‘None of this would be provable in a court of law. Even the Baron’s absence from young Dorne’s snapshot could be accounted for. He would say that he had moved out of shot at that juncture and none of us could swear he hadn’t.

‘Giovanni? Giovanni had been double-crossed and milched and threatened by the unspeakable Sweet. He was and is greedy to get his own back upon Sweet alive or dead and he grabbed at the chance to concoct his tarradiddle about Sweet’s agitation and suspicious behaviour. The only bit of it that holds up is his account of Sweet standing on the rails at the middle level. Apparently he did just that.

‘And the upshot? The Roman police force will present a file in which the available evidence will point to Sweet. I haven’t held anything back from them. I haven’t shoved my own reading of the case under their noses. They are an able body of men and the affair is their affair. I’ve got the information I was sent to get and will be closeted with the Interpol chap tomorrow. Mailer and Sweet were both wanted in England and if they had lived I would have applied for extradition and brought them back.

‘I shall always think of the Baron as an antique person in a sudden antique rage, falling upon his enemy like lightning. His consort and his union had been threatened and that was his answer. When in Rome he did as the ancient Romans. I am afraid he does not in the least regret it and I’m afraid I really can’t say that I do.

‘The Embassy here has offered to send my report back in the Diplomatic Bag. I’ll enclose this with it. And so, my dear love…

II

‘What will you do?’ Barnaby Grant asked Sophy Jason, ‘now that it’s all over? Will you pick up your guide book and go on your way rejoicing?’

‘Go on my way—yes, I think so.’

‘To Florence?’

‘To Perugia first.’

‘And you will receive visitors in Perugia if they should happen to appear?’

‘I’m not going into purdah in Perugia.’

‘The odd thing is, Sophy, that I’m booked in at the Rosetta from next Monday.’

‘Are you, now? Since when?’

‘Well—since we danced together in Rome.’

Sophy said, ‘It will be lovely to meet you again in Perugia.’

‘You don’t mind?’

‘No. I shall look forward to it.’

‘Don’t be so brisk. Can’t you throw me a nice, equivocal leer? Can’t you stint like Juliet and say aye?’

She burst out laughing.

‘Sophy, I think I love you.’

‘Do you, Barnaby? Don’t let’s say anything about it until you’re sure.’

‘Look,’ he said, ‘isn’t Rome lovely? The bells ring, the swallows rush about, the saints look down and the fountains play.’

‘And in the Villa Giulia the Etruscans smile.’