‘We’re not killers,’ she explained. ‘We’re more like . . . diplomats.’ (What a great word to pull out of her head!) ‘We solve problems diplomatically. So maybe we could help you by talking to this girl Topaz, and together we could all come up with a solution. A win–win solution. That means a win for you and a win for –’

‘NO!’

Enrico thumped the table again. This time everyone was ready and managed to grab their goblets in time.

‘I want Topaz eliminated. That’s why I hired you! That’s why you’re here! I don’t care if you’re not trained killers. You’ll just have to learn on the job, won’t you? My payment terms are more than generous. You can hardly complain. Look at this!’

He stood up from the table and stormed over to a large tapestry hanging on a wall. Enrico pulled on a cord and the tapestry slid to one side like a curtain to reveal an alcove. Sitting inside the alcove was a treasure chest. Enrico picked it up and carried it back over to the table.

‘This will be your payment,’ he said.

He lifted the lid. It creaked open slowly. A shaft of gold light beamed straight out from the chest, as if the sun had appeared from behind a cloud.

In spite of herself Nicola leaned forward. She was desperate to see what was inside the treasure chest.

The chest was filled to the brim. Nicola could see hundreds, maybe thousands of shiny gold coins and the most beautiful pieces of jewellery: bracelets, necklaces and earrings. There were also dozens of neatly stacked bars of ShobbleChoc, as well as brightly wrapped ShobbleChoc balls, bags of ShobbleChoc Marshmallows, tins of Shobble-Choc Hot Chocolate and large white boxes tied with ribbon and sealed with elegant gold stickers saying: SHOBBLECHOC GIFT BOX. The smell of chocolate combined with the shimmering gold of the coins and the jewellery made Nicola’s head swim. There was a feeling rising rapidly in her chest – something powerful.

Suddenly she knew what it was: GREED. She wanted that treasure chest. She wanted it so badly. She could give Grammy one of those gift boxes and a bracelet. It would be the perfect present. She could spend those gold coins on anything she wanted – there would probably be enough to put a swimming pool in their backyard! She could lie by the pool in an expensive new swimming costume wearing those sparkly earrings and eating nothing but ShobbleChoc.

Nicola blinked rapidly and tried to clear her head. For heaven’s sake! It didn’t matter how much she wanted that treasure chest. She certainly wasn’t going to KILL somebody for it! Why was she even thinking about it?

Enrico slammed the treasure chest shut and looked at them all triumphantly.

‘I expect you’ve changed your minds now, eh? You’re ready to take on the mission?’