How my stay in an Italian island hideaway led to a touching correspondence with John le Carré Gavin Bell stayed in the author's favourite refuge on the island of Elba La Chiusa di Magazzini Credit: Getty In the unlikely event that anyone should wish to kill you, John le Carré knew the perfect hideaway. It is a secluded wine and olive oil estate on the island of Elba, running down to the sea beneath the ruins of a medieval fortress. Tucked away among sun-kissed vines and olive trees, it is a tranquil place far from the madding crowds who invade the island in high summer, where a visitor may...