The spectre of uneasiness looked at him as if he were a mug. ‘The buying act? I haven’t seen for myself. I was young and Papà and the notary guided me. The papers were put in the company safe. Now they’re with the lawyers.’

Another small movement of her finely marked eyebrows. ‘The originals? I would have thought copies …’ She smiled. ‘But, as I said, I’m no expert.’

Durante put in, ‘And our papers are lost in earthquake damage a few years ago. A water pipe bursts and the basement of our lawyer is flooded. We request copies from the Ufficio del Registro but we wait.’ He looked as Piero felt: abashed.

Lucia groaned. ‘We’ve taken the word of lawyers who do not even work for you and me, Durante. We must be mad.’

In growing disquiet, Piero gazed at Zia. ‘You disclaim expertise but you seem to know more than us. Would you come look at Il Rifugio? I have questions.’ He’d have invited Lucia and Durante but Zia had looked unnerved when Lucia started throwing about words like ‘lying’ and ‘court’. He didn’t want her too spooked to share whatever information she possessed.

Zia regarded him for a moment, then nodded. ‘I’ll text Ursula to explain in case she finishes her call and comes looking for me.’

‘Of course.’ He waited while she swiftly sent her text then they fell into step as he led her up the drive, her head level with his shoulder and her ponytail swinging. As they passed between banks of yellow-blooming broom that perfumed the early evening air, the noise of traffic grew louder. ‘The drive we’re walking on belongs to Bella Vista. It’s maybe eighty metres,’ he explained. They stepped onto the section that connected with the road. ‘This part’s the issue. I own it and they pass over it.’ They continued for another twenty strides until they reached the public road and he had to lift his voice over rumbling engines and tooting horns as he gestured to each side. ‘This opening’s natural and, as you can see, the rock’s several metres high.’

Her eyes caught the flicker of headlights as she gazed at the towering rocks, studying the way the public road had been sliced from the mountain, leaving a sheer face in either direction. ‘I guess Lucia and Durante wouldn’t be allowed to blast away at the mountain to make direct access further along, even if it made financial sense.’