 More killings take place . <unk> , a beautiful lesbian journalist , is murdered at her home along with her lover Marion . Maria , the young daughter of Neal 's landlord , is later hacked to death with a axe after discovering the killer 's lair . Neal notices that TV interviewer <unk> Berti has an unusually intense interest in his work . That night , Neal and his Italian assistant Gianni watch Berti 's house . Gianni approaches the house alone to get a better view and sees an assailant hack Berti to death with an axe . However , Gianni is unable to see the murderer 's face . He returns to Neal to find the novelist has been knocked unconscious on the lawn . 
