Simon Eady

CHAPTER 8 – The End of a Chapter

  Simon, in shock, could not find any words. All that he could do was simply hold his mum in his arms.

  After a few minutes Simon could feel his mum struggling to keep her balance, and helped her back down to the chair.

  “How long was he here for?”

  “A few days. It was wonderful. He turned up at the hospital acting as a specialist. Although he has had plastic surgery done to his face, his mannerisms gave him away instantly. I initially went along with it but, as he began listening to my heartbeat, I started flirting with him. It was hilarious!” laughed Candice.

  “I told him that my husband had left me many years ago and that I hadn’t been with a man since. Now that I was on my death bed, I was kind of hoping he would have it in his heart to allow me to relive certain experiences.”

  ‘What did he say?!” Simon eventually asked as his mum took too long to continue telling the story.

  “He looked into my eyes and said “I could never fool you Candice””

  “Why did he leave?” asked Simon feeling impatient

  “He didn’t want to be here when you returned.”

  “WHY?!”

  “He said that he had a few loose ends to tie up before it was safe for the two of you to meet. He also had to get back to Italy to prepare a few things.”

  “Italy? Why?”

  “He said that you would tell me.”

  After a few seconds the reason came to Simon.

  “Mum, how would you feel about seeing our home in Tuscany?”

  “Really? I’d love to!”

  “Hello Simon” a soft calming voice called out.

  ‘Hi Deepa.”

  Deepa approached Simon and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Thank you for looking after my mum.”

  “You are welcome. It was a great pleasure.”

  “Deepa, Simon is taking me back to Italy! We apparently have a house in Tuscany.”

  “That’s wonderful” Deepa replied excitedly although Simon could sense an insincere undertone.

  “You are welcome to join us for a holiday in Italy” offered Simon.

  “I’ll have a think about it.”

  After a while, once Candice was satisfied by the detailed description provided by Simon about the house in San Gimignano, she decided to go for her daily siesta.

  Whilst his mum was asleep, Simon took the opportunity to call Signor Beppe to arrange flights back to Italy.

  “Can I get you anything else?” Deepa asked as Simon finished talking to Beppe.

  “I’m ok. Thanks Deepa.”

  “Dad has gone to the supermarket as he wants to have a farewell feast. And I was thinking of having some tea” Deepa explained in the hope that Simon would get the hint.

  “Actually, tea would be great!”

  The two of them moved to the kitchen where for a while, over a cup of green tea, they discussed Candice’s health.

  “It is a real pity that you are leaving” Deepa interjected as Simon was talking about the pharmaceutical industry.

  “Why don’t you come?” asked Simon, although unsure if it was a good idea as for some unknown reason Kiara also came to mind.

  Deepa did not answer and simply stared into Simon’s eyes.

  “Deepa, I hope not to offend you when I say this, but I am at a point in my life where I have no idea what is going to happen from one minute to the next. Sadly, that means that for the near future I am unable to commit to any relationship” explained Simon hoping that Deepa understood that by ‘committing’ he was referring to getting involved with someone.

  “Sorry Simon, I think I might have given you the wrong impression. I was simply insinuating that it was nice to finally have some friends. Since mum has passed away, my only real company has been dad” replied Deepa trying to hide her true emotions.

  “Oh! I am the one who is sorry for embarrassing you” Simon quickly replied feeling relieved and disappointed at the same time.

  “Would you like to give me a hand preparing dessert for tonight’s dinner?”

  “Love to!” replied Simon.

  They spent the rest of the afternoon preparing the dessert and joking around. Both Simon and Deepa inadvertently realised that it had been a long while since they had had such an enjoyable time.

  Shortly after Inspector Lau returned with his groceries, Candice also came down from the bedroom and helped them with the dinner preparations.

  “That was Signor Beppe. He’ll be getting here this evening and I’ve invited him for dinner” Inspector Lau informed as he hung up the phone.

  “I’m sorry for the intrusion” apologised Simon whilst looking forward to seeing his Master.

