‘Did you like the location, by the way?’ Again the cruel smile that was as cold as the meat store itself. ‘I mean, the field and everything. I arranged the meeting there with Molokov because I knew you would appreciate it. I really did mess you up in that field in the North, didn’t I, Maria? I know all about your psycho boyfriend, all about your sick leave, about Dr Minks and his treatment. I don’t think you’re in any kind of position to call anyone a “nut-job”. Anyway, let’s start with all the access codes and passwords you know for accessing the Federal Crime Bureau system.’

‘Those won’t get you far,’ said Maria.

‘Oh, don’t worry – we know you are a very, very small fish indeed. That’s not how you’re going to help us get into the dossier. But, in the meantime, what are the access codes and passwords you hold? Do you have them memorised or written down somewhere?’

‘Close the door on your way out,’ said Maria, now unable to restrain her shuddering. ‘There’s a terrible draught in here.’

‘Oh, I’m not going to let you freeze to death, Maria.’ Vitrenko nodded to Olga Sarapenko, who left the cold store for a moment, handing her pistol to Vitrenko as she passed him. She returned carrying a large bucket. Maria had only enough time to register that the bucket’s contents were steaming when they hit her. She screamed as the scalding hot water seared her naked skin. Her face, her arms, her chest all felt as if they were alight and she writhed on the dusty floor. The agony of her scalding seemed to last an eternity. Eventually she prised her hands from her face to inspect the damage. She looked at her arms, her legs, expecting to find the skin blistered and scarlet. It wasn’t. Where the water had hit, her flesh had bloomed pink, but no more. Yet still the pain seared through her. Vitrenko gave Maria a moment as she cowered, taking gasping breaths.

‘A little trick I learned along the way,’ he explained. ‘The water was merely hand-hot. Does no damage to the victim, but if you have chilled them sufficiently beforehand it feels like being hit with acid.’ Sarapenko had brought in a second bucket and doused Maria with its contents. Again she felt pain, but this time less intense and only where the first bucketful had missed. Now the warmth was almost welcome. ‘You see?’ he said. ‘Now you’re accustomed to it.’ Sarapenko returned with a third bucket which she handed to Vitrenko.

‘You see, the central nervous system is very easy to confuse: it finds it difficult to distinguish between extreme heat and extreme cold.’ He threw the third bucket over her.