‘My Japanese colleagues, you mean? They don’t tell me anything. I’m not in the loop. The launch is still on for tomorrow, so obviously Driscoll isn’t too bothered. But then he’s never much bothered. On top of Kristjan breaking into the Emergence files, some guy Nishizaki HQ sent over here has gone missing, though I’d seen nothing of him even before he dropped off the radar, and now they’re sending some other guy to investigate, but none of that seems to— Hold on.’ Ragnar stared at Nick for a moment, then snapped his fingers. ‘That’s it. That’s who you remind me of. You look a bit like a … younger version of Driscoll.’

‘Do you see much of Driscoll?’

‘No. But he comes and goes at the office when he’s in Reykjavík. I see him then.’ Ragnar was peering at Nick intently now. ‘Are you … related to him?’

‘You’d need to ask him.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘Who is the missing man from Nishizaki HQ, Ragnar?’ asked Erla, adroitly changing the subject.

‘His name’s Ohara. Met him, have you? Unusually tall for a Jap, so they tell me.’

‘Ohara?’ queried Nick.

‘Yeah. O-H-A-R-A.’

Of course. A Japanese name that sounded like an Irish one. It was some kind of joke, though not a very funny one. Ohara was the Irishman. But he wasn’t Irish. ‘Missing, you say?’

‘Evidently.’

‘Since when?’

‘Since I’m not fucking sure exactly when, because, like I said, I never met the guy anyway. But it’s got them spooked in Tokyo. Ohara answers direct to Nishizaki himself, according to one of the few rumours my honourable co-workers shared with me. And the same goes for Zayala, the second-in-line shark they’re sending to find him, so it’s quite a big deal.’

‘Why did Nishizaki send Ohara here in the first place?’

‘Dunno. Maybe I should text him and ask.’

‘Come on, Ragnar. You’re not really the dope you pretend to be. What’s going on?’

Ragnar snarled something to Erla in Icelandic. ‘Apparently, he doesn’t appreciate your sarcasm, Nick,’ she explained.

Ragnar gave a grumpy harrumph and leant back against the table. He folded his arms. ‘I don’t get what your interest is in all this … Nicholas.’

‘I’m a friend of Martin Caldwell. He’s missing too.’

‘I know. Kristjan told me. Missing’s getting to be contagious.’

‘Why do you think Nishizaki sent Ohara here? You must have some idea.’

‘Maybe to check up on Driscoll. It’d be kind of nice to think those two don’t trust each other.’

‘Any real evidence for that?’

‘The evidence is Ohara coming over and going missing and Zayala coming after him. First signs I’ve ever seen that anyone at Nishizaki HQ could find Iceland on a map of the world.’

‘How has Driscoll reacted?’

‘He hasn’t. But then he wouldn’t. Cool as ice, that guy.’