"Hey, new guy" Luca grinned at the boy who sat in the corner. A forlorn expression on his face.
"I not wish to talk" he replied.
"Yeah well... I wanna talk and I can kill you So... What's your name?"
Hesitating for a minute before replying, he looked up at the man," my name is Matteo"
"Matteo... Okay, I'm Luca. I hear you're a big fish Matteo" Luca said sitting next to him, making him uncomfortable.
His short wavy brown hair was unkempt, while his face, handsome as it was, was devoid of expression, seeming hollow almost unnaturally so. His body frame was big but the way he cowered, told Luca that he wasn't much of a fighter.
He had been told that Matteo was Kore's accomplice and with the murder of Bianca's neighbor, he wanted to find out more about this... Butcher.
"So...what are you in for?" He asked.
"Murder..." Matteo mumbled," and you?"
"Oh, murder nice... Yeah, same for me too... I was a hit-man, but many of the cases couldn't stick so got a smaller sentence" he cackled, almost proud that most of his crimes could not be connected to him at all.
"Why you not confess?" Matteo asked, seeming genuinely curious," you are not proud of your actions?"
"Well. It was a job...not really proud of what I did." he admitted," Besides, want to get out of here and see my kids. They're all alone out there" he said, evident hurt in his voice.
"You miss your children?" He asked with a raised brow.
"Well of course..." Luca chuckled," your English ain't real good eh?"
"It is good for Italy" Matteo shrugged," how you speak English like American?"
"Was there for many years" he explained," so Matteo, I take it we're friends?" He asked.
"Friends get you killed. Kore told me" he said, his eyes shining as he spoke of the girl.
"Kore? The butcher?" He asked, feigning surprise," you're working for her?"
"Yes... I am partner to her" he said with evident pride, the first clear emotion he had portrayed," she not like calling butcher. She call herself la Strega,
"oh…the witch?.. Damn! That's awesome... So how are you in jail? Did they catch her too?" He asked with fake awe.
"She will escape. She is... Very smart" he pressed two fingers to his head," she knows everything"
"Yeah? I have always been a fan of her. Very smart girl" Luca said looking around at the yard where other prisoners talked, some played near the hoops and some played board games.
"I have been with her since I small boy" he grinned almost boyishly.
"Yea? How old were you?" The man asked, something inside told him the boy wasn't a born killer like that witch at all.
"Six" the boy smiled proudly," I murder at age nine. I cry lot but Kore she help me"
"Six huh...you study after that?" He asked.
"No, I talked late... So Kore teach me English" He said very sincerely as if it were every day that children were ushered toward murder rather than education.
"Sounds nice of her" he fake smiled," so how old are you now?"
"I am 21," he said and looked at one of the prisoners who was cursing at his opponent for winning the game," you know to play?" He asked.
"Yeah... Wanna play?" Luca asked, still getting over the fact that the boy was a literal...boy who was now bounding toward the chess table as if he were a child at a toy-store.
It looked like a case of grooming, what better place for him to grow out of his.....murderous habits than when he was away from Kore.
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