It had taken me a good hour to get myself together after the shock of seeing the television footage. It wasn’t only the brutality of seeing me shoot poor Cassie. It was the second shot, so much like an execution, that was too much. Uncle Phil told me they had shown me slide down to the ground, leaning against the back of the elephant, just sitting there, head in my hands. He said they’d shown the humanity; that it hadn’t come across as a cold-blooded killing. That was no consolation. The footage had also been an eye-opener, made me realise just how close to disaster I’d come. At the time, everything happened too fast to think; I hadn’t contemplated the potential dangers. I was on automatic. What if I’d missed? I shuddered.

‘Here we go.’ Maggie was back bearing gifts of my favourite kind of fruit – the squashed and fermented variety. ‘I splurged and got us a decent Central Otago Pinot Noir. Enjoy.’

She slid a glass of deep, luscious burgundy-coloured liquid under my nose.

‘So it’s not for quaffing?’ I’d had something cheap and cheerful in mind, and lots of it.

‘Sorry. I thought the best way to make you pace yourself would be to get something civilised.’

I swirled the wine around the glass and inhaled the aroma. ‘Ooh, you’re right, this is good.’ I took a sip and savoured the mellow, warm flavour. ‘All we need’s a cheese board and it would be perfect.’

‘It’s on its way,’ Maggie said and tipped her glass. ‘I think of everything. Although, perfection would involve me, George, you and Brad, but I couldn’t quite swing that one, not even with my miracle-inducing superpowers.’

‘George and Brad?’

‘Clooney and Pitt.’

‘Ah, yes, they would complement the wine nicely. But it always gets ugly when you have to fend off all those other adoring women, and the paparazzi. I’ll make do with a quiet night and your charming company,’ I said, as I tipped my glass in her direction. ‘Thanks, Maggs.’

‘A toast,’ Maggie said. ‘Here’s to a glorious, humdrum, ordinary, stupefyingly dull and uneventful week ahead.’

‘Hear, hear,’ I said and clinked glasses.