Page 7 of We Chase Shadows

Korbin and Lee, Vern’s two remaining bodyguards, start shovelling the earth over Esteban’s body. Vern will need to find a replacement for Esteban.

There is a summer-evening chill in the air now, and Vern decides he will go inside and let the two men finish their work in peace. They don’t need his help, they both know how to bury people.

Vern doesn’t suppose it’s much fun burying a colleague, but Esteban was fairly new, was constantly horny and was always sending memes to the WhatsApp group, and none of them will miss that.

He walks into the kitchen and switches on the coffee machine. A cappuccino will warm him up and keep him alert too.

He thinks about Jakob Eriksson’s threat. How to solve that little issue?

He will watch a bit of TV. Korbin has rigged up the telly so that Vern can get all the British channels. It’s easy to get homesick. The taxation system of the United Kingdom means he doesn’t get the chance to visit as often as he would like. Add in the fact that the Metropolitan Police would like a word with him, and the fact that Georgie thinks they have some unfinished business, and Vern feels he has little choice but to stay where he is for the time being.

Vern picks up his cappuccino and walks through to his living room. He switches on the TV. Denzel Washington is on The Graham Norton Show. That’ll do him just fine. Vern always thinks he’d be pretty good on The Graham Norton Show. He has good banter. They should have people on who aren’t famous sometimes.

Through the window he sees his two remaining bodyguards, darkening shadows in the Tuscan night, covering up all traces of their erstwhile colleague. If the police were to arrive at his doorstep later this evening, they wouldn’t see a single thing out of place.

And, to be fair, even if they stumbled across Esteban’s body, the Italian police would be much more likely to arrest Vern for drinking a cappuccino after lunchtime.

One of the many reasons you have to love Italy. Vern takes a sip and sits back to enjoy the show.

5

‘Now the latest one,’ says Graham Norton, holding up Rosie’s new book. ‘And the Devil Blinked First. Tell us a little about it.’

The camera cuts to Rosie. She has her hand on Denzel Washington’s thigh, and he is making no attempt to remove it.

‘I ask you this question,’ says Rosie, her accent hovering above the Atlantic Ocean, all things to all people. ‘Do you like murder, helicopters and sexual intercourse?’

‘I’m fairly nervous about all three, if I’m honest,’ replies Graham. ‘But the murders are not just in your books now? I heard a very interesting story about you, is this right, you’ve set up a detective agency?’

‘That is right,’ says Rosie. ‘I have my own detective agency. With my close-protection officer – her name is Amy – and her handsome father-in-law. His name is Stevie, a very attractive man.’

‘And single?’

‘He is available, yes,’ confirms Rosie. ‘Whether he is turnable, I couldn’t say.’

‘And it’s the real deal, this detective agency? This is not fiction?’

‘It’s the real deal. We solve murders.’

‘You’ve solved actual murders? You and the handsome single man and his daughter-in-law?’

‘We have,’ says Rosie. ‘We’re very busy, because we’re very good.’

‘So if there are any murderers watching?’

‘Watch out.’

‘And what are the three of you working on at the moment?’

‘Graham,’ says Rosie, leaning in, ‘I say to my clients exactly what I say to my lovers: I guarantee absolute discretion.’

She turns to Denzel and looks him squarely in the eyes. ‘And I also tell them, I am videotaping this purely for my own records.’

This gets a laugh from the audience.

‘So you solve murders,’ says Graham. ‘And what’s the agency called?’

‘We Solve Murders.’