‘You’ll have to get a proper carpet-fitter in to replace this lot. They’ve just ripped it away from its tracks. Bloody bastards they are. I bet you got a shock when you came home from the visit and found them in your house, didn’t you?’

His voice was neutral and Donna nodded in agreement. The emerald-green suit was crumpled now, and her make-up smudged. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and sighed. The house was still upside down. Maeve and Dolly were clearing up downstairs and Donna was supposed to be doing the bedrooms.

‘That’s the understatement of the year. Still, at least they didn’t find anything. That’s the main thing.’

Stephen was amazed at her words. For Donna to openly admit that there could have been something to find shocked him. It seemed that she had finally grown up. Georgio had always been like some kind of god to her. It pleased Stephen to see the once too-good-to-be-true Donna Brunos finally embroiled in things that were not legal. He smiled to himself as he stood up.

‘Georgio is a survivor, Donna. He’ll get over this lot the same as he’s always gotten away with everything else.’

Donna looked at him quizzically. ‘I hardly call doing eighteen years getting away with anything, do you?’

Stephen pursed his lips and thought before he answered her. ‘It depends on what he was supposed to be getting away with, doesn’t it? You have obviously realised that your golden boy is involved in some pretty heavy stuff. If the half of it were known he’d still be locked up, but they’d throw away the key. But there, that’s nothing to do with me, is it?’

He smiled at her superciliously and Donna felt an urge to take back her fist and slam it into his insufferable face.

She was saved from answering by Maeve bustling into the room with two mugs of coffee.

‘Oh, look at the state of this place, would you! What the hell were they looking for, I ask meself?’ She glanced around the room and shook her head. ‘Here, drink this.’ She gave them both a mug of coffee. ‘What time is your flight tomorrow, Stephen?’

‘At two-thirty. I’m going to shoot off in a minute, I haven’t even packed yet.’

Donna sipped the thick aromatic coffee, grateful for its warmth and fragrance.

‘Off to Rhodes again, are you?’ she asked. ‘When’s Mario going?’

Maeve picked some clothes off the floor and placed them on the bed. ‘Stephen’s not off to Rhodes, he’s going on a short holiday to Sri Lanka. Booked it a few days ago.’

Donna felt the icy sensation at the back of her neck that denoted trouble. She said nonchalantly, ‘You lucky thing. I’d love to visit Sri Lanka. Georgio and I were planning to go before . . .’ she paused. ‘. . . before all this happened.’