Michel took a deep breath, then went on, ‘Then I had to escape from Egypt. I had a small amount of money, but the trafficking gangs who bring you into Europe, they rob you of everything. Eventually I managed to reach France. I thought I was safe here. I was trying to make my way, and forget about the bad things that had happened back home, even though I couldn’t forget. I had a rough time of it at first, arriving in Europe with no money, nowhere to live. A week after I got to Paris I got caught shoplifting for food. I thought I was going to be deported. But then things got better. I found the job at the bar and worked hard. Then I met Romy, and we fell in love. I never told her about my past. It seemed like my life was starting to go well. But I was always afraid that the Brotherhood would come looking for me one day, out of revenge. I thought they might murder me, or kidnap me and take me back to Egypt to be tortured and executed. They have people everywhere. White guys too.’

Now it was clear to Ben why the young guy had acted so terrified of him. ‘You believe they hurt Romy to punish you for what you did, and you were next. And I understand why you think that, Michel. But you’re wrong. This isn’t your fault. The man who killed her is an Iraqi, not an Egyptian. And he’s way too high up the chain of command to be running errands for the gangsters who harmed your family. Something else is going on.’

It wasn’t easy telling someone that he and his dead family were too small fry for the real bad guys to bother about.

Michel looked at Ben through swimming eyes full of confusion and anguish, fear and anger all mixed up. He said, ‘If it’s not about me, why would those men go after Romy? What has she done to them?’

Ben replied, ‘I don’t know that yet. But I believe it’s connected with her work somehow. Romy recently accompanied her boss on a business trip to Libya. While she was there, she overheard and managed to secretly film a conversation between him and the man I told you about, Nazim al-Kassar.’

‘What conversation?’

‘Something to do with ancient statues, art treasures stored in a warehouse in Tripoli waiting to be exported, possibly to Europe though I can’t say for sure. The two of them were discussing a plan of some kind. Whatever it was, Romy was troubled enough by it to stay hidden. And she was right to be. Whatever’s going on, her boss has been in cahoots with some very bad people.’

‘Oh, Jesus Lord.’