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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

Maria-Chjara blew smoke in the bouncer’s face, pushed a damp lock of hair beneath her towel, let the dressing gown slip slightly, revealing a tattooed rose, the prisoner of black briars climbing up to her shoulder and on to her arm.

‘The summer of ’89!’ the starlet said, astonished. ‘Well, darling, that doesn’t make us any younger. I was a dish back than, a gourmet dish, and the boys were a bit like the liquorice in a bag of Haribo, that brother of yours was just one among many.’

The year you lost your virginity, oh pussy my love! Don’t give me that, you don’t forget something like that!

‘He was tall and fair. A nice guy. It was the summer of the lambada. He didn’t dance as well as you.’

Maria-Chjara spat out the cigarette butt. Her red thumbnail picked nervously at the paint of her metal lodging.

‘I’m sorry, darling. I have five thousand fans on Copains d’avant.1 And I’m talking about the ones who got me into bed, not the little virgins who just felt me up.’

She was lying. Clotilde had no choice. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air, before blowing the house down.

‘I’m talking about the boy who died, Maria. The one who died on the Revellata road. The evening when you and my brother Nicolas were supposed to do it for the first time.’

The red nail broke. Cleanly.

No smile from Maria-Chjara. Cold.

The prize for best actress goes to … Hats off.

‘I’m sorry. I don’t remember. I’m exhausted. Come back later. Bye.’

1 French equivalent of Friends Reunited.

21

Thursday, 17 August 1989, eleventh day of the holidays
Big Blue sky

The port of Stareso consists of a concrete jetty and three houses. For a long time, apparently, this pocket-sized harbour below the Revellata lighthouse was basically forbidden to the public because it was home to a small scientific base researching the marine life of the Mediterranean. But this summer they’ve opened the site to allow a few visitors, some divers, fishermen and also, once a week, about fifteen street vendors who come and sell their local products on the quay.

Maman couldn’t miss that. Maman looooooves markets.