‘Not yet, but that may mean I’m not drinking enough. I’m happy to keep trying until I find the perfect dosage. How is Angel?’

‘He hurts, too.’

‘A bullet?’

‘Cancer.’

Most winced. ‘I am very sorry.’

‘They cut most of it out, poisoned the rest. Angel, I’m happy to say, is very hard to kill.’

Most raised both glasses. ‘Then dobré zdraví,’ he said, ‘for what it’s worth.’

Louis lifted his cup.

‘Good health,’ he said. ‘Have you found Bilbija?’

‘He was not so hard to find,’ said Most, producing a photograph of Luca Bilbija from his jacket pocket and placing it on the table. ‘He’s been spending money, which makes a man conspicuous, although this one has been spending it in the right way and in the right places, which makes him less conspicuous.’

Louis moved the photo closer. It was definitely Bilbija.

‘Where was it taken?’

‘At a casino in Zbraslav, south of the city. Very private. He has rented a house nearby, courtesy of the casino owners.’

‘Alone?’

‘Entirely. But there is a difficulty.’

‘Isn’t there always?’

Most added five more pictures to the first. They showed, from various angles, what looked like a fortified blockhouse: a single-story dwelling with narrow windows, surrounded by a high wall. The wall had a vehicle door built into its southern side, leading to a smaller entrance into the main house.

‘This is where he’s living?’ said Louis. He sounded incredulous.

‘It is not, I admit, the home of a man at ease with the world,’ said Most.

He tapped the topmost photo with a straw from one of his drinks.

‘See here? Cameras, on the outer and inner walls. It also has lights triggered by motion sensors, and an alarm connected directly to the casino’s private security system. The door into the house is reinforced steel, and the windows have security shutters of the same material. Even if the power is cut off, the house has a backup generator, and any failure automatically triggers an alert. The casino can also choose to involve the police, if required. There is, I’m informed, an understanding between them.’

Most handed Louis another photo, a trio of men in their fifties, one of whom was pointing a gun directly at the lens of the camera.

‘The Novákovi,’ said Most. ‘They own the casino, and Bilbija’s is one of five properties in the area that they keep for high rollers, the kind who prefer not to stay in hotels. They also rent them to those who may have certain security problems, including temporary difficulties with enemies or the law.’

‘What about that understanding with the police you mentioned?’