I left the Lincoln outside the building and hastily climbed the private staircase to my apartment. As I was walking down the passage, I saw the figure of a man loitering outside my front door.
My heart skipped a beat when I recognized the short, broad-shouldered form of Lieutenant Carlotti.
He turned at the sound of my footfalls and gave me a long, steady stare that was meant to be disconcerting and succeeded in being disconcerting.
"Hello, Lieutenant, you haven't been waiting long, have you?'' I said, trying to sound breezy.
"I have only just arrived, he said. "There was something I wanted to ask you."
I fetched out my latchkey, opened the front door and stood aside.
"Come on in."
He walked into the lounge the way an undertaker walks into the room where the body is laid out. He placed himself with his back to the window so that, if I faced him, the full light from the window would fall on my face.
I wasn't willing to give him this advantage, so I went over to my desk that stood in a corner out of the light and sat on it, making him turn to face me.
"What's bothering you, Lieutenant?" I asked, lighting a cigarette and trying to keep calm.
He looked around, found a chair that would put him in fine with me and sat down.
"I regret it is now no longer possible to advise the Naples coroner that la Signorina Chalmers's death was accidental," he said. "There are several points that are suspicious. We intend to make a full investigation."
I kept my face expressionless.
"And so . . . ?" I said, meeting his cold, searching stare.
"La Signorina had a number of men friends," he said. "We find she has been free and easy with her favours."
"That's very tactfully put, Lieutenant. You're telling me she led an immoral life?"
He nodded.
"I am afraid so."
"That is something Chalmers won't welcome. You're sure of your facts?"
He made an impatient movement.
"Of course. We think it is more than possible that one of her men friends killed her. This is now a murder investigation. I have already collected the names of a number of men she knew. Your name is among them."
"Are you suggesting I had immoral relations with her?" I said, forcing myself to meet his eyes. "Because if you are, I'll take a lot of pleasure in suing you."
"I am making no suggestions, signor. You knew her. I am trying to clarify the position. We feel satisfied that a man she knew killed her. Perhaps you would be kind enough to help me. Can you please tell me where you were on the day of her death?"
This was a question I had been waiting to be asked for what seemed a long, long time.
"Do you think I killed her?" I asked in a voice I scarcely recognized as my own.
"No, I don't think so. I am making a list of all the names of the men who knew her. Against each name, I am putting the whereabouts of this man at the time of her death. In this way, I shall save a considerable amount of time. I need only investigate those men who can't account for their movements at that time."
"I see." I drew in a long, slow breath. "You want to know where I was four days ago?"
"If you please."
"That won't be difficult. It was the day I began my vacation. I had intended to go to Venice. I forgot to book a room and, finding I had left it too late, I stayed here, working on my novel. The following morning ..."
"I'm not interested in what happened on the following morning," Carlotti said. "I just want to know what happened on the 29th."
"Okay. I was right here working on my novel. I worked all the afternoon and evening up to three o'clock the following morning. I didn't move out of here."
He looked down at his highly polished shoes.
"Perhaps someone called on you?" he asked hopefully.
"No one came near me, because I was thought to be in Venice."
"Perhaps someone telephoned you?"
"No one did, for the same reason."
"I see."
There was a long, awkward pause while he stared at his shoes, then he suddenly looked up. Meeting his eyes was like having a blow-lamp across my face.
"Well, thank you, signor," he said, and got to his feet. "This is a complicated business. It is only by making inquiries and asking questions that we shall eventually arrive at the truth. I am sorry if I have taken up too much of your rime."
"That's okay," I said, aware that my hands were clammy and my mouth was dry.
"If there is anything that I think you can help me with, I'll be in touch with you again." He moved to the door. Then he paused to look at me. "Is there anything you would wish to add? Anything that may have slipped your mind that might help me?"
"My mind's not all that slippery."
He stared at me.
"I don't think you should treat this matter flippantly, signor. It is, after all, a murder investigation. Perhaps you will think about it. Some idea may occur to you."
"Sure. If it does, I'll call you."
"I'd be glad if you would."
He nodded and, opening the door, he went into the hall. I was feeling so shaken I didn't trust myself to escort him to the front door. He found his own way out. When I heard the front door shut behind him, I stubbed out my cigarette and, getting to my feet, I walked over to the window.
I watched the traffic swirling around the Forum. There were a few dark clouds creeping up behind the stark outline of the Colosseum: a sure sign that it was going to be a wet night I saw Carlotti get into the police car and drive away.
I remained motionless, my mind crawling with alarm. I might have known Carlotti wouldn't have missed the significance of the missing films. This was something I couldn't keep from
Chalmers.
I had a sudden feeling of urgency. I had to find this mysterious X before Carlotti found me. I didn't underrate him. Already he was getting too close to me for comfort.
The telephone snapped me out of my mood. I picked up the receiver. It was Gina.
"You said you would call me yesterday," she said. "I've been waiting. What is happening, Ed?"
I did some quick thinking. I couldn't confide my troubles to her now Carlotti had told me this was a murder case. She might get hooked in as an accessory if she knew I was Douglas Sherrard.
"I'm right up to my ears at me moment," I said. "I'm on my way out. Give me a couple of days, and you'll hear from me."
"But, Ed . . . what was it you were going to tell me? Can't we meet to-night?"
"I'm sorry, Gina, but not to-night. I can't stop now. I'll call you in a couple of days. So long for now," and I hung up.
I waited a moment, then put a call through to New York. The operator said there was a twohour delay.
There was nothing for me to do but to sit down and mull over the information I had got from Matthews and to consider the threat that was beginning to develop from Carlotti. After a while I got tired of frightening myself and turned on the radio. Maria Meneghini Callas was giving a recital of Puccini's songs. Her dark, exciting voice carried me out of my troubles for the next hour. She was in the middle of Sola perdma, Abbandonata, and making my hair stand on end, when the telephone bell rang and I had to cut her short.