As I knew he never drank on duty, I felt easier in my mind. I fixed a campari and a whisky and soda for myself and we sat down.
'Well, now,' he said. 'Manchini has given me a signed confession that he killed la Signorina Chalmers. I have reason to believe that you were also at the villa at the time of her death. You have been identified by two witnesses. I should like your explanation.'
I didn't hesitate. I gave him the whole story without holding a thing back. The only thing I didn't tell him was that June Chalmers had hired Sarti to watch Helen. I said I thought Sarti's client had been Chalmers himself.
Carlotti listened without interrupting me. When I had finally finished, he stared at me for a long moment before saying, 'I think you have behaved very foolishly, signor.'
It was such an anticlimax that I grinned at him.
'I guess I have, but if you bad been in my place, I think you would have done the same. As it is, I've lost my new job. All this is bound to come out at the inquest.'
Carlotti stroked his nose.
'Not necessarily,' he said. 'Manchini said that he was the man la signorina planned to spend a month with at the villa. I see no reason why I shouldn't accept that story. After all, you gave us the information about Setti and you have always been helpful in the past. I am satisfied that your story is true. I don't see why you should be penalized. Manchini said he caught la signorina taking a film of Setti's villa. Apparently, Setti was on the terrace. Manchini realized that this film could be used as a blackmail weapon against Setti. He got the camera from la signorina and ripped out the film. To teach her a lesson, so he said, he slapped her. She jumped back and fell over the cliff. This explanation will satisfy the coroner if I tell him we are satisfied. I don't think you should suffer for a woman of that kind. My advice to you is to say nothing that will involve yourself with il Signor Chalmers.'
'It's not as easy as that,' I said. 'Now Manchini is dead, there is nothing to stop Sarti trying to blackmail me again. He could tell Chalmers.'
Carlotti gave a wintry smile.
'You don't have to worry about Sarti. Manchini gave me enough evidence to put Sarti away for years. He has already been arrested.''
I suddenly realized that I was in the clear. I was out of the jam I thought was impossible ever to get out of.
'Thank you, Lieutenant,' I said. 'All right. I won't say anything to Chalmers. You won't be worried with me for much longer. If I have any luck I'll be going to New York.'
He got to his feet
'You don't worry me, signor. There are times when it is good to be able to help one's friends.'
When he had gone I took from my pocket the carton of film and turned it over in my hand. What did it contain? I wondered. Why had Carlo been so anxious to make a deal with me? I stood thinking for a long moment. Then, remembering that Giuseppe Frenzi had a 16 mm. projector, I called him and asked him if he would give me the loan of it for an hour.
'It's all set up in my apartment, Ed,' he said. 'Go around there and help yourself. The janitor will let you in. I'm up to my eyes in work and can't get away until late or I'd come around and show you how it works.'
'I can manage it,' I said. 'Thanks, Giuseppe,' and I hung up.
A half hour later, I was in Frenzi's apartment with Helen's film threaded into the projector. I turned off the lights and started the film.
She certainly knew how to take photographs. The scenes of Sorrento that flashed on the screen were first class.From the busy piazza, the scene changed to the villa, and then to the view from the cliff head. I was sitting forward, my heart thumping, watching the screen fixedly. Then suddenly there was a long shot of Setti's villa. I could just make out two men on the terrace. Then the scene switched to a close-up by Helen's powerful telephoto lens. There was Setti, easily recognizable, talking to Carlo, and, a moment later, Myra joined them. So Carlo had told Carlotti the truth. He must have spotted Helen up on the cliff as she took this shot, come up after her, snatched the camera out of her hand and given her a back-hand slap that had sent her off the cliff. Then why had he been so anxious that I shouldn't show this film to anyone since he had already told Carlotti what had happened?
I got the answer in the next shot. From the terrace the scene changed once more to the cliff head. Carlo was standing with his back to the camera, looking out to sea. He suddenly turned and his dark, blunt-featured face lit up. The camera moved away from him to the direction where he was looking.
A girl was coming along the path. She waved to Carlo. He went to meet her and, putting his arms around her, he pulled her to him and kissed her.
The shot lasted about twenty seconds. I was standing up staring at the screen, scarcely believing my eyes. The girl in Carlo's arms was June Chalmers!
V
Sherwin Chalmers and his wife arrived at the Vesuvius hotel on the afternoon of the Friday before the inquest.
He and I had a two-hour session together. I told him the story of Helen's past and her life in Rome. I let him read some of Sarti's reports, having taken the report concerning myself out of the file. I told him Carlo Manchini was the man known as Douglas Sherrard.
Chalmers listened and read the reports, a cigar between his teeth, his face expressionless. When I was through, he tossed Sarti's file on the table, got to his feet and walked over to the window.
'You've done a good job, Dawson,' he said. 'This has been a shock to me, as you can imagine. I had no idea I had a daughter who could behave like this. She got what was coming to her. The thing to do now is to try to keep it out of the papers.'
I knew how hopeless that was, but I didn't tell him so. 'I'll go along and talk to this coroner fella,' Chalmers went on. 'He can play it down. I'll also talk to the chief of police. Burn those reports. You've done your job here. Will you be ready to come to New York with me after the inquest?'
'I'll have a few things to tidy up first, Mr. Chalmers,' I said. 'I can be in New York by Monday week.'
'Do that.' He came away from the window. 'I'm pleased with you, Dawson. It's better for the punk to have died. I'm going to see this coroner fella now.'
I didn't offer to go with him. I went downstairs with him to where the Rolls was waiting and saw him drive off, then I crossed over to the reception desk and asked the clerk to send my name up to Mrs. Chalmers. He made the call and told me to go on up.
June Chalmers was sitting by the window, looking out over the harbour. She turned her head as I entered the small sitting-room and her eyes looked steadily at me.
'Mr. Chalmers has just told me he is pleased with me,' I said, closing the door and moving over to join her at the window. 'He wants me back in New York as quickly as possible to take the foreign desk.'
'My congratulations, Mr. Dawson,' she said. 'But why tell me?'
'Because I need your approval.'
She raised her eyebrows.
'Why should I approve?'
'For the obvious reason that, if you don't approve, you could prevent me taking the job.'
She looked away, opened her bag, took out a cigarette and before I could get out my lighter she had flicked her own alight.
'I don't understand, Mr. Dawson. I don't have anything to do with my husband's business affairs.'
