Cushing hadn’t said where in Parliament Square they were to meet, but Wada crossed over to the green in the centre of the square, where it was slightly quieter and there were only tourists and passers-by to contend with.

She’d walked along one side of the green in the direction of Westminster Abbey and turned to retrace her steps when she saw a woman heading purposefully towards her who she guessed was Cushing even before she recognized her face. She was wearing a light wrap-coat and a colourful scarf. And the uptilt of her chin somehow combined dismissiveness with suspicion.

‘You must be Mimori Takenaga,’ she said as she approached.

‘You must know I am not.’

‘Do I? Marty said that was the name of the woman he was meeting.’

‘My name is Wada.’

‘Really? So what was Takenaga? A nom de plume?’

‘You said you were busy.’

‘I am.’

‘Me also. I have a plane to catch.’

‘Where are you flying to?’

‘New York. To visit my brother.’

‘How nice for him.’

Wada took the facetrail stick out of her pocket and handed it to Cushing. ‘Give that to Mr Driscoll.’

‘Who?’

‘Just pass it on. Please.’

‘I don’t know anyone called Driscoll.’

‘The stick belongs to Martin Caldwell.’

‘You stole it?’

‘I took it. Now … I want you to have it. For Mr Driscoll.’

‘No doubt you’ve kept a copy.’

‘I want Mr Driscoll to understand I am no threat to him. I am going to New York. For some time. I am … no longer doing any work on the Takenaga case. I am … out.’

‘Out?’

‘If he leaves me alone, I will leave him alone.’

‘That’s your offer?’

‘Yes.’

‘You do understand I’ve no idea what you’re talking about, Miss Wada, don’t you?’

‘Will you pass on my message?’

Cushing opened her handbag and dropped the stick into it. She gave Wada a strange little half-smile. ‘I hope you enjoy New York.’

‘So do I.’

‘Goodbye, then.’

Baroness Cushing turned and walked away. Wada watched her go. There was no glance back over her shoulder. If a deal had truly been done, it wasn’t one she wished to acknowledge.

And it wasn’t one, come to that, that Wada had any intention of honouring.

Wada walked slowly towards St James’s Park. She hailed the first free taxi she saw and asked to be taken to Heathrow airport. In the back of the cab, as it headed west through the city, she opened the kage-boshi file again and began to inspect the contents, this time in detail.