He makes friends with another student, Renato, whose vivacious widowed mother, Carla, is short of money and survives by giving piano lessons.

Invited to stay the night in a spare room and lent a pair of pyjamas, he and Elena are able to start a secret physical relationship.

[5] Afterwards, as Elena is lying happily in bed, Carla brutally says that the sex was just to discredit her and will be publicised unless the engagement is broken.

The police suspect Mattia, who has not got a good alibi, until Elena saves him by claiming she was in his room with him at the time of the killing.

Her father helps by saying he will find a good job for the police commissioner's son if Elena's confession is kept quiet.