‘You’re not going to like the answer. A couple weeks ago – after the gym – I – kind of – followed you.’

‘You’re lying.’ I look at the bullet-style security camera trained on my door. He hasn’t covered it up or deactivated it in any way that I can see, though I suppose he could reach right in and get rid of anything he doesn’t want, anyway.

He sees me looking. ‘I’m not bothered about that. I wouldn’t interfere with your set-up.’

‘Am I supposed to be grateful?’

‘No. Of course not.’

‘Because you’ve clearly got big respect for my personal privacy. So you’ve found me, George. Now you can go. Would you prefer to hear that in Russian or Portuguese? I can try one of the trillion other languages you seem to speak. Chinese, maybe?’

‘Helen, I like you so much. I thought . . .’

‘It probably took you less than five seconds to find out where I live.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘So you know where I live and you’ve clearly known it all along. Now I can tell you something you might not know. Being spied on is one of the things I hate most in the whole world. And here is another thing. I liked you too. But I don’t any more. I know people meet in all kinds of weird ways, and spies have relationships too, but you could have told me the truth. I asked you straight out on Sunday morning and you didn’t.’

‘You took me by surprise.’

‘You could have called instead of ambushing me on my doorstep.’

One corner of his mouth stretches down, bemused. ‘You still haven’t given me your number.’

‘Don’t pretend you don’t have it already.’

He pushes his floppy hair up from his forehead. ‘Okay. I’m sorry again. I do. It’s a habit. But I didn’t call because it felt wrong when the information didn’t come from you.’

I can feel myself softening towards him, though I don’t want to. ‘I didn’t expect to see you again. I thought the tradition was for you to disappear when your cover was blown.’

‘Not in this case.’

‘Don’t lie to me about a single other thing. Tell me why you’re here. If you’re not prepared to do that, leave now and stop wasting my time.’

‘I’m here because you’ve been busy today. Visiting old friends, knocking on doors.’

‘They sent you?’

‘Yes. Will you please let me in for a coffee? Maybe something stronger?’

‘No.’

‘We can talk, Helen. We can work this out.’

‘Is that what they want you to do?’

‘Yes. But I want that too. And they know I’m involved with you. I’ve disclosed it.’

‘You’re not involved with me.’

‘Okay, okay. That was presumptuous.’

‘The fact that you know so much about me, and I know so little about you, makes this impossible.’