  “Don’t be silly. I am the one who invited him to join us for dinner!”

  “Who is Signor Beppe?” asked Deepa feeling left out.

  “When I was in Italy I rented a room at his house. His family took great care of me. Signor Beppe also helped me to get back here” Simon replied not wanting to tell more than required.

  “I that case I am glad that I’ll get to meet him. From what you have told him, I am indebted to him for all of the kindness that he has shown you!” added Candice.

  “Didn’t you come back via a private jet to Kuala Lumpur and then caught a helicopter ride back to Butterworth? He must be really wealthy!” commented Deepa in an attempt to learn more.

  “He owns a few Pharmacies in Italy and his son manages the one in Treviso for him. So, although he appears to have a very comfortable life, he is not that wealthy. We were simply passengers on a jet that an old friend of his owns. The helicopter also belongs to his friend” replied Simon rapidly searching for a way to divert the conversation elsewhere.

  “So, why did Signor Beppe also come to Malaysia?”

  “He is retired and I think took me on as a project to keep himself busy. I didn’t mind as I needed all the help I could get” added Simon not wanting to mention the connection between his dad and his master. Until then, it did not occur to him that his mum might have known of Signor Beppe.

  “Ok, best we get back to work or we’ll have nothing to serve to our guest for dinner!” joked Inspector Lau.

  Within the hour the table was set and dinner was almost ready. On the table, a platter of antipasto consisting of cured meats, marinated vegetables, olives, and various cheeses was already served in order to satisfy everyone’s hunger whilst the first course was cooking.

  As Candice was heading to the bathroom to wash her hands, she heard a knock at the front door. None of the others heard the door as they were all in the kitchen busily laughing at Inspector Lau who had accidentally pushed the cork into the wine bottle.

  When Candice opened the door, she found herself staring at an older gentleman wearing a tailored grey suit and holding two bunches of Tulips.

  “Buona Sera. You must be the beautiful Candice!” Beppe introduced himself.

  “And you must be the elegant Signor Beppe!” Candice replied with a smile.

  “My lady, please call me Beppe. I am still too young to be referred to as ‘Signor’” Beppe joked back.

  “Please come in!” Candice offered as she stood back to allow the guest to enter.

  “It is an honour to meet the mother of such a great boy!” Beppe continued as he offered Candice his right hand.

  Candice accepted the invitation for a handshake but found the back of her hand being gently kissed by the Italian gentleman.

  “Beppe, you certainly know how to make a lady blush!” joked Candice whilst genuinely blushing.

  “In that case, please accept these flowers as an apology for making you blush!” Beppe offered, unable to hold back a huge smile.

  “You shouldn’t have. Tulips are my favourites!”

  “Really? Well I guess I made a lucky choice” Beppe lied.

  “I see you have a second bunch. Are you intending to sweep another lady off her feet?” joked Candice.

  “Well, that’s not far fr
om the truth. I have heard that there is a second lady of the house.”

  “And here I thought I was special! Please, do come in. The others are in the kitchen.”

  Candice led the way to the kitchen where she announced the arrival of their guest. Simon, excited to see his master again, quickly approached him and gave him a hug. Deepa, still somewhat annoyed that too few answers were given to her about the guest, stood silently in a corner observing ‘Signor’ Beppe.

  The shock reaction came from Inspector Lau.

  “Hello Signor Beppe!! Or is Signor Franco!!” called out Inspector Lau in complete disbelief and excitement about the person standing in his kitchen.

  “Hello Lau! It has been a very long time!” smiled Beppe.

  “And not to mention the fact that until a few seconds ago I would have thought an ‘impossibility’” laughed Lau as he approached his guest with open arms.

  The two embraced like long lost brothers.

  “I did think the voice sounded familiar! Why didn’t you say anything over the phone!” asked Lau looking like a child who had just opened the Christmas present he had always wanted.

  “You know me, I always like to surprise you!”

  “Ok, this is where an explanation would be great!” interjected Simon.

  “I’d say!!” said Deepa, accidentally speaking the thought in her mind.

