Episode 7 of Ripley kicks off with Tom's arrival in Palermo, where he's immediately greeted by an overly chatty hotel clerk. Barely having settled in, Tom receives a chilling letter from Ravini, revealing that he's keeping a close watch on him. Meanwhile, Ravini himself is busy scouring the city for any trace of Freddie's hideouts.
Elsewhere, a letter intended for Dickie arrives at his Atrani address but is promptly returned, undelivered. In Rome, Ravini's investigation takes a tentative turn when a dog walker informs him that he'd seen a drunken Freddie in the company of someone. However, the lack of any further details infuriates Ravini, who's growing impatient with the case.
With the trail leading him to Marge's apartment in Atrani, Ravini finds the room adorned with photos of Dickie and his amateurish paintings, but he fails to notice their significance. Marge dismisses Tom's negative portrayal of Freddie, finding it odd that Dickie would speak so disparagingly of his friend. She inadvertently reveals that she's recently spoken to Tom in Rome and hands Ravini the fake address that Tom had given her. Ravini heads to the address but finds no clues to Ripley's whereabouts.
Meanwhile, Tom finds himself penned in by the cops and writes to the Greenleafs, explaining that he's unable to leave the country due to their relentless pursuit. Despite his precarious situation, he manages to lift Dickie's spirits with his reassuring words. Tom even goes so far as to pretend to be advising Dickie and Marge on how to navigate their complex relationship, all while keeping his true intentions hidden from Ravini's watchful eye.
At that fateful moment, the Naples bank branch manager urgently contacted the Rome police, alerting them to suspicious fraudulent activities involving Dickie's account. Meanwhile, Tom, unaware of the brewing storm, calmly visited Caravaggio's paintings in Palermo, only to be shadowed by the vigilant cops. Narrowly escaping their clutches, he made a hasty return to his hotel.
There, he received a furious letter from Marge, declaring their breakup. She had finally come to believe that Dickie and Tom were having an affair. However, this revelation was merely a fleeting moment of clarity in the midst of chaos. Tom's world came crashing down when he learned from the news that Dickie was now a murder suspect and had been spotted in Palermo.
To compound his woes, he received letters from the bank, revealing that Wendell Trust had notified the Naples branch of suspected forgery in the latest signature used for withdrawing funds. They had alerted the police and urgently demanded confirmation of Tom's identity. Fearful, Tom made a covert escape from the hotel, aided by a sympathetic clerk, as the cops were waiting at the front desk. He sought refuge in a secluded underground hotel, hoping to evade the relentless pursuit.
Meanwhile, Ravini summoned Marge to Rome, furious that she had given him a fake address. He suspected her of lying about encountering Tom in Rome and ominously hinted that she was now a suspect and could not leave the country. Tom's nerves were shredded as he hesitated to confirm his identity with the bank. The sight of his photo emerging from Dickie's passport was a stark reminder of the precarious situation he was in.
In a moment of desperation, he resorted to Dickie's typewriter and sent a reassuring letter to Wendell Trust, claiming that everything was fine. But the Palermo cops eventually tracked him down and insisted that he return to Rome the following day. The news was relentless, reporting that Thomas Ripley was dead and Dickie was now suspected of two murders.
Tom, heartbroken and exhausted, penned a letter of apology to his landlady, informing her that he had to relinquish the Rome apartment. He inquired about ferries to Tunis from the hotel clerk, feigning fatigue. Then, in a moment of defiance, he sneaked back into his Rome apartment to retrieve his belongings. At the conclusion of Ripley's Episode 7, he was on the brink of a new adventure, having arrived in the romantic city of Venice.
