‘You ever run into them when you were working undercover?’

Bowman laughed drily. ‘Not a chance. The Langs are too smart to get involved in street-level trouble. They keep their hands clean.’

‘What’s Freddie doing here, anyway?’

‘He’s a friend of the groom. Freddie Lang is mates with all those City boys,’ Bowman said. ‘Makes himself out to be a property tycoon.’

‘I wonder what he’s doing talking to the principal.’

‘The Lang brothers are a big deal in Karatandu,’ Bowman explained. ‘Have been for years. They own loads of real estate down there. Hotels, holiday resorts, diamond mines, shopping malls. They own half the country.’

‘They must be worth a fucking fortune.’

‘They are. But they’re still a pair of evil fuckers. Freddie and his twin brother have been involved in crime since they were out of nappies.’

Kember stared at him. ‘How d’you know so much about them?’

‘I grew up in the same area as the Langs,’ said Bowman. ‘Romford. In Essex. They lived a few streets over from us.’

Kember looked at him with widened eyes. ‘You knew the Lang brothers?’

‘Not personally. But everyone knew about them. The Langs were practically royalty around those parts when I was growing up. Everyone knew about them. Everyone feared them, too.’

‘You ever get mixed up in all of that?’

‘A few of my mates did, but I managed to stay out of it. I was one of the lucky ones.’ He shrugged. ‘Maybe things would have turned out differently, if I hadn’t escaped.’

‘You must have some stories.’

‘I’ve heard one or two,’ Bowman admitted.

‘Are the Langs as bad as people say?’

‘Worse. They were animals. They ruled through fear. David, the older one, he was the brains behind their operations. But everyone knew Freddie was a psychopath. If he came into the pub, you finished your pint and got the fuck out of there. One time, he didn’t like the way the barman looked at him. Freddie dragged the guy outside, broke his legs and beat him within an inch of his life. Poor bastard ended up in a wheelchair, pissing and shitting into a bag.’

‘Christ. I thought growing up in Sunderland was rough.’

‘The Langs are nasty fuckers,’ said Bowman. ‘They might be rich, and they like to pretend they’re legit businessmen these days. But don’t be fooled. Those two are as cruel as they come.’

As they looked on, Seguma said something and pointed up at Bowman and Kember. Look, his body language appeared to suggest. Those are my two SAS bodyguards. Freddie Lang slowly lifted his gaze to the gallery. He caught Bowman’s eye and frowned. Then he turned back to Seguma, pointed at Bowman and uttered a few words. As if asking a question. Seguma nodded. Lang looked up again and stared at Bowman for several long beats, his frown deepening.