De Payns let it go. People like him didn’t get into conversations about operations with those who didn’t need to know. If you weren’t in the room at Noisy, then you weren’t in the loop. You messed with that rule and people got hurt.

‘We’re all in the Forty-four, ami,’ said Manerie, referring to the French external intelligence service’s initial raising out of the 44th Infantry Regiment. ‘But let’s move along from Falcon and get to what is my business.’

De Payns shrugged. At the front of the carriage a cleaner’s phone sounded. She leaned her mop against the bulkhead and took the call.

‘You know what I do,’ said Manerie, ‘so you know that while I may not work at Noisy, I am very interested in the crumb trails from the Bunker.’

De Payns didn’t like the man’s tone. The DGS was the office that monitored counterespionage efforts against the DGSE. It was the office that tried to weed out those who were compromised or were being blackmailed to work against France. It also caught traitors who were just doing it for the money.

‘Can I help you, Director?’ asked de Payns.

‘You can help France,’ said Manerie. ‘Is that something you’d like to do?’

De Payns’ face tensed for just a split second but Manerie saw it.

‘I didn’t mean it like that,’ said Manerie, holding up the peacemaker’s hand. ‘I acknowledge your service to France. You are not the issue.’

De Payns sensed his neck muscles straining and he leaned back into the seat, forcing himself to relax.

Manerie rested his hand on a leather zip-up satchel beside him on the seat. ‘I referred to Falcon because we have a problem, non?’

De Payns breathed out.

Manerie continued. ‘Has it occurred to you that we are compromised?’

De Payns looked through the window and watched a railway employee walk down the platform. He tried to disassociate himself from what was coming but in his head a voice was screaming, Who fucked us in Sicily?

‘I take your silence as agreement,’ said Manerie. ‘You probably want some answers yourself?’

De Payns turned back and looked at him. ‘How did you find me?’

Manerie smirked. ‘Well, that’s one question.’

‘Here’s another,’ said de Payns, looking for facial and vocal reactions. ‘Why intrude on my way back to Paris, before being sure that I’m not being watched? Why put me in danger by revealing my real identity?’

‘Jim, did you use Alain’s name outside the station?’ asked Manerie, talking to Jim but looking at de Payns.

‘No, Director.’

‘Jim, have I used Alain’s name in this carriage?’

‘No, Director.’

‘Jim, you’ve conducted hundreds of overwatch operations in your career—what is your assessment of this meeting?’

‘We’re clean, Director,’ said Jim.