Her eagerness worried Tony. He knew that to succeed in so difficult an assignment Carol would have to maintain a high level of confidence. She’d be thrown on her own resources for most of the time and, without self-belief, she’d sink like a stone. But it wasn’t like her to be blind to the perils of a task so fraught with jeopardy. ‘It’s obvious that they’re right, psychologically speaking,’ he said. ‘Radecki’s bound to be attracted to you. And his emotional investment will make it easier for you to maintain your undercover story. He’ll find it hard to be as suspicious of you as he would be of any other stranger. Still, you’re really going to be out there on a limb. If your cover does get blown, he’s going to be far more dangerous to you than if you were just another undercover cop. It won’t be enough to eliminate you. He’ll need to make you suffer. You do know that?’

‘It crossed my mind, yes. But you know I don’t like to brood.’

‘You need to be aware of the potential pitfalls. I wouldn’t be any use to you if I just sat here uttering anodyne platitudes about how terrific you’re going to be at this. Undercover is the hardest job in policing.’ He leaned forward, his face earnest. ‘You’re never off duty. You can’t afford to be homesick for who you really are. You have to live it, and it’s the loneliest place there is. And you’re going to be in a foreign country, which will only compound that feeling of isolation.’

His words hung in the air between them, the intensity speaking of something beyond their superficial meaning. Carol suddenly understood that he was telling her about himself and the way he had chosen to live. ‘You sound like you’ve been there,’ she said softly.

Passing for human, he thought. This wasn’t the time or the place to get into that one. ‘Been there so long I gave the T-shirt to Oxfam,’ he said, striving for lightness. ‘Academic life is not my natural habitat.’ Carol looked disappointed. She had every right, he thought. She deserved better than that from him. ‘Nor was Frances,’ he added. ‘But I didn’t come here to talk about me. Will it be possible for us to be in touch?’

‘I hope so. Morgan said they’ll find a way of getting me secure e-mail access.’