‘Not at all. Insurance companies have been defrauded before but not, I think, in this case. And, in any event, the chairman of the company I work for is Mrs Salton’s uncle. He sent me here to look after her interests. At the present moment there is only one point at issue: did Salton commit suicide? If he did, there’s a clause in the policy which precludes payment until two years after his death.’

Negrini was more relaxed. He lounged against his desk, drink in hand, and said thoughtfully, ‘Yes, I can see the point of having a clause like that.’

I said, ‘The circumstances being what they are, we might even waive that clause if necessary.’

‘I can save you the trouble,’ said Negrini. ‘Salton didn’t commit suicide.’

‘Have you proof of that?’

He shook his head. ‘No proof, but you can call me as a character witness. Salton would never take his own life – he wasn’t that kind of man. He was a fighter.’

I pushed a little. ‘Did he fight you?’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘I’ve been reading his speeches. He didn’t like casinos on Campanilla. He was tough about it, too.’

Negrini shrugged. ‘All politicians have to make those sort of noises.’

‘Do you think he’d have won the election, become prime minister?’

Negrini put his glass on the desk. ‘I’m not a gambler, Mr Kemp. People who run casinos aren’t gamblers because the edge is on their side and it’s working for them all the time. Salton would have won the election, no question. To prove how certain I was of that, let me tell you that I was keeping £10,000 in that safe in easily moveable banknotes.’

‘Why? What do you think he’d have done to you?’

‘Judging by his speeches, I’d have been on the first plane back to the States,’ said Negrini with a broad smile. ‘Of course, when he died all bets were off.’

‘So if Salton was … er … assisted in his death, you’d be a prime suspect.’

Negrini was no longer lounging. ‘What the hell …?’

‘Calm down,’ I said. I’d poked him a little too hard and I still had a tricky question to ask. ‘How much did you contribute to his campaign funds?’

He stared at me with unfriendly eyes. ‘You know, Mr Kemp, I have to admire your gall. What makes you think I gave Salton a nickel?’ He snorted. ‘Why should I, when he was going to run me out of the country?’

‘That’s what I want to know,’ I said, smiling. ‘It’s been puzzling the hell out of me.’

Negrini grinned faintly and picked up his glass. He sipped the whisky and said, ‘Who told you?’