‘Nonsense!’ Larry stepped in to give her a hug. ‘You’re our Girl Friday, a breath of fresh air around here, and we really appreciate all the work that you do.’

‘And we are very fond of you, love,’ Betty added, bustling Larry out of the way so that she could give Grace a hug. ‘Now, open the envelope.’

Grace did as she was told. Inside the envelope was a gorgeous birthday card with a picture on the front of a glistening Mediterranean sea beside a terracotta-coloured brick cottage with pretty pink bougainvillea tumbling all over one side of it.

Grace opened the card and unfolded an A4 piece of paper that was tucked inside. Scanning the words, her pulse quickened as she took it all in.

Italy!

A holiday to Italy.

She stared at the boarding pass and itinerary in her hand.

‘I can’t go to Italy.’

‘Oh yes you can, sweetheart.’ It was Jamie coming through the office door with a smile on his face the size of a slice of watermelon.

‘What are you doing here?’ she beamed, dashing forward to give him a big hug.

‘Larry and Betty invited me,’ he said, pressing a big bunch of bright purple, pink and orange chrysanthemums into her hand before giving her an enormous hug.

‘But how? When? You don’t know Larry and Betty,’ she gasped, barely able to take it all in. She glanced over at her employers to see them both now looking very conspiratorial.

‘Don’t blame the lad,’ Larry stepped forward. ‘Betty and I had been thinking for some time now that a little break would do you good. You’re run off your feet working here and caring for your mother too.’ He paused, and Grace glanced at the floor momentarily. ‘And so when Jamie here,’ he put a hand on Jamie’s back, ‘called in that day to go with you to check out Connie’s address in Blackheath, we got chatting while he was waiting for you and—’

‘Hatched a plan!’ Betty took over explaining. ‘We know you’ve found an affinity with poor Connie, and Larry saw how fascinated you were with the painting of Venice inside her unit, and then reading all about the powder pink villa on the hilltop in her diary, not to mention the other beauty spots she mentions … and so that got us thinking.’ Smiling, she put an arm around Larry and indicated for Jamie to come and stand on the other side of her. ‘You might like to experience it all for yourself first hand. Go and see where Connie lived in Italy, and also see if you can find out a bit more about her … talk to her friends and what have you.’