She paused on the threshold, the sun lighting the coppery strands in her dark hair. ‘Do you remember seeing me reading a load of letters? Most were from Gran and Pap but some were from Mum’s friends. One in particular, Harry, the one Lucia had mentioned meeting, obviously knew a lot of the story. I’ve already been back to the address on the letter but it was from twenty-two years ago and he wasn’t there. None of the neighbours I tried even remembered him, nor Vicky, though I think she may have lived there too at one time. One of the things I did during the night was to research private investigators who might be able to find Harry. It’s a giant pain to do it yourself and every register you look at costs a bomb.’ She paused and gave a pensive smile. ‘Sorry. I’ve been all me-me-me. How’s everything with you?’

He followed her through the door. ‘I’m preparing to speak to Papà and Emiliano on Monday. Hoping for a miracle.’

‘Good luck.’ She produced her phone and held it out. ‘Put your number in. I’ll send you mine then you can text the details I need to pick up the glass. I’ll have it here sometime in the evening.’

He took the handset, warm from her pocket, and quickly added himself to her contacts before handing it back. ‘You’re doing me a big favour.’

‘You’ve done me a much bigger one. Thank you. I hope the conversation wasn’t too tricky for you but I’m one jangling ball of emotions at the moment.’ Her fingers got busy on her screen, his phone buzzed and he saw her details had arrived. As he saved the number, he heard her say, ‘Ciao,’ and when he looked up again she was already walking away towards the cypress trees.

‘Ciao,’ he called after her as she approached the rocks and scrub, her shorts a splash of red in the landscape. He watched until she was out of sight.

A couple of hours later, Piero realised that a SatNav wouldn’t tell Zia which door to use once at the glazier’s unit in the Perugia industrial zone so he sketched a diagram and took it over to the cottages. He could probably shove it under the door if Zia and Ursula were out.

But as he rounded the corner of Villino Il Pino he spotted Zia lying motionless on a lounger by the front door, the wind stirring her long dark hair and pressing her top against her body like a caressing hand.