“I’ve had too much excitement.”
He gave me a thoughtful stare.
“After you have talked with Manchini, I want to have a talk with you.”
Here it comes, I thought, and told him that I was at his disposal. Nothing more was said until we reached the hospital. Then Cariotti said, “I hope he’s still alive. He was in a bad way when I left him.”
We were taken immediately to a private ward where Carlo lay, guarded by two detectives. He was still alive, and as we came into the room he opened his eyes and gave me a twisted grin. “Hello, pally,” he said in a hoarse whisper. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“What is it?” I asked, standing over him.
“Get these coppers out of here. I want to talk to you alone.”
“You talk in front of me or not at all,” Carlotti said.
Carlo looked at him.
“Don’t be a sucker, copper. If you want to know how Helen Chalmers died, you’ll get out of here and take these two flat-feet with you. I want to talk to my pal first. Then I’ll have something for you.”
Carlotti hesitated, then shrugged.
“I’ll give you five minutes,” he said and, beckoning to the two detectives, he went out. They followed him and closed the door.
Carlo looked at me.
“You’ve got guts, pally. I like the way you fight. I’m going to put you in the clear. I’m going to tell them it was me who killed Helen. They can’t do anything to me now. I’m not going to last much longer. If I tell them I did it, will you do me a favour?”
“If I can.”
“Get rid of that film, pally.” A spasm of pain ran through him and he shut his eyes. Then, opening his eyes, he grinned savagely. “I’m getting to be a sissy, aren’t I?” he said. “Will you give me your word you won’t show that film to anyone? It’s important to me, pally.”
“I don’t think I can do that,” I said. “The police must see it if it is anything to do with Helen’s death.”
“I’m going to tell them I killed her. The case will be closed,” Carlo said. Every word made him sweat. “Look at the film yourself. You’ll see what I mean after you’ve looked at it. It’s not evidence. When you’ve seen it, destroy it. Will you do that?”
“Okay. If I’m satisfied that it isn’t evidence, I’ll destroy it.”
“You’ll give me your word?”
“Yes, but I must be sure it isn’t evidence.”
He managed to grin.
“Oksy, shoot them in. I’ll give them a confession — the full treatment.”
“So long, Carlo,” I said and gripped his hand.
“So long, pally. I was a sucker to involve you in this. I didn’t think you had so much on the ball. Get them in here and hurry.”
I went out and told Carlotti Manchini wanted him. He and the two detectives went into the room and closed the door. I walked down the passage to the entrance hall. I waited there for Carlotti.
Twenty minutes later, he came into the hall.
“He’s gone,” he said soberly. “Suppose we go to your apartment? I want to talk to you.”
Well, at least, he wasn’t taking me to the police station. We drove in silence to my apartment.
“You might like a drink?” I said as soon as we were in ray lounge.
“I’ll have a campari,” Cariotti said.
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.