‘Yes. And we denied you that. We just never … thought of what we were doing in those terms. What a bloody mess.’ She drained her glass. ‘Do you have any idea where Marty’s gone, Nicky?’

‘None at all. But I’m not the only one looking for him. There was a break-in at his flat.’

‘A break-in?’

‘Two, if you count the Japanese woman who helped herself to a spare key. Which didn’t turn out well for her. She got hit over the head by the man who stole Martin’s computer. He was Japanese as well, apparently.’

April’s mouth had fallen open. She stared at him in astonishment. ‘They were both Japanese?’

‘Yeah. Does that mean something to you?’

‘Did you meet the woman?’

‘No. She’d discharged herself from the hospital and taken off by the time I arrived. But Holgate met her.’

‘Do you know her name?’

‘Mimori Takenaga.’

‘Takenaga?’ April’s expression suggested this wasn’t the first time she’d heard that name. ‘What do you know about her?’

‘Well, she told Holgate she’d arranged to meet Martin in London because he claimed to have information about how Aum Shinrikyo – you remember them? – got hold of the manufacturing method for the sarin they used in their attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995. Her husband was one of their victims. Martin didn’t show up for the meeting. So she’d headed down to Exeter.’

‘Why would Marty have information about Aum Shinrikyo?’

‘God knows. But sarin was manufactured at Nancekuke, wasn’t it? That has to be the connection.’

‘It can’t be. That doesn’t make any sense.’

‘It might, if you told me what you know about Mimori Takenaga. Because it’s obvious you know something.’

April frowned and rubbed her forehead. ‘Was she saying Marty had contacted her? Or was it the other way round?’

‘No. He contacted her.’

‘Christ. How did he …’ Her thoughts seemed frozen. Something was troubling her. Deeply.

‘How did he what?’

‘Wait here.’ She jumped up and hurried out into the hall. Then he heard her pounding up the stairs.

He didn’t wait, as instructed, but got up and followed, as far as the foot of the stairs. He looked up and saw her shadow moving on the wall. He could hear her panting as she struggled with something in the cupboard at the end of the landing. ‘April?’ he called.

‘I won’t be long,’ she called back breathlessly.

‘What are you looking for?’ He started up the stairs.

By the time he reached the landing, he saw she’d removed several bags and boxes from the cupboard and had pulled up the square of carpet beneath them. ‘Fuck,’ she said dismally beneath her breath.

‘What’s wrong?’