  “You must be the lady of the house!” Beppe stated, as her comments took his complete attention.

  “It is an honour to see you all grown up Deepa!” Beppe followed on as he gently took Deepa’s hand and proceeded to kiss it.

  Deepa simply stood frozen in place unsure what to say.

  “My dear, these are for you!”

  “Tulips! They were my mother’s favourites!”

  “Really? Well I guess I made a lucky choice” Beppe lied again.

  “How do you know me?” asked Deepa, feeling uncomfortable that a stranger knew her.

  “Signor Beppe, well at the time he was Signor Franco, was based at the Hong Kong English embassy while we were living there.

  “We lived in Hong Kong?” asked Deepa stupefied.

  “Yes! Shortly after you were born, I was offered a transfer for two years lah. Signor Beppe here was our neighbour and a close family friend lah. In fact he lied about the lucky pick of flowers. Shortly after your mum and I arrived in Hong Kong we were invited for dinner by our neighbours, Signor Beppe and his wife Maria. Over dinner your mum mentioned that she would love to travel to Europe, particularly to see the Tulip fields in Holland. A few days later, your mum received a special delivery of 100 Tulips with a book on the history of the flower lah” explained Lau with fond memories.

  “The book in our library!” Deepa realised, connecting the dots.

  “I got the book as I thought that your mamma would love to know the history of the flower. I got the 100 Tulips delivered all the way from Italy. Interestingly Tulips are not a native European flower, but in fact they are traditionally from a mountain range located between Afghanistan and Pakistan” explained Beppe.

  “So, why the two names?” asked Deepa feeling pleased that more information was coming her way.

  “Well my young lady, I was working in Hong Kong for the British government under the name of Signor Franco. Once the contract ended I returned home and reverted back to my true name”

  “And why did dad use the word ‘impossibility’?” asked Deepa feeling that she was on a roll.

  “Well, let’s just say that I was doing some work that, if found out by one of the local Asian neighbours, would have gotten the English government into a bit of a political mess. Unfortunately, it seems that someone got suspicious of me being there and approached our embassy armed with lots of uncomfortable questions. So the British government, in all their wisdom, sent us back home ….. and published a report about a plane crash where two of its victims were a Mr. and Mrs Bonetti. I only got to find out about the ‘fake’ plane story once I was back home” explained Beppe.

  ‘Ok! Let’s all move to the lounge room where I’m sure Beppe will continue to get the third degree by Deepa” Lau ordered, whilst winking at Deepa.

  The rest of the dinner was a combination of European and Malaysian cuisine. The food was accompanied by great wine, lots of laughter, and serenity not felt by any of the guests for a long time. At the end the night, Beppe hesitantly agreed to stay in the guest room. Everyone but Beppe retired shortly after 11pm. Signor Beppe had some e-mails to read that he had printed earlier that day. It was whilst he was sitting alone in the lounge room, that Candice entered with two glasses of Grappa.

  “Care to join me for a night cap?” asked Candice, aware that Beppe was deep in thought about what he was reading.

  “I would love to!” replied Beppe, unsure if his nose was betraying him.

  “I thought you’d appreciate this. I don’t have much left.”

  “Pretty soon you will be swimming in it!” joked Beppe

  After a few quiet sips of what Signor Beppe referred to as “grape nectar”, Candice spoke again.

  “You know, it took me a while but I eventually remembered where I’d seen you before.”

  “Really! We’ve met before?” Beppe replied acting surprised.

  “Now, now Signor Beppe! I don’t have much time left in me to play games!” Candice replied with a smile

  “You were at my wedding. I remember you standing at the door of the church whilst we were reciting our vows. I would not have remembered you if it wasn’t for Kevin turning at one point and smiling at you. I remember it as if it were yesterday. The second he smiled, you smiled back and left.”

  “You caught me!” replied Beppe whilst holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

  “… and it was you who covered our honeymoon suite in tulips!”

  “Mia culpa again!”

