At exactly 6 p.m. he pressed the security buzzer.

‘Hi, Sébastien,’ came Raven’s voice. ‘I’m up the stairs, in number four.’

There was a buzz and the sound of a bolt sliding and de Payns pushed through the door. He’d managed to turn his nerves into excitement, and he felt pretty good as he bounded up the stairs. Before he knocked on the door of number four, he checked his palms—they were dry, a good sign.

Raven opened the door and greeted him with a kiss on each cheek. He was glad of his dry palms because she was wearing a sleeveless purple chiffon top, and he touched her briefly on the bicep.

‘Ooh, for me?’ She smiled as he presented the flowers and the cardboard box.

‘I hope you like Turkish delight,’ he said.

‘I love it,’ she replied, walking to her kitchen, from which a delicious smell was emanating. ‘And by the way, it’s not Turkish, it’s Persian.’

It was a clean and tidy two-bedroom flat, about twenty years old. There was no sign of her kids, nor of a husband, which made him think that this was one of those gifts that Middle Eastern fathers give to their daughters, so they have some independence and their own asset. A bolthole for Muslim girls.

She emerged with a bottle of riesling, fresh from the fridge.

‘I thought there was no drinking in Pakistan,’ said de Payns.

‘You mean like there’s no pot-smoking in Belgium?’

She poured and he took a glass.

‘So, what have you told your brother about me?’ asked de Payns. ‘Anything I should know?’

‘I just told him the industry you’re in and what I’m doing for you. He was happy for you to join us for dinner.’

They drank and Raven asked him about his sightseeing. He also told her about his clients in New Delhi and the hassle of trying to remember all the languages that were spoken in this part of the world. She suddenly remembered the flowers, and walked into the kitchen to get a vase. He followed her and saw the rear exit that Templar had briefed him on. The kitchens of these apartments had a door leading onto fire escape gantries and stairs. He looked down and saw that the fire stairs dropped into a concrete car park, just as the team had briefed him.

Raven placed the flowers in a vase, opened the oven and stirred the contents of a ceramic pot.

There was a movement below, and de Payns looked down and saw a black LandCruiser with large aerials pull into the parking area. Two heavies in outdoor leisurewear emerged from the vehicle, leaving the driver in his seat. The larger of the two heavies wore a black windbreaker and slate-coloured hiking pants, and his 9mm handgun was evident on his hip. He looked up and straight at de Payns.