‘The picture was taken at 2.31 p.m. exactly. Thirty seconds later the camera went offline when it was hit by a stray bullet.’ Fairchild lowered his voice. ‘Take a look at the man to the right of the minibus.’

Silva glanced down and tried to stop her hand from shaking. Like the other men, the figure to the right wore a chequered shemagh, but in this case it had slipped, revealing the face.

‘Mohid Latif?’

‘Yes. He was one of the attackers, and in the other picture there he is with Brandon Hope and a Saudi terrorist sympathiser. I don’t think they were discussing aid budgets.’

Silva sighed. It was too much to take in. She looked at the picture of the villa again. The blue sea sparkled in the distance, white boats scattered on the surface of the water. Hope appeared hot and uncomfortable, the other men calm. It was like a scene from a movie set. Unreal.

‘And Karen Hope?’

‘Here.’ Fairchild reached for yet another photograph. ‘Tell me she isn’t involved.’

Silva took the picture. The same metal bench, the same backdrop of sea and boats, the same green wall. Only this time Brandon and Haddad had gone and had been replaced by Karen Hope. Her head was turned towards Latif and the other man and was bowed slightly, as if she was listening intently.

A tingle slipped across the back of Silva’s hand as she let the picture drop to the table. She lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘If this is true – if, mind you – then you have all the information you need to expose Karen Hope and her brother. I don’t see how I can add anything to what you’ve already discovered. Where do I fit in?’

‘You haven’t twigged?’ Fairchild smiled. ‘Where do you think these pictures came from?’

‘I presume you’ve got sources. People who snoop for you.’

‘These photographs were taken by your mother.’

‘What?’ Silva stared down, the photographs all of a sudden imbued with a heightened significance.

‘Yes. Your mother was in Italy tracking Brandon Hope.’

‘But what about the people-trafficking story?’

‘The people-trafficking story led her to the Hopes. You see, the charity Brandon runs operates a rescue boat that scours the Med for refugees. Your mother suspected something dodgy was going on and discovered the Saudi connection and a much, much bigger story. A story that ultimately got her killed.’

‘Because the Hopes wanted to cover up the links to Haddad?’