Ferrante Unread
Her method was simple. She poured denatured alcohol1 into drinks for English tourists, took their wallets and watches, and locked herself in her apartment. Tired and dirty, she lay down in bed. She couldn't sleep on her back, so she lay on her left side, staring at a book by Elena Ferrante2 that she would never read.
1 Denatured alcohol: Ethanol rendered undrinkable by adding toxic substances. Causes blindness, organ failure, and death. Used as industrial solvent and cleaning agent—and as a weapon by those with nothing left to lose.
2 Elena Ferrante: Pseudonymous Italian author of the Neapolitan Novels, chronicling female friendship and violence in post-war Naples. Her true identity remains unknown—writing from behind a mask, like this character lives behind hers.