Section 9, Pages 156-167 Summary

It is nighttime, and most people in Rome are in bed for the night. Paolo Farina is in a second-class cabin on a ship called the Sea of Sicily. It is dark, and his snoring mingles with the sounds of the ship. He replays in his slumbering mind the latest business he is conducting. Giulio Lovisi is going over his accounts while Giuseppa and Vanna are whispering to each other. The women are talking about Carlo's impending return home. They whisper to keep from waking the baby, though the baby is awake. The baby can sense the excitement in the house.

Alessandro is at the police station after being detained for questioning. He is tired but in control of his situation. He is explaining what he knows about his wife's whereabouts for the last several months, which to the...