De Payns kept it casual and listed four, in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait. Then he said, ‘We can’t forget your country. Pakistan has some of the best scientists in the Middle East.’ De Payns watched her face.

‘I don’t know much about that,’ she said.

The food arrived and de Payns shifted the conversation to personal topics. He asked about her kids, and allowed her to skirt around her husband without stating that they were estranged. By the time they were on to coffees, de Payns went for the social escalation. ‘I’m in Mons for a couple of days this time. What does a visitor do around here?’

She looked down at her coffee and then addressed him with a hopeful smile. ‘Perhaps I could show you?’

‘Sure,’ said de Payns, showing all his teeth. ‘Let’s do something.’

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

CHAPTER

FORTY-ONE

De Payns used the afternoon break to contact Templar and inform him of the evening plan; that Raven wanted to take him to the Latin club, and they were meeting in another bar first.

Templar laughed knowingly. ‘You know she was at the beauty salon before she met you?’ he said. ‘It’s getting serious, mon pote.’

‘Don’t start,’ said de Payns.

‘So just fuck her,’ said Templar. ‘You got performance anxiety or something?’

De Payns spent an hour walking the main streets, discovering there was a small, medieval core to the city, and more modern sections further out. He found a quaint bookstore, bought a 1954 first edition of Huit affaires pour Biggles, and napped at his hotel in the late afternoon. Then he showered and dressed in casual clothes, and at 6.58 p.m. he walked into the bar Raven had told him about, ordered a light beer and a glass of riesling—her favourite—and took a small round table near the door. Raven walked in three minutes later and when he stood he could tell she was nervous. They drank and laughed, and when they were finished they walked the two blocks to the Latin Bar, where Raven had reserved a table with a banquette, two tables away from the stage. De Payns ensured he took the seat on the edge of the banquette and allowed her to sit in the middle. The waitress arrived with a tray containing two margaritas and they clinked glasses and drank.

De Payns took it slow, pouring his drink between his feet when Raven was looking the other way. They ordered Cuban pulled beef and more drinks. By the third margarita, which arrived during the meal, the band was hitting its first number, an instrumental piece heavy on the bongos, leavened with high-pitch trumpet.