‘Yes. Correct. You can find me with those?’

‘Sure. No problem.’

‘And you will leave straight away?’

‘I’ll fix up a car and set off as soon as I can. I’ll text you when I leave the city.’

‘OK. Good. I am relying on you, Erla. You understand? I have to leave here.’

‘I’m on it.’

‘Thank you.’

Nick was lingering over coffee after a late breakfast at his hotel. He’d just sent an anodyne and largely fictitious text to Kate when his phone rang. It was Erla.

‘I’ve heard from Wada.’

‘You have? Where is she?’

‘A farm several hours from here. She wants me to come and get her. She’s got no transport for some reason. She sounded … well, as though she needed to get out of there.’

‘You said you’d go?’

‘Of course. But I’ve got no car, so I’ll have to hire one.’

‘I can do that.’

‘I was hoping you’d say that. There’s a car hire place under the opera house. Can you meet me there in … twenty minutes?’

‘I’ll be there in fifteen.’

‘OK. Great. See you soon.’

Nick put his phone down and drained his coffee cup. So, Wada had broken cover. And the likelihood was that she still had whatever she’d taken from Quartizon’s offices, which the raid on her hotel room suggested somebody wanted back – badly.

Suddenly, the truth seemed almost close enough to touch. He pushed back his chair and stood up. It was time to go.

The morning passed with agonizing slowness for Wada. She walked as far as the gate on the track at the farm boundary and back to the house twice. Then the text she was waiting for came in. Leaving city now.

She went indoors and made some tea. She gave Caldwell a cup and dealt with his attempts to persuade her to let him go by not speaking at all. She said nothing about the empty fuel tank in George’s car or the dead battery in Ohara’s. She made no mention of the fact that she now had a functioning phone. She gave no hint rescue was on the way.