The Sunday Woman

Architect Garrone is battered to death with a stone phallus, a macabre clue that launches the investigation. Inspector Santamaria, chief of Homicide, is assigned to lead the case and begins to map out the suspects among Turin's polite society. The victim's fringe position hints at a web of personal and financial motives behind the murder.

The servants of Anna Carla Dosio bring a discarded draft of a letter to the police station. In the letter she writes that Garrone must be rid of. The find hints at motives and tangled relationships surrounding the case.

Chief Santamaria learns Campi has a young clerk lover, Lello Riviera, who works in the city's planning department. He has Riviera followed to see if the lover becomes a link to the murder. The investigation begins to connect personal ties to public affairs.

It emerges Garrone was acting for widow Ines Tabusso, who lives in a crumbling villa on Turin's Hill with a sister. The villa's affairs hint at a potential for profit through lifting building interdictions. The case links the property with city development and illegal influence.

Santamaria is warned by his superior to move with care now that rich and influential people are involved. The message underscores the danger of crossing powerful suspects. The investigation is forced to tread carefully.

Campi withholds cooperation to protect his homosexuality; Anna Carla Dosio agrees to help Santamaria and promises a secret rendezvous, starting with lunch. The pair forge an uneasy alliance, trading information for favors. Their cooperation marks a turning point in the pursuit of the truth.

Hoping to win Ines's cooperation, Santamaria mounts a night raid to clear her property of prostitutes. The raid demonstrates the inspector's determination to disrupt illicit networks tied to the villa. The action foreshadows that more secrets lie within the property.

On a Saturday morning, all involved rally at the Balon, the city's flea market, for different reasons. Riviera is set to meet with the suspected murderer, while others observe and maneuver in the crowded setting. The market becomes a focal point where hidden motives surface.

Riviera is killed by a stone pestle during the Balon gathering. The killing confirms that the investigation is closing in on the killer and that alliances are shifting under pressure. The event moves the case toward its resolution.

It is revealed that Ines Tabusso killed Garrone after learning that her property contained an ancient stone used for laundry, protected by Art Superintendence. Garrone had deceived her, suggesting corruption would remove the interdiction. Ines's act ties the motive to property rights and bureaucratic protection.

With the killer identified, Santamaria and Anna Carla celebrate a private lunch promised earlier. The success of the investigation allows them a moment of personal connection outside the case. The scene marks a brief respite before the real world intrudes.

The happy afternoon ends when Anna Carla must get out of bed to start packing for the family holidays. The case is resolved, but the characters' lives move toward new plans and departures. The final image suggests a return to normalcy tempered by the crimes unearthed.