‘The truth about Peter Ellery. Forty years ago and now. It is a big truth, Mr Holgate. It should be told.’

‘This connects Nancekuke, Aum Shinrikyo and the people who are looking for Caldwell?’

‘Yes. It is the whole thing.’

‘And who’s the source?’

‘I cannot tell you that yet. I must be able to assure her the story will receive maximum publicity when the time is right.’

‘When will the time be right?’

‘Very soon, I think.’

There was a brief silence at the other end of the line. Holgate was thinking. ‘All right,’ he said at last. ‘There’s a bloke I know who writes feature stuff on this kind of thing for the Guardian. I gave him a leg up when he was just a cub reporter. If what you’re on to really is a big deal—’

‘It is bigger than you can imagine, Mr Holgate.’

That seemed to impress him. Perhaps he already knew she wasn’t prone to exaggeration. ‘In that case, I’m sure I can get you the kind of coverage you have in mind.’

‘Good.’

‘But I need an inside track on this, Mrs Wada. Maybe we should meet. Where are you?’

‘I could be in London tomorrow. Could you be there?’

‘Yes. London’s not much more than a couple of hours away on the train.’

‘Very well. I will call you again soon. Thank you, Mr Holgate. Oh, and it is not Mrs Wada. Just Wada.’

‘You told me you were married once. Sorry if I … misunderstood.’

‘You did not misunderstand. But now I am just Wada. Goodbye, Mr Holgate.’

Wada anticipated Dr Morrisette would have got a cool response from the company lawyer and would therefore be open to the suggestion she planned to make. She returned to 44 Alford Street reckoning she’d soon be able to set something up with Holgate and his Guardian contact.

But Dr Morrisette wasn’t in. She’d left a Post-it note stuck to her door referring Wada to a neighbour. The neighbour used her spare key to let Wada into the house. ‘Michaela said to tell you to wait for her. She’ll be back later.’

‘Do you know how much later?’ Wada asked.

‘No idea. Michaela’s not easy to pin down. Maybe you’ve noticed.’

Maybe she had.

Wada made herself some tea and sat in the lounge. Time passed. She felt grateful simply to be sitting somewhere with nothing to do. It had already been a long day.

She must have fallen asleep, because it was growing dark when she was roused by a key rattling in the front door. Dr Morrisette swept in with an armful of files and her laptop, plus a takeaway coffee and a supermarket shopping bag.