Kate got up and went down to Operations, where Danny was on the night watch. He had his feet on the desk, a cup of tea resting on his chest. ‘Here comes trouble,’ he said easily.

‘You here on your own?’

‘No, I have someone from GCHQ on attachment. I sent him to get us a takeaway. From north London.’

Danny was idly flicking a pound coin with his thumb and forefinger. Kate sat and watched him. ‘Did you and Rav always cheat at Spoof?’ she asked.

Danny flipped the coin once more. ‘Of course.’ It was something of a field tradition that operational staff always played Spoof – a game in which you have to guess the number of coins people have in their hands – for the dinner bill. The first time she, Danny and Rav had worked together, on a trip to Turkey, northern Syria and then Mosul, Kate had lost almost every time. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘I was just thinking about it the other day. How did you do it?’

‘Secrets of the subordinates, Kate. I’m not telling you that.’

‘Whose idea was the laundry trolley?’

He smiled at the memory. ‘Rav’s.’

On the last night of what had been a long, arduous and dangerous trip, Kate had accused them of cheating at Spoof and left them to pay the bill in an Istanbul restaurant. They’d blocked the exit of the restaurant until the owner got angry and then they’d bombarded her with calls when she got back to her room. When she finally switched off her mobile and unplugged the hotel phone from the wall, they’d persuaded the porter to open her door, then bundled her into a laundry basket and wheeled her around the hotel. ‘God, I miss him,’ she said.

‘Me too.’

‘You were a nightmare together.’

Danny flicked the coin one last time, caught it in his palm and bunched his fist. He sighed heavily. He’d frequently called Rav a blood-brother and claimed him as the family he’d never had.

‘Could I ask you a favour?’ Kate said.

‘Depends what it is.’

‘I need some internal phone logs.’ Kate gave him the date and then a piece of paper with the names she wanted checked. He almost spat out his tea. ‘You’re joking?’

‘Not exactly, no.’

The laughter lines around his eyes had disappeared. ‘I can’t start rooting around in the chief’s phone records.’

‘I just need to rule him out of something.’

‘You know we’re all officially suspects, right? A team from Five came to my apartment last night.’

‘Yes, I do know.’