married to Leonardo Paradiso?” 

“No, I thankfully divorced him many years ago…” 

“Any other thing you want to mention?” 

“Yes, there is: I hope monsters like Paradiso are punished worse than what they deserve!”

The End.

~°~

“I finished it, Henry!”

“I am so proud! And Lionel called: He finished editing “'Jonathan’s execution.'”

“That sounds exciting! Things are going well…but not for my characters…”