‘It’s a natural conclusion to reach,’ Manning continued. ‘Particularly with my rather unconventional elevation to DG.’

‘It’s one possible conclusion,’ Knox replied, eliciting a thin smile from Manning.

‘And this,’ Manning said, gesturing around him, ‘bears all the marks of a KGB hit squad.’

Knox had to concede that what he’d seen so far—the lack of forced entry or disturbance, and the neatness of the bodies—fitted the Soviet security agency’s modus operandi.

‘For all we know,’ Manning continued, ‘they’re quietly up to things like this all over the city. Lord knows they’re enjoying keeping us on our toes at the moment, sending that cosmonaut of theirs to take photos with the PM.’

While Knox was being questioned about Holland in Leconfield House, Major Yuri Gagarin, the first human to slip the surly bonds of Earth and successfully orbit the planet in the Russian Vostok 3KA space capsule, was being entertained by Macmillan at the end of a highly publicised trip to London. It had been a coup for Russia, and a very large headache for MI5 and the Metropolitan Police.

Manning pulled his hands out of his pockets and made a brief, ineffective show of patting them back into place.

‘The point is,’ he said, ‘if it is the Russians behind all this, you’ll do your damnedest to find a connection to me, and when you can’t this mole hunt can be put to bed and we’ll all be able to get on with our jobs.’

And with that, Manning made his way out of the flat, trailed by Peterson. He paused briefly at the front door, turning back and looking at Knox across the bodies.

‘I’m throwing you a bone, Richard,’ he said. ‘Possibly your last one.’

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Irina Valera was running late. She knew she was late because by the time she reached the gates of her son Ledjo’s school, he was the only child left waiting to be collected.

When Ledjo saw his mother finally arrive, he quietly walked across the small concrete playground to her and, saying nothing, held out his hand for her to take. It might have looked like the six-year-old was so angry he was giving his mother the silent treatment. But he wasn’t. He was just obeying one of the many rules of life in Povenets B.