‘Thank you,’ said Valentina, ‘thank you so much.’ She heaved herself out of the car as quickly as she could, while Francesco climbed over Joe’s seat.

‘Take care,’ I said, ‘both of you.’

Valentina gave a half smile, and a nod, and then she, holding her pregnant belly, and her son, hurried away like hunted creatures.

46

Joe and I drove back to the villa in silence. As we came down the hill, my heart sank. Someone had been there in our absence. Seagulls were squabbling over the remains of a fast-food meal that had been scattered around the parking area and there was a discoloured patch of damp dust against the wall where a bottle had been smashed against it. Broken glass was all around.

I got out of the car and began to pick up the rubbish, shooing away the gulls. Joe got out too, slammed his door and muttered about it almost certainly being Vito who was responsible for this mess and that he bet it was Vito who’d vandalised Fiat One too.

‘That can’t have been Vito,’ I said. ‘How could he have known we were going to be at that out-of-the-way restaurant?’

‘Maybe he followed us.’

‘Joe, that’s paranoid.’

‘I know… Shit!’

I looked up, following his gaze. We had left the gates locked, as usual, but now they stood wide open. The padlock and chain were bundled in a pile on the floor.

My heart began to pound. We walked toward the gates. My ears were ringing. This wasn’t opportunists then. It wasn’t accidental. Someone had come to break in.

Joe picked up the chain. The links had been cut.

‘We should call the police,’ I said, and in the next breath remembered the kittens; we’d left them in the villa, alone and unguarded. I put down the bags and pushed past Joe.

‘Wait, Edie!’ he called. ‘Whoever it is might still be there…’

‘I don’t care!’