Luke squeezed into the office, feeling self-conscious. He had passed both of Niamh’s interrogations and he’d been vouched for by Moscow, but he knew he would still be on probation with this organization. He took the opportunity to get a look at some of the people in the room. They were a strange collection, quite different in their own ways: Niamh, Klaus and Max, plus a fourth, silent figure in a denim jacket and an old Status Quo T-shirt. But there were smarter people too. A couple of them were wearing expensive waxed Barbour jackets. One, the shorter of the two, had his back to him. Luke was about to look past him when the man began to turn in his direction.

In a moment of sheer, gut-punching horror, Luke stood frozen to the spot as he recognized the face.

He knew this man.

It was Hugo Squires.

100

Battersea High Street, London

Sunday, 20 March, 2217hrs GMT

ELISE MAYHEW FELT deliciously naughty. She also felt guilty, and sad. In fact, right now she could feel her emotions turning over like washing in a tumble dryer. It was only supposed to be the one glass of wine with her friend Susie.

‘Should you be … you know?’ Susie had cautioned, gesturing towards Elise’s midriff.

‘Sod it,’ Elise had replied, as they settled into a corner seat in the bar off Battersea Square. ‘I’ll just have the one. What harm can that do?’

It was now approaching last orders and between them they had finished off a bottle of Chardonnay, Elise drinking rather more than her half-share.

‘He was just never there for me.’ She sighed, taking another sip. ‘All these years I thought Luke was the man I would marry, you know, have kids with, grow old with.’ She put down the glass and looked around the bar as if searching for answers as to how it had all gone so wrong.

Susie gave Elise’s shoulder a comforting rub. ‘Well, you’ve certainly jumped in with both feet now, haven’t you?’ she said, with a smile. ‘So forget about Luke. Is this Hugo going to make an honest woman of you, then?’

Susie had always been very direct, no beating about the bush for her. It was one of the reasons Elise liked her. She regarded her friend with a slightly guilty expression. ‘Um …’

‘Oh, bloody hell, Lise.’ Susie slapped the palm of her hand down theatrically on the wooden surface of the table. People nearby turned to look at them. ‘Don’t tell me. You haven’t told him yet, have you?’

‘I haven’t had a chance!’ Elise protested. ‘I only found out a few days ago and this isn’t something you just tell someone over the phone. I don’t even know how he’s going to react.’