‘Why did they not kill me as well?’

‘Because we protected you, for long enough to get you out of the country.’ He gave her an icy smile. ‘You are our passport to the West. We just did not expect you to do something so foolish.’

Kate avoided Julie’s gaze. She stood, placed her glass carefully on the table. ‘The plane will be ready to go at five p.m. tomorrow. I think we should leave here in the morning, so that we are ready just in case it comes in early. We have a secure room at the airport.’

Igor nodded. Now she came to think about it, he had all the warmth of a reptile. ‘Mikhail will show you to your rooms,’ he said.

Mikhail did so and bade them goodnight. Kate hadn’t had time to sit on her bed before Julie burst through the door. ‘When were you going to tell me about Sergei?’

Kate put her fingers to her lips, to indicate there was every chance the room was bugged, but Julie just shook her head in incredulity. ‘You think it matters?’

‘I didn’t tell you because it would have served no purpose.’

Julie was genuinely furious. ‘What happened?’

‘I told you. I took the train with him to Moscow.’

‘Yes, but you left a mildly important bit of the story out.’

‘About halfway through the night, I went to the loo. When I came back, he was dead. They’d cut his throat. There wasn’t much sign of a struggle, so I think it was someone he knew.’

‘You think . . .’ Julie pointed to indicate Igor.

‘I don’t know.’ Kate sat on the bed, fatigue overwhelming her. ‘That was why I called Stuart. I had to get out of there. But I have no idea who killed Sergei, or why they spared me and let me escape.’

‘Maybe it was like he said. They were protecting you.’

‘Who knows? Perhaps they saw me coming, just as they apparently did in Andros and Berlin. I’ve been over it a thousand times. I’ve looked through the files. Suzy is not wrong: the unanswered questions are legion. But that is in the nature of our business. What we don’t understand will always be greater than what we do. There are many things we can’t see and may never get to find out about. So, I’ve decided to concentrate only on the fundamentals before us.’

She stood up. ‘This offer of defection is unrivalled. Why would Igor want to come to the West unless the story he tells is real and his offer of cooperation genuine? I’ve seen the video. They have promised evidence of the many payments. We have no choice but to proceed.’

‘What do you mean – they saw you coming?’