Petra ignored him and continued to focus on Carol. ‘So, we need to establish where you are going to be staying in Berlin, how we feed you into Tadzio’s world, and then how you and I maintain contact.’

‘For starters, yes.’

Petra opened her satchel and took out a stylish ring-bound notebook, its pages edged in a rainbow of colours, its black plastic covers embossed with a chain-link design. She flipped it open at the green section and tore out a page. ‘I think a hotel is not a good idea for you. Too many people have access to the room, and it’s too easy for Radecki’s people to bribe a chambermaid to let them in. Radecki himself may be bowled over by your resemblance to Katerina, but I think the people around him – especially his lieutenant, Krasic – will be suspicious of you. Krasic will want to check you out as far as he possibly can. What I think is better is this: there is a building on a quiet street between the Ku’damm and Olivaerplatz that used to be a hotel and has been turned into service apartments. They are mostly used by business people, like you are supposed to be. Each has a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom and a small kitchen. You rent them by the week and a maid comes in twice a week to change the linen and to clean the place. It will be more secure, but also you will feel more at home there. It will be more relaxing, no?’

Carol nodded. ‘Sounds good to me.’

Petra passed her the sheet of paper, which contained an address and phone number. ‘I checked this morning that they have vacancies. I pretended to be a business associate of yours and asked them to hold one for you. They’re expecting you to call. You do have credit cards in your alias?’

‘I’ve got everything. Passport, driving licence, credit cards, a couple of old utility bills and bank statements. I don’t have any Carol Jordan ID on me at all – I handed it all over to Larry for safekeeping.’ She smiled across at him. ‘Just don’t sell my warrant card on the black market, Larry.’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘Don’t tempt me.’

‘Next is how we stay in contact,’ Petra continued.

‘Now, I’ve got something that will help here,’ Gandle butted in. ‘Carol, you’re going to have a laptop with you, right?’

‘That’s right. The London boys set it up. It’s all Caroline Jackson stuff. A shedload of old e-mails, various business-related files and letters. Plenty of stuff to back up my cover story and nothing that shouldn’t be there.’