  “… and it was you who every year would send a bunch of tulips for our anniversary!”

  “Guilty as charged!” joked Beppe

  “Who are you?” asked Candice mesmerised by her discovery.

  “My dear, I have been waiting to be introduced to you for a very long time. What I am about to tell you, for the time being, Simon cannot know. As all good stories go, this one must be told from the beginning.”

  For the next hour Candice sat in silence listening to the most amazing story she had ever been told. In that one hour she learned more about her husband, and Beppe, than she had ever known whilst married to Kevin. Although she initially felt a tad angry that her husband had never told the story himself, including his true birth name, as the story went along she understood. When Signor Beppe finished, he sat in silence allowing Candice to come to terms with all that she had just been told.

  “So, you are…”

  “Si!” interjected Signor Beppe before she could finish the sentence.

  “You are right! Simon has enough on his plate without being burdened by this. Although one day he will need to know the whole story!”

  “I agree and I will make sure that it happens.”

  “That’s amazing that out of all the houses in Italy Simon found yours!”

  “Amazing!” repeated Beppe now knowing better.

  Candice stood up and approached Beppe who, out of courtesy, also stood up. She hugged him and without a word went back to bed.

  Signor Beppe sat back down, where he remained for the next 40 minutes thinking about what had just transpired.

  The next morning nobody was in a talkative mood. The hosts were saddened by the departure of their guests, and the guests did not want to show their eagerness to return to Italy.

  At 10am, they all jumped into Inspector Lau’s car and headed for the Butterworth Air Base. Once there, they found that instead of boarding the helicopter back to Kuala Lumpur, the private jet was already waiting to take them directly to Italy. After a few minutes of farewells, Simon, Candice and Beppe found themselves sitting inside a luxurious Learjet 85 flying towards Europe.

&nbs
p; “Wow! This is living!” Candice remarked admiring the interior of the aircraft.

  “Good morning madam” called out a lady in her mid 30s who looked like a catwalk model.

  “Good morning” replied Candice aware that she was not the only one who had noticed the beauty of this lady.

  “I’m Doctor Bianca Casina. I am a physician at Saint Maria Nuova hospital in Florence and I’m here to assist you during your flight back to Italy” introduced the beautiful lady who was wearing a corporate suit comprising of a white blouse, charcoal jacket, matching short skirt, and Prada high heels.

  “Were you flown here from Italy just for me?” asked Candice feeling silly for asking.

  “No madam. I was on an exchange program in Kuala Lumpur and Signor Stefano offered me a free flight back in exchange for my services”

  “I don’t know what to say! Let me simply start by introducing you to my son, Simon, and a friend, Signor Beppe” proceeded Candice.

  Once the flight levelled at 48000 feet, an air hostess served them refreshments and a selection of nibbles. The three of them spent the initial hours of the flight playing cards.

  Signor Beppe and Dr Bianca showed mother and son how to play Briscola and Tresette - two popular card games played in Treviso.

  By the evening, all four of them let their tiredness take over and at varying times fell asleep.

  “Signor Beppe, are you awake!” Simon intruded in Italian, having just finished watching a movie and not being able to sleep.

  “Yes my young friend, I am” Signor Beppe lied, waking up at the sound of his name being called.

  “I am unable to fall back to sleep” added Simon as he sat next to Signor Beppe.

  “You are thinking about your papa” stated Beppe.

  “Yes! Mum said that he came to see her but took off just before I got there. Why is he avoiding me?”

  “I don’t think your papa is avoiding you. I do however think that he is keeping his distance from you for a very good reason.”

  “Like what?” asked Simon unable hide his disappointment.

  “Your papa has been extremely successful in his career. Unfortunately that means that he has most likely built up an extensive list of enemies. I would think that he is protecting you two,” replied Beppe whilst looking across the isle at Candice sleeping.

  “So, it means that potentially I will never meet him!” replied Simon feeling frustrated.

  “Maybe. Or, maybe your papa is already working at bringing your reunion forward.”

  “Somehow I think that the only way that that will happen is if he takes actions to reduce the list of enemies!”

