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“So the substitute housekeepers are now really suspicious,” he said, his voice low and deliberate. “They’re the only ones who claim to have seen Vittoria alive at six. If they lied about that, the whole timeline collapses. And no one can verify what tasks they were actually doing in the villa that morning.”

James nodded slowly. “Yeah, that’s possible,” he said thoughtfully. He glanced at Alice, then back at Marco. “After our lunch — Marco, can you check in with Mr. Conti? See if he can confirm whether Alessandro was truly there the whole time during the wine tasting?”

Marco gave a slight nod.

James continued, “Me and Alice — we’ll head over to Vittoria’s villa again. I want to ask some questions directly to the housekeepers."

Alice leaned back in her chair, arms folded, her eyes gleaming with interest. “Sounds like a plan.”

Marco stood up, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, “I’ll head to Mr. Conti’s place first — he’s a bit farther out. I will arrange another officer to assist you while I am away, and I will meet you guys at La Fenice around 6.”