Dixon finally took a sip of his champagne, accepting that he wouldn’t be getting behind the wheel of his car any time soon. ‘Did you at least put food out for the cat?’

‘Of course we did. We’re not savages.’

‘How long until we go?’

Murphy finished his champagne and snatched two more glasses from a passing waiter. ‘Tomorrow night. In the meantime, there’s another reception in the morning it’d be good for you to show your face at, and a couple of senators it’d be worth meeting.’

That definitely sounded like a waste of Dixon’s time. If they weren’t flying until the next night he could still get a few more hours of work done and meet Murphy at the airport.

‘Has the president suddenly stopped caring about what the Russians are up to?’ he asked.

‘Have you made any progress at all in the last week?’ Murphy countered.

‘No,’ Dixon conceded.

‘Then calm down,’ Murphy said, taking another swig of champagne. ‘What difference is a couple of days going to make?’

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The final stretch up Parliament Hill was White’s least favourite part of his Sunday-morning stroll with Stella. Even the Irish setter had started to tire of it in her advancing years. But it was the quickest way back to Hampstead and home after their walk around the heath.

White had hoped to avoid this Sunday’s walk. With the OECD conference starting the next morning and almost every delegate already in the city, all hands were needed on deck at Leconfield House over the weekend. Except, apparently, White and his staff.

On Friday afternoon, word came down from the fifth floor that with Pipistrelle bugs now in place across the city, monitored by GCHQ and maintained by a rotating team of Watchers, there was no reason for the research and development department to lose out on their weekend along with the rest of MI5.

It had been Manning’s first decree once he returned to Leconfield House after being made permanent director general, and White didn’t like the message it sent. When Peterson came down to the basement to pass on the news he exploded at him, arguing that what Manning was suggesting was tantamount to dereliction of duty. This was not the time for anyone to be taking it easy.

‘This is exactly when we need Atlas running Pipistrelle,’ White said. ‘We can’t sit around waiting for GCHQ to tell us what they think we should know.’

Peterson didn’t disagree with him, but he made it clear that while it might be unwise to be absent from Leconfield House at such a crucial time, it would be even less wise to turn down Manning’s gift. ‘And,’ he’d said, ‘if something comes up, we know where to find you.’