Cracked Screen

A police detective picks up an iPhone off the ground. Its screen is cracked. The wallpaper, still visible through the fracture lines, shows a smiling couple on a beach — a woman with her head thrown back, laughing.

3:33 PM - The previous evening, Othello Duarte and Desdemona Trevisan were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide. Detective Icaro DiBruno is questioning witness Emilia Rossi via text.

Emilia: I should have done something sooner

Emilia: If it wasn't for me... Desdemona would still be alive

Icaro: Ms. Rossi, I need you to walk me through what happened. Start from the beginning.

Emilia: Where do I even start? Iago... my husband... he orchestrated all of this.

Icaro: I've recovered text exchanges between your husband and Rodrigo Santos. Looks like there was a plan to "get back" at someone.

Emilia: Rodrigo's been stalking Des for months. Iago knew that. He used it.

Emilia: He’d show up at her yoga class. At the coffee shop across from her office. Once, outside a restaurant where she and Othello were celebrating their anniversary.

Emilia: She changed her route to work. Stopped posting her location. Othello knew — and he still didn’t see what was right in front of him.

Icaro: The conversations I found suggest Rodrigo had... strong feelings for Ms. Trevisan.

Emilia: "Strong feelings" - that's one way to put it.

Emilia: I thought Rodrigo was just being gross. Making crude jokes about her.

Emilia: I never imagined he actually wanted to destroy her marriage.

Icaro: What was your husband's motivation in all this?

Emilia: Two things. Othello passed him over for promotion - gave it to Michael Cassio instead.

Emilia: And...

Emilia is typing...

Icaro: Ms. Rossi?

Emilia: This is hard to admit.

Icaro: Take your time. But I need the whole truth.

Emilia: Iago accused me of sleeping with Othello.

Icaro: Were you?

Emilia: Years ago. Before I married Iago. Before Othello even met Desdemona.

Emilia: But Iago never got over it

Icaro: Did he ever become violent with you?

Emilia: No. But he made me do things...

Icaro: Such as?

Emilia: He made me get close to Desdemona. Gain her trust

Emilia: She was like a sister to me, Detective. That's what makes this so awful

Emilia: We had lunch every Thursday. She’d call me when she couldn’t sleep. She let me read her journal once.

Emilia: Iago knew exactly what he was doing when he assigned me to her.

Icaro: Go on.

Emilia: I asked to borrow her handkerchief. The one Othello gave her as a wedding gift

Emilia: It was his grandmother's. A family heirloom

Emilia: Embroidered with strawberries. She’d shown it to me once — said she’d never let it out of her sight.

Emilia: When I asked, she handed it over without hesitation. Because she trusted me.

Icaro: And then?

Emilia: Iago planted it in Cassio's apartment. Made it look like Desdemona was having an affair

Icaro: When did Mr. Duarte's behavior toward his wife change?

Emilia: Right after they got back from their honeymoon in Cyprus

Emilia: Suddenly he was cold to her. Distant

Emilia: She kept asking him to reconsider Iago's demotion. That only made things worse

Icaro: The messages between your husband and Rodrigo became more explicit around this time.

Emilia: Iago would come home and tell me about "Cassio's dreams"

Emilia: Sick, detailed fantasies about him and Desdemona

Emilia: All lies. But he'd tell them to Othello like they were real

Icaro: Did you witness any physical confrontations?

Emilia: Last week, Othello raised his hand to Des. She'd mentioned Cassio again

Emilia: Iago was standing right there. I swear I saw him smirk

Emilia: That's when I knew how far this had gone

Icaro: Why didn’t you come forward sooner?

Emilia: I was afraid of what Iago might do. And I told myself it wouldn’t come to this.

Emilia: Des had a way of reaching people. Even at their worst, especially then. I kept thinking her goodness would be enough to pull him back.

Emilia: I was wrong about that.

Icaro: What happened last night?

Emilia: Desdemona was frantic. She put out her wedding sheets - trying to prove her faithfulness

Emilia: Othello wouldn't listen to reason

Emilia: And now they're both dead

Read 3:47 PM

11:11 AM - The following morning

From: Detective.DiBruno@LAPD.gov

To: EmiliaRossi.writer@gmail.com

Subject: Case Update - Duarte/Trevisan Investigation

Ms. Rossi,

The coroner's report reveals additional details I thought you should know.

Ms. Trevisan did not die immediately. She survived for approximately thirty minutes after the attack. Mr. Duarte severed his carotid artery and died within moments.

Had paramedics arrived sooner, Ms. Trevisan might have survived.

My team is preparing to charge Iago D'Auri with conspiracy to commit murder and accessory to murder. Given the premeditation involved, he's looking at life without parole.

Iago D’Auri was taken into custody this morning at 6:42 AM. He said nothing. His attorney has already filed a motion to suppress the text evidence, but given the volume of communications we have recovered — and your testimony — I am confident that motion will fail.

I know this is difficult news. Please let me know if you need victim services resources.

We may need your testimony at trial.

Detective Icaro DiBruno

LAPD Homicide Division

From: EmiliaRossi.writer@gmail.com

To: Detective.DiBruno@LAPD.gov

Subject: RE: Case Update - Duarte/Trevisan Investigation

Detective DiBruno,

Thank you for handling this case with such care.

I support whatever charges you bring against Iago. He manipulated everyone - Othello, Rodrigo, Cassio, me. Two innocent people are dead because of his jealousy and spite.

I've contacted a divorce attorney. I can't be married to someone capable of this.

I keep coming back to the handkerchief. Such a small thing. I can still see the way she held it out — no hesitation, no suspicion. Iago understood her perfectly. He knew her trust was the weapon he needed, and he used me to get to it. I don’t know if I can forgive myself for that. But I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying.

I'll testify at trial. It's the least I can do for Desdemona.

She deserved so much better.

Emilia Rossi

"When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,

Speak of me as I am."

— Othello, Act 5, Scene 2