Freddie Miles (Eliot Sumner) is dead, and it doesn't take long before the police turn up at Tom Ripley's (Andrew Scott) apartment in Ripley episode 6, "Some Heavy Instrument."
Of course, Inspector Pietro Ravini (Maurizio Lombardi) is under the impression that Tom is Dickie, and he is suspicious of the American as he is the last known person to see Freddie alive. Now, Tom must try and stay one step ahead of the authorities, while people like Marge (Dakota Fanning) are also still trying to track down Dickie, causing more challenges. It doesn't help that the press starts covering this story in such detail. Tom's time in Rome might be coming to a premature end.
Read our detailed Ripley episode 6 recap to find out what happens.
Freddie's body
Unlike Dickie, who now languishes below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea, Tom left Freddie slumped in the passenger seat of his car near the Via Appia Antica. While Tom wasn't trying to stop anyone from finding Freddie, he probably didn't think the police would find his identity so quickly. A rental receipt in the glove box links Freddie to the car, and the police visit the Excelsior Hotel where he is staying. In Freddie's room, they find a different man, Max (Louis Hofmann), asleep in bed, who points the police in the direction of Tom's apartment.
The coroner tells Ravini Freddie's alcohol was 0.16, which is considered high, and that he died from two blows to the head with "some heavy instrument." The bruising under Freddie's arms is likely from the killer dragging the body.
Meanwhile, Tom is seeing visions of a Dickie's dripping wet ghost. Tom leaves his place to check the newspaper headlines; there is nothing about either murder he has committed. When Tom arrives home, the landlady mentions the elevator is broken again. Tom knows, as he was the last one who used it, but he doesn't mention this. When the landlady spots the blood on the stairs, she blames the cat for bringing in some dead prey.
A visit from the police
Back in his apartment, Tom checks the ferry departure times to Palermo and packs Dickie's suitcase. Tom then ignores the ringing phone, but when he looks out of his front door, he sees the police coming up the stairs. While Tom has enough time to hide the suitcase, he doesn't notice bloodstained clothes in his bath.
Ravini interviews Tom in English so nothing gets lost in translation and explains Freddie is dead and that foul play was involved. Ravini is blissfully unaware the ashtray he is using is the murder weapon.
Tom uses his rehearsed but casual response about what time the drunk Freddie left his apartment the night before. He also makes sure to mention Freddie's debauched partying and alludes to the fact Freddie is gay in an attempt to suggest a hookup that went wrong or a robbery motive.
The inspector tells Tom to answer his phone the next time it rings and warns him not to go to Palermo until informed otherwise. After the police leave, Tom cleans the bath and dumps Freddie's bloody scarf in a random trash can — there is no DNA to connect this garment to the victim.
A frontpage splash
"Shocking Murder of British Tourist," reads the late edition of the newspaper, accompanied by a photograph of Freddie's body. Tom talks to his landlady, Signora Buffi (Margherita Buy), about the case when he gets home. She also believes thieves killed him. She says she won't let any reporters in the building and that Freddie was extremely rude to her.
Before Marge finds out what has happened to her friend, she discovers Dickie has sold his boat. She thinks this is incredibly out of character but is assured by the boat keeper it was all above board. She then sees the headlines, including the fact that Dickie has already been questioned.
Meanwhile, Tom answers the phone and puts on his best Dickie voice to Max, assuring him he will meet him the following morning at the Excelsior to discuss Freddie. Of course, Tom stands Max up the next day because a corpse couldn't keep up with an appointment.
The net closes in
While Dickie's body is still submerged, the boat Tom killed him in during their San Remo trip is discovered. The police also track down the hotel, finding out that while two men checked in, only "Dickie" checked out, and all the pieces of Tom's crimes are falling into place. However, Ravini thinks it's Dickie that is still alive.
Tom makes plans to travel to Palermo, booking a hotel in Dickie's name. Before he leaves, Ravini visits Tom's apartment and tells him about the boat discovery. Tom acts surprised by this turn of events, saying they returned the boat and wonders if it is fish blood. Ravini isn't convinced, saying Tom has not returned to New York as intended.
Unfortunately, Ravini has nothing conclusive, so he cannot arrest "Dickie" and tells him he can travel to Palermo, but must inform him of any accommodation changes. Tom tells Ravini that Tom Ripley didn't like anything about Freddie, which is true.
After the cops leave, Tom's phone rings. It's Marge, who happens to be downstairs. To avoid a repeat of the Freddie incident, Tom arranges to meet her in a nearby cafe, putting his Tom clothes back on. Marge begged the police to tell her Dickie's apartment address, but she has many other questions for Tom.
Tom explains Dickie had to get out of Rome but didn't tell him where he was going. The reason for Dickie's departure is because he was the last person to see Freddie, and the police have been hounding him.
Marge brings up Dickie selling his boat, and Tom gives his usual vague answers. Tom accompanies Marge to the train station and makes sure he sees she is returning to Atrani.
It's time for Tom to leave Rome, and his plan to go to Palermo remains unchanged. How long before the police find some evidence that implicates Dickie or the real Tom?
All episodes of Ripley are available to stream now on Netflix.
