The Contessa let Franco in by the back door instead of from the front.
She sat him in the kitchen. She seemed very worried.
«Detective, I’m sorry to have disturbed you. But I don’t believe the story of Rosa. My son is sure, and there is evidence. But it can’t have been her!
She’s worked in our home for ten years. I love her like my own child. She’d never do anything like this. This morning my son went to report her to the police, poor girl!» The Contessa was in tears.
Franco tried to reassure her:
«Even if there is evidence, this story seems rather strange to me too. I came here to speak to you a few days ago, but you were at the spa and only Giovanni was here. Then you found the jewelery in Rosa’s room. Your son has always been here, so I was never able to speak to you.»
«Don’t worry» the Contessa replied.
«My son isn’t here. You know, he has a lot of money problems with his company. It’s at risk of bankruptcy. Now he’s at the office.
I didn’t know that you came by here the day I was at the spa. Strange…»
The Contessa went on to beg Franco to help her by saving Rosa. Franco agreed to do his best, and left the house.
Once back on the street, Franco realised that the only way to sort things out was to talk to Rosa before the police found her.
But where would he find her? The Contessa had said that she had run off, crying.
Franco told himself that a nice glass of beer would be a good start in thinking things through. He headed towards a bar not far from the Contessa’s home.
As soon as he entered, he saw Rosa sitting at a table at the back of the room talking to the barman. After a few seconds, she got up and left.
The barman, noticing Franco, came over to take his order.
«I’d like a large glass of cool beer» said Franco.
When the waiter came with the beer, Franco asked if he knew the woman he’d been speaking to.
«Yes, I know her. That’s Rosa. She worked in a house near here, but has been fired and is going through a bad period.
And to think, it had been such a happy time for her. Finally she’d left that cretin son of the Contessa’s and had found a nice man who wanted to marry her!»
Hearing this, Franco almost choked on his beer.
«Left? What do you mean that she’d left the Contessa’s son?» asked Franco.
«Rosa and Giovanni were together for a long time. She wanted to marry him and tell the Contessa about their relationship, but he refused. Plus, Giovanni’s company was about to go under, so he said he couldn’t get married.
He always treated her badly, never gave her anything. Just once he gave her a pair of his mother’s earrings. Rosa was delighted. But then he started treating her badly again. In the end, she got tired of it, and left him. But he refused to accept that it was over.»
This was very interesting! Giovanni and Rosa had had an affair. But then she had left him and he had never accepted it. Franco had to extract as much information as possible from the talkative barman.
«Do you know, by any chance, what happened to the earrings?» he asked.
«Rosa told me that she had sold them. They reminded her of Giovanni. And she needed the money to get married. But I’m talking too much, it’s none of my business, and I have other people to serve…»
Saying this, the barmen left the table.
Franco finished his beer and went out onto the street.
Oppure scopri il testo in inglese con traduzione a fronte (.pdf) 