The Thief Lord

Victor watches the souvenir shop, wondering what the children are doing inside. Victor sees Riccio, Hornet, and Mosca leave separately and wonders why they’re splitting up, but he decides to stay with Prosper and Bo. Victor concludes that the children are going to their homes and that Bo’s movie theater story is a fantasy. Victor sees the masked boy emerge from the shop. Victor, distracted by the gondolieri’s calls, is startled when the boy asks him for the time. The boy strolls away after commenting on Victor’s disguise. Victor loses sight of the children momentarily while fixing his disguise and then sees them all emerge from the shop with Prosper and Bo.

Victor follows the children at a safe distance. Two ladies step out of a café into his path as Hornet throws herself against Victor and yells at him to let her go. People stop and stare as Hornet screams and Victor protests his innocence. The other children disappear as Victor tries to free his jacket, but the two ladies hit him with their handbags and a dog attacks him. Victor tries to protect himself from the crowd’s attacks. He falls to his knees as a policeman pushes through the crowd and grabs him. Victor realizes Hornet has vanished with her friends.

Hornet shows off Victor’s wallet back at the Star-Palace. Prosper is distressed when he finds Victor’s ID inside, confirming that he’s a detective. Scipio tries to cheer him up and opens the Conte’s envelope. He hands the floor plan of Campo Santa Margherita to Hornet and studies the photograph of a wooden wing. Disappointed by the item that they’re supposed to steal, Scipio reads the Conte’s note, which gives the wing’s dimensions (the Conte has its counterpart and therefore knows its size). Mosca notices a wooden horse in the background of the photo. Scipio reads the back of the note, which explains that there most likely isn’t an alarm system at the target’s house but that there might be dogs. The Conte reminds the gang to feed the pigeon, Sofia, and let her stretch her wings. Hornet doesn’t feel right about the job, but Scipio dismisses her concerns.

Scipio announces he’s leaving town for three days. He orders Riccio and Mosca to survey the mark and Prosper and Bo to stay in the hideout away from Victor. Scipio agrees to let the others help him with the theft when Riccio asks. Bo volunteers to help, but Prosper insists neither of them will participate. Bo is furious at Prosper and mentions Victor. Prosper asks whether Bo told Victor about their hideout. Bo says he didn’t while refusing to look at Prosper. Prosper is relieved.

Victor stews for three days after the incident with Hornet. The police released Victor after he explained the situation, convinced them he was a detective, and discovered that the children stole his wallet. The police are now looking for the children too, but Victor wants to find them first. He thinks about Bo’s movie theater and calls all the movie theaters in the phonebook. The Fantasia doesn’t answer, and he can’t find a number for the Stella. Victor takes a sniffling Paula to the vet and then visits the Fantasia. The ticket booth attendant tells him the Stella closed and gives him the owner’s, Dottor Massimo’s, phone number. Victor calls Dottor Massimo from a pay phone. The Doctor tells him to come by if he’s interested in buying the Stella and then hangs up.

Victor walks to Dottor Massimo’s grand house, where a maid leads him to the office. Scipio, the doctor’s son, interrupts Victor because he is worried about his sick cat. Dottor Massimo is furious at Scipio for interrupting, and Victor recognizes Scipio. The doctor claims the cat is recovering from having kittens and says Scipio can get a new one if she dies. Scipio stays in the doorway as Victor tells the doctor he’s writing an article about the city’s movie theaters and wants to tour the Stella. The doctor gives Victor permission but can’t find the key. He tells Scipio to help Victor since his next appointment has arrived; he leaves after asking for a copy of Victor’s article. After his father is gone, Scipio runs for the door, but Victor blocks his way. Victor tells him he only wants Prosper and Bo. Scipio trips Victor by tugging the carpet under him and then runs through the door and down the stairs. Victor yells as Scipio escapes the house.

In the Stella, Mosca and Riccio discuss their surveillance of Campo Santa Margherita. Signora Ida Spavento is a photographer who travels a lot and lives alone. Her housekeeper and the housekeeper’s husband leave in the evenings, and Ida goes to bed on the second floor by 10 o’clock. Hornet wonders if there’s an alarm system and worries about the dogs. Riccio claims the dogs usually go home with the housekeeper. Hornet isn’t convinced the theft is a good idea. The sound of the bell interrupts them, and Prosper finds Scipio at the door. Scipio, panicked, tells everyone to leave because Victor has found their hideout. The gang stares at Scipio, who is wearing fancy clothes. Scipio pleads with them, and Prosper tells Bo to get the kittens and his raincoat. Riccio wonders where they are going to go. Hornet shushes him and tells Mosca to stand lookout for Victor. Scipio collects their money while Riccio sobs. Hornet has an idea.

Victor arrives at the Stella convinced the children are already gone. He puts his tortoise box next to the door as he picks the lock. After he unlocks it, he pushes through a bunch of trash. Inside the auditorium, he uses his flashlight and sees the mattresses and toys left behind. He hears a sound and tells the children he’s excellent at hide-and-seek. Bo pops out from behind the stage curtain and asks if Victor has a gun. Victor steps toward Bo but is ambushed by the other kids. They tie him up and Scipio puts a rag in his mouth. Mosca wants to interrogate him, but Scipio insists Victor will lie. Prosper finds Victor’s gun and gives it to Hornet. Scipio calls himself the Thief Lord and tells them to put Victor in the men’s bathroom.