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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

If you’ve been paying attention, you will have noticed that I said the word ‘almost’ when I was saying that the whole area belongs to Papé Cassanu. Almost: that means that he still doesn’t own a few little bits of cliff overlooking the sea, above Oscelluccia beach, and in particular a few thousand square metres inherited by some sort of distant cousin a few centuries ago. The auction went through the roof and a developer started to construct a hotel complex in the middle of the red rocks. An Italian from Portofino, from what they say. A luxurious affair, in harmony with the colour of the rock, with a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean, a small private harbour, three-star rooms, a Jacuzzi and the rest. They started building in March, except that the Corsican environmental associations put in a complaint, referring to coastal law. I confess that I’ve never grasped the details, but Papé Cassanu can talk to Papa about it for hours. Apparently the complex could be built, because it was to be located more than a hundred metres away from the sea, but the environmentalists then invoked laws concerning the protection of areas of outstanding natural beauty, with relation to the quality of the landscape and its ecological interest, a procedure that involved registering the site, and a pre-emptive intervention by the Coastal Protection Agency … In short, it was a total legal mess.

So could the marina be built or not? No one knows. It came down to a battle fought by lawyers, journalists, civil servants and probably to large rolls of banknotes both on and under the table. But in the meantime the bricks of the Roc e Mare complex began to pile up side by side on the concrete foundation poured by some Italian workmen. Very slowly, without waiting for the ruling that might declare the building work illegal, right under the nose of Papé Cassanu. A nose that is rather hairy and ticklish, I can assure you.

Until two in the morning, last night. Then BOOM!

A big hole in the concrete foundations, or what’s left of them. In the morning, the workmen found nothing but a large heap of gravel.