He nodded. ‘Lucky for me. Not so lucky for him, when Ava Clouston’s piece went out.’

Janice, registering his anger at no forewarning, said, ‘You can tell her that when you see her. She arrives shortly, or so I’m told. And you’re her chosen one.’

‘We come as a team,’ McNab said. ‘Have you read her stuff?’

‘Multiple times,’ Janice said, pleased at the news she was to be involved.

‘The assumption is the girl’s bona fide,’ he said. ‘At the moment we only have her word for that. Have we run a check on the name Nadia Kowalski? She says she’s Polish.’

‘We’re on to that. Nothing back as yet,’ Janice told him.

‘Mark had left a memory stick for me with his Afghan friends. What’s on it probably brought about his death.’

‘So we’ve got them?’ Janice’s eyes lit up.

‘If we’re permitted to pursue it,’ McNab said. ‘I’m due for the boss’s interrogation now. See you in the interview room.’

As he rose to leave, Janice had a last question for him. ‘What happened about Cleverly?’

‘I haven’t changed my opinion,’ McNab said. ‘Despite Jack Winters’s fine words.’

McNab was a full hour with the boss, aware that everything he said would also have to be written into his report.

‘Hugo Radcliff? You think that’s the killer’s real name?’ the boss said.

‘According to Jack Winters, it is. Although I suspect Hugo will have numerous aliases. What his actual role is within the organization isn’t clear. Nor that of his girlfriend, Ms Richardson.’

He told DI Wilson about the photograph of the two of them together in her apartment.

‘Ollie suspects they may have begun the company. Hugo in charge of the games, she in charge of the locations. But Go Wild’s much bigger and more international now. God help anyone trying to unravel the connections, the personnel and the money involved.’

He’d already explained the role Mark’s Afghan team had played in freeing Jack and himself, although he’d missed out the bit about them carrying weapons. Now he told the boss that they were still intent on looking for Hugo.

When the disapproving look appeared, McNab added, ‘They promised if they located him, they would report it to me, sir.’

‘And not the Met?’

McNab shrugged. ‘The Met were giving Mark a hard time because of his investigation when they should have been supporting him. His friends aren’t about to forgive and forget that, sir.’

‘Right,’ the boss said. ‘It’s time you spoke to our survivor.’

‘They’re here?’

He nodded. ‘I asked Rhona to pick them up from the heliport. Thought a friendly face might be in order. I’m pretty sure Dr MacLeod’s influence has played a part in getting them here.’