  “That is certainly one way,” reflected Beppe

  “By any chance is the drug cartel that is chasing Signor Stefano also on my father’s list of enemies?”

  “What?” asked Beppe unable to understand the source of the question.

  “I know that this sounds silly, but if they are, it would mean that the battle which took place in Kuala Lumpur might have brought forward the day that I will meet my dad! It also means that I have helped!” observed Simon feeling somewhat embarrassed by his feelings.

  “I see! Well, in that case, you did help him!” replied Signor Beppe with a smile.

  Simon sat silently thinking about the response he had just received.

  “Signor Beppe, I will never be able to repay you for all of your kindness. What you have done for mum and I is something that I would not have expected in my wildest dreams. Particularly as mum and I have never received help from anyone!”

  “It is me who is grateful to you for letting me be part of your life!” replied Beppe in all honesty.

  “Signor Beppe, when I told you about my story back in Treviso, you told me that you would help me find my dad!”

  “And I will continue to help you my young friend!”

  “But we both now know that my dad will go to great efforts not to implicate me in his world until he has taken care of any potential ‘risks’!”

  “Yes!” replied Signor Beppe, getting an inclination as to where this conversation was heading.

  “So, the best way to bring forward the day when I will finally meet my dad, is to continue assisting him” observed Simon aware how critical it was for Signor Beppe to support his idea.

  “Yes!” replied Signor Beppe, now sure as to the question that he was about to be asked.

  “Signor Beppe, would you train me to rectify the risk currently keeping my dad at bay?” asked Simon aware of what would be required from both of them.

  “Are you asking me to train you to be an assassin?” asked Beppe with the sole purpose of accentuating the seriousness of the request.

  “Yes!” replied Simon feeling guilty and expecting a rejection.

  “Simon, I will need to think about it for a while” replied Beppe although he already knew what his answer was before he was even asked the question.

  Simon wanted to highlight the fact that he would embark on this path with or without anyone’s help but, by making such comment, he knew that he would have offended his master. Instead he decided to pick up the deck of cards and started dealing a game of Briscola. They spent the next hour playing in silence.

  In London, just a few hours later, “C’ was provided with the recording of the conversation that took place between Simon and his master on the jet heading back to Italy, and a psychological analysis.

  “This is turning out to be a great opportunity for a smooth transition into his new life” commented 'Beta' to his deputy as he read Simon’s latest profile.

  Dinner was served shortly after their refuelling stop. To everyone’s amazement they found themselves staring at divine seafood Chowder which included Candice’s favourite - Australian Morton Bay bugs. The bugs were not a coincidence as Signor Beppe placed an order for them shortly after Simon left Kuala Lumpur. They then moved onto Lobster Thermidor for main course and a Tiramisu’ for dessert. To accompany their liqueurs, they were also served a mouth-watering cheese platter. At one stage Simon, in an attempt to be clever, informed their flight attendant that he was allergic to seafood. As a reply he was informed by ‘Clive’, who was not just the flight attendant but was also Signor Stefano’s personal butler, that Simon could select any of the 8 main courses available on the aircraft. Simon stuck to the Lobster. For their meals, as for when they played cards, they swivelled their leather seats to face each other whilst eating at a central round dining table.

  Whilst devouring the cheese platter and sampling the selection of liqueurs, Signor Beppe decided to teach them another card game called Scopa. Once the cheese platter was completely eaten, the butler replaced it with several small bowls of nuts.

  “My lady, welcome to the Italian life. Although we certainly don’t eat lobster regularly, we do cherish our sit-down meals!” explained Signor Beppe to Candice.

  “I am not sure that my body could cope with eating so much at dinner! The funny thing is that although I am about to explode, I am addicted to these nuts!” joked Candice whilst extending her stomach out and patting it with both of her hands.

  “For years I thought that nuts were the most addictive food. That was until I first travelled to the city of Pescara on the Adriatic Sea. I stopped at a bar by the beach where, instead of nuts, they offered free fried white bait. I have been hooked ever since!” explained Beppe as he felt his saliva building up just at the thought.

