‘Well, whatever you want me to call you, we both know one thing is true beyond doubt. Right now, our agent in Downing Street is passing the details of every file that crosses his desk – which, since he is the prime minister, means every file of any note, secret or otherwise – straight through to Moscow Centre and the office of our president. And I am offering you the chance to stop this calamitous threat to everything you hold dear.’ Despite his polished air, a note of panic had crept into Mikhail’s voice. But, then, fifty years with hard labour in a modern Russian gulag was probably an even less enticing prospect than the KGB hellholes of old. Even Eton wasn’t preparation for that.

‘You’re a murderer.’

‘We both know I am nothing of the kind.’

‘Lena and Rav would say different if they were here.’

‘I understand how upset you have been. We will offer something in good faith: the next step in the war on the West.’

‘Which is?’

‘A revolution in Estonia. The Night Wolves have bought a farm, just over the border, close to Narva.’

‘Where?’

‘We don’t know precisely. It is a GRU operation. There will be unrest, the Wolves will burst from their lair and come to the aid of the Russian minority . . . so you will have something like war, as in Georgia and Crimea, but this time in a NATO ally. What will your prime minister do then? Will he consider himself to be bound by the famous Article Five? Is an assault on one really an attack on all?’

‘When is this going to happen?’

‘Soon. That is all I can tell you. But we will want to know you accept our offer by tomorrow night at the latest.’

‘That’s impossible, as you well know.’

‘Then make it possible, Mrs Henderson. That is your job and everyone agrees you are good at it.’

‘Show me the video.’

‘Not here, not now. First, we need to know you accept our offer in principle. Then we can agree to meet again. But we have very little time. I have been summoned back to Russia and I can hold them off only for so long.’ He shook his head. ‘We have our backs to the wall, Kate. If you won’t accept what I propose, we will go to the Americans or the Germans. And once the deal is done, your superiors in London will inevitably learn that you rejected our offer.’ Mikhail came towards her with a small scrap of paper. On it was written a number. ‘That’s how to contact me. But I ask you to be quick. I don’t think we have more than a few days at best and, whatever you might think of me or indeed my father, you may have many years to regret this opportunity being lost.’

Kate slipped the paper into her pocket. ‘Don’t ever use my children like this again,’ she warned, as she moved to the door.