‘Middle Eastern or North African, she said. It freaked me out, because I was suddenly thinking that the Brotherhood must have found me. I’d never, ever thought they would target her to get to me. I pleaded with her to come and stay with me for a few days. I told her she’d be safe there. Told her I’d look after her. But I think she thought I was trying to get back together with her or something. And maybe she was right. I still loved her. But most of all I just wanted her to be safe.’

A tear rolled out of Michel’s eye and he wiped it. He went on, ‘I guess I pushed too hard. Suddenly she’s getting all cagey with me, like she regretted calling me and only did it to get it off her chest. Said forget it, she could handle it, and there was someone else who could help her.’

This was something new. Ben said, ‘Someone else?’

‘A woman. I think Romy said her name was Françoise.’

‘Françoise who?’

‘Romy didn’t mention a second name.’

‘Who is she? How could she help her?’

Michel shook his head. ‘That’s all I know.’

‘Okay,’ Ben said with a sigh. ‘Tell me the rest.’

‘Afterwards I was really anxious, pacing up and down, not knowing what to do and thinking I should go over to her place and make sure she was okay. But I didn’t want to push her, you know? I had to respect her space. God help me, if only I’d listened to myself, I might have been able to keep her safe.’

‘Then she called you again, just this morning.’

‘She sounded even more terrified. She’d been on her way to catch the Métro to work when she saw this other guy following her in the street, really close and menacing. That’s when she phoned me, all in a panic.’

‘Did she describe him?’

‘She was breathless and didn’t say much. A guy in a long black coat. That’s all I remember. She said she’d seen him before and she was certain he was coming for her.’

Ben thought, Nazim. Of course she knew him. She’d seen him in Tripoli just three days ago. ‘What else did she say?’

‘She said she was doubling back towards home, and that she was going to lock herself in her apartment. I told her I’d come straight over, and she said, “Get here fast, okay?” She was so frightened. I dropped everything and ran. But I don’t have a car. I was too slow getting there.’