‘At first I was certain they were robbers, or that they were going to rape me or something awful like that. Then they put something over my eyes and I realised they meant to take me away. I’ve never been so frightened in my life. I had no idea where they were taking me. We drove in a car for a long time through the night. Then they made me get out of the car and walk. They had a gun to my back. At least, I assumed it must be a gun. We went into a Métro station. I couldn’t see but I recognised the sounds, the smells. Then they led me into a dark place that I knew must be a tunnel. They made me walk for the longest time through the darkness, shoving me along, pulling me and pushing me this way and that, until my feet were so sore I could hardly go another step. I had no idea where I was any longer, where we were going or what would happen to me when I got there. I kept asking, “Why are you doing this to me?” but they told me to shut up, and eventually they gagged me to make me quiet. Then we came to the place where you found me. They tied me in the chair. I don’t even know how long I was there. It all seems so distant now. Like a terrible dream.’

Ben assured her, ‘If you’d like to see a doctor, I can get one to come and take a look at you.’ As he said it, he was wondering how he could do that. A man of Fred’s connections might know someone. Every city had its under-the-table medics, often vets, who treated crooks for gunshot and stab wounds for cash when regular medical assistance was too risky.

She replied, ‘I don’t need a doctor. I just want to know where my husband is, and what’s happening. Why would those men have targeted me? You said they were terrorists. Then I heard you and Agent Anderson talking about heroin and cocaine, and something about a shipment. I’m not stupid. I understand a lot of English and I do have some idea of how things work. Is Julien mixed up in something bad?’

‘We think that Julien was coerced into doing business with these people,’ Ben said. ‘That’s why it’s important that we talk to him before he gets himself into any worse trouble.’

She looked at Ben with alarm. ‘What kind of trouble? Are they going to kill him?’

‘Not if Agent Anderson and I can help it. But we need to act soon.’

‘What will you do? Will Julien be put in prison?’

‘If Julien helps us to catch the ringleaders,’ Ben said, ‘we can do a plea bargain deal with him that will keep him out of jail.’