Knox and Bennett made their way straight to the Hotel Reisen, where they spent the last hour nursing cups of dark, strong coffee in its salon. Knox also spent the time gently testing Bennett. He had to admit he was impressed by her.

When they arrived, he let the waiter guide them to a small, private booth in the corner of the salon, which Bennett turned down in favour of a table next to the bar that gave them a clear view of both the salon’s side door and the hotel foyer. After half an hour, he’d suggested taking turns to stretch their legs. She told him he could take a walk if he wanted, but she was going to stay where she was. And, when he asked her why she was so sure this was where they’d find Valera, she’d explained that the Swedish security service was closer to the KGB than to MI5 or the CIA. It was a super-agency that covered every aspect of the nation’s security, from espionage and counter-espionage to basic policing and dignitary protection. Like any other major organisation, a combination of inertia and efficiency had caused it to fall into certain habits. And one of those habits was accommodating international guests at the Hotel Reisen.

Knox finished his third cup of coffee and was about to ask Bennett if she wanted another when a flicker in her eyes stopped him. He glanced down the length of the salon into the hotel foyer and saw what had caught Bennett’s attention. Irina Valera was being escorted across the lobby by a tall, blond man.

Bennett handed Knox a couple of krona notes. ‘Settle up, and stay put. I’ll wait outside in case they’re just stopping by.’

‘And if they’re not?’

‘Then we’ll need to work out a way to get rid of Blondie.’

There was no need to worry about Valera’s companion. Five minutes after Bennett stepped outside the man left the hotel. And two minutes after that, so did Valera.

Knox waited a moment to let her clear the entrance, then left as well. He didn’t pause at the door, or look down the street to see which way she’d gone, but crossed straight over the road to where Bennett was waiting for him. Without a word she nodded to the right and they both set off north, trailing twenty yards behind Valera.

Chapter 39

Chapter 39

It turned out Djurgården wasn’t just an island of trees. As Valera crossed the low, ornate bridge to it and passed through a high, wrought-iron gate, she saw wooded paths busy with people branching off all over the island. Old men sat on benches talking, couples strolled arm in arm, and parents struggled to control children who wanted to run everywhere but on the path.