  15 minutes later, as the nuts were running out, Clive placed two wide trays full of fried white bait in the centre of the dining table. Beppe was completely surprised.

  “Signor Beppe, compliments from Signor Stefano!” announced Clive as he retreated back to the kitchen.

  “This is heaven! All that I now need is …..”

  “Your Prosecco” interjected Clive as he commenced uncorking a bottle of dry sparkling wine that is only produced in a small region in Northern Italy.

  The look of surprise on Signor Beppe’s face triggered hysterical laughter from t
he rest of the passengers - including the butler -.

  The next few hours continued with several card games accompanied by the odd remark about the feast they had just consumed. Conversations mostly remained about the locations Candice should visit when in Italy. Bianca even offered to be their tour guide for Florence and Rome.

  As the sun began setting again, they all took advantage of the main cinema screen and watched a movie. Clive ensured that the experience was not dissimilar to that of a real cinema by providing popcorn and ice cream. Both Candice and Signor Beppe declined the offered treats and decided to sample the cherries preserved under Grappa, which Beppe knew were always available on his brother’s jets.

  Feeling exhausted from all of the food, the warm climate, and the laughter, all passengers went back to sleep as they were heading toward Athens for another refuelling stop.

  They were over the Adriatic Sea when Signor Beppe finally gained the courage to ask Candice how long she had left. The question did not come as a surprise to Candice. She was grateful that it was asked while the other passengers were getting a tour of the jet cockpit.

  “A month is what they have told me” replied Candice, now having come to terms with the unavoidable.

  “What do you feel?”

  “I feel that I have at least two months left in me before I’ll need continuous medical attention” responded Candice having regularly asked herself the same question.

  “Signor Beppe, I wish for my son to have a positive lasting memory of his mum. Unfortunately, the doctors have informed me that the reality is that at the end I might be completely incapacitated.”

  “My lady, I hope you are not asking me what I think you are!” replied Beppe recognising the conversation that he had had with his wife many years ago.

  “No I’m not! I have already taken care of that. The dilemma is that I may become incoherent overnight, in which case I will not be able to administer myself certain medicines.”

  “Medicines?” asked Beppe knowing better.

  “Yes! If it does eventuate, could you please contact Kevin?” begged Candice.

  “You have my word!” replied Beppe feeling his stomach turn inside out from the memories of the day that preceded his wife’s death.

  “I am sorry. Kevin has told me how your wife died. That’s why I knew you’d understand.”

  “I do” reflected Beppe still missing his wife terribly.

  “What are you two contriving?” asked Dr Bianca aware from their expression that the discussion they were having was possibly something that Simon should not be witness to.

  “So, how was the tour?” asked Candice grateful for the warning.

  “Loved it!” called out Simon who was following a few metres behind Bianca.

  “Excuse me, would you like some breakfast before we land?” interrupted Clive.

  “More food!” joked Simon.

  “Yes please!” called out Beppe aware that he had to keep Candice’s energy high and great food did that.

  With the exception of Signor Beppe, they all had a traditional full English breakfast. Instead Signor Beppe took advantage of the luxurious service and asked for grilled Polenta served with milk and a cup of caffelatte.

  They landed in Florence early in the morning where one of Signor Stefano’s limousines was waiting for them. After an exchange of addresses and telephone numbers, Dr Bianca departed and headed home. Signor Beppe also initially declined the limousine service as he wanted to drive his BMW back to San Gimignano.

  “Signor Beppe, your car has already been driven back,” the butler informed him.

  Beppe instantly knew who had driven the car back as only one other person knew the alarm code. Beppe wondered if they would run into Kevin at the house.

  Candice was glued to the windscreen for the duration of the trip to their new home. She could not believe that she was finally seeing Tuscany with her own eyes.

  When they arrived at San Gimignano, Simon suggested that they should walk into the centre of town. When Candice looked up at the towers breaking the skyline, she immediately broke into laughter.

  “The skyscrapers of the 13th century! Your dad has a warped sense of humour!”

  The walk to the apartment took a while as Candice regularly stopped to admire the buildings, the shops, the paved streets, and the tourists. When they arrived at the apartment, they found it completely adorned with tulips in every room. The kitchen was also completely restocked. The main bedroom had the bed fitted with a reclining mattress that was completely covered with rose petals. Also, at the opposite corner of the room, there was a new bookshelf filled with a variety of books.

  That evening they decided to go to a local restaurant for a relaxing dinner. It also provided Candice with another opportunity to soak up the atmosphere. Simon felt a tad deflated as Kiara was not there.

  The next morning, Beppe cooked breakfast for everyone. Whilst enjoying their eggs Benedict, the main conversation focussed on destinations that they would travel to in the coming weeks.

  During the next month, they travelled as far north as Fiera Di Primiero in the Alps just across the Austrian border, and as far south as Pizzallo in Sicily. Most of the travel was taken using Kevin’s BMW. On some of the longer trips they stayed in beautiful hotels and villas. On three occasions they travelled and stayed for a few days in Treviso. Although Candice was always in good spirits, her fading health was becoming more noticeable each day. Eventually the travelling ceased and a nurse was hired to stay with them. They spent most days simply walking around San Gimignano. The three of them would often walk to the land maintained by Silvio.

  On a few occasions they also accepted dinner invitations by Signor Silvio where they would spend the evening sampling his wines. Simon often checked the restaurant for signs of Kiara - to his disappointed she was never there.

  Two months after their arrival in San Gimignano, Candice passed away in her sleep.

  Although Simon knew that this day would come, he was not prepared for the tsunami of emotions that hit him. Signor Beppe took care of all of the funeral arrangements that were to be held in Pisa.

  Simon, feeling completely devastated, simply retreated into his own world.

  To Simon’s surprise, it was not just Signor Beppe and himself at the funeral. Inspector Lau, Deepa, Dr Bianca, Signor Stefano, Silvio, Luigi and his wife Franca, Clive the butler, Kiara, Alex, Gerry, and a few curious onlookers also attended. Unbeknown to Simon, hidden in a dark corner of the narthex, Kevin stood completely motionless staring at his wife’s coffin. From his location he could not see his son. At the back of the church, dressed as a priest and wearing a dark wig, Whisper also sat quietly wondering what his next orders would be. In addition to the two hidden secret agents, a third spy was also hiding in the shadows.

  “I’m surprised to see you here” whispered Kevin.

  “I am sorry for your loss” replied 'Beta' whilst stepping out from behind a pillar.

  “I hope this is not an official visit” warned Kevin never taking his eyes of the coffin.

  “No. I am here solely because we used to be friends.”

  “Is Whisper here on orders?” asked Kevin having spotted Whisper in his disguise earlier on.

  “No, I think he is here out of curiosity. I honestly never thought that I would see the day where you, Shadow, Beppe, and Whisper would all be under the one roof again.”

  “Shadow?” asked Kevin surprised by the name being mentioned by the MI6 Director.

  “I am surprised about your comment. In any case, I thought that we had agreed to eliminate Shadow!” observed Kevin as he glanced at the opposite side of the church scanning for movement within the shadows.

  “You know I have my theory on that. Anyway, I am not here to discuss this. I simply wanted to pass on my condolences in person.”

  “When do I start?”

  “I’ll leave that up to you Kevin. I think that they are both ready. I am happy with your plan. The two instructors have now
both agreed to it. In terms of the first mission, although I was surprised and somewhat concerned, I am true to my word and will let you have complete control.”

  “Ok. I’ll be in touch” replied Kevin

  “You know where to find me” whispered the Director as he moved away.

  “C!”

  “Yes”

  “Thank you.”

  “You are welcome.”

  Kevin stayed for the duration of the funeral but did not follow the procession to the cemetery. That evening, as Simon lay awake in his bed and in tears, Kevin slept next to the grave.