‘This is the Russians we’re talking about,’ Bowman cut in. ‘They don’t give two shits about plausible deniability. They just wanted to make a statement.’

‘Josh is right. Poisoning is the Kremlin’s MO,’ Mallet added quickly. ‘They know they can get away with it, and the worst that happens is we expel a few diplomats. Frankly, I’m surprised they haven’t carried out another attack sooner.’

The Voice said, ‘We’re not here to discuss the details of a criminal investigation. That is not the purpose of this meeting.’

Even through the artificial modulator, Bowman detected a certain hostility in the MI6 officer’s voice. The snooty Vauxhall attitude rearing its ugly head, he reflected. Bowman had encountered it before. Oxbridge-educated spooks, looking down their noses at the military, regarding them as little more than a bunch of musclebound idiots.

‘There’s more,’ the Voice added. ‘John. Perhaps you’d care to explain.’

All eyes in the room turned to the Cell team leader. Mallet laced his hands in front of him and cleared his throat.

‘Shortly before he slipped into a coma, our old pal Freddie spilled his guts about the meeting between David Lang, Galkin and Bezuglov in Monte Carlo. Which, of course, we already know about. But Freddie provided us with some new information.’

‘What information, exactly?’ Casey asked.

‘Lang isn’t going to the meeting alone. He’s got Ken Seguma with him.’

‘Seguma?’ Loader repeated. ‘Wasn’t he at the wedding today?’

‘That’s not the real president. He sent a body double in his place.’

‘What’s he doing in Monte Carlo?’

‘I think we can be reasonably certain that it involves the meeting Lang has arranged with the Russians.’

Casey said, ‘How do we know all this?’

‘Josh spoke to Freddie, moments before he slipped into a coma,’ Mallet replied. ‘Freddie told him everything.’

Loader looked at Bowman with renewed interest. ‘You were at the wedding?’

‘We had orders to bodyguard Seguma. Me and three other guys from the Wing,’ Bowman replied. ‘Putting our lives on the line for a nobody, as it turns out.’

Loader edged backwards in horror. ‘Bloody hell, are you infected?’

‘Piss off,’ Bowman said. ‘I should be worried about catching something from you, mate. All the groupies you claim to have had.’

Casey said, ‘How can we be sure that Freddie is telling the truth?’

‘Thames House has questioned the man purporting to be President Seguma,’ the Voice responded in its train-station-announcement tone. ‘He’s confessed to the scam. It appears the president’s personal assistant and bodyguards were in on it as well. But they don’t appear to have been involved in the wider plot.’

‘Freddie also claimed that his brother is blundering into a trap,’ Mallet chipped in. ‘Reckons the Russians are planning to ambush the meeting. Stab David Lang in the back.’