The next morning Franco went back again to the Contessa’s, hoping to be able to speak to her, seeing as how it had not been possible the day before.
However when he arrived, he could hear shouts and screams coming from the house. The usual maid greeted him and took him through to the living room.
There he found the Contessa sitting on the couch, crying and repeating
«It’s not possible, Giovanni, there must be a mistake. It’s not possible. It can’t be!»
Giovanni was standing in front of a table on the other side of the room, shouting at his mother:
«Mamma, how can you defend her? It was her. We have proof!»
When Giovanni saw Franco he said:
«Detective, we’ve found the guilty party, and without your help! Your work finishes here.»
«Why? What are you saying?» asked Franco.
«This morning I finally convinced my mother to go into Rosa’s room to look for evidence, and we found it! The missing jewelery was in a drawer at the bottom of a wardrobe!»
«And the painting?» asked Franco.
«The painting hasn’t been found. But now I’m going to report Rosa to the police. They’ll make her talk!» said Giovanni with certainty.
«And where is Rosa now?» asked Franco.
«When I showed her the jewelery, she ran away. But anyway, it’s the job of the police to find her!» said Giovanni.
The Contessa answered:
«Poor girl. She kept crying and saying it wasn’t her. That she didn’t know anything about it. And she ran off in tears.»
«Mamma, don’t defend her!» Giovanni shouted.
«She’s like a daughter to me. She’d never do such a thing. Detective, continue your investigation!» begged the Contessa.
However Giovanni was certain he had identified the culprit and insisted to Franco that there was no further need for him to investigate, and that he could consider the job completed.
Franco went home in a fury. As well as firing him, Giovanni Della Torre had refused to pay him. And Franco had spent time and money on the investigation.
He felt tired and angry. He took a pill for his headache, and lit a cigarette in frustration.
In the afternoon, there was an unexpected phone call.
«Hello, am I speaking with Detective Manera?»
«Yes, that’s me. Who are you?»
«This is the Contessa Della Torre. I have to speak to you.»
«Contessa, I don’t work for your son any more. As you heard yourself, he fired me.»
«But that’s the point. I’m not calling in my son’s name. I’m calling on my own account. Please come to my house as soon as possible» begged the Contessa.
Franco agreed unwillingly, and set off again to the woman’s house.
Oppure scopri il testo in inglese con traduzione a fronte (.pdf) 