sorry.'
'How did you know she called herself that?'
'I recognized her voice when she called up just before you left on your vacation.'
I should have known that Gina would have recognized Helen's voice. She had spoken to Helen twice on the telephone when Helen had first come to Rome and she had an uncanny memory for voices.
I went over to the liquor cabinet.
'Have a drink, Gina?' I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
'I'd like a Campari, please.'
I took out a bottle of Campari and a bottle of Scotch. I fixed myself a stiff drink, and a
Campari and soda for Gina and brought the drinks over.
I had known Gina for four years. There had been a time when I had imagined I had been in love with her. Working with her day after day, most times alone together, had offered temptations to get intimate with her. It was because of this that I had been careful to keep our relations more or less on a business footing.
I had seen a number of newspaper men, working in Rome, who had got too friendly with their secretaries. Sooner or later, the girls either got out of hand or a visiting big-shot had spotted what was going on, and there had been trouble. So I had been strict with myself about Gina. I had never made a pass at her, and yet there was a bond between us, unspoken and unadvertised, that convinced me that, no matter what the emergency might be, I could completely rely on her.
I decided as I fixed the drink to tell her the whole story, not holding back a thing. I had a lot of faith in her opinions, and, knowing the mess I was in, I felt it was time to get an unbilled, outside opinion.
'Would it worry you if I made you my mother confessor, Gina?' I asked, sitting down opposite her. 'I have a lot on my mind that I'd like to share with someone.'
'If there's anything I can do ...'
The sound of the front-door bell cut her short. For a long moment we stared at each other.
'Now, who can this be?' I said, getting to my feet.
'Perhaps it's the janitor wanting to find out who is in here.' Gina said.
'Yeah: could be.'
I crossed the room and went out into the hall. As I reached for the door knob, the bell rang again.
I opened the door.
Lieutenant Carlotti stood in the corridor. Behind him was another detective.
'Good evening,' Carlotti said. 'May I come in?'
III
Seeing him there made me understand for the first time what a criminal must feel like when he is suddenly confronted by the police. For a second or so, I stood motionless, staring at him. My heart seemed to miss several beats, and then began to race so violently I had difficulty in breathing. Had he come to arrest me? Had he found out somehow that I was Sherrard?
Gina appeared in the sitting-room doorway.
'Good evening, Lieutenant,' she said. Her calm, quiet voice had a steadying effect on me.
Carlotti bowed to her.
I stood aside.
'Come in, Lieutenant.'
Carlotti moved forward.
'Sergeant Anoni,' he said, nodding to his companion who followed him into the hall.
I led the way into the lounge. By now I had got over the first shock of seeing Carlotti, but I was still pretty shaken.
'This is unexpected, Lieutenant,' I said. 'Did you know I was here?'
'I happened to be passing. I saw the lights were on. I was curious to see who could be here. It is fortunate. I wanted to talk to you.
Anoni, short, thick-set with a fiat, expressionless face, leaned against the wall by the door. He seemed to be taking no interest in the proceedings.
'Well, sit down,' I said, waving Carlotti to a chair. 'We were just having a drink. Will you join us?'
'No, thank you.'
He moved around the room, his hands in his coat pockets. Going over to the window, he glanced out, then turning, he came over to where I was standing and sat down near me. I sat down too. Gina perched herself on the arm of the settee.
'I understand you collected la signorina Chalmers's camera from Lieutenant Grandi this morning,' Carlotti said.
Surprised I said, 'Yes, that's right. Grandi said you had finished with it.'
'So I had thought, but I've been thinking about that camera.' Carlotti took out a packet of cigarettes and lit one. He knew better than to offer Gina or myself this particular brand that he smoked. 'I feel I have been a little hasty in parting with the camera. You would have no objection to return it?'
'Why, no. I'll bring it to you to-morrow morning. Will that do?'
'It's not here?'
'It's at my apartment.'
'Perhaps it wouldn't inconvenience you if we collected it to-night.'
'Well, all right.' I lit a cigarette and took a pull at my glass. I needed the drink. 'Why the sudden interest in the camera, Lieutenant?'
'On reflection, it strikes me as odd that there was no film in it.'
'You've got around to that rather late in the day haven't you?'
He lifted his shoulders.
'At first I thought it was possible la signorina had forgotten to put a film in the camera, but since then, I have talked with an expert. Bearing in mind that the footage indicator on the camera showed that twelve feet of film had been exposed, it would seem from that there had been a film in the camera, and that the film had been removed. I'm not familiar with cine cameras. I realize now that I shouldn't have parted with it quite so soon.'
'Well, there's no damage done. You'll have it to-night.'
'You have no idea who could have removed the film?'
'Not unless it was la signorina herself.'
'The film was removed apparently without the film gate being opened. That would mean the film would be exposed to the light as it was being taken out and therefore ruined. La signorina would scarcely do that, would she?'
'I suppose not,' I leaned back in my chair. 'I thought this business was all buttoned up,
Lieutenant. Now you seem to have some doubts about it.'
'The doubts have been forced on me.' Carlotti said. 'La signorina bought ten cartons of film. They are missing. The film in the camera is also missing. I examined this apartment this morning. There are no private papers of any description here. Considering la signorina stayed here for nearly thirteen weeks, it seems odd that she apparently didn't receive or write a letter, never had any bills, kept no diary or telephone numbers: odd, unless, of course, someone has been in here and taken her personal papers away.'
