“Now, I’m going to explain the facts of life to you, John. I’m aware that some of them may have come to your attention in the past, but it’s always good to have a refresher, isn’t it? And the important thing you have to remember is, your balls are in a vice. And I’m operating the vice, John. And if I ever decide to take a rest from operating that vice, which I won’t, but if I ever do, young Richard there is going to step in for me while I do whatever it is I’ve decided is more important than operating the vice in which your balls are trapped, and he is going to operate that vice in my stead, and let me tell you something about Richard, John, Richard is a disappointed man. About ten minutes ago in our terms, which translates to half a year or so in young Richard’s, he was very much the rising star. Diana Taverner’s favourite son type of thing. Man most likely to. Instead of which he found himself stepping into the most enormous pile of shit, as a result of which he is no longer anybody’s favourite son, and is in fact as popular at Regent’s Park as a red-headed orphan. This close to Slough House he came. This close.” The helpful gesture illustrating this was a thumb and a finger, so close to touching no daylight slipped through. “The only reason he was spared that fate is Lady Di wanted to deny Jackson Lamb the fun of dismembering him. But that lucky escape aside, Richard’s disappointment is a real and living thing, John. What you might call organic. So Richard finds himself in the position of having to feed that disappointment, John, feed it so that it doesn’t devour him instead, and what he likes to feed it is anybody he can. Which right here and right now, John, would be you. Let me know that you’re keeping up.”

“. . . Yes.”

“Good. So this is what’s going to happen, John. You are going to find Benny Manors for us, and you’re going to hold him in place until we come and collect him, and that is going to happen swiftly. Otherwise you are going to discover what a vice round your balls feels like, and you’re not going to be discovering that while hiding away in a cosy little flat off the Edgware, John. Because yes, John, we’re aware you’ve been living in a dead man’s trousers. Using a dead man’s electricity and gas and water, and for all we know hocking a dead man’s treasures in order to satisfy whatever unnatural cravings keep you awake at night. Porn or booze, John, I don’t care which. All I care about is you finding Benny Manors, failure to do which will turn my full attention to the clamping properties of this vice we’re discussing. For example, I might decide to take a closer look at whatever caused Solomon Dortmund to have a heart attack last winter, and without wanting to give away spoilers, John, I’m very likely to decide that it was you. I mean, it’s the old cui bono, isn’t it? Who profited from Solomon’s demise? That would be the man who’s taken over his life and trappings.”