Knox opened his door and got out of the car. He didn’t hold up his hands, but he moved slowly enough to tell whoever was behind him that he wasn’t a threat. However, he also left his door open so he could dive back into the car if he needed to.

He filled his lungs with a couple of deep breaths of briny air, then stifled his surprise when he saw Laing get out of the Consul.

‘It’s good to see you, Simon,’ Knox said. ‘But you’ve come a long way just to give me the morning status report.’

‘Everything’s ready for tomorrow,’ Laing said, matching Knox’s relaxed tone. ‘But I wanted to talk to you about something out of the ordinary that I’ve noticed.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Members of MI5 harbouring and transporting unknown individuals.’

‘Nothing for you to worry about,’ Knox replied, leaning against the side of the Jaguar.

Laing stepped forward into the gap between the two cars. ‘If there’s a secret operation running over Kosygin’s visit I should know about it.’

Knox wondered if the young agent was aware just how insubordinate he was being.

‘Everything we do is secret,’ he said. ‘But this doesn’t concern Kosygin, or you. I’m just out for a drive.’

‘Who with?’

‘That’s none of your business.’

Laing looked like he wanted more of an answer than that, but before he could ask another question Knox looked past him and tensed, pulling himself back up off the Jaguar. Laing twisted his head and saw what had drawn Knox’s attention.

Another car was driving down the track towards them.

It was an MG 1100, painted blue and cream, and the closer it got the louder its engines, and the wheels on stray bits of shingle, sounded. Beyond the new car, Knox could also see two people walking in their direction, along the edge of the narrow train line. They were still a fair distance away, but he could tell they were a man and a woman, both wearing anoraks and waxed trousers, with rucksacks strapped over their shoulders and binoculars slung round their necks—a pair of optimistic birdwatchers who were probably very confused at stumbling across this unexpected scene in the middle of their coastal ramble.

Knox and Laing both watched the MG stop ten feet behind Laing’s Consul, adding to the curious, stationary convoy. Laing didn’t know who the short, dark-haired woman who got out of the car was, but Knox did, and he was both surprised and not to see Bennett.