For Nicolas to catch up with her, he’d have to be the world hopping champion.

‘A domani, amore mio,’ giggles the beautiful Italian girl. ‘Domani, t’offrirò la mia chiave.’

And the filthy girl, while running, casts off one of her shoes.

A few seconds later, when the darkness has swallowed her, Nicolas picks it up. My brother finds himself standing there like an idiot holding her flip-flop, a campsite prince charming in a kingdom of bikini-clad Cinderellas.

I creep away.

‘See you tomorrow …’

It will be 23 August.

In fact, no, it’s five o’clock in the morning. The day when it’s all going to happen is already here.

*

*     *

‘Forever Young’, he murmured.

The yearning in that song, the desire to die young or go on for ever.

They weren’t even given that choice.

46

22 August 2016, 8 p.m.

Hidden by a hedge a short way off Oscelluccia beach, you might have thought that the guard posted outside the caravan had been joined by three friends, as solid and muscle-bound as he was, but more eccentrically dressed. The bodyguard whose task it was to keep an eye on the Italian singer was wearing an immaculate charcoal suit, while the three men surrounding him wore hunting gear (the first two) and a dark tracksuit (the third). If anyone had come closer – although the beach was almost deserted, and the caravan isolated from the beach – they would quickly have learned their mistake.

Four dark faces, certainly. One black man and three men wearing balaclavas.

Maria-Chjara studied them for a moment through the Velux of her dressing-room, then turned towards her guest, who was standing by a raspberry-coloured leather armchair.

‘You didn’t need to call your gorillas down from the maquis,’ the singer said. ‘I would have opened the door without them.’

Clotilde stepped forward and peered through the window at the four men who were sharing a thermos of coffee, and almost seemed to have struck up a friendship. Their rifles rested modestly against two rubbish containers.

Papé had been efficient. During their slow descent from Capu di a Veta, he had used Clotilde’s phone to call a few friends who would be capable of discreetly neutralising Maria-Chjara’s bodyguard.