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Back Time Is a Killer
Chapters (84)
  1. Dedication
  2. Time is a Killer
  3. Contents
  4. Map
  5. 1
  6. Twenty-seven years later …
  7. IRevellata
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. IISaint Rose’s Day
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. IIISempre giovanu
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. Twenty-seven years later
  77. Acknowledgements
  78. AFTER THE CRASH
  79. BLACK WATER LILIES
  80. DON’T LET GO
  81. About the Author
  82. Also by Michel Bussi
  83. More on W&N
  84. Copyright

Orsu stared at him. Cervone thought he could see the hint of a smile, as if the big lump was already thinking up a plan to trap the moggies, a cruel way of making them suffer. Orsu had the face of a killer. He had always scared Cervone, ever since he was a child. One day he would kill somebody, if he hadn’t done so already, if Cassanu hadn’t already told him to.

In the end, Cervone reassured himself as he walked away, by exploiting this monster, by keeping him busy, by suggesting that he unleash his violent impulses on the cats, he was doing society a favour. He turned for a moment towards the grove of pine trees that sloped down towards the Cave of the Sea-Calves and, as he did every morning, he closed his eyes and pictured the skeletal trees being replaced by a six-hundred-square-metre infinity pool overlooking the Mediterranean, for which he had already had an architect in Ajaccio draw up plans. All he needed was a bank loan … and planning permission. Yes, the future looked rosy indeed.

However, when the boss of the Euproctes passed in front of the building where all the sports and leisure equipment was stored, a fresh alarm went off. The door wasn’t closed. Something else that Orsu hadn’t checked. Anyone could have got in and helped themselves. There was tens of thousands of euros’ worth of equipment in there, with all the diving, canyoning and kayaking gear.

He cursed. He went in. He picked up an abseiling rope that had been badly rolled up. For a moment he thought again of the carabiner on the harness, the one that had failed in the Zoïcu gorge after Valentine had put it on. He had fewer doubts today than he’d had when he loosened that bit of metal and twisted the clip just as much as he needed to; in the end everything had gone as planned, everything had turned out well. Little Valentine had had a big fright, just enough, he hoped, to keep that little snooper Clotilde at bay. But no! The girl had departed with the husband, leaving that meddling woman behind.

A meddling woman who was going to work everything out …