‘A very interesting story from long, long ago. Once upon a time, there was a construction firm run by a man called Stefano Cassano who, as the name suggests, was Italian. Now, Signor Cassano was a very good friend of a young man by the name of Massimo Rivelli – in fact, he was married to a cousin on Rivelli’s father’s side. So Rivelli, being a good family man, put a lot of work Cassano’s way, and he did very well indeed. When Rivelli was starting up as a manufacturer, Cassano built his factories. When Rivelli wanted a new house, Cassano got the job. Planning permissions just rained out of the sky, and by the mid eighties Cassano was a very rich man indeed, and Rivelli’s cousin was a very happy woman. And so, when Rivelli hits the big time and decides to reward himself with a nice holiday home in the south of France, who do you think gets the contract?’

‘Cassano.’

‘Correct. Well, it’s going to be a beautiful house, according to Dave. Nothing but the best. Marble floors, big windows, a landscaped garden, lovely old tiles in the roof and the cherry on the cake – a clifftop pool, with views over the bay to Saint-Tropez. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it?’

‘Lovely.’

‘But Cassano got greedy. Rivelli was busy, and while the cat was away, the mouse decided to cut corners in order to maximise his profits. He started using cheap materials and cheaper labour, and he pockets the difference without mentioning it to Rivelli. But Rivelli is not stupid. He’s keeping an eye on his investment. And one day, he makes a little site visit on a Sunday when the builders are not there and he sees the the lining of the pool is already cracked and the tiles are falling off the roof. So he has a chat with the foreman of the works and finds out things that Cassano doesn’t want him to know. So Rivelli is very grateful to that foreman.’

‘Was that by any chance . . .’

‘Dave the Driver. Very clever, Miss Fairbrother. Anyway, Rivelli makes sure that from that point on the work is done according to his exacting specification. They fix the roof and they clean up the inside of the house and they rip out the pool and completely rebuild it.’

‘Ah.’

‘And you know, they do a very good job of that pool. Best quality materials. Good thick lining, made of concrete in a steel shell, the whole thing sunk into the hillside maybe five, six metres depth. Beautiful finish – blue and gold tiles, marble surround. Nothing but the best. It’s like something from the ancient world. It will last for ever.’

Christine’s eyes